Intel’s next major CPU lineup, the Intel Core Ultra 300 series, is projected to launch in early 2026. These chips are set to introduce the company’s much-anticipated 18A manufacturing process, promising denser transistors and improved power efficiency. However, initial performance leaks suggest that the peak performance of these new processors might not be as impressive as anticipated, which is quite a letdown for many.
It’s important to note that these specific Intel chips, built on the new Panther Lake architecture, are primarily designed for laptops and mobile devices. Therefore, they weren’t expected to top any ‘best gaming CPU’ lists. For desktop power users, attention should remain on Intel’s forthcoming Nova Lake processors.
Returning to Panther Lake, recent information from tech testers, originally published by Laptopreview, has unveiled alleged performance figures for these new chips in both CPU and GPU benchmarks. Detailed scores for the Cinebench R23 CPU benchmark and the 3DMark Time Spy GPU benchmark were provided, featuring the Intel Core Ultra X7 385H and Core Ultra 5 338H processors.
The 3DMark results, focusing on graphics performance, are quite impressive. A key highlight of these new chips is their powerful integrated GPUs, which will leverage Intel’s advanced Xe3 graphics architecture and be significantly larger than previous iterations. The Core Ultra X7 385H, for instance, nearly doubles the 3DMark score of its current-generation counterpart, the Core Ultra 7 255H.
While its score of 6,830 is still roughly half that of dedicated GPUs like the RTX 5050 or RX 7600, it marks a substantial improvement from the Core Ultra 7 255H’s 3,956 points. This significant leap could potentially enable playable performance for modern games at 1080p using just Intel’s integrated graphics.
[An image illustrating the performance benchmarks for Intel Core Ultra 300 series CPUs, highlighting comparison data.]
Despite the promising GPU performance, which could lead to compelling thin and light gaming laptops capable of competing with models like the Razer Blade 14 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 without relying on discrete Nvidia GPUs, the CPU performance of these new chips appears less encouraging.
For CPU performance, the Cinebench R23 results show the Core Ultra X7 385H achieving approximately 20,000 points at 65W. This falls short of the Core Ultra 7 255H, which scored 21,826 points at 65W and 22,578 points at 80W. The Core Ultra 5 338H, a lower-tier chip, scored significantly less at 16,000 points.
Given that Cinebench R23 is a multi-core benchmark, the lower score for the 12-core Core Ultra 5 338H compared to the 16-core models is understandable. However, it’s surprising that the newer Core Ultra X7 385H doesn’t comfortably surpass the Core Ultra 7 255H, despite being a more modern chip.
The difference in performance might be attributed to the varied core configurations. The Core Ultra X7 385H features four performance cores (P-Cores), eight efficiency cores (E-Cores), and four low-power efficiency cores (LP-Cores). In contrast, the Core Ultra 7 255H has six P-Cores, eight E-Cores, and only two LP-Cores.
This altered core distribution, specifically the reduction in P-Cores and increase in LP-Cores for the 385H, likely explains the benchmark differences. It suggests Intel might be prioritizing peak performance on fewer cores – which is often beneficial for gaming – potentially at the cost of overall multi-core performance. Even with these architectural adjustments, one would still anticipate a new chip, featuring a new architecture and manufacturing process, to exhibit stronger competitive performance.
Ultimately, the true capabilities of Intel’s Core Ultra 300 Panther Lake CPUs will only become clear upon their official launch next year. Despite these early concerns, there’s still a possibility they could significantly impact the mobile gaming landscape.
While we await further news on Intel’s future CPU developments, consider exploring existing resources for top gaming laptops to see the performance of current-generation Intel processors in action. Join the ongoing discussion and share your perspectives on these latest Intel developments!