Latest news with #Celestial
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Could phonics solve California's reading crisis? Inside the push for sweeping changes
To look inside Julie Celestial's kindergarten classroom in Long Beach is to peer into the future of reading in California. During a recent lesson, 25 kindergartners gazed at the whiteboard, trying to sound out the word "bee." They're learning the long 'e' sound, blending words such as 'Pete' and 'cheek' — words that they'll soon be able to read in this lesson's accompanying book. Celestial was teaching something new for Long Beach Unified: phonics. 'It's pretty cool to watch,' she said. 'I'm really anticipating that there's going to be a lot less reluctant readers and struggling readers now that the district has made this shift.' These phonics-based lessons are on the fast track to become law in California under a sweeping bill moving through the Legislature that will mandate how schools teach reading, a rare action in a state that generally emphasizes local school district control over dictating instruction. The bill is the capstone to decades of debate and controversy in California on how best to teach reading amid stubbornly low test scores. Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged his support, setting aside $200 million to fund teacher training on the new approach in the May revise of his 2025-26 budget proposal. "It's a big deal for kids, and it's a big step forward — a very big one," said Marshall Tuck, chief executive of EdVoice, an education advocacy nonprofit that has championed the change. California has long struggled with reading scores below the national average. In 2024, only 29% of California's fourth-graders scored "proficient" or better in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. The proposed law, which would take effect in phases beginning in 2026, would require districts to adopt instructional materials based on the "science of reading," a systemic approach to literacy instruction supported by decades of research about the way young children learn to read, from about transitional kindergarten through third grade. The science of reading consists of five pillars: phonemic awareness (the sounds that letters make), phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. 'It's finite. There's only 26 letters and 44 sounds," said Leslie Zoroya, who leads an initiative at the Los Angeles County Office of Education that helps districts transition to a science-of-reading approach. "Phonics isn't forever." Read more: New test score labels seek positivity, ditching the term 'standard not met' for 'below basic' After a failed effort last year, the bill gained the support this year of the influential California teachers unions and at least one advocacy group for English-language learners. In a compromise, school districts would have more flexibility to select which instructional materials are best for their students and the option to decline teacher training paid for by the state. For decades, most school districts in California have been devoted to a different approach called "whole language" or "balanced literacy," built on the belief that children naturally learn to read without being taught how to sound out words. Teachers focus on surrounding children with books intended to foster a love of reading and encourage them to look for clues that help them guess unknown words — such as predicting the next word based on the context of the story, or looking at the pictures — rather than sounding them out. "The majority of students require a more intentional, explicit and systematic approach," Zoroya said. "Thousands of kids across California in 10th grade are struggling in content-area classes because they missed phonics." California embraced the whole language approach to literacy, which took hold in the 1970s and 1980s, said Susan Neuman, a New York University professor who served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education under former President George W. Bush. The state became a national leader in what was considered a progressive and holistic approach to teaching literacy, with a focus on discovering the joy of reading, rather than learning specific skills, she said. Bush then incorporated a phonics-heavy approach in an initiative that was part of his 2002 launch of No Child Left Behind, which increased the federal role in holding schools accountable for academic progress and required standardized testing. States, including California, received grants to teach a science-of-reading approach in high-poverty schools. But many teachers in the state disliked the more regimented approach, and when the funding ended, districts largely transitioned back to the whole language approach. In the years since, science of reading continues to draw opposition from teachers unions and advocates for dual-language learners. Read more: California school enrollment continues to drop as poor and homeless student numbers rise Many California teachers are passionate about the methods they already use and have chafed at a state-mandated approach to literacy education. Some don't like what they describe as "drill and kill" phonics lessons that teach letter sounds and decoding. Advocates for multiple-language learners, meanwhile, vociferously opposed adopting the most structured approach, worried that children who were still learning to speak English would not receive adequate support in language development and comprehension. A 2022 study of 300 school districts in California found that less than 2% of districts were using curricula viewed as following the science of reading. But the research has become clear: Looking at the pictures or context of a story to guess a word — as is