Intel's 14A chips might finally prove a match for Apple Silicon
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Intel Foundry is making major strides in 2025, and that could help Intel close the lead on Apple Silicon.
While Intel has taken aim at Apple's M4 in both performance and power efficiency, team blue hasn't yet been able to release a chip that competes on both metrics. But that could change soon.
This fall, Intel is expected to launch its first chips using the 18A process, codenamed Panther Lake. And in 2027, Intel will unleash its 14A process, which boasts increased power and enhanced efficiency.
Intel announced performance metrics for its upcoming 14A silicon process node during the Intel Foundry Direct Connect event in San Jose on Tuesday.
But what is Intel 14A, and what does it mean?
Intel 14A is a silicon wafer process node that will operate at 1.4 nanometers (nm) for its smallest component (typically based on the width of a transistor).
Smaller transistors on a wafer generally means we can make faster chips out of those wafers. The current generation of computer hardware is generally constructed using 3nm to 5nm wafers.
So a chip made with a 1.4nm wafer should be significantly faster than a 3nm chip.
According to Intel's current testing and projections, the 14A process will be 25-35% better in terms of power consumption over the upcoming 18A (1.8nm) process node that will be used in Panther Lake.
Intel is also claiming that 14A chips will see a 15-20% performance per watt increase over 18A. This is due to some of the novel features Intel has packed into the 14A node, including a wider threshold voltage range and the introduction of turbo cells.
Expected to hit full production in 2027, Intel's 14A process node chips could be the game changer Intel needs to compete with Apple Silicon "without any compromises."
Apple is expected to release its latest silicon, the M5 series, this year, possibly as early as next month. Apple's M5 chips will be using a similar TSMC 3nm process node as the M3 and M4 generations.
And Intel is expected to debut its first 18A (1.8nm) chips this fall with the launch of Intel's Panther Lake mobile CPU.
Likely hitting the shelves as the Intel Core Ultra 300 series, these chips are expected to be a direct successor to Intel's Lunar Lake, at least as far as power efficiency and a powerful GPU are concerned.
According to previous announcements, Intel's 18A node is expected to deliver 25% more performance than the current Intel 3 node, at 36% lower power. Making it more powerful and more efficient than the current Intel 3 chips, used in the Intel Core Ultra 200U series processors (Arrow Lake U).
Intel's 18A is the first silicon wafer process node that supports backside power delivery, making it an industry first.
All of this should make Panther Lake a solid competitor for Apple's upcoming generation, but exactly how close Intel manages to get on the performance and efficiency metrics remains to be seen.
Despite the best efforts of AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, Apple Silicon remains the benchmark to beat when it comes to laptop performance and battery life.
Intel's Lunar Lake chips could close the battery life gap and had shockingly good graphics performance, but these ultra-efficient CPUs fell short in terms of raw computing power. Intel's Arrow Lake H chips provided a direct competitor to Apple's M4 in terms of computing strength, but couldn't quite close the battery life gap.
While Intel's most powerful mobile chip this generation, the HX series processors have outperformed the Apple M4, and come close to hitting the same performance as the Apple M4 Pro, they can't compete in terms of battery life. Of course, Arrow Lake HX is pretty much always combined with a discrete GPU, which is part of the efficiency problem.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite is so far the only Windows chipset that can come close to touching Apple's proprietary silicon in terms of performance power and battery efficiency, but suffers compared to other Windows chips due to its smaller app library and lack of proper gaming support.
While most people will decide their next laptop purchase based on operating system or manufacturer, you shouldn't need to make any serious compromises by choosing a Windows system over a MacBook.
Which is why we still look at Apple as a comparison for Windows systems, and especially for x86 and Windows on Arm chipsets.
If Intel (and AMD and Qualcomm) keep pushing against Apple's lead, that can only mean better things for laptop buyers. You'll be getting more power and more efficiency regardless of what silicon you take home.
It's entirely possible Intel could overtake Apple in the future, especially with Panther Lake coming in the fall. While Apple is expected to move to TSMC's smaller 2nm process node for the M6 generation, that chip is expected in late Spring 2026 at the absolute earliest. And then there's the 14A 2027 manufacturing timeline, which could clinch the lead for Intel, depending on how well Panther Lake performs later this year.
Of course, all of this is speculation. But we are rapidly hurtling into the future where your next laptop will be more powerful than you need.
Intel's new CEO Lip-Bu Tan has a retro vision for Intel's future, but is nostalgia the key to success?
We're just trying to make computers faster, more power efficient, and AI is the new face of that": Intel's Robert Hallock on the impact of AI and the myth of the "killer app"
6 months later, has Intel finally fixed desktop performance?
