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Intel Core Ultra 9 386H vs Intel Core Ultra X9 378H: Comparison
Core Ultra 9 386H vs Core Ultra X9 378H: the efficiency cores difference
Expect a near tie. The closest thing to a difference is efficiency cores, Core Ultra 9 386H 8 against Core Ultra X9 378H 12. Pcie lanes runs the same way, 20 on the Core Ultra 9 386H versus 12 on the Core Ultra X9 378H, another win for Core Ultra 9 386H. Memory type is not the same on both, DDR5, LPDDR5x on the Core Ultra 9 386H versus LPDDR5x up to 9600 MT/s on the Core Ultra X9 378H.
Who each one is for
Take the Core Ultra 9 386H for performance laptops that pair the chip with a discrete GPU and use its 20 PCIe lanes. The same goes for buyers who want 16 cores, 16 threads and a 50 TOPS NPU 5 in a mainstream H-class laptop. Avoid it for buyers who want the strongest integrated graphics, since this chip has only a 4-core Xe3 Arc iGPU. The Core Ultra X9 378H suits premium thin laptops for creators and students in demanding courses and gaming and creative work on integrated Arc B390 graphics, though it is not built for budget buyers who mainly browse and use office apps and high-refresh AAA gaming, where a dedicated GPU is still faster. It is equally the pick for copilot+ PC and on-device AI features with a 50 TOPS NPU.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, total cores, performance cores, total threads, e-core base clock and tdp included, so the decision does not turn on any of those. They match on 9 further specifications as well.
Do the Core Ultra 9 386H and Core Ultra X9 378H differ on p-core boost clock?
Yes. P-Core Boost Clock reads 4.9 GHz on the Core Ultra 9 386H versus 5.0 GHz on the Core Ultra X9 378H.
Is the L3 Cache the same on the Core Ultra 9 386H and Core Ultra X9 378H?
It is. Both are listed at 18 MB, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Intel
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Intel
Product Line
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Core Ultra 9
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Core Ultra X9
Form Factor
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Laptop
Model Number
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 386H
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 378H
Codename
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Panther Lake
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Panther Lake
Release Year
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 2026
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 2026
TDP
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 25 W
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 25 W
iGPU
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Intel Arc (4 Xe3-cores)
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Intel Arc B390 GPU
Market Segment
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Laptop
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Laptop
Microarchitecture
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Panther Lake, Intel Core Ultra Series 3
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Panther Lake
Socket
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- FCBGA2540
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- FCBGA2540
Process Node
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 18 nm
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 18 nm
Total Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 16
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 16
Performance Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 4
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 4
Efficiency Cores
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 8
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 12Best
Total Threads
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 16
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 16
SMT Enabled
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- No
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- No
P-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 2.1 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 2.0 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 4.9 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 5.0 GHz
E-Core Base Clock
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 1.6 GHz
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 1.6 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 18 MB
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 18 MB
Base Power
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 25 W
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 25 W
Max Turbo Power
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 80 W
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 80 W
Memory Type
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- DDR5, LPDDR5x
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- LPDDR5x up to 9600 MT/s
Integrated Graphics
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- Yes
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- Yes
NPU Peak TOPS
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 50 TOPS (NPU 5)
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 50 TOPS (Intel AI Boost)
PCIe Lanes
- Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
- 20
- Intel Core Ultra X9 378H
- 12-40%
Which one should you pick?
Choose 386H if you want the higher L3 cache (18 MB vs 18 MB) and the higher PCIe lanes (20 vs 12).
Choose 378H if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.