encouraged in whole language or balanced literacy instruction, leads to struggles with reading. Children best learn to read by starting with foundational skills such as sounding out and decoding words. "Anything that takes your eyes off the text when a kid is trying to figure out a word activates the wrong side of the brain," Zoroya said. In the last few years, several larger districts in California have started to embrace more structured phonics learning, including Los Angeles Unified, Long Beach Unified and Oakland Unified. Recently, these districts have started to see improvement in their reading test scores. At Long Beach Unified, for example, the district's in-house assessment shows significant gains among kindergarten students. In 2023-24, 78% of them met reading standards, up 13 percentage points from the previous school year. Proficiency rates across first and second grade were above 70%, and transitional kindergarten was at 48%. The district's goal is to hit 85% proficiency across grades by the end of each school year. In 2019, LAUSD introduced a pilot science-of-reading based curriculum, and adopted it across all schools for the 2023-24 academic year. After the first year, LAUSD reading scores improved in every grade level and across every demographic, chief academic officer Frances Baez said. From the 2022-23 to the 2023-24 school years, LAUSD's English Language Arts scores improved by 1.9 percentage points — five times more than the state as a whole, which improved by 0.3, she said. Teresa Cole, a kindergarten instructor in the Lancaster School District, has been teaching for 25 years. So when Lancaster asked her to try out a new way of teaching her students to read three years ago, she wasn't thrilled. "I was hesitant and apprehensive to try it,' she said, but decided to throw herself into a new method that promised results. Teaching kindergarten is a challenge, she said, because children come in at vastly different stages. Many are just learning to hold a pencil; others can already read. She was seeing many children under "balanced literacy" lessons slip through the cracks — especially those with limited vocabularies. When she asked them to read words they didn't know, "it almost felt like they were guessing.' But as she began to teach a phonics lesson each morning and have them read decodable books — which have children practice the new sound they've learned — she noticed that her students were putting together the information much faster and starting to sound out words. "The results were immediate," she said. "We were blown away.' She was so impressed with the new curriculum that she started training other teachers in the district to use it as well. Read more: As children's book bans soar, sales are down and librarians are afraid. Even in California Looking back at her old method of teaching reading, 'I feel bad. I feel like maybe I wasn't the best teacher back then," Cole said. Part of the change, she said, was learning about the science behind how children learn to read. "I would never say to guess [a word] anymore," she said. This kind of buy-in and enthusiasm from teachers has been key to making the new curriculum work, said Krista Thomsen, Lancaster's director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Department. In schools where the teachers are implementing the program well, scores have started to rise. 'But it's a steep learning curve," she said, especially for teachers who have long taught a balanced literacy approach. "We are stumbling through this process trying to get it right and making sure that every one of our kids has equitable access to learning how to read,"Thomsen said. "But we have every faith and every intention, and the plan is in place to get it where it should be going." A bill introduced by Assemblymember Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) last year requiring a science-of-reading approach in California public schools did not even get a first hearing. This year, Rubio introduced another version — Assembly Bill 1121 — that would have required teachers to be trained in a science-of-reading approach. Opponents included the California Teachers Assn. and English-language learner advocates, who said in a joint letter that the bill would put a "disproportionate emphasis on phonics," and would not focus on the skills needed by students learning English as a second language. The groups also voiced concern that the bill would cut teachers out of the curriculum-selection process and that mandated training "undermines educators' professional expertise and autonomy to respond to the specific learning needs of their students." Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together, said the group opposed both bills because they were too narrow in their focus on skills such as phonics. 'They're essential. But English learners need more, right?' she said. "They don't understand the language that they're learning to read.' Rubio said she was shocked by the pushback. 'I was thinking it was a no-brainer. It's about kids. This is evidence-based." Rubio, a longtime teacher, was born in Mexico, and was herself an English-language learner in California public schools. In 2024, just 19% of Latino students and 7% of Black students scored at or above "proficient" on the fourth-grade NAEP reading test. But with the support of Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), the groups reached a compromise that not all teachers would be required to participate in the teacher training. Hernandez said she was pleased that the compromise included more of an emphasis on oral language development and comprehension, which is vital for multi-language learners to succeed. AB1454 requires the State Board of Education to come up with a new list of recommended materials that all follow science of reading principles. If a district chooses materials not on the list, they have to vouch that it also complies. The state will provide funds for professional development, though districts can choose whether to accept it. This article is part of The Times' early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Could phonics solve California's reading crisis? Inside the push for sweeping changes
