Intel's Performance-Enhanced 18A-P Process Enters Risk Production, Promises 9% Performance Boost

Intel Foundry announced at VLSI 2026 that its optimized 18A-P process, a performance enhancement of the 18A node, has entered risk production. This process is expected to deliver a 9% improvement in performance at the same power or an 18% reduction in power consumption at the same performance level. It will be used in upcoming products like Panther Lake and Xeon 6+, marking a significant step towards high-volume mass production.