The first results of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, part of the new Panther Lake family, show a major jump in graphics performance compared to the previous Lunar Lake generation.
Strong Graphics Performance Close to RTX 3050 Laptop GPU
In early tests, the chip reached around 6,300 points in 3DMark Time Spy, marking an increase of about 45% to 50% compared to the previous model’s performance.
This improvement is mainly due to the new Xe3 “Celestial” architecture, which offers twice the number of graphics cores compared to earlier generations. The X9 388H includes 12 Xe3 cores in its iGPU , a big step up from the 8 Xe2 cores found in Lunar Lake. This increase, along with better clock speeds and energy efficiency, gives a strong boost in performance without a big rise in power use.
Early Benchmarks and Market Expectations
While these results are promising, it’s important to remember that they come from early benchmark tests, and the drivers are still being optimized. This means that the final performance may change when the platform officially launches — likely showing even higher results once Intel releases the final software and driver updates.
When compared with discrete GPUs, the X9 388H’s integrated graphics come close to the RTX 3050 laptop GPU, which is quite impressive for a chip with built-in graphics. However, AMD’s top APUs, like those from the Strix Halo series, still have the advantage due to higher power and thermal limits.
In short, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H looks like a major step forward in bringing high graphics power to laptop CPUs — combining efficiency, strong performance, and an architecture ready to challenge mid-range dedicated GPUs.
