Intel is preparing to unveil its next wave of laptop processors, known as Panther Lake, at CES 2026. Built on the advanced Intel 18A manufacturing process, this family is expected to cover a wide spread of performance tiers—from an entry-level Core Ultra 5 322 with six CPU cores up to a top-end Core Ultra X9 388H featuring 16 cores.
While the flagship chips will grab attention, most everyday and multimedia-focused laptops from major manufacturers like Lenovo are likely to rely on the practical middle of the lineup—processors designed to balance speed, battery life, and thermals for mainstream users.
One early performance clue comes from a tested Core Ultra 7 365 sample. Based on current results, the chip appears to land slightly behind Intel’s recent Lunar Lake counterpart, the Core Ultra 7 258V. In single-core testing, the Core Ultra 7 365 is roughly 11% slower, and in multi-core performance it trails by about 10%. In real-world terms, that places the Core Ultra 7 365 in a performance neighborhood reminiscent of Intel’s 12th-generation mobile parts, with chips like the Core i7-1270P sitting in a similar class.
The comparison becomes more challenging when looking at AMD’s competition. According to the available Geekbench figures, the Core Ultra 7 365 doesn’t keep pace with the 8-core Ryzen 7 260. The Panther Lake sample is about 8% slower in single-core results and approximately 23% slower in multi-core. That gap is notable because the Ryzen 7 260 is based on Zen 4—an older CPU core design compared to the latest architectures on the market.
It’s worth remembering these numbers are based on early benchmark sightings, which don’t always reflect final performance in retail laptops. Firmware, power limits, cooling designs, and final optimization can all shift results before launch. Still, as early indicators go, the Core Ultra 7 365 suggests Panther Lake’s mid-range offerings may prioritize efficiency and balanced laptop performance rather than outright benchmark dominance—at least in these first leaked results.
With CES 2026 approaching, the full picture should become clearer once Intel details the lineup and manufacturers reveal the laptops that will actually ship with Panther Lake processors.
