In case you didn’t know, Intel has been having a tough time. However they’re taking steps in the appropriate course. Most not too long ago, they made a significant announcement at CES 2026, revealing their new Panther Lake chip for laptops.
Our sister publication, PCWorld, bought its arms on an Asus ZenBook Duo laptop computer outfitted with a Core Extremely X9 388H Panther Lake chip and ran a number of benchmarks. The outcomes are encouraging for Home windows customers. However that is Macworld, and we’re keen on how the chip compares to Apple’s M-series. Beneath is a chart of PCWorld’s outcomes pitted in opposition to Apple’s household of entry-level M-series chips. Take your time and click on by the charts.
Intel Core Extremely X9 388H Panther Lake vs. Apple M-series
Outcomes are scores. Increased scores/longer bars are higher.
Whereas the 388H is quicker than the M4 that’s at the moment within the MacBook Air, it’s outpaced by the bottom M5 within the MacBook Professional–and that M5 goes to make its technique to the MacBook Air any week now. The 388H’s multi-core efficiency is barely barely behind the M5, however the distinction is extra outstanding whenever you take a look at single-core efficiency, the place the M5 and M4 have a noticeable edge, and even the M3 outpaced the 388H.
The 388H does beat the M5 within the Geekbench Compute check, which gauges the efficiency of the GPU. Nonetheless, this check is finished utilizing OpenCL, a typical framework favored by Home windows PCs, although it’s an open customary and may run on macOS. For optimum Mac efficiency, Apple recommends utilizing its Steel framework, and the M4 and M5 Geekbench Compute Steel scores are 57082 and 76963, respectively. Take that for what it’s value.
In addition to efficiency, there’s energy consumption to contemplate, and it’s a little bit tougher to match the 388H to the M5. Intel’s chip is rated at 25W, whereas the M5 is rated at 15W. The Asus ZenBook Duo that PCWorld examined has a 99-watt-hour battery, whereas the M5 MacBook Professional’s battery is rated at 72.4 watt-hours. PCWorld’s testing netted about 22 hours on the ZenBook Duo operating on a single display screen, a great deal higher than the MacBook Air, which lasted round 18 hours, however inside the anticipated vary for a bigger battery. Plus, PCWorld notes that efficiency dropped by about 20 % when operating on the battery.
In the event you’re keen on studying extra about Panther Lake, give PCWorld’s article a learn. However one factor is definite from the outcomes: Apple’s determination to go along with its personal silicon was the right one. There’s no extra wanting again.
