Intel Panther Lake CPU Leak Raises Performance Concerns — But the iGPU Tells a Different Story
Early benchmark leaks surrounding Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake processors are painting a mixed picture. While the new chip reportedly struggles to outperform its Arrow Lake-H predecessor in raw CPU performance, improvements to graphics and efficiency may still give it an edge in real-world use.
Recent benchmark data shared by Laptop Review highlights the performance of the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H. In Cinebench R23, the chip delivers roughly 20,000 points at a 65-watt power draw. On paper, this places it about 8% behind the Core Ultra 7 255H when running at similar power levels. However, average community benchmarks show that the older Arrow Lake-H model typically scores around 17,812 points, which could mean Panther Lake may perform slightly better depending on system tuning and thermal conditions.
From a CPU perspective, the configuration — featuring four performance cores and twelve efficiency cores — doesn’t appear to introduce major generational gains. Users hoping for a dramatic leap in processing speed may need to manage expectations.
Where Panther Lake truly stands out is graphics performance. The integrated Xe3 iGPU, equipped with twelve Compute Units, reportedly reaches 6,830 points in 3DMark Time Spy — an impressive 72% jump over the iGPU found in the Core Ultra 7 255H. This improvement could be a game-changer for thin-and-light laptops, delivering smoother gameplay, stronger creative performance, and better GPU acceleration without a dedicated graphics card.
Although Intel has officially announced Panther Lake, the company has remained quiet on detailed specifications and real-world performance claims. As more benchmark data surfaces, we’ll gain a clearer understanding of how this architecture truly stacks up.
For now, the early takeaway is simple:
- CPU performance: modest improvements at best
- iGPU performance: a significant generational leap
- Efficiency: potentially better, but still unconfirmed
Panther Lake may not win the race on raw compute alone — but its upgraded graphics engine might be exactly what the modern laptop market needs.
