Intel Core Ultra X9 388H Review: No Need for a Dedicated GPU at 1080p

A breakthrough has been revealed by Intel with its Core Ultra X9 388H processor, with impressive performance in gaming being showcased without the need for a dedicated GPU. The processor's Arc B390 graphics, equipped with 12 Xe3 cores, are poised to rival standalone GPUs such as the RTX 4050, even at Full HD resolution.

Gaming Performance Without Limits

The Core Ultra X9 388H provided a seamless gaming experience at 1080p during early tests with the Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5. It was equipped with 32GB of RAM. Intel’s innovative XeSS scaling technology enabled smooth gameplay, even with graphically demanding titles. Despite lacking a discrete GPU, its performance was impressive, particularly given the system’s power consumption of just 65 W, rising to 85 W under load. Intel's Panther Lake architecture is designed to balance efficiency and power, so users can enjoy their games without worrying about overheating.

Challenges and Early Testing

The potential of the processor is clear. Even if the tests weren't entirely flawless. Software issues arose during the benchmarks, with a few popular games displaying instability. This is likely due to early driver versions, and Intel is expected to iron out these bugs before the official release of Panther Lake-powered laptops in late January. Despite this, the processor’s overall performance suggests that it will change the way we view integrated graphics in gaming laptops.

The future of gaming on integrated graphics looks very promising as Intel pushes forward with its Panther Lake series.