A First Look at Intel’s Next Mobile Powerhouse
The first performance figures for Intel’s next generation of laptop processors have surfaced online. The flagship Core Ultra X9 388H, a key part of the upcoming “Panther Lake” family, has been spotted in the Geekbench database, providing an early glimpse at the performance gains Intel is targeting for its 2026 laptop lineup.
The chip, which Intel has already scheduled for a formal unveiling at CES 2026 in January, represents the top of the stack for the new Core Ultra 300 series. This leak gives us our first concrete look at how Intel’s architectural refinements and new core configuration translate into real-world benchmark scores.
Specifications and Performance Uplift
The Geekbench entry confirms the Core Ultra X9 388H will feature a hybrid architecture with 16 total cores: 4 Performance cores, 8 Efficiency cores, and 4 new Low-Power Efficiency cores. This complex design is tailored for the demanding power efficiency and burst performance needs of modern laptops.
In the benchmark, the processor scored 3,057 points in single-core and 17,687 points in multi-core tests. Comparing these results to the current-generation Core Ultra 9 285H (Arrow Lake) shows a promising performance jump. The X9 388H appears to be roughly 15-19% faster in both single and multi-core workloads, indicating a solid generational improvement for content creation and productivity tasks.
More Than Just CPU Cores
Beyond the central processor, the Core Ultra X9 388H is also notable for its integrated graphics. As the flagship SKU, it is expected to feature the top-tier Arc B390 iGPU with 12 Xe3 cores. This aligns with earlier leaks suggesting Panther Lake will bring a major boost to integrated graphics performance, which could enable better gaming and creative work on thin-and-light laptops without dedicated graphics.
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With a base TDP of 25W and a maximum turbo power in the 65-80W range, this chip is designed for high-performance thin-and-light and gaming laptops set to arrive in 2026. For consumers, this leak suggests that the next wave of laptops will offer a meaningful step up in both processing power and graphics capability.
Source: geekbench