Intel’s next-gen Panther Lake mobile processor, built on the 18A process, has surfaced in PassMark as the Core Ultra X7 358H. Early benchmark scores reveal CPU and integrated GPU performance, helping position this upcoming chip against current Arrow Lake-H models.
📊 Core Ultra X7 358H: Specs and CPU Performance #
Key Specifications #
PassMark reports the X7 358H has:
- 16 cores: 4P + 8E + 4 LP-E
- 18 MB L3 cache
- Engineering Sample (ES) status, with incomplete clock and power tuning
Frequency data is missing, but early scores suggest conservative boost clocks typical for ES silicon.
PassMark CPU Scores #
- Single-Thread: 4,282
- Multi-Thread: 29,426
These scores place the X7 358H in the upper mid-range for mobile processors, with single-threaded performance in the 97th percentile.
🆚 Performance vs Arrow Lake-H: 255H and 265H #
| Processor | Single-Thread | Multi-Thread | Gap vs X7 358H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Ultra X7 358H | 4,282 | 29,426 | — |
| Core Ultra 7 255H | 4,347 | ~30,650 | ~4% faster |
| Core Ultra 7 265H | 4,433 | 34,678 | ~15% faster |
Despite similar core counts, the X7 358H currently lags due to ES limitations:
- conservative boost clocks
- power and thermal limits
- immature firmware
These factors typically improve in retail silicon.
🎮 Arc B390 Integrated Graphics: PassMark Scores #
The processor integrates the Intel Arc B390 GPU (Xe3 architecture).
PassMark 3D Score #
- Arc B390 (iGPU): 9,339
Comparison to Dedicated GPUs #
- Near desktop GTX 1650 Super
- About 23% lower than mobile RTX 3050
Arc B390 is sufficient for light gaming and daily workloads but not for high-end 3D or ray tracing.
📝 Key Takeaways #
The Core Ultra X7 358H is still an engineering sample, so final retail performance may change after tuning:
- Power delivery, voltage, and boost profiles
- Firmware and driver optimizations
PassMark confirms two important insights:
- Performance Tier: Upper-mid-range mobile CPU
- Xe3 iGPU Performance: Bridges integrated and entry-level discrete graphics
Retail Panther Lake laptops are expected in 2026, when we’ll get definitive comparisons with Arrow Lake and upcoming Nova Lake platforms.
