Fresh leaks are giving PC enthusiasts an early look at Intel’s next-generation Panther Lake processors, expected to launch under the Core Ultra Series 3 branding. Several chips have surfaced in PassMark benchmark listings, offering a mix of preliminary specifications and early performance signals—especially in single-threaded workloads, where the results look particularly promising.
Four Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs Show Up in PassMark
A batch of four Panther Lake mobile CPUs has appeared in PassMark results: Core Ultra 7 366H, Core Ultra X7 358H, Core Ultra 7 365, and Core Ultra 5 332. While benchmark leaks should always be treated cautiously, these listings help paint an early picture of how Intel is positioning its upcoming laptop lineup across performance tiers.
Here’s what the leaked specs suggest so far:
The Intel Core Ultra 7 366H is listed with 16 cores, paired with 18 MB of L3 cache and 12 MB of L2 cache.
The Intel Core Ultra X7 358H also shows a 16-core configuration and is reported to boost up to 4.8 GHz. It’s also rumored to include the fuller Xe3 integrated graphics configuration, reportedly up to 12 Xe3 cores.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 365 appears as an 8-core design with a (4+0+4) layout, along with 12 MB of L3 cache and 12 MB of L2 cache.
The Intel Core Ultra 5 332 rounds out the group as a more entry-level option, with 6 cores in a (2+0+2) layout, 12 MB of L3 cache, and 6 MB of L2 cache.
Early Performance: Strong Comparisons, But Still Preliminary
On the performance side, the leaked PassMark results point to some interesting matchups.
The Core Ultra X7 366H appears to land in the same general performance neighborhood as the current Core Ultra 9 285H, despite the 285H reaching a higher boost clock (up to 5.40 GHz). The 366H is expected to top out closer to 5.0 GHz, which makes the comparison notable—even if the exact test conditions are unknown.
Meanwhile, the Core Ultra X7 358H (boosting to 4.8 GHz) reportedly outpaces the Core Ultra 7 255H, even though the 255H is said to enjoy a clock advantage and includes additional P-cores. If these results hold up in real-world testing, that could hint at meaningful IPC gains, platform improvements, or efficiency advantages—though it’s too early to claim any single factor is responsible.
The 8-core Core Ultra 7 365 is also making noise. In these early numbers, it ends up faster than both the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and Intel’s Ultra 5 226V, suggesting it could be a very competitive option against similarly sized mobile CPUs—especially in laptops where balanced performance and battery life matter.
At the bottom end, the Core Ultra 5 332 sits where you’d expect: it’s the slowest of the leaked group and trails the other SKUs in overall performance.
A Panther Lake Handheld Also Leaks: OneXPlayer X1 i with Core Ultra 5 338H
Beyond laptops, a Panther Lake-powered gaming handheld has also surfaced in benchmark chatter. A Geekbench listing points to the OneXPlayer X1 i featuring the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H, reportedly a 12-core chip with boost clocks up to 4.6 GHz.
Compared directly against a OneXPlayer X1 Pro configuration using AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (a top-tier Strix Point APU), the leaked results indicate a clear trade-off: the Intel-based handheld shows a lower single-core score, but a higher multi-threaded score. That kind of split can influence real usage depending on the workload—some games and apps favor single-thread speed, while productivity tasks or heavily threaded workloads can benefit more from multi-core throughput.
Why These Benchmarks Don’t Tell the Full Story Yet
As exciting as leaks can be, benchmark databases often lack key context. These results don’t confirm the exact clock behavior under load, and they typically don’t reveal crucial platform details such as:
Power limits and performance profiles
Memory configuration and speed
Cooling capacity and sustained boost behavior
TDP targets for specific devices
In other words, these numbers are best viewed as early indicators—not final verdicts.
What’s Next for Intel Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3
Intel is expected to officially unveil its Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” lineup at CES 2026. If these early PassMark and Geekbench appearances are any indication, the company is preparing a broad mobile stack spanning higher-performance H-class chips and more power-efficient U-class models.
A preliminary Panther Lake mobile lineup has already been floated in leaks, suggesting a range of configurations across multiple tiers, including higher-wattage 45W parts and 15–28W options aimed at thin-and-light laptops.
Until Intel makes things official, it’s wise to treat all leaked specifications and performance figures as provisional. Still, the trend is clear: Panther Lake is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched CPU launches for laptops and handheld PCs going into 2026, with early benchmarks pointing to competitive single-thread performance and a potentially strong spread of SKUs for different device categories.
