Intel Panther Lake H 25W & U 15W CPUs Leak: Core Ultra 300 with Up to 16 Cores and 12 Xe3 GPU Cores

Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake processor family, branded under Core Ultra 300, has been partially revealed through leaks highlighting key specifications and configurations for both the high-performance H-series and power-efficient U-series models.

Key Specs and Architecture

The Panther Lake H chips target a 25W Thermal Design Power (TDP) and feature hybrid architecture combining:

Up to 16 CPU cores in configurations mixing Performance cores (Cougar Cove), Efficiency cores (Darkmont), and Low Power Efficiency cores (LP E-cores).
A GPU segment built on the new Intel Xe3 "Celestial" graphics architecture, packing up to 12 GPU cores for enhanced integrated graphics performance.
Support for DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory, PCIe 5.0, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

The U-series models focus on a 15W TDP envelope, balancing power and efficiency for ultraportable laptops, while still utilizing Xe3 GPU cores (some variants feature 4 to 12 cores).

Power and Performance

Leaks suggest the Panther Lake-H chips will operate with a base power (PL1) of 25W and boost power (PL2) around 64W, allowing short bursts of high performance. Notably, these processors use Intel’s latest 18A (1.8nm) manufacturing node, implementing RibbonFET transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery for efficiency improvements and power leakage reduction.

Platform and Availability

The first Panther Lake-H processors have been spotted on Mini-ITX industrial motherboards supporting DDR5-6400 and DDR5-7200 memory at up to 128GB capacity. Intel plans a volume launch starting in the second half of 2025, with OEM availability expected before year’s end and wider consumer releases in early 2026.

What This Means

Panther Lake aims to blend Lunar Lake-level efficiency with Arrow Lake-like performance, representing a major leap forward for Intel’s hybrid CPU design. The expanded Xe3 GPU core count promises significant improvements in integrated graphics capabilities, potentially reducing the need for discrete GPUs in some mobile systems.

This generation marks Intel’s commitment to pushing process technology and architectural innovation to reclaim leadership in high-performance and energy-efficient CPUs.