Intel’s Panther Lake Surprise: Core Ultra X7 358H Falls Behind Expectations

Intel’s upcoming Core Ultra X7 358H from the Panther Lake family has surfaced in new PassMark results, and the numbers aren’t flattering. According to early data, the chip performs about 15% slower than the current Core Ultra 7 265H. While pre-release benchmarks should always be taken with caution, PassMark is generally seen as more reliable than Geekbench for unreleased CPUs. Still, these results suggest Intel’s next-gen mobile processor may not deliver the performance leap users hoped for.

The X7 358H reportedly features 16 cores in a 4+8+4 configuration and 18 MB of L3 cache. Its single-thread score reached 4,282 points, while the multi-thread score landed at 29,426. For comparison, the Ultra 7 265H achieves 4,433 points in single-thread performance, clearly ahead of its supposed successor.

Graphics Power That Doesn’t Impress

The integrated GPU, the Intel Arc B390 based on Xe3 architecture, scored 9,339 points in the same benchmark. That places it close to a desktop GTX 1650 Super but still about 23% slower than a laptop RTX 3050. Earlier leaks hinted at better results, but this latest data suggests otherwise.

A Modest Step Forward, Not a Leap

If these figures hold true, Panther Lake may continue Intel’s recent trend of modest generational improvements. While final performance could improve with driver updates and clock adjustments, the early outlook is far from groundbreaking. With the official launch expected in January 2026, Intel still has time to fine-tune its next mobile platform—but expectations are cooling fast.