Each new CES is a chance for a glimpse on the processors and platforms coming for the brand new 12 months, even when they’ve been beforehand introduced. This 12 months isn’t any totally different.
Two of the three main arrivals have already been disclosed, each for notebooks. Intel has revealed its next-generation Core Ultra platform, “Panther Lake,” and Qualcomm has introduced that its next-generation cellular Windows on Arm processor would be the Snapdragon Elite X2. Only AMD has but to disclose what its upcoming chip for laptops can be, although its clients revealed a projected roadmap some months in the past.
But what’s occurring with desktop PCs? And might Nvidia have one thing up its sleeves for the large present?
Right now, it’s inconceivable to know what PC makers are going to announce at CES 2026. Still, we are able to make some guesses. Here’s what we count on could also be revealed by Intel, Qualcomm, AMD, and Nvidia.
Intel: It’s all about Panther Lake
Clearly, Intel will launch its Panther Lake (Core Ultra 300) processors at CES 2026. Intel has already revealed among the deep-dive details of the Panther Lake architecture: a return to the effectivity and low-power effectivity cores in addition to the efficiency cores alongside the Xe3 graphics core and an upgraded NPU. Normally, we cease there and start questioning about clock speeds and pricing.
But wait! Intel actually has three designs to consider: an 8-core and a 16-core chip, and than a model of the 16-core chip with 12 Xe3 graphics cores inside it. Naturally, we’d assume the 12-Xe model can be the premium providing, however will PC distributors contemplate this model as a challenger to the AMD Ryzen Max? I are inclined to doubt it, however it’s potential.
Intel
Intel nonetheless has a stranglehold on the laptop computer market. Its earlier chip, the Core Ultra 200, was wonderful, providing a potent mixture of lengthy battery life and first rate computing energy. Typically Intel provides us an opportunity to do some benchmarking on the present, then permits journalists to check the platform shortly thereafter. I feel that can in all probability proceed to be the case.
In current years, Intel has additionally showcased a couple of functions that make the most of native AI. My guess is that we’ll see one thing on this regard, as effectively, probably specializing in agentic AI.
Intel
It’s seemingly that Intel can even set the stage for “Nova Lake,” its subsequent desktop processor platform that the company has already disclosed for 2026. Before that, nonetheless, the so-called “Arrow Lake Refresh” chips are expected to debut, with minor tweaks to the clock speeds and a slight improve to the core depend (8 efficiency cores, 12 effectivity cores), particularly within the decrease tiers. But with Arrow Lake’s reception being simply lukewarm and with small beneficial properties hooked up to the refreshed elements, I wouldn’t count on that Intel pays this loads of lip service.
Qualcomm: Selling Windows on Arm
Mark Hachman / Foundry
No actual surprises right here, both. Qualcomm has already introduced its Snapdragon X2 Elite platform with a wide range of inner processor cores that collectively push in direction of 5GHz and an industry-leading 80 TOPS.
Nobody actually expects Snapdragon PCs to be gaming machines…and but Qualcomm can by no means fairly exclude gaming from the dialog, both. Qualcomm says the X2 Elite’s gaming efficiency has doubled, so count on to see extra video games being performed on Snapdragon laptops. The massive thriller, although, is how many laptops OEMs will design across the Snapdragon X2 Elite chips. the uptake of Snapdragon X Elite laptops wasn’t excellent. But Microsoft and Qualcomm are decided to make Windows on Arm occur.
Mark Hachman / Foundry
Will we see desktop bulletins from Qualcomm? Almost definitely not as a separate chip, however the firm has teased a radically small mini PC reference design as a part of the Snapdragon XE2 reveal, in addition to an all-in-one desktop with a XE2 system constructed into the bottom of the monitor stand, so something is feasible.
AMD: the one avid gamers wish to purchase
For avid gamers and lovers, AMD clearly gained 2025, no less than from a CPU perspective. Sure, you may focus upon the Ryzen 9000X and its initial performance hiccups. But AMD as an alternative gained massive with its Ryzen 9000X3D elements, particularly the Ryzen 9 9950X3D: gobs of V-cache equated to gobs of efficiency, too. Remember when Threadripper was the chip AMD followers couldn’t cease speaking about?
What impressed me, nonetheless was how good AMDs cellular Ryzens have been. AMD’s cellular processors have been crap for years (good riddance, A-series) however the Ryzen AI 300 checked the NPU field whereas delivering main efficiency with good battery life, too. Now AMD is able to move the torch from “Strix Point” to the Zen 5 “Gorgon Point” processor: the Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 has already leaked via Geekbench, working at 3.1GHz with a complete of 12 cores. That’s an excellent begin, although I’m simply as seeing how this chip handles the challenges of sustaining efficiency in addition to lengthy battery life. TechPowerUp noted that there’s an AI 5 430 floating on the market, too.
AMD
The wild card? The Ryzen AI Max and Max+, which additionally makes use of gobs of cache, a large, quick reminiscence bus, a super-sized built-in Radeon GPU, and addressable reminiscence of up 96GB. “Strix Halo” combines all three to permit the chip to function each a reasonably highly effective gaming processor as a automobile for working native LLMs.
I tested the Framework Desktop PC with a Ryzen AI Max+ chip inside, and beloved it.
Alex Esteves / Foundry
If AMD is simply now debuting Gorgon Point (and no different processor) I wouldn’t count on an upgraded AI Max chip fairly but, although I’d look to the Gorgon Point chip for hints in that eventual course. AMD has been making loads of noise upgrading its associated ROCm software, which might enhance the efficiency of functions by means of software program enhancements alone. This is a straightforward win, and a hand AMD will preserve betting on for months to return.
Swinging again to the desktop entrance, rumors counsel we’ll see AMD reveal a new Ryzen 7 9850X3D chip with 400MHz faster clock speeds than the baseline 9800X3D, in addition to a brand new era of APUs with beefy built-in graphics, dubbed the Ryzen 9000G series. These would convey the superb “Strix Point” know-how present in present AMD laptops to dwelling PCs. We’ve additionally heard whispers of a brand new high-end Ryzen 9 X3D chip, which can occur, however feels a lot much less sure.
Nvidia: Don’t count on new client GPUs
Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
The chip firm with the murkiest outlook is Nvidia, hands-down. Earlier this 12 months, rumors of an “RTX 50-series Super refresh” with extra reminiscence and different tweaks swirled earlier than dying down a pair months again. The current excessive RAM crunch in all probability put an finish to these ambitions, and we don’t count on Nvidia to announce any new desktop or laptop computer GPUs at CES — particularly contemplating all the RTX 50-series launched simply final 12 months.
Nvidia usually brings flashy new know-how and options to CES that don’t have anything to do with chip launches, like ACE AI companions for online game NPCs, Half-Life 2 RTX Remix, and yesteryear’s “BFD” monitor push, so there could also be related information from Team Green. Surprises occur on the Las Vegas strip every day. We’ve heard scuttlebutt that Nvidia could have one thing up its sleeve surrounding monitor know-how this 12 months.
As CES 2026 nears the opening week of January, PCWorld can be there. Stay tuned: the curtain is rising on 2026.
Brad Chacos helped contribute to this report.