Intel’s Panther Lake chips fail to impress in leaks
Early leaked Cinebench R23 results indicate that Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake laptop processors are delivering modest multicore performance. The mid-range Core Ultra X7 358H scores about 20,000 points, while the Ultra 5 338H trails roughly 20 percent behind at around 16,000 points. Neither result marks a major leap over current-generation chips, suggesting Intel is prioritizing graphics and AI capabilities over raw CPU gains.
The new Xe3 integrated GPU in both models is rumored to match the performance of an NVIDIA RTX 3050, potentially boosting gaming and creative workloads in thin laptops without discrete graphics. However, the 358H reportedly runs about 10 percent slower than the older Core Ultra 255H at similar power levels of 60 to 65 watts, indicating a possible tradeoff favoring iGPU efficiency.
Intel has not confirmed these figures, and the results may reflect early hardware or unoptimized firmware. Final performance could improve with updated drivers and BIOS tuning before Panther Lake devices reach consumers.
