Reports indicate that Intel's in-house manufactured processors, 'Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake)' and 'Core Series 3 (Wildcat Lake),' are experiencing supply shortages.



Intel announced the ' Core Ultra Series 3 (codename: Panther Lake) ' in January 2026 and the ' Core Series 3 (codename: Wildcat Lake) ' in April 2026. These processors are produced using Intel's process node called 18A, but technology journalist Tim Culpan reports that 'Intel is not able to supply enough Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake.'

Intel is Struggling to Supply Laptop Chips Built Around its New 18A Node
https://www.culpium.com/p/intel-is-struggling-to-supply-laptop




Major chip manufacturers like AMD and NVIDIA design their chips in-house and outsource the manufacturing to semiconductor manufacturers such as TSMC. Intel, on the other hand, owns its own factories and has long relied on its ability to handle everything from design to manufacturing in-house. However, Intel's semiconductor factories have faced miniaturization challenges, and the ' Core Ultra Series 1 (codename: Meteor Lake) ' released in 2023, and the ' Core Ultra Series 2 (codename: Lunar Lake) ' and ' Core Ultra Series 2 (codename: Arrow Lake) ' released in 2024, were manufactured by TSMC.

Subsequently, Intel announced the Core Ultra Series 3 (codename: Panther Lake) in January 2026, and the Core Series 3 (codename: Wildcat Lake) in April 2026. These processors utilize a process rule called the 'Intel 18A process,' and it was heavily promoted that they would be manufactured in Intel's own factories.

Intel announces 'Core Ultra Series 3,' adding 'Core Ultra X9' and 'Core Ultra X7' to its lineup - GIGAZINE



However, according to Culpan, he received information from representatives of three major PC manufacturers that 'there is a shortage of Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake processors.' Furthermore, representatives from two smaller PC manufacturers also stated that 'they are required to secure a source of processors before accepting PC assembly orders from customers,' suggesting that Intel processors are not readily available.

On June 2, 2026, Culpan requested an interview with Alex Katuzian, General Manager of Intel's Physical AI division, and asked him about the supply issues for Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake. Katuzian responded by saying, 'There is a slight supply shortage, but we are overcoming it,' acknowledging that the shortage was indeed real.

Culpan pointed out that 'Panther Lake and Wildcat Lake are manufactured using Intel 18A, but the I/O chips included in the processors are manufactured by TSMC,' suggesting that the supply issues for both processors may be due not only to Intel but also to contractual relationships with partner companies such as TSMC.

Intel is also moving forward with plans to manufacture semiconductors for other companies in its own factories. In April 2026, it announced its participation in 'Terafab,' an AI chip development project led by Elon Musk, and revealed that it had signed a contract to manufacture AI chips using Intel 14A.

Elon Musk's AI chip is expected to be manufactured using Intel's 14A process - GIGAZINE



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in Hardware, Posted by log1o_hf