Intel Plans a Custom Panther Lake CPU for Handheld Gaming PCs

Image source: Intel

Intel has announced plans to develop a custom Panther Lake CPU specifically for handheld gaming PCs, as it moves to establish a full “handheld gaming platform” and enter an increasingly competitive market. Qualcomm has been hinting at potential Windows gaming handhelds appearing at the Game Developers Conference in March, while AMD’s new Strix Halo chips could pave the way for more powerful portable systems.

According to reports from IGN and TechCrunch, Intel intends to compete by creating a custom Intel Core G3 variant, or possibly multiple variants, designed exclusively for handheld devices. These chips are said to be capable of outperforming the Arc B390 GPU found in the Panther Lake processors Intel has just announced. IGN reports that by using Intel’s new 18A manufacturing process, the company can carve out different die configurations and “spec the chips to offer better performance on the GPU where you want it.”

For now, concrete details about the broader handheld gaming platform remain scarce. Intel’s Dan Rogers said yesterday that the company will have “more news to share on that from our hardware and software partners later this year.”

There is reason for cautious optimism. The Intel-based MSI Claw saw a noticeable improvement when it transitioned to Lunar Lake, and there is hope that the new Panther Lake platform can continue that positive momentum for Intel-powered handheld gaming PCs.

Author: George Nathan Dulnuan