Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Book6 Pro and Ultra laptops with Intel's new Panther Lake processors will cost about 20% more than last year's models. The price hike is driven by a shift to Intel's internal 18A manufacturing node and ongoing DRAM shortage. Samsung's Korean site lists the Core Ultra X7 368H model at 3,410,000 KRW ($2,315).

The new chips promise major performance gains. Intel claims the integrated Arc B390 GPU is 77% faster than the previous Lunar Lake's Arc 140V. That's a substantial leap for integrated graphics, putting it near a discrete RTX 4050 in Intel's benchmarks. Consumers will pay more, but they're getting a significant power upgrade.

Reviews for Panther Lake laptops are expected on January 26. The higher cost reflects Intel's move from TSMC to its own fabs, a risky bet amid memory market volatility. For buyers, this means next-gen ultrabooks are getting pricier, but the performance-per-dollar may still improve if the claims hold up.