"18A is meant to steer Intel back toward bluer waters by making its chips better, and, if possible, attracting chip designers like Qualcomm and Nvidia to use Intel's foundries, not just its rival TSMC's. Last year's Arrow Lake chips received a mixed reception, particularly desktop versions. The mobile-only Lunar Lake chips, on the other hand, were great, showing that the x86 architecture still has plenty of fight in it against a slowly rising tide of Arm-based Windows laptops."
"I've been testing the flagship Intel Core Ultra X9 388H Panther Lake chip in the 2026 Asus Zenbook Duo dual-screen laptop, and it's been a treat. It's fast enough for intensive work and multitasking, powerful enough for 1080p gaming at high settings, and lasts well over a full workday using productivity apps on battery power. With Panther Lake, Intel is walking the walk."
Intel's 18A process targets improved chip performance and hopes to attract external designers to Intel foundries. 18A aims to make chips better and draw partners such as Qualcomm and Nvidia away from rival TSMC. Arrow Lake desktop chips received mixed reception, while mobile-only Lunar Lake showed strong x86 competitiveness but relied on TSMC manufacturing. Panther Lake returns to Intel-made silicon with homegrown manufacturing. The flagship Core Ultra X9 388H in the 2026 Asus Zenbook Duo delivers fast performance for intensive work and multitasking, supports high-settings 1080p gaming, and achieves battery life exceeding a full workday on productivity tasks.
Read at The Verge
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