Intel unveils major AI leap in upcoming CPUs

Panther Lake processors to debut in 2025

Pat Gelsinger has revealed Intel's ambitious goal of achieving up to a 6x improvement in AI performance across successive processor generations

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has announced a significant leap in AI performance with the forthcoming Panther Lake processors, slated to debut in 2025.

The revelation comes hot on the heels of Gelsinger's insights into the advancements in the Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake chip series, promising remarkable enhancements in AI capabilities.

During the Q4 2023 earnings call, Gelsinger disclosed Intel's ambitious goal of achieving up to a 6x improvement in AI performance across successive processor generations.

He underscored that the Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake platforms alone are poised to triple AI performance compared to the preceding Meteor Lake CPUs. Furthermore, Panther Lake aims to amplify this progress with an additional 2x boost, promising a six-fold increase over the Meteor Lake lineup.

While Meteor Lake, Intel's inaugural AI-enabled processor series, was rolled out in December 2023, Panther Lake is slated for a 2025 launch, following the imminent introduction of Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake processors later this year.

This exponential growth in AI capabilities underscores Intel's commitment to staying at the forefront of the AI hardware market. The Panther Lake lineup is tailored for the general market, ensuring accessibility for consumers seeking cutting-edge AI processing in their PCs.

Built on Intel's 18A node, Panther Lake is expected to share the LGA-1851 socket with Arrow Lake and feature Cougar Cove P-Cores and Darkmont E-Cores. Additionally, it is expected to integrate Intel's Xe3 Celestial integrated graphics and cater to both desktop and laptop markets.

Though details about Panther Lake remain sparse, rumours suggest formidable AI prowess and technological sophistication.

Intel's strategic trajectory is evident in its production timeline, with the Clearwater Forest datacentre CPUs currently in fabrication for server applications. Similar to Panther Lake, Clearwater Forest will adopt Darkmont E-Cores but forego P-Cores, providing a tailored solution for datacentre environments.

Clearwater Forest is poised to succeed the forthcoming Sierra Forest Xeon CPUs, scheduled for release later this year.

Once Clearwater Forest CPUs are rolled out next year, Panther Lake will take centre stage, further solidifying Intel's position as a leader in AI-driven hardware solutions.

Last week, Intel released its financial results for Q4 2023, reporting a net income of $2.7 billion, or 63 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $700 million, or 16 cents per share, in the previous year. The company's forecast for Q1 2024 fell short of market consensus, with expected adjusted earnings per share of 13 cents on sales ranging between $12.2 billion and $13.2 billion, compared to analyst forecasts of 33 cents per share on $14.15 billion in revenue.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger attributed the subdued outlook to weaknesses in subsidiary divisions, including Mobileye and its programmable chip unit, as well as declines in revenue from divested businesses. Despite affirming the health of Intel's core PC and server chip businesses, Gelsinger acknowledged challenges in subsidiary segments, contributing to the subdued forecast.

The company's largest division, Client Computing, reported robust sales growth, buoyed by strong demand in the gaming and commercial sectors. However, the Data Centre and AI division experienced a sales decline of 10%, reflecting challenges in the server CPU and GPU market.

With expectations of further declines in the Data Centre business in Q1 2024, Intel faces mounting pressure to address underlying issues impacting revenue growth.