Back in May, Intel already launched dedicated Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme processors for gaming handhelds, and the benchmark results were indeed impressive, outperforming AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme at the same power consumption. However, there’s been one ongoing issue: the Arc G3 Extreme handhelds currently available for purchase or pre-order are still very expensive. The official pre-order price for the ONEXPLAYER 3 starts at $1,499 USD, while the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is priced even higher in Taiwan at NT$52,999. This means the barrier to entry for owning an Intel handheld is quite high, making it not so easy for players to get their hands on one. The good news is that there are recent rumors suggesting Intel is also preparing to release an entry-level Panther Lake handheld chip. If that’s true, we might have a chance to see Intel handhelds priced under $1,000.
Image source: VideoCardz
Intel reportedly preparing 4P+0E+4LP entry-level handheld Panther Lake with only 4 Xe3 cores
According to foreign media outlet VideoCardzJaykihn (@jaykihn0) recently leaked news on X about Intel’s entry-level handheld Panther Lake processor, with the content being just a brief one-liner: “Panther Lake 4+0+4+4 handheld” — no model number, no clock speed, and no additional explanation.
Panther Lake uses a hybrid core architecture, and depending on the model, it can be paired with three types of cores: P-core, E-core, and LP E-core. The P-core is the performance core, handling high-load tasks; the E-core focuses on multi-threaded efficiency; and the LP E-core sits in the low-power block, suitable for handling lighter background work to reduce overall power consumption. As for “4+0+4,” it should mean 4 P-cores, 0 regular E-cores, and 4 LP E-cores, totaling 8 cores. The final 4 is 4 Xe3 graphics cores, which is the integrated graphics specification.
Compared to the two handheld console chips Intel has already released, the gap is very noticeable.
Both the Arc G3 Extreme and Arc G3 use a 2P+8E+4LP configuration, totaling 14 cores, with 12 and 10 Xe3 graphics cores respectively, corresponