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The big picture: The currently available information concerning Intel's upcoming Panther Lake CPUs indicates that it will accommodate both desktops and laptops. However, news regarding desktop variants has been scarce. Now, an established tipster suggests that Intel might have scrapped the desktop parts altogether.
Intel's Panther Lake processors, expected to emerge sometime in mid-2025, are reportedly only planned for laptops, contrary to what was understood previously. Nova Lake, scheduled to debut after Panther Lake, will succeed Arrow Lake in the desktop sector.
The information comes from leaker "Jaykihn," who has previously shared extensive information on upcoming Intel CPUs. When Intel initially confirmed that it was working on Arrow Lake, Lunar Lake, and Panther Lake, Panther Lake was expected to support laptops and desktops, with the desktop chips using the same LGA-1851 socket as Arrow Lake to give users a relatively affordable upgrade path.
Sorry, I saw the word "mobile" and filled it in.
– Jaykihn (@jaykihn0) August 9, 2024
No, PTL is mobile-only.
Next consumer desktop is Nova Lake.
That upgrade is expected to double AI performance if Intel fulfills its current roadmap. Integrated graphics performance should also receive a boost from the company's third GPU architecture, codenamed Celestial. Chipzilla confirmed that Panther Lake will use its 18A (1.8nm) semiconductor node.
Unfortunately, official information on the upcoming lineup has been scant since Intel's spring 2024 earnings call. However, Jaykihn's prior leaks have provided further details on mobile Panther Lake processors.
Intel plans to introduce two laptop Panther Lake tiers, one for high-end devices and the other for light notebooks, with the latter lacking efficiency cores and being limited to 15W. High-end mobile Panther Lake will consist of two sub-tiers, both consuming 25W. The most powerful chips feature 12 iGPU cores while all others have only four.
The processors will succeed mobile Arrow Lake, which is expected to launch in early 2025. Meanwhile, the precise launch timeline for desktop Arrow Lake remains unclear, but Intel assures that it remains on track for late 2024. The lineup was likely to appear at the company's September Innovation event, but Intel delayed it to next year amid the severe turbulence it has recently encountered.
Raptor Lake, the latest desktop CPU generation, suffered from widespread instability, for which the company potentially faces a class action lawsuit. Intel also recently ceded notable market share to AMD, cut thousands of jobs, and suffered a weakening credit rating.