The Intel Panther Lake iGPU benchmark is out, and early results suggest the new Xe3 graphics cores are a serious step up, at least on paper.
Intel Panther Lake iGPU benchmark sees major gains
Intel’s new Core Ultra X9 388H, the flagship of the Panther Lake laptop lineup, has been spotted in early 3DMark Time Spy Graphics tests. When paired with 9,600 MT/s memory, the chip’s new 12-core Xe3 iGPU reportedly scores around 6,300 points, which puts it roughly 50% ahead of the Arc 140V found in Lunar Lake.
Real-world uplift aligns with Intel’s early claims
Intel claimed a 50% graphics boost during Panther Lake’s unveiling, and while it’s wise to remain skeptical of first-party figures, independent testing by Laptop Review shows numbers that are surprisingly close. Their benchmarks revealed:
- 6,233 points with 8,533 MT/s RAM
- 6,300 points with 9,600 MT/s RAM
That makes the Core Ultra X9 388H iGPU between 43–60% faster than the Arc 140V, depending on which Lunar Lake sample you’re comparing to.
Xe3 iGPU still lags behind AMD and entry-level dGPUs
As promising as the Panther Lake iGPU benchmark appears, it still can’t touch AMD’s Strix Halo. The Radeon 8060S in that chip scores closer to 11,000 in the same benchmark, nearly double Intel’s result. Even the desktop-class RTX 4050, often found in slim gaming laptops, remains well ahead.
Why the Panther Lake iGPU matters anyway
While it won’t replace discrete GPUs for gaming, this performance jump matters for a few reasons:
- Better integrated graphics = less reliance on dGPUs for casual gaming
- Smoother AI workloads and media acceleration
- Stronger competition in the thin-and-light laptop segment
- More value in ultraportables without GPU options
The Intel Panther Lake iGPU benchmark paints a clear picture: a serious leap over Lunar Lake, even if it still trails AMD’s heavy hitters. For integrated graphics, though, this is a strong first showing and a sign that Intel’s not backing down.
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