To look inside Julie Celestial's kindergarten classroom in Long Beach is to peer into the future of reading in California. During a recent lesson, 25 kindergartners gazed at the whiteboard, trying to sound out the word 'bee.' They're learning the long 'e' sound, blending words such as 'Pete' and 'cheek' — words that they'll soon be able to read in this lesson's accompanying book. Celestial was teaching something new for Long Beach Unified: phonics. 'It's pretty cool to watch,' she said. 'I'm really anticipating that there's going to be a lot less reluctant readers and struggling readers now that the district has made this shift.' These phonics-based lessons are on the fast track to become law in California under a sweeping bill moving through the Legislature that will mandate how schools teach reading, a rare action in a state that generally emphasizes local school district control over dictating instruction. The bill is the capstone to decades of debate and controversy in California on how best to teach reading amid stubbornly low test scores. Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged his support, setting aside $200 million to fund teacher training on the new approach in the May revise of his 2025-26 budget proposal. 'It's a big deal for kids, and it's a big step forward — a very big one,' said Marshall Tuck, chief executive of EdVoice, an education advocacy nonprofit that has championed the change. California has long struggled with reading scores below the national average. In 2024, only 29% of California's fourth-graders scored 'proficient' or better in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. The proposed law, which would take effect in phases beginning in 2026, would require districts to adopt instructional materials based on the 'science of reading,' a systemic approach to literacy instruction supported by decades of research about the way young children learn to read, from about transitional kindergarten through third grade. The science of reading consists of five pillars: phonemic awareness (the sounds that letters make), phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. 'It's finite. There's only 26 letters and 44 sounds,' said Leslie Zoroya, who leads an initiative at the Los Angeles County Office of Education that helps districts transition to a science-of-reading approach. 'Phonics isn't forever.' After a failed effort last year, the bill gained the support this year of the influential California teachers unions and at least one advocacy group for English-language learners. In a compromise, school districts would have more flexibility to select which instructional materials are best for their students and the option to decline teacher training paid for by the state. For decades, most school districts in California have been devoted to a different approach called 'whole language' or 'balanced literacy,' built on the belief that children naturally learn to read without being taught how to sound out words. Teachers focus on surrounding children with books intended to foster a love of reading and encourage them to look for clues that help them guess unknown words — such as predicting the next word based on the context of the story, or looking at the pictures — rather than sounding them out. 'The majority of students require a more intentional, explicit and systematic approach,' Zoroya said. 'Thousands of kids across California in 10th grade are struggling in content-area classes because they missed phonics.' California embraced the whole language approach to literacy, which took hold in the 1970s and 1980s, said Susan Neuman, a New York University professor who served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education under former President George W. Bush. The state became a national leader in what was considered a progressive and holistic approach to teaching literacy, with a focus on discovering the joy of reading, rather than learning specific skills, she said. Bush then incorporated a phonics-heavy approach in an initiative that was part of his 2002 launch of No Child Left Behind, which increased the federal role in holding schools accountable for academic progress and required standardized testing. States, including California, received grants to teach a science-of-reading approach in high-poverty schools. But many teachers in the state disliked the more regimented approach, and when the funding ended, districts largely transitioned back to the whole language approach. In the years since, science of reading continues to draw opposition from teachers unions and advocates for dual-language learners. Many California teachers are passionate about the methods they already use and have chafed at a state-mandated approach to literacy education. Some don't like what they describe as 'drill and kill' phonics lessons that teach letter sounds and decoding. Advocates for multiple-language learners, meanwhile, vociferously opposed adopting the most structured approach, worried that children who were still learning to speak English would not receive adequate support in language development and comprehension. A 2022 study of 300 school districts in California found that less than 2% of districts were using curricula viewed as following the science of reading. But the research has become clear: Looking at the pictures or context of a story to guess a word — as is encouraged in whole language or balanced literacy instruction, leads to struggles with reading. Children best learn to read by starting with foundational skills such as sounding out and decoding words. 