Intel sends Panther Lake CPU samples to customers, Intel 18A chip to be launched in the second half of the year
Jan 07,2025
During CES 2025, Intel began sending samples of its "Intel 18A" product - a client computer CPU codenamed Panther Lake - to customers among PC manufacturers. The company emphasizes that these CPUs will adopt Intel 18A (1.8nm level) process technology and be launched in the second half of this year, which is good news for the company.
Intel will continue to strengthen its AI PC product portfolio in 2025 and beyond. We will now provide customers with samples of our flagship Intel 18A product and begin mass production in the second half of 2025, "Intel wrote in a statement
Intel's Panther Lake is crucial for it as 70% of production will be consumed internally, significantly reducing costs and increasing profit margins. The leaked specifications show that Panther Lake will provide different versions with 8-16 cores based on the positioning configuration, and is expected to be used first for laptops, replacing Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors. However, it remains to be seen what product will replace the Arrow Lake-S CPU for desktop computers.
The important aspect of Intel Panther Lake is the adoption of Intel 18A process technology, which is a production node that determines its success or failure. The Intel 18A process uses RibbonFET fully enclosed gate (GAA) transistors and has PowerVia backside power supply functionality.
The backside power supply network is particularly important for large and power consuming data center level processors, so it is unclear whether it will be used for Panther Lake CPUs designed specifically for client PCs with a processor base power (PBP) rating of 45W. Intel is still preparing to use Intel 18A technology for Clearwater Forest processors in data centers. This CPU will consume hundreds of watts of power and utilize the back power supply network of PowerVia. Intel stated that Clearwater Forest is now able to boot the operating system, but it is currently unclear when this CPU will be put into mass production.
Another key factor is that the Intel 18A will be the company's first node to be used by external customers through Intel's contract manufacturing. Therefore, Panther Lake's planned production in the second half of this year highlights the health of manufacturing technology.
According to Intel, the Intel 18A manufacturing process has attracted great interest from Intel's OEM customers because it is considered more competitive than TSMC's planned 3nm and 2nm technologies to be released in 2024-2025, at least in some parameter aspects. Intel expects its first external customer to complete the Intel 18A design in the first half of 2025.
Assuming there are no errors or defects in the design, it will be put into mass production in the first half of 2026. This schedule puts Intel's Intel 18A slightly behind TSMC's N2 (2nm) technology in the foundry market. TSMC N2 plans to enter mass production in the second half of 2025. However, as Intel will produce Panther Lake based on Intel 18A in the second half of this year, technically speaking, this manufacturing technology will enter the market before TSMC N2.
Intel will continue to strengthen its AI PC product portfolio in 2025 and beyond. We will now provide customers with samples of our flagship Intel 18A product and begin mass production in the second half of 2025, "Intel wrote in a statement
Intel's Panther Lake is crucial for it as 70% of production will be consumed internally, significantly reducing costs and increasing profit margins. The leaked specifications show that Panther Lake will provide different versions with 8-16 cores based on the positioning configuration, and is expected to be used first for laptops, replacing Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors. However, it remains to be seen what product will replace the Arrow Lake-S CPU for desktop computers.
The important aspect of Intel Panther Lake is the adoption of Intel 18A process technology, which is a production node that determines its success or failure. The Intel 18A process uses RibbonFET fully enclosed gate (GAA) transistors and has PowerVia backside power supply functionality.
The backside power supply network is particularly important for large and power consuming data center level processors, so it is unclear whether it will be used for Panther Lake CPUs designed specifically for client PCs with a processor base power (PBP) rating of 45W. Intel is still preparing to use Intel 18A technology for Clearwater Forest processors in data centers. This CPU will consume hundreds of watts of power and utilize the back power supply network of PowerVia. Intel stated that Clearwater Forest is now able to boot the operating system, but it is currently unclear when this CPU will be put into mass production.
Another key factor is that the Intel 18A will be the company's first node to be used by external customers through Intel's contract manufacturing. Therefore, Panther Lake's planned production in the second half of this year highlights the health of manufacturing technology.
According to Intel, the Intel 18A manufacturing process has attracted great interest from Intel's OEM customers because it is considered more competitive than TSMC's planned 3nm and 2nm technologies to be released in 2024-2025, at least in some parameter aspects. Intel expects its first external customer to complete the Intel 18A design in the first half of 2025.
Assuming there are no errors or defects in the design, it will be put into mass production in the first half of 2026. This schedule puts Intel's Intel 18A slightly behind TSMC's N2 (2nm) technology in the foundry market. TSMC N2 plans to enter mass production in the second half of 2025. However, as Intel will produce Panther Lake based on Intel 18A in the second half of this year, technically speaking, this manufacturing technology will enter the market before TSMC N2.