At CES 2026, Intel unveiled Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, the first AI PC platform built on Intel 18A process technology.
Powering over 200 designs from leading, global partners, Series 3 will be the most broadly adopted and globally available AI PC platform Intel has ever delivered.
“With Series 3, we are laser focused on improving power efficiency, adding more CPU performance, a bigger GPU in a class of its own, more AI compute and app compatibility you can count on with x86,” says Jim Johnson, senior vice-president and GM of the Client Computing Group at Intel.
New class of Intel Core Ultra X9 and X7 processors
Within the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 mobile lineup, a new class of Intel Core Ultra X9 and X7 processors come packed with the highest performing, integrated Intel Arc graphics.
They are purpose-built for multitaskers that handle advanced workloads like gaming, creation and productivity on the go.
The top SKUs feature up to 16 CPU cores, 12 Xe -cores and 50 NPU TOPS, delivering up to 60% better multithread performance over 77% faster gaming performance and up to 27 hours of battery life.
The Series 3 family also includes Intel Core processors, intentionally designed to power mainstream mobile systems. Leveraging the same foundational architecture of Intel Core Ultra Series 3, the Intel Core lineup enables more performant and efficient laptop designs at lower price points.
Series 3 accelerates AI adoption
For the first time, alongside their PC counterparts, Series 3 edge processors are certified for embedded and industrial use cases, including extended temperature ranges, deterministic performance, and 24×7 reliability.
Intel Core Ultra Series 3 delivers competitive advantages in critical edge AI workloads with up to 1,9x higher large language model (LLM) performance, up to 2,3x better performance per watt per dollar on end-to-end video analytics, and up to 4,5x higher throughput on vision language action (VLA) model.
The integrated AI acceleration enables superior total cost of ownership (TCO) through a single system on chip (SoC) solution versus traditional multi-chip CPU and GPU architectures.
Availability
Pre-orders for the first consumer laptops powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors will begin today (6 January 2026). Systems will be available globally starting on 27 January 2026, with additional designs coming throughout the first half of the year.