'Anything that takes your eyes off the text when a kid is trying to figure out a word activates the wrong side of the brain,' Zoroya said. In the last few years, several larger districts in California have started to embrace more structured phonics learning, including Los Angeles Unified, Long Beach Unified and Oakland Unified. Recently, these districts have started to see improvement in their reading test scores. At Long Beach Unified, for example, the district's in-house assessment shows significant gains among kindergarten students. In 2023-24, 78% of them met reading standards, up 13 percentage points from the previous school year. Proficiency rates across first and second grade were above 70%, and transitional kindergarten was at 48%. The district's goal is to hit 85% proficiency across grades by the end of each school year. In 2019, LAUSD introduced a pilot science-of-reading based curriculum, and adopted it across all schools for the 2023-24 academic year. After the first year, LAUSD reading scores improved in every grade level and across every demographic, chief academic officer Frances Baez said. From the 2022-23 to the 2023-24 school years, LAUSD's English Language Arts scores improved by 1.9 percentage points — five times more than the state as a whole, which improved by 0.3, she said. Teresa Cole, a kindergarten instructor in the Lancaster School District, has been teaching for 25 years. So when Lancaster asked her to try out a new way of teaching her students to read three years ago, she wasn't thrilled. 'I was hesitant and apprehensive to try it,' she said, but decided to throw herself into a new method that promised results. Teaching kindergarten is a challenge, she said, because children come in at vastly different stages. Many are just learning to hold a pencil; others can already read. She was seeing many children under 'balanced literacy' lessons slip through the cracks — especially those with limited vocabularies. When she asked them to read words they didn't know, 'it almost felt like they were guessing.' But as she began to teach a phonics lesson each morning and have them read decodable books — which have children practice the new sound they've learned — she noticed that her students were putting together the information much faster and starting to sound out words. 'The results were immediate,' she said. 'We were blown away.' She was so impressed with the new curriculum that she started training other teachers in the district to use it as well. Looking back at her old method of teaching reading, 'I feel bad. I feel like maybe I wasn't the best teacher back then,' Cole said. Part of the change, she said, was learning about the science behind how children learn to read. 'I would never say to guess [a word] anymore,' she said. This kind of buy-in and enthusiasm from teachers has been key to making the new curriculum work, said Krista Thomsen, Lancaster's director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Department. In schools where the teachers are implementing the program well, scores have started to rise. 'But it's a steep learning curve,' she said, especially for teachers who have long taught a balanced literacy approach. 'We are stumbling through this process trying to get it right and making sure that every one of our kids has equitable access to learning how to read,'Thomsen said. 'But we have every faith and every intention, and the plan is in place to get it where it should be going.' A bill introduced by Assemblymember Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) last year requiring a science-of-reading approach in California public schools did not even get a first hearing. This year, Rubio introduced another version — Assembly Bill 1121 — that would have required teachers to be trained in a science-of-reading approach. Opponents included the California Teachers Assn. and English-language learner advocates, who said in a joint letter that the bill would put a 'disproportionate emphasis on phonics,' and would not focus on the skills needed by students learning English as a second language. The groups also voiced concern that the bill would cut teachers out of the curriculum-selection process and that mandated training 'undermines educators' professional expertise and autonomy to respond to the specific learning needs of their students.' Martha Hernandez, executive director of Californians Together, said the group opposed both bills because they were too narrow in their focus on skills such as phonics. 'They're essential. But English learners need more, right?' she said. 'They don't understand the language that they're learning to read.' Rubio said she was shocked by the pushback. 'I was thinking it was a no-brainer. It's about kids. This is evidence-based.' Rubio, a longtime teacher, was born in Mexico, and was herself an English-language learner in California public schools. In 2024, just 19% of Latino students and 7% of Black students scored at or above 'proficient' on the fourth-grade NAEP reading test. But with the support of Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister), the groups reached a compromise that not all teachers would be required to participate in the teacher training. Hernandez said she was pleased that the compromise included more of an emphasis on oral language development and comprehension, which is vital for multi-language learners to succeed. AB1454 requires the State Board of Education to come up with a new list of recommended materials that all follow science of reading principles. If a district chooses materials not on the list, they have to vouch that it also complies. The state will provide funds for professional development, though districts can choose whether to accept it. This article is part of The Times' early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
