At CES 2026, Intel unveiled its Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” mobile chips, igniting excitement with promises of exceptional battery life and a significant leap in integrated graphics performance powered by new Arc Xe3 cores. Initial benchmarks confirm these aren’t just promises – Panther Lake delivers a compelling gaming experience.
This arrival positions Intel to challenge AMD’s dominance in the rapidly growing handheld gaming market, currently led by the Ryzen Z1 and Z2 chips. Intel’s Nish Neelalojanan didn’t hesitate to highlight this potential, boldly asserting Panther Lake is specifically engineered for this emerging sector.
“They’re selling ancient silicon, while we’re selling up-to-date processors specifically designed for this market,” Neelalojanan stated, directly addressing AMD’s current offerings. The comment sparked a swift response from AMD, setting the stage for a heated competition.
Just hours after Neelalojanan’s remarks, AMD’s Rahul Tikoo addressed the challenge. He emphasized AMD’s deep roots in the handheld space, tracing back to their success in console development and semi-custom silicon.
Tikoo explained that handhelds prioritize graphics power over raw compute and I/O capabilities. He argued that Intel’s “Swiss Army Knife” approach – utilizing a general-purpose notebook chip like Panther Lake – introduces unnecessary complexity and overhead with its chiplet architecture and interconnects.
“We can do that, too,” Tikoo conceded, “But when you think about the core of the handheld space, they want purpose-designed, purpose-built chips that have great graphics technology, great software like FSR, integration with game developers on Xbox, PlayStation, etc.”
Intel touted the efficiency of its low-power E-cores as a key advantage for extending battery life. Tikoo countered with a surprising revelation: independent testing, including a video demonstration by Qualcomm, revealed a performance trade-off.
“Lunar Lake has great battery life when measured with MobileMark with the power connected,” Tikoo explained. “As soon as you go in DC Mode, battery life climbs while performance drops. The Core i7 performs like a Core i3.” He asserted AMD balances performance and efficiency, removing this concern for customers.
While AMD’s claims centered on Lunar Lake, the question remained: would Panther Lake exhibit the same behavior? Early benchmarks suggest a more consistent performance profile, even when unplugged, hinting at a different outcome.
The stage is now set for a fierce battle for the heart of the handheld gaming revolution. Intel’s Panther Lake, with its potent Arc graphics, aims to disrupt AMD’s established position. Only time will reveal which company will ultimately prevail in this exciting new arena.
