Intel

Intel Core Ultra X9 388H

iGPU:: Intel Arc B390 (12 Xe3-cores)
Boost/Base Clock:: 5.1 GHz / 2.1 GHz
Core/Thread Count:: 16 Core / 16 Thread (4 P-cores + 8 E-cores + 4 LPE-cores)
Cache:: 18MB L3
NPU:: 50 TOPS (NPU 5)
TDP:: 15-25 Watts (boost up to 80 Watts)
CPU Socket:: FCBGA2540
CPU Process Node:: Intel 18A (compute tile) / TSMC N3E (GPU and platform tiles)
CPU Series:: Panther Lake, Intel Core Ultra Series 3
Form Factor:: Laptop

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Manufacturer: Intel Last updated: 2026-10-08

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Intel Core Ultra X9 388H Review

Launched January 5, 2026, the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H is the flagship chip of Intel's Panther Lake generation, marketed as Core Ultra Series 3. It's a 16-core, 16-thread processor built from four large Cougar Cove P-cores, eight Darkmont E-cores, and four small Darkmont LPE-cores, with a base clock of 2.1 GHz that boosts up to 5.1 GHz on the P-cores. The chip is manufactured on Intel's own 18A process, the company's first mobile chip built on a node designed and fabricated in the United States, while the GPU and platform tiles are built separately at TSMC on the N3E process and assembled as a multi-tile package. Rated TDP runs 15 to 25 Watts, with boost power reaching up to 80 Watts in short bursts on laptops with sufficient cooling. It carries 18MB of L3 cache, an NPU rated at 50 TOPS for on-device AI workloads, and vPro eligibility for business systems. Memory support tops out at LPDDR5X-9600.

Intel Arc B390

The Intel Arc B390 is the integrated GPU paired with the X9 388H, built on Intel's Xe3 architecture with 12 Xe-cores clocked up to 2.5 GHz and hardware ray tracing support. This is the largest iGPU configuration in the entire Panther Lake lineup, and Intel positions it as capable of rivalling entry-level dedicated graphics in thin-and-light laptops that have no room for a discrete GPU.

How Is the Core Ultra X9 388H in Terms of Performance

Intel's own launch figures claim up to 60% better multithreaded performance and up to 77% faster gaming performance over the outgoing Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake H generations, alongside up to 27 hours of claimed battery life. Independent hands-on testing has found the chip runs efficiently under real workloads, with one laptop review noting the X9 388H rarely exceeded 40W even under sustained load, only spiking to its 69W peak during dedicated stress testing, well under its 80W maximum boost ceiling. Against AMD's outgoing Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Panther Lake's out-of-the-box power profile runs notably higher by default (45W versus 28W), though real-world power draw during typical use narrows that gap considerably.

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6 single-core scores are the most useful figure for estimating everyday responsiveness in Word, a browser, or most games, since most software still leans on one fast core more than many slower ones. Geekbench 6 multi-core scores estimate performance under genuinely parallel workloads: video encoding, 3D rendering, and compiling code. The X9 388H posts competitive single-core results against its closest same-generation Intel sibling, the Core Ultra 9 386H, with the gap between the two showing up mainly in graphics-heavy and AI-accelerated tasks rather than raw CPU throughput.

Our verdict

Reviewed by Burooj Alam. Rated by us, not by users.

Best for

Thin laptops needing 12 Xe3-core Arc B390 graphics
Users wanting a boost clock up to 5.1 GHz, 16 cores and a 50 TOPS NPU

Not for

Laptops needing DDR5 SO-DIMM slots, since this chip is listed for LPDDR5x

Specifications

What these specs mean

Identity

Brand	Intel
Product Line	Core Ultra X9
Model Number	388H
Codename	Panther Lake
Release Year	2026

Segment and platform

Market Segment	Laptop
Microarchitecture	Panther Lake, Intel Core Ultra Series 3
Socket	FCBGA2540
Process Node	18 nm

Core configuration

Total Cores	16
Performance Cores	4
Efficiency Cores	8
Total Threads	16
SMT Enabled	No

Clock speeds

P-Core Base Clock	2.1 GHz
P-Core Boost Clock	5.1 GHz
E-Core Base Clock	1.6 GHz

Cache

L3 Cache	18 MB

Power and thermal

Base Power	25 W
Max Turbo Power	80 W

Memory

Memory Type	LPDDR5x

Graphics and AI

Integrated Graphics	Yes
NPU Peak TOPS	50 TOPS (NPU 5)

Form Factor	Laptop
TDP	25 W
iGPU	Intel Arc B390 (12 Xe3-cores)

FAQs

What are the key specifications of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H?

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H has 16 cores and 16 threads, a 2.1 GHz base and 5.1 GHz boost clock, 18 MB of L3 cache and a 25 W TDP. Integrated graphics: Intel Arc B390 (12 Xe3-cores). Socket: FCBGA2540.

Will the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H work with my current setup?

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H lists CPU Socket is FCBGA2540. Check that against the hardware you already own before buying, since this is the field that most often decides whether a part fits.