Intel is gearing up for the launch of its next significant CPU lineup, the Intel Core Ultra 300 series, anticipated to hit the market in early 2026. This new range will mark the introduction of the much-anticipated 18A manufacturing process, which promises to enhance transistor density and power efficiency. However, preliminary leaks suggest that the peak performance of these new chips may not be as groundbreaking as some had hoped.
Insights into Panther Lake Architecture
The upcoming chips, built on the Panther Lake architecture, are not expected to dominate the gaming CPU landscape, as they are primarily designed for laptops and mobile devices. Instead, the spotlight will likely shift to Intel’s forthcoming Nova Lake chips for desktop users.
Recent leaks from tech testers at Laptopreview provide insights into the performance of the new Panther Lake chips, specifically the Intel Core Ultra X7 385H and Core Ultra 5 338H, through benchmarks such as Cinebench R23 for CPU performance and 3DMark Time Spy for GPU capabilities.
In the realm of graphics, the Core Ultra X7 385H has demonstrated impressive results, showcasing its powerful integrated GPU based on the new Xe3 graphics architecture. This chip nearly doubles the 3DMark score of its predecessor, the Core Ultra 7 255H, achieving a score of 6,830 compared to 3,956. While this score still lags behind dedicated GPUs like the RTX 5050 or RX 7600, it indicates a significant improvement, potentially enabling playable performance in modern games at 1080p resolution.
However, the CPU performance presents a more nuanced picture. In the Cinebench R23 benchmark, the Core Ultra X7 385H scored 20,000 points at 65W, which falls short of the Core Ultra 7 255H’s scores of 21,826 at 65W and 22,578 at 80W. The Core Ultra 5 338H, with its 12-core configuration, scored even lower at 16,000 points.
While the lower score of the Core Ultra 5 338H aligns with expectations given its core count, the Core Ultra X7 385H’s performance raises questions. Despite being a newer architecture, its unique core configuration—comprising four performance cores (P-Cores), eight efficiency cores (E-Cores), and four low-power efficiency cores (LP-Cores)—may explain its underwhelming performance compared to the Core Ultra 7 255H, which features six P-Cores, eight E-Cores, and two LP-Cores.
This shift in core configuration suggests that Intel may be prioritizing peak performance on fewer cores, which is advantageous for gaming, while sacrificing multi-core performance. Nonetheless, one would expect a new chip utilizing a modern architecture and manufacturing process to deliver competitive results.
As the launch of the Intel Core Ultra 300 Panther Lake CPUs approaches, the industry watches closely to see if they will redefine mobile gaming. In the meantime, those interested in the current capabilities of Intel’s CPUs can explore our best gaming laptop guide and engage with our community on Discord to share thoughts on these developments.