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I come from a family business background in Sri Lanka, and I originally came to the UK to pursue higher education with the goal of returning home to help grow the family business. I went on to do a master's in management, specializing in entrepreneurship, at Bayes Business School, City University London. At that point, I had shipped all my things home and was set to go back to Sri Lanka, but then, I was to apply for fully funded PhD scholarship by the Dean of the Business School at Brunel. That PhD was a turning point. My supervisors were heavily involved in European Commission-funded research projects, and that opened up a whole new world to me. My research was focused on technology evaluation and smart cities. I had always assumed I'd either go into business or maybe do consulting, but these R&D projects offered a unique opportunity: you weren't handed a fixed brief; You could create and pitch your own ideas. That freedom was new to me, and I really valued it. 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I didn't know much about it initially, but it had a similar story: strong in the '80s, but momentum had faded. I did some research and saw real potential. Their distinctive institutional strategy, entrepreneurship focus and values resonated with me. I felt like I could genuinely add value and help shape an identity that was authentic to Kingston but also forward-thinking. Some parts of the curriculum needed modernization, but the foundation was there. I officially started in September 2024, so it's been about eight months. Now, I'm working closely with the senior leadership on defining a new identity for the business school. They've given me the freedom to redefine and restructure, which is exciting. Of course, in the UK, you have to align with the parent university. We don't have the same autonomy as independent business schools, but I see that as part of the challenge. The big thing is something they call the . For context, Kingston is located in southwest London. 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Kingston Business School is located about 30 minutes from central London and enrolls about 2,500 business students a year. Courtesy photo Some of the skills that I think really resonate right now are things like creative problem-solving, digital competencies, a questioning mindset, and things like resilience and self-awareness. Those are all part of the nine core skills we identified through our research. Kingston's approach is a structured, three phase model for each year of the undergrad experience. In the first year, called the Navigate phase, students reflect on those nine skills and where their strengths and gaps are. It might turn out a student is already strong in critical thinking, but needs to build more confidence in collaboration. That becomes a foundation for their development throughout the rest of the program. The second year is Explore, where they work on projects beyond their own discipline. For example, this year, over 800 students from business, arts, engineering all worked together on interdisciplinary teams to respond to a real business brief. It's a bit like a hackathon, but assessed as part of the curriculum. It's not optional; it's built in. The third year is Apply, where students complete real-world experiences like micro-placements, live projects, or case challenges. We also work with a group called Gradcore to run simulated assessment centers, just like what students would go through in real job application processes here in the UK. It's structured to get them ready for employability, but also ties back to the future skills framework they've been building on since year one. This model has gained traction at the policy level: Our local MP recently brought a motion to Parliament advocating for the Future Skills model to be adopted more broadly across the UK higher education sector. So yes, many universities talk about skills and employability, but I haven't seen this level of strategic implementation before. Structuring the student experience around Navigate, Explore, Apply, that's something tangible. It gives students a clear developmental journey and gives us a language to talk about how our programs are different. In terms of purpose, we want to be a human-centered business school that delivers future skills and truly walks the talk for a progressive society. We aim to shape businesses through people and knowledge. This human-centered approach runs through everything. Our curriculum already integrates future skills, and now we want to align our research around that same ethos. For example, in our future-of-work research cluster, we're looking at behavioral insights and how employers and employees interact. Even in traditionally technical areas like economics, we're asking: can we explore the behavioral side? In marketing, how do consumer behaviors reflect deeper societal trends? The question we keep asking is: where does the human add value? That's the identity I'd like us to build: A business school that doesn't just equip students with technical knowledge but also prepares them to think critically and act responsibly. One that I think has huge potential is our , Behavioural Research Analytics in Neurotechnological Systems. While many universities have similar labs, they're often used primarily from a psychology perspective. What's great here is that we're integrating it into business-focused research and teaching. The lab is equipped with tools like eye-tracking and monitoring equipment to study human decision-making. For instance, you can run simulations like a financial market crash scenario and study how people make decisions under stress. You can analyze sentiment, track attention, and evaluate reactions in real time. 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Sankar Sivarajah: 'We want graduates to be future-focused and open-minded, people who can navigate complexity and misinformation and still move society forward' We've centered the redesign around three key themes: digital intelligence, human value, and sustainability. One of the new features we're excited about is a leadership component called the 'MBA X.' It's designed to help students build confidence and presence. We leverage Kingston's strength in the arts and use creative spaces like a media studio where students can record podcasts, deliver presentations, and really learn to project themselves with authenticity. It's about helping them bring their unique 'X factor' into leadership. We're also embedding leadership development and coaching throughout the program in our 'The Kingston Impact: Leadership and Personal Growth' module. Currently, the MBA is offered full-time on campus, but we've just had the business case approved for launching an online version potentially in September 2026. Through my experience running an FT-ranked online MBA at Bradford, I know how saturated that space is. But I think there's a real opportunity for Kingston to stand out by leaning into our human-centric approach. Our MSc in International Business remains a flagship, as it does in many institutions. But we're also launching new programs in areas like Digital Marketing and Business Analytics. We