Intel technically revealed Panther Lake again in October 2025, main with the Xe 3 graphics structure, which Intel claimed was a massively improved built-in graphics chip. Properly, shortly after these new laptop computer processors have been ‘launched’ at CES 2026, I’ve lastly been capable of sit down and take a look at it for myself.
And whereas the Asus Zenbook Duo I used to check out the Intel Core X9 Extremely 388H isn’t precisely what I’d name a ‘gaming laptop computer’, what with it not having a discrete graphics chip, it’s greater than able to enjoying AAA video games at excessive settings. You simply should mood your expectations a bit. When you ask me, although, a skinny and lightweight laptop computer enjoying video games at excessive settings isn’t probably the most thrilling factor on this planet. What’s going to be way more fascinating is how Panther Lake goes to carry out in handheld gaming PCs.
The Laptop computer Processor as a Handheld Processor
Whereas Intel has hinted at a handheld-only Panther Lake chip making its option to market a while this 12 months, we don’t essentially have to attend that lengthy to see these laptop computer CPUs make their handheld debut. In any case, there are many gaming handhelds on the market utilizing laptop computer chips – even when they’re not precisely probably the most environment friendly fashions on the market.
Handhelds just like the Ayaneo Kun and the GPD Win 4 have been utilizing full-fat laptop computer CPUs since earlier than the Steam Deck even existed, and that’s not going to cease any time quickly. These chips are highly effective, particularly for the sort of lower-resolution show you discover on a handheld, however up to now they’ve been held again by subpar battery life.
That’s one of many causes, in spite of everything, why Valve elected to toss a 15W customized AMD APU within the Steam Deck, in any other case it’d run out of battery after an hour like these different handhelds. That was additionally the driving power behind AMD’s Z-series chips, beginning with the Z1 Excessive that confirmed up within the ROG Ally and the unique Legion Go.
And for the previous few years, these Z-series chips have been sort of the default in the case of gaming handhelds, giving AMD nearly all of the hand-held market. Nevertheless, with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and its Lunar Lake-powered Core Extremely 7 258V, Intel began to sneak into the market.
That was, just like the Intel Core Extremely X9 388H I examined within the Zenbook Duo, a laptop computer chip, albeit one with a barely decrease 37W max energy.
I’ve finished a whole lot of the testing on the MSI Claw 8 AI+, and one factor that’s fascinating about that handheld is how lengthy the battery lasts. In PCMark10, which is admittedly not a gaming take a look at, the Claw 8 lasts greater than 15 hours, in comparison with 10 hours from the Legion Go 2. Clearly, these numbers are quite a bit smaller once you’re really enjoying video games, but it surely exhibits how significantly better Intel is at dealing with battery life.
And, in my early checks of Panther Lake, the brand new Core X9 Extremely 388H is getting northwards of 17 hours within the Procyon Workplace Productiveness battery take a look at. That’s not the identical take a look at, however the workloads being examined are related sufficient that I’m undoubtedly occupied with seeing one thing like this in a handheld.
Panther Lake Gaming Handheld Chips Are Already Going to Be a Factor
Again at CES 2026, Intel instructed us {that a} Panther Lake handheld chip was on the horizon. We don’t know something about what this chip will really appear like, simply that it’s known as the “Intel Core G3” and that it’s coming a while this 12 months. However both means, I’m excited to see what it could actually do.
I’m not going to faux that it’s going to be as highly effective because the Core Extremely X9 388H discovered within the Zenbook Duo, however I do suppose it’s going to be shut. In any case, Intel does declare that this G3 chip might be leveraging the complete energy of the Arc B390 graphics within the 388H, simply possible with much less CPU cores and possibly a trimmed down NPU (neural processing unit).
We gained’t understand how Intel goes to spec this factor out till it’s introduced, but when it’s the identical B390 that’s in Panther Lake, we is perhaps taking a look at 60 fps gaming in high-end video games with excessive graphics settings. And that’s earlier than Intel’s new multi-frame technology enters the equation.
As an illustration, in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1200p with the Excessive preset and XeSS set to “High quality”, I used to be capable of get a median of 65 fps in a slice of gameplay from the opening mission. Once I turned on body technology, that quantity went as much as 103 fps with FG set to 2x and 160 fps at 4x multi-frame technology. Now, these increased numbers pushed latency up from 45-55 ms of PC latency as much as round 72 ms with 4x body gen, however I don’t understand how a lot that issues in a single participant RPG.
AMD’s Outdated Architectures
If Intel’s nascent handheld chip does include the identical B390 GPU as its high-end Panther Lake laptop computer chips, Crew Blue might really pull forward of AMD. Nearly as good because the Ryzen Z2 Excessive is, AMD’s handheld chip makes use of RDNA 3.5 graphics, which isn’t precisely historical, but it surely’s additionally a technology behind the flagship Radeon RX 9070 XT that debuted on the identical time. Extra importantly, it could actually’t leverage Crew Pink’s newest upscaling tech. And that’s the perfect handheld chip AMD has to supply for the time being.
The remainder of the Z2 collection of handheld chips is in a a lot worse place. The common Z2 is utilizing an RDNA 3 GPU, and the Z2 Go, primarily discovered within the entry-level Legion Go S, has an RDNA 2 graphics core. For reference, RDNA 2 debuted again in 2020.
In AMD’s protection, it is sensible to pair lower-end processors with older architectures to save lots of money, but when Intel is coming to market with a handheld chip that gives a quicker and extra environment friendly structure, it’s not arduous to think about that Crew Pink needs to be sweating somewhat bit. It’s going to be a couple of months earlier than an Intel Panther Lake handheld gaming PC makes its option to market, however when it does, I’m going to be very to get it within the lab to see the way it holds up in opposition to AMD’s established Z-series chips.
Jackie Thomas is the {Hardware} and Shopping for Guides Editor at IGN and the PC parts queen. You’ll be able to observe her @Jackiecobra