CES 2026 Predictions: Intel Chips, AI & Everything Expected
▼ Summary
– CES 2026 is a major tech showcase where companies like AMD, Nvidia, and Intel will present upcoming products, with a significant focus on AI across announcements.
– AMD is expected to announce new processors like the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and provide updates on its APUs and FSR technology at the event.
– Intel will globally launch its Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3 processors at CES, marking its first chips using the 18A manufacturing process.
– New handheld gaming PCs are anticipated, featuring chips from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, with the latter claiming significant performance-per-watt advantages.
– The show will also feature many new laptops, monitors with incremental OLED improvements, and high refresh rate displays, though product pricing may be affected by DRAM supply issues.
While the final weeks of the year often bring a lull in gaming tech announcements, the calendar flipping to January ignites a frenzy of excitement. This annual surge is fueled by the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where global tech giants converge to unveil their upcoming innovations. The event sets the tone for the year ahead, blending groundbreaking hardware with the pervasive influence of artificial intelligence. Our team will be on the ground in Las Vegas to experience everything firsthand, but even before the doors open, a clear picture of CES 2026 is coming into focus.
AMD holds the prestigious opening keynote slot this year. While CES caters to a broad consumer audience, not solely gamers, several significant product reveals are anticipated. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor, details of which briefly appeared on AMD’s own website, is strongly expected to make its official debut. Leaks suggest an eight-core design with 96 MB of L3 cache and a boost clock reaching 5.6 GHz. We may also receive updates on the delayed Ryzen 9000G desktop APUs and the Ryzen AI 9 465 mobile chip. Beyond silicon, many are hoping for news on the future trajectory of FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) following the recent Redstone update.
Over at Intel, the show will serve as the global launchpad for its next-generation Panther Lake processors. These chips mark a major milestone as the first to utilize Intel’s advanced 18A manufacturing node. While early benchmarks provide only a glimpse, we anticipate a flood of new laptops powered by these Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs dominating the show floor. The long-rumored Nova Lake architecture and updates to Intel’s discrete GPU line may also be topics of discussion, though their stage presence is less certain.
The handheld gaming PC segment continues to explode, and CES 2026 will be a key battleground. We expect to see new portable systems featuring both Panther Lake and the latest Ryzen APUs. While powerful chips like Strix Halo present thermal challenges, their inclusion in devices like the GPD Win 5 proves the market’s push for maximum performance. Furthermore, with Qualcomm aggressively promoting the efficiency gains of its Snapdragon X2 platform, the first wave of compelling Arm-based gaming handhelds could finally materialize.
Nvidia’s presence is officially themed around “lighting up CES 2026 with the power of AI.” Its presentations and partner showcases will heavily emphasize enterprise and productivity innovations fueled by artificial intelligence. Given the company’s meteoric growth in this sector, these demonstrations will be crucial for its commercial audience. Gamers, however, should temper expectations for new graphics cards, as those announcements are traditionally reserved for Nvidia’s own GTC event later in the spring.
Laptops will, as always, be a central pillar of the show. We’ll see a plethora of new models equipped with next-gen Nvidia RTX 50-series mobile GPUs and high-performance APUs from AMD and Intel. Panther Lake’s debut across business, consumer, and gaming notebooks will be a major story for Intel, with manufacturers like Razer and Asus showcasing sleek new designs. The efficiency of modern processors continues to enable thinner, more powerful chassis, often paired with stunning OLED displays. It’s important to note that industry-wide DRAM supply constraints may impact pricing and availability across many new systems.
The monitor landscape is poised for incremental but meaningful improvements. Panel experts anticipate broader adoption of the latest OLED technologies from LG and Samsung, bringing PC monitors closer to the brightness and HDR performance of high-end televisions. Look for wider availability of ultra-wide 5K2K 40-inch OLED panels, potentially establishing a new premium standard. While a true 6K gaming monitor remains a distant prospect, the push for extreme refresh rates continues, with more IPS models likely to break the 500 Hz barrier.
Inevitably, AI will dominate the conversation across the entire show floor. From keynotes by Lenovo and AMD’s Dr. Lisa Su focusing on AI’s role in daily life, to its integration into countless products, the term will be inescapable. The challenge lies in separating genuine innovation from marketing hype. Past CES events have yielded meaningful AI-driven technologies like advanced upscaling (DLSS, FSR) and robotics. The goal is to cut through the noise of “AI-enhanced” everything to find the tools that truly reshape our interaction with technology, whether for work, creativity, or play.
(Source: PCGAMER)
