The world of mobile gaming is about to get a serious upgrade! A recent leak has revealed that Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake processors might finally deliver on the promise of a mobile chip with an integrated GPU powerful enough for AAA gaming. But is it too good to be true?
Intel’s next-generation mobile chips have already generated a lot of buzz, as they are the first to utilize the cutting-edge 2-nanometer Intel 18A fab process. With competitors like Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm breathing down Intel’s neck, the company is under pressure to deliver something special with Panther Lake.
We won’t have to wait long to find out, as Intel is set to unveil its Core Ultra Series 3 processors, codenamed Panther Lake, at CES in January. But the cat’s already out of the bag, thanks to an accidental Geekbench leak.
A Geekbench slip-up
It’s not uncommon for Geekbench scores to be published prematurely. If you forget to enter your license before running the test, the results end up in the public Geekbench database for all to see. This time, a keen-eyed editor at Wccftech spotted a revealing score.
The editor found a Geekbench 6 GPU test result for a Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro laptop equipped with an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU, 32GB of RAM, and Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics. The CPU boasts 16 cores, and the iGPU is based on Intel’s Xe3 architecture.
Impressive Graphics Performance
Despite being an ultraportable laptop, the Galaxy Book 6 Pro demonstrated impressive graphics capabilities. Its OpenCL score of 57,001 almost matched the 58,044 score of a laptop with a dedicated RTX 3050 Ti GPU and significantly surpassed the 50,915 score of an RTX 3050 laptop. This is a remarkable feat for an integrated GPU.
In comparison, a laptop with Intel’s current Arc 140V integrated graphics, based on the Xe2 architecture, achieved a score of 27,666. This suggests that Panther Lake’s third-generation Arc graphics could offer more than double the performance of the second-generation Arc graphics in Lunar Lake.
But there’s a catch…
Geekbench is a synthetic benchmark, meaning it doesn’t fully represent real-world 3D performance. We’ll need to see how Panther Lake’s iGPU handles actual games before passing final judgment. Additionally, the OpenCL GPU test is not as reliable for 3D performance evaluation as the Vulkan GPU test, which is our preferred method for laptop reviews.
Handheld Gaming Revolution?
Not only will we see thinner and lighter gaming laptops with Panther Lake CPUs, but rumors suggest that Intel is also working on a gaming handheld device with these new processors. Reports indicate that Intel might release a Panther Lake chip specifically for handhelds, potentially powering a successor to the Lunar Lake-based MSI Claw, which debuted at last year’s CES.
And this is the part that might surprise you: Could Intel be planning to challenge the likes of Nintendo and Sony in the handheld gaming space? Only time will tell. But one thing is clear: the mobile gaming landscape is about to get a lot more interesting. What do you think about Intel’s potential move into handheld gaming? Are you excited or skeptical? Share your thoughts in the comments!