Intel launches the Core Series 3 for PCs with NPU, low consumption and up to 6 cores

Intel has launched the platform Core Ultra 3 Series for laptops, also known as Panther Lake and manufactured with its process Intel 18A. He has also presented his references for professionals vPro under this same series of processors and now wants to complement this range with the new Intel Core 3 Serieswithout Ultra, also known as Wildcat Lake. A new family that arrives to give life to the mid-range and entry-level laptopswith references up to 6 cores.

Intel Core 3 Series: new mid-range laptop processors with AI and high efficiency

Intel has defined these new Core Series 3 as processors designed to offer all day battery. In the middle of 2026, superior performance could not be missing in Artificial intelligenceSpecifically, the manufacturer ensures that these processors offer 2.3 times more performance with your GPU for this type of tasks, and who are also prepared for the Hybrid AI. All this with a lower consumption of up to 64%.

Panther Lake architecture with Cougar Cove, Darkmont cores and Xe3 graphics

The Intel Core 3 Series They are manufactured with the process Intel 18Aand have the latest architecture in CPU and GPU cores. Thus, in these processors we find high-performance cores Cougar Cove and high efficiency and low consumption darkmontas well as a Fifth generation NPU and architecture-based graphics Xe3.

Looking further, the compute and GPU tile in this series comes in configurations up to 6 coresdivided into 2 Cougar Cove high-performance cores and 4 Ultra Low Power Darkmont. The memory controller supports speeds up to 7,467 MT/s LPDDR5x type and even 6,400 MT/s type DDR5. As for the GPU, it integrates 2 Xe3 coreswhich have proven to offer great performance in graphics and artificial intelligence tasks.

Advanced connectivity with WiFi 7, Thunderbolt 4 and Bluetooth 6.0

Additionally, you can add up to 2 Thunderbolt 4, 2 USB 3.2 and 8 USB 2.0 for your peripherals. For communications we find compatibility with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0which complement this tile IS.

We leave you the complete range in the following table with its characteristics so that you can see the differences between the models presented by Intel.

Up to 2.7 times more AI performance and productivity improvements

Intel wanted to show performance data compared to past generations, where it has set as a reference the most powerful model of this new series, the Intel Core 7 360. Taking this processor as a reference and compared to the Core 7 150Uthe new reference has managed to be up to 2.1 times faster content creation and productivity. If we talk about performance in AI, this figure shoots up to 2.7 times more.

Greater autonomy with up to 64% less energy consumption

Intel also wanted to highlight the low consumption of these processors, again compared to the Core 7 150U. In this case, the Core 7 360 has managed to consume up to 64% less streaming videowith very close figures in other tasks such as productivity, where a 52% less consumption in the tests carried out.

This reduced consumption translates into longer battery life. Intel assures that these Core 3 Series They are able to reach up to 18.5 hours of Netflix content playback, 12.5 hours in office productivity or almost 10 hours using Zoom with AI effects.

Available today on laptops from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung

These processors will arrive in laptops starting today from brands such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsungamong others, with up to 70 different designs.