Intel launches Core non-Ultra Series 3 with Wildcat Lake die
The competitor to Apple’s MacBook Neo systems has arrived, I mean, that should be the goal for Intel’s new budget silicon. Unfortunately, the press release does not include any price ranges, so that’s only my guess.
Today, Intel is launching its new Core Series 3 mobile processors, and Intel’s launch deck identifies the top Core 7 360 SKU as a Wildcat Lake part. The new family targets value laptops, commercial systems, and edge devices , with OEM rollouts starting today, April 16. Intel also says more than 70 designs are planned across multiple partners.
Source: Intel
The Core 7 360 features a 6-core CPU configuration made up of 2 Cougar Cove P-cores and 4 Darkmont LP E-cores. There are no E-Cores on this chip. Intel pairs that with Xe3 integrated graphics featuring 2 Xe-cores, plus an NPU 5 block rated at 17 TOPS. Product table lists GPU clocks up to 2.6 GHz, GPU AI performance at 21 TOPS, 6MB cache, 15W base power, and 35W maximum turbo power.
Source: Intel
At platform level, Intel says Core Series 3 is built on Intel 18A and uses the same IP foundations as Core Ultra Series 3, Panther Lake. Intel also says this is its first hybrid AI-ready Core Series platform, with up to 40 platform TOPS, support for up to two Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, LPDDR5X-7467, and DDR5-6400 memory.
Source: Intel
Intel compares the Core 7 360 to the older Core 7 150U and claims up to 2.1x faster creation and productivity, up to 2.7x higher AI GPU performance, and up to 64% lower processor power in selected workloads. The company also compares the chip to a five-year-old Core i7-1185G7 system and claims up to 47% higher single-thread performance and up to 41% higher multi-thread performance. These numbers come from Intel’s own reference-platform testing.
The PC lineup includes Core 7 360, Core 7 350, Core 5 330, 320, and 315, plus Core 3 304 . Intel lists launch partners including Acer, ASUS, HP, Lenovo, MSI, and Samsung, while edge systems based on the same family are set to begin shipping in Q2 2026.
Intel Core 3 Wildcat Lake laptops:
- Acer – Aspire Go 14
- Acer – Aspire Go 15
- Acer – Aspire Go 16
- ASUS – Vivobook 14/15/17
- ASUS – Vivobook S14/S16
- ASUS – ExpertBook B5 Flip
- ASUS – ExpertBook B3 G2
- ASUS – ExpertBook P3 G2
- Colorful – Colorfire E14
- Colorful – Colorfire L1
- Hasee – Youya Series
- Haier – Aibook
- Honor – Magicbook X14
- Honor – Magicbook X15
- HP – Omnibook 5 14
- Infinix – XBOOK B14/B16
- Lenovo – ThinkBook
- Lenovo – ThinkPad E series
- Lenovo – IdeaPad Slim 3i
- Lenovo – IdeaPad Slim 5i
- MSI – Modern 14S
- MSI – Modern 16S
- Samsung – Galaxy Book 6
- Tecno – Megabook K14S
- Tecno – Megabook K15S
- Tecno – Megabook K16S
- Wiko – Matebook D14
Press Release
Intel Launches Intel Core Series 3 Processors: Changing the Game for Everyday Computing
Intel® Core™ Series 3 brings advanced features and Intel’s latest architectures to value buyers, commercial and essential edge devices
What’s New: Intel® today unveiled its new Intel Core™ Series 3 mobile processors, bringing advanced performance, exceptional battery life, and AI-ready capabilities to value buyers, commercial and essential edge devices.
Purpose-engineered for value, Intel Core Series 3 is built on the proven foundations of Intel Core Ultra Series 3, code-name Panther Lake, and manufactured on Intel 18A process technology, the most advanced logic node developed and manufactured in the United States. The new processors are designed to transform computing for schools, small businesses, and value buyers, delivering the features people care about at unmatched scale. Over 70 designs from leading partners, offering a choice of features and form factors, will launch in the coming months.
“At a time when prices are rising and expectations are shifting, Intel Core Series 3 elevates value-oriented computing with exceptional battery life, boosted AI-ready performance, and broad ecosystem choice. By delivering the latest IP with modern, purpose-designed silicon and right-sized performance, we’re expanding access to better technology that meets the real-world needs of students, families, small businesses, and edge deployments at a scale that no other company can match.”
Josh Newman, General Manager and Vice President of Consumer PC, Client Computing Group
What It Offers: Intel Core Series 3 presents an unmatched upgrade opportunity for small businesses and home users on a typical five-year upgrade cycle. Versus a five-year-old PC, Intel Core Series 3 delivers up to 47% better single-thread performance¹, up to 41% better multi-thread performance², and up to 2.8x better GPU AI performance³. These gains enable a new class of systems that raise expectations for what everyday computing can deliver.
Other notable specifications and features include:
- Intel Core Series 3 is Intel’s first hybrid AI-ready Core Series processor, supporting AI workloads with up to 40 platform TOPS.
- Support for modern connectivity, including up to two integrated Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, Intel® Wi-Fi 7 (R2), and Intel® Bluetooth® 6.
- Intel Core Series 3 is designed for all-day battery life⁴ and everyday productivity, with up to 2.1x faster creation and productivity⁵, up to 64% lower processor power⁶, and up to 2.7x AI GPU performance versus previous-generation Intel Core 7 150U processors⁷.
Essential Edge Computing: Beyond the laptop, Intel Core Series 3 brings Intel innovation to essential edge deployments, from robotics and smart buildings to point-of-sale (POS) terminals and smart metering, delivering the right balance of performance, AI capability, and power efficiency for diverse real-world use cases.
Intel Core Series 3 processors scale from top-tier edge intelligence with integrated AI acceleration for vision and speech AI down to essential edge compute with cost-optimized, reliable compute. Compared to NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, Intel Core 7 350 delivers up to 1.5x higher object detection performance⁸, up to 1.9x faster image classification⁹, and up to 2.2x higher performance for video analytics¹⁰.
When It’s Available: Intel Core Series 3-powered systems for consumer and commercial markets will be available from OEM partners throughout the year, starting today, April 16, 2026. Refer to your preferred OEM vendor for specific system availability. Edge systems powered by Intel Core Series 3 will be available starting in Q2 2026.
Source: Intel
