Intel launches cheaper Panther Lake chips for mainstream laptops
What's the story
Intel has unveiled a new range of affordable Panther Lake laptop processors, dubbed the Core Series 3 line. The new chips are built on the same Intel 18A process as their high-end counterparts, the Core Ultra Series 3 family of chips. However, they come with lower specifications across the board. The Core Series 3 line-up includes six different chips, with Intel Core 7 360 being the most powerful and Intel Core 3 304 being the most basic model.
Chip details
The new chips support 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports
The Core Series 3 chips come with fewer CPU cores, Xe graphics cores, and PCIe lanes than their Ultra counterparts. They also have a lower TOPS capacity and TDP wattage. The new chips support two Thunderbolt 4 ports as opposed to four in the Ultra series. This is all expected to result in lower prices for laptops powered by these processors.
Market confusion
Chip name overlap between Core series and Core Ultra series
There is some overlap in the chip names between the Core Series 3 and the pricier Core Ultra Series 3 processors. For instance, at the bottom of the Core Ultra Series 3 line is a Core Ultra 5 322 chip, while in the middle of the Core Series 3 line there's now a Core 5 330. This could lead to some confusion among consumers looking for budget-friendly options.