Intel Creates Two Dedicated Processors for Handhelds, with TDP up to 80W
The handheld gaming market has been booming in recent years, and AMD has been a major winner, launching its dedicated Ryzen Z1 series processors. Intel has been lacking in this area; while its Lunar Lake (Core Ultra 200V series) offers excellent power efficiency, the product line is too small.
With the release of the Core Ultra 300 series, Intel has finally created dedicated processors for handhelds, and even the naming scheme somewhat mimics AMD, with one called Meteor G3 and the other Meteor G3 Extreme.
Yes, the processors are not called Core, but Meteor, clearly highlighting the importance of GPU performance, and this generation’s integrated graphics are indeed quite powerful.
Intel disclosed the news of dedicated handheld processors at CES 2026 earlier this year, originally planning to release them in the first quarter, but progress was not smooth, and the release was delayed to the end of the second quarter, which means they will debut at Computex 2026.
The lifecycle will continue until the second quarter of 2027, and it appears that with the release of Nova Lake in the first half of next year, Intel’s handheld platform will also be updated again.
In terms of specifications, the Meteor G3 series are all 16 cores, including 2 P-cores, 8 E-cores, and 4 LPE cores. This specification is not found in the Core Ultra 300 series and is specifically designed for handheld devices, with 2 P-cores removed from the 4+8+4 configuration.
The Meteor G3 Extreme has a maximum boost frequency of 4.7GHz, and the integrated graphics were initially named Meteor B380, but now it’s Meteor B390, which is the same as the Core Ultra X 3x8H series, likely with 12 Xe3 cores and a slightly lower maximum frequency of 2.3GHz.
The Meteor G3’s boost frequency is reduced to 4.6GHz, and the integrated graphics started as Meteor B360, now called Meteor B370, the same as the Core Ultra 5 338H, expected to also have 10 cores with a maximum frequency of 2.2GHz.
The standard thermal design power (TDP) of the Meteor G3 series is 25W, and can be configured up to 65W and 80W.
Samples of the Meteor G3 series have been produced and are undergoing internal testing.
In terms of partner brands, MSI and Number One Notebook are likely to be among the first to launch related handheld products. Intel’s slides also feature the logos of GPD, Acer, and even Microsoft, while ASUS and Lenovo have yet to make a move.