Intel’s Panther Lake CPU Surfaces on Geekbench with Mixed Scores

UPDATE: Intel’s highly anticipated Panther Lake CPU has just emerged in the Geekbench results, revealing benchmark scores that are decent but not groundbreaking. The early results show this new chip, specifically the Core Ultra 9 386H, achieving 2,849 points in single-core performance and 15,434 in multi-core tests.

This announcement, coming just ahead of the CES launch in January 2024, raises immediate questions about Intel’s competitive edge in the CPU market. The single-core score allows for a direct comparison with other generations of Intel’s Performance cores, but the multi-core results are muddied by variations in core configurations.

The Core Ultra 9 386H features a total of 16 cores, including four Performance, eight Efficient, and four Low Power Efficient cores. For context, its predecessor, the Core Ultra 9 285H, scored 2,608 in single-core and 14,812 multi-core tests. While Intel has made modest gains, the numbers suggest that the Panther Lake series may not deliver the substantial performance leap many were hoping for.

In a competitive landscape, the Panther Lake CPU lags behind industry leaders. For instance, Apple’s latest M5 chip boasts over 4,000 points in single-core performance, while Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 also emerges as a formidable competitor. Additionally, AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 scores around 2,800 points, putting Intel’s latest offerings further behind the curve.

While Geekbench offers a glimpse into performance capabilities, it does not account for real-world applications or power consumption. As a mobile CPU built on Intel’s new 18A process node, efficiency and battery life will be critical factors when evaluating Panther Lake’s overall impact.

As the January 2024 launch nears, tech enthusiasts and industry analysts await further details on performance and efficiency. The early Geekbench results indicate that Intel’s Panther Lake may not be the game-changer some had anticipated.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to monitor the developments surrounding Intel’s latest CPU innovations.