are working on developing a new program in AI for Business with a clear emphasis on the human good and responsible application, which will set it apart. One final standout is our MSc in Occupational and Business Psychology. It's accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), and it bridges social science and business in a meaningful way. That's quite rare in UK business schools, and it naturally supports the human-centered identity we're building. Our current mix is about 70% regional, 30% international. In the current climate where UK higher education is facing challenges with international student numbers, we're in a stronger position than many other institutions. That said, our postgraduate programs are where we see most of our international enrollment. We have a strong contingent from South Asia, and we also receive European students through our partnership with BI Norwegian Business School. Our MBA in particular has seen a big uptick in international interest. In the current MBA cohort, out of 35 students, 70% were from South Asia. But here's the surprising part: the second-largest group was from the United States. When I asked them why they chose Kingston, many mentioned wanting the UK and London experience. But they also did their research. A lot of the decision came down to word-of-mouth recommendations, which was encouraging to hear. So while we continue to serve a strong regional student base, especially at the undergraduate level, we're definitely building momentum internationally, particularly in our postgraduate and MBA offerings. At the institutional level, Kingston has a broader strategy for embedding AI across teaching and assessment. But within the business school specifically, we've developed a structured approach to how AI is integrated both in terms of policy and practice. We're using a three-level framework to guide how AI can be used in assessments: Level 1, AI not allowed. For example, live presentations where students must demonstrate their own thinking. Level 2, AI-assisted work is allowed. Students might use ChatGPT or Grammarly but must disclose it. Level 3, AI use is required. Students may have to build models or chatbots as part of the brief. This tiered model helps us stay consistent and intentional. It gives faculty the tools to design assignments that either exclude, allow, or mandate AI use, depending on the learning objectives. And because it's embedded into modules across subjects, we're able to build students' digital fluency in a clear and structured way. So it's not just about offering one AI course or launching a degree; We're taking a much broader, integrated approach that aligns with our human-centered philosophy. We're asking: how can AI augment learning while still developing the critical thinking, creativity, and ethical awareness that make human contributions valuable? On top of that, we're also developing a new program specifically designed to build AI skills for non-technical learners, particularly for future business leaders. It's still in the design phase, but the idea is to help students and professionals who don't have a technical background understand how to engage with AI in a responsible, ethical, and strategic way. I think one of the biggest is staying relevant in such an uncertain and fast-changing environment. The more I reflect on it, and the more I attend conferences and conversations across the business school space, the more it becomes clear that we need to constantly redefine what our value add is. Today's learners, especially Gen Z and the upcoming Gen Alpha, are different. They've been exposed to vast amounts of information, screen time, and digital tools from an early age. So, when they come into the classroom, it's not enough to just deliver knowledge. They've already encountered much of it, or at least the surface of it, online. So we have to ask ourselves: What is the real value of coming to a business school? For me, it's about depth. It's about knowledge creation, critical thinking, intellectual debate, and the human touch – the philosophical and behavioral side of business. That's where our strength lies: in helping students question, evaluate, and apply knowledge with purpose. Especially with the rise of AI, we need to ensure that students still understand the fundamentals. You need the depth to be able to assess whether AI is giving you the right answer. You can't do that without understanding the foundation behind it. But we also have to keep pace with how businesses are operating right now. That's the real tension: staying academically rigorous while also remaining industry-relevant. Businesses are using tools and technologies at a pace that's hard to match in education, and we have to make sure our teaching and our programs reflect that. For example, in one of our Future Skills surveys, we asked businesses whether they thought graduates were fit for roles involving AI. Fewer than 30% said yes. That's a clear signal. One thing that stands out to me is the increasing role of geopolitics and how that intersects with business education. More and more, we're having to think about how political and cultural shifts affect not only what we teach but how we build partnerships and engage with students. Things like equity, diversity, inclusion, all of those are critically important. But they can also become very personal, very emotive topics. So I think a key challenge for business education, and for Kingston specifically, is how we help students navigate that complexity. How do we equip them to operate in global business environments where diplomacy, relationship-building, and cross-cultural understanding are essential? How do you hold onto your values while still learning how to engage constructively in partnerships, even with people or entities you might disagree with? 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But even here, we have students who come from less privileged backgrounds. Just because it's a wealthy area doesn't mean every student has had the same opportunities. We're already working with large organizations – Unilever's headquarters is here, for example – but the question is, how do we make sure all of our students, regardless of background, have access to those opportunities? We're partnering with the local council, the Kingston Chamber of Commerce, running Future of Work summits, mock assessments, and leadership events—not as optional extras, but as built-in parts of the student experience. We want our students to be the first choice, not the insurance choice. That means developing their skills, yes, but also giving them high-value experiences and networks. And by doing that, we also give back to our community. That's how I think business schools should operate: Not just as institutions of learning, but as civic partners helping shape the places they're in. DON'T MISS: LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL DEAN SERGEI GURIEV AND IVEY DEAN JULIAN BIRKINSHAW HAS GLOBAL AMBITIONS FOR ELITE CANADIAN B-SCHOOL The post The P&Q Interview: Kingston's Human-Centered, Future-Skills Approach To Business appeared first on Poets&Quants. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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