Recently, Chips and Cheese released a die shot photograph of Intel's upcoming next-generation Panther Lake processor. This visual reveals that the processor employs a hybrid architecture, comprising two 'Puma Canyon' high-performance cores and three clusters of 'Darkmont' efficiency cores. Through in-depth analysis, it has become evident that Intel's 18A process has successfully achieved the anticipated density targets. This accomplishment marks a substantial leap in transistor density, with significant area optimizations implemented for both the high-performance and efficiency cores. At present, the primary focus of the 18A process has shifted towards enhancing yield performance, as advancements in this regard are pivotal for facilitating smooth mass production.
