Report: Intel struggling to supply laptop CPUs built on 18A node

Tim Culpan, a technology journalist based in Taipei, reports that Intel is struggling to supply laptop CPUs built on its 18A silicon production node. That affects Panther Lake—the basis for the Arc G3 handheld—and the budget Wild Cat Lake chip. Conversations at Computex 2026 with representatives from three of the world’s top-six laptop brands produced a common message: "supply is tight." Culpan says Intel’s general manager Alex Katouzian acknowledged "some" shortages but added the company is "overcoming" them.

Culpan suggests the issue may not be the 18A node itself but a mix of factors, including strained ties with TSMC; Panther Lake uses an in-house CPU tile while its I/O tile is made by TSMC, and "TSMC’s capacity is notoriously tight right now." He also reports that Intel’s new server chip Clearwater Forest (branded Xeon 6+)—also on 18A—might be taking priority over lower-margin laptop CPUs.

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