CES 2026: Intel Core Ultra 3 AI PC chips announced with Arc graphics, 50 TOPS NPU

Intel has revealed its Core Ultra 3 processor at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026, and it’s said to be the first processor built on the Intel 18A semiconductor process.

This architecture is meant to offer performance and graphical improvement, not to mention it also packs Arc’s graphics. The chipset is also advertised to offer battery efficiency. Here’s all you need to know.

All about the Intel Core Ultra 3 processor

The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is based on the new and efficient Intel 18A process, which incorporates new RibbonFET gate-all-around transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery. Intel says this process offers improved performance per watt compared to the previous generation.

The chipset offers up to 16 CPU cores and 12 Xe graphics cores. Moreover, the chipset offers an enhanced neural processing unit capable of delivering 50 TOPs (trillion operations per second)of AI compute, powering on-device AI features.

Intel says that there’s a significant performance jump over the Core Ultra Gen 2, including 60 per cent better multithreaded performance and more than 77 per cent faster gaming performance. It offers up to 27 hours of battery life.

The Intel Core Ultra 3 processors will be available starting January 27. The pre-orders begin on January 6. Laptops powered by this processor are expected to hit the market later this month.

ALSO READ: Intel Core Ultra: 3 reasons why these processors should be in your next laptop

Several brands are expected use the Core Ultra 3 in their laptops, including Samsung, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Samsung is expected to showcase the Core Ultra 3-powered Galaxy Book 6 series at CES, and we can’t wait for it.

Are you impressed by the Intel Core Ultra 3’s performance numbers? Let us know in the comments below.