One Piece theory: Dragon's Final battle could be against the Celestial Dragon King
credit- Fandom One Piece, currently the world's most popular anime and manga series, is in its Final Saga —meaning this long-running story is wrapping up in the not-too-distant future. As creator, Eiichiro Oda, gets ready to tie off this expansive narrative, seeing the most central of characters enter the code for the final time is something die-hard fans are looking forward to. One character who's been largely cloaked in intrigue is Monkey D. Dragon , leader of the Revolutionary Army and father to the series' main protag Luffy . Until now, Dragon had operated largely under the radar. That's soon to be over. According to the most recent evidence, Oda might have already teased who Dragon's ultimate foe will be, and it's a battle that would change the One Piece world forever. Monkey D. Dragon wants to destroy the world government Monkey D. Dragon is considered one of the most dangerous men in the world of One Piece—not just because of his monstrous strength, but due to his very existence. Once a Marine Once Dragon was revealed the truths of the corrupt World Government, he left the military. He would go on to form the Freedom Fighters, which would later become the Revolutionary Army. What is their mission you may ask? To deliver all peoples from the unaccountable despotism of tyrants and deliver the world from the rule of the Celestial Dragons—their horrible, awful, nasty elite rulers who abuse regular folks like slaves! 'There can be no happiness in a world where those deemed unnecessary are weeded out and eliminated… One day, I will change this world… you mark my words.' Monkey D. Dragon Revolutionary Army vs. Celestial Dragons: The war has already begun While Dragon and his forces have been making larger moves under the radar, their sneak attacks were starting to take a toll. They've aided revolutionaries in Citizens House's evil government and most recently liberated slaves under the control of the noble Celestial Dragons—which in their capital, Marijoa. In a downlinked episode from one recent mission, Dragon's commanders—Nick Sabo, Morley, Caribou Karasu, and Lindbergh—managed to successfully extract Bartholomew Kuma, their former comrade turned human weapon. Through further acts of rebellion, they went on to destroy food stores intended for the Celestial ruling class, sending shockwaves through their world by demonstrating that even the most powerful could be struck where they hurt most. Though obstructed by two mighty Admirals, Fujitora and Ryokugyu, the Revolutionary Army ultimately triumphed with their operation. Fujitora even assisted, suggesting that not all denizens of the World Government are on board with its barbaric methods. Dragon's final opponent could be Figarland Garling Even though most of the Revolutionary Army commanders have fought already, Dragon himself has never fought up till now. That's almost certainly about to change. Shortly after the release, many fans speculated that Figarland Garling—the wicked Supreme Commander of the Holy Knights—would be Dragon's last and most personal foe. Here's what's going on behind the scenes and why. Garling is everything that Dragon hates. He's a proud Celestial Dragon, used to the fact that common people aren't worthy of his attention. The worst for which He has been publicly committed is the ordered execution of innocent non-combatants. As Godhead of Science and Defense, he serves as one of the World Government's highest enforcers of their oppressive rule. He commands the Holy Knights, the aforementioned Order that Dragon identifies as the Government's most lethal weapon. This fight will not only be a fight of might against might. It will be a fight of values, liberty versus oppression, equity versus despotism. What makes this fight so important If Dragon vs. Garling does occur, that'll be one of the largest One Piece fights ever. It might just finally unlock the secrets of Dragon's shady backstory, his ties with Luffy, and the last steps to overthrowing the World Government's tyranny. As unbelievable as this situation may sound, Oda has masterfully set the stage for this crescendo. Just as Luffy is destined to fight Imu, the world's secret ruler, Dragon's ultimate battle will be the last strike against the Celestial Dragons' dictatorship. With both men standing on either side of justice, Dragon vs. Garling could be the battle that determines the future of the One Piece world. When does the next One Piece chapter come out? That said, there is the possibility that One Piece new Chapter could be an uncensored color page where they advance the official release to May 25, 2025. We hope you will enjoy reading it for free on Manga Plus, the official service for the latest chapters! With every chapter, fans are one step closer to witnessing the story's conclusion and likely Dragon's much-anticipated rematch. Dragon's moment is coming One of the biggest things fans have been waiting for over the years has been Monkey D. Dragon going all out in a fight. Now, with One Piece entering its final stretch, that time has nearly come. With the Revolutionary Army ascendant and the Celestial Dragons laid low, a great war approaches and Dragon's ultimate foe might already be standing before him. Could he be the one to lead the world's crooked despots to justice? If Oda's clues are to be believed, then Dragon vs. Garling might be the last big clash that will determine One Piece's legacy. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Intel Arc Xe3 Celestial GPU enters pre-validation stage
