Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake platform is generating a lot of excitement. Early tests of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H show impressive performance, with its integrated GPU powerful enough to compete with dedicated graphics cards such as the Radeon RX 6600 and GeForce RTX 3050 — even with ray tracing enabled.
This strong performance has reportedly caught AMD’s attention. For years, AMD has enjoyed a comfortable position in the APU market thanks to its Radeon integrated graphics and excellent performance-per-watt ratio. However, Intel’s Panther Lake is shaping up to be a serious competitor, especially since AMD has chosen not to include RDNA 4 integrated GPUs in its Ryzen AI 400 APUs.
A Price Increase That Could Affect All Brands
Despite its efficiency and high performance, the biggest drawback of Intel Panther Lake laptops is their price. New models equipped with these chips are expected to be up to 20% more expensive than those using Intel’s previous generation, Lunar Lake.
Samsung has already confirmed that its upcoming Galaxy Book6 Pro and Galaxy Book6 Ultra, powered by Intel Panther Lake, will cost roughly 20% more than the earlier versions featuring Lunar Lake. This price hike may extend to other manufacturers as well, impacting the entire market for Intel-based laptops.
Consumers may have to wait and see how this affects budget-friendly models aimed at general users.
Laptops with Intel Lunar Lake were launched at more accessible prices compared to the earlier Meteor Lake generation. Today, some Lunar Lake models are already being discounted and sold for under 1,000 dollars as retailers clear inventory.
For Panther Lake to succeed, Intel and its partners must ensure that the sub-1,000-dollar segment remains competitive. This price range is crucial, as AMD continues to offer strong alternatives in that category.
