Intel Is Making Its Own Handheld Gaming PC Chips At CES 2026

An anonymous reader quotes a report from IGN: Last year, Intel had the best iGPU on the market. This year, it's broken that record by over 70% with Panther Lake and it's a huge win for handhelds. "We've overdelivered" is how Intel CEO Lip Bu Tan categorized the Panther Lake launch during the company's CES 2026 Keynote address, and that really does seem to be the case. But the real highlight of the keynote speech wasn't the engineering behind Panther Lake, but rather the iGPU and the "handheld ecosystem" Intel is building to capitalize on the iGPU's performance gains.

Formerly known as the 12 Xe-core variant, the new Intel Arc B390 iGPU offers up to 77% faster gaming performance over Lunar Lake's Arc 140V graphics chip. Intel's VP and General Manager of PC Products, Dan Rogers detailed the Arc B390's performance gains and announced a "whole ecosystem" of gaming handhelds. That ecosystem includes partnerships with MSI, Acer, Microsoft, CPD, Foxconn, and Pegatron. So we'll finally see more Intel handhelds hit the market.

[...] Since Intel's Core Ultra 300 Panther Lake chip is built on Intel's proprietary 18A Foundry process node, it can be cut in a variety of different die slices. According to sources at Intel close to the matter, the company is planning a hardware-specific variant or variants of the Panther Lake CPU die. Currently branded as "Intel Core G3" these processors will be custom-built for handhelds. That means Intel can spec the chips to offer better performance on the GPU where you want it, with potential for even better performance than the current Arc B390 expectations.

Space

[Anonymous Coward]

I knew space at fabs was limited, but making chips at CES seems like a rather extreme response.

Re: Space

[reanjr]

On the other hand it fits into their plans to rollout more domestic production.

Re:

[backslashdot]

Starting this summer, you'll be able to walk into an Intel store at your local strip mall and they'll stamp out a chip for you right then and there.

Re:

[mtm10]

That they could find space at CES is the amazing part - every hotel room is booked, all the convention and hotel suite space is sold, all the Lyfts are in use!

Now On Stage at CES 2026

[crunchy_one]

Intel is making gaming PC chips on stage at CES 2026. At least that's how the headline reads.

Now that's how you onshore manufacturing!

"Intel" and "Overdelivered."

[nightflameauto]

Two words I did not expect to see uttered in such close proximity in the year 2026. Now, let's see if anyone outside of Intel agrees with their own assessment.

Re:

[cpurdy]

Their GPUs are mostly competent. I think having a third competitive provider (after nVidia and AMD/ATI) is great news. Here's to hoping they can release a low cost GPU that will beat the upcoming nVidia 6090 ... (one can always dream)

Re:

[DrMrLordX]

Could be that someone is exaggerating a bit.

Re: This is Bullshit

[samwichse]

He actually poops at parties, so that peoples know this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=... [youtube.com]

Intel iGPUs are so great that nobody uses them

[thesjaakspoiler]

Too overqualified to put such a monster in a handheld.

Reminds me of that overqualified red cat drumming :
https://youtu.be/-UYgORr5Qhg?t... [youtu.be]

Re:

[DrMrLordX]

Don't be silly, Strix Halo already goes into handhelds.

Not the best iGPU on the market.

[DrMrLordX]

Strix Halo had a better iGPU last year.

Alternate headline

[thegarbz]

Intel finds new market in which to underperform against AMD. Seriously the iGPU from intel is rubbish compared to the GPU in Ryzen APUs processors.