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Intel's next-generation Xe3 Celestial GPU reportedly enters the pre-silicon validation stage, when the GPU design and architecture are being tested using software models and emulators. The chip giant conducts this testing with OEMs and independent BIOS vendors so that they can catch issues before committing actual silicon. X user Haze spotted this development and saw some details related to Celestial in the LinkedIn profiles of some Intel employees. One profile listed 'Celestial discrete GPU Pcode IP model development' as one of theresponsibilities, detailing it as 'Developed pre-silicon HW modeling for power management IP in Intel Xe3 architecture for discrete GPU Celestial team (C/C++)' and 'Mapped 13% of boot/reboot signal pathways for functional pcode in Celestial power management IP model (fmodel), migrating those modeled in Ruby from the test environment to C/C++ in the IP model.' Another person said they 'developed low-level system software and device drivers in C++ for Intel's Nova Lake & Xeon6 (Diamond Rapids) CPUs and Celestial discrete GPU.' It seems that the pre-silicon model already has its firmware and power management ready, allowing Intel's partners to start testing it virtually with their systems. Once every kink has been ironed out and is confirmed to be working as intended, the Xe3 design can proceed to tapeout, the final step before fabrication begins. Intel Fellow Tom Petersen previously said that the architecture for the Xe3 Celestial had already been completed in December 2024, and its team has now moved on to working on Xe4 Druid. With this development, the GPU seems to be on track according to Intel's GPU roadmap. If it does not encounter any major problems with the design and production of the graphics card, we might see Celestial enter production and be in the hands of gamers in around 12 to 18 months. However, we don't have any idea what these Celestial GPUs will be, as Intel has recently been pretty tight-lipped around its Arc graphics cards. Even though the B580 and B570 Battlemage GPUs, which use the BMG-G21 chip, launched with overwhelmingly positive feedback, we still haven't heard any news about the arrival of higher-end Battlemage discrete GPUs that use the more powerful BMG-G31 silicon. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Intel's upcoming Panther Lake CPU looks like a killer gaming handheld chip thanks to a reported massive graphics upgrade, hefty AI performance and upgraded E-cores
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Intel's 18A process node and the Panther Lake CPU that will be the first to use it are together looking like an absolutely critical turning point for the beleaguered chip maker. The good news for Intel is that Panther Lake is shaping up to be a killer mobile CPU, if the latest reports are accurate. First up, according to some device ID listings uncovered by X user InstLatX64 (via WCCFTech), Panther Lake will be getting Intel's next-gen Darkmont E-cores, not the Skymont E-cores already seen in the Arrow Lake generation of CPUs. This makes sense on two counts. First, Darkmont is said to be a revised and upgraded version of Skymont, rather than a radical new design. Second, Intel is on record that Darkmont is going to be the basis of its Clearwater Forest server chip early next year. And that will be built on 18A silicon. In other words, Darkmont has been designed for 18A, while Skymont would need to be redesigned and ported from the TSMC N3 node on which it's currently being manufactured. Next up, the chip is said to sport 180 TOPS of total AI processing power. That's a big step up over the 120 TOPS of its current Lunar Lake mobile CPU. Lunar Lake largely splits its tops between a dedicated NPU and the GPU, with 48 TOPS from the NPU and 67 TOPS from the GPU. The remaining 5 TOPS come courtesy of the CPU cores. A fair chunk of that step from 120 to 180 TOPS is likely to come from Panther Lake's GPU, arguably the most exciting element of the new chip. It not only gets an upgrade to Intel's new third-gen Celestial GPU architecture, but it also steps up from the eight graphics Battlemage-spec cores in Lunar Lake to 12 cores. It's fairly likely Celestial will be more performant per core than Battlemage. So, an expectation of over 50% more raw performance is reasonable, though that will not necessarily translate into 50%-plus higher in-game frame rates. For the record, Panther Lake will also get Intel's new Cougar Cove P-cores. The top SKU is reported to be a chip with four P-Cores, eight E-cores and a further four low-power E-cores, perhaps of a lower Skymont specification. Anyhow, Panther Lake certainly has the makings of a fantastic chip for handheld gaming PCs. On paper, it should have the measure of AMD's latest Strix Point APU, as seen in the Ayaneo 3. Intel's current Lunar Lake chip, used to great effect in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ A2VM handheld, is pretty competitive with AMD's Strix Point chip, as it is. Add 50% more graphics cores and it should really fly. Moreover, the success of the Panther Lake mobile CPU and its Celestial iGPU should help encourage Intel to keep faith with GPUs generally and roll out a discrete Celestial-based graphics card for desktop gaming PCs. Goodness knows, we need as much competition as we can get in that space. Best CPU for gaming: Top chips from Intel and gaming motherboard: The right graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher SSD for gaming: Get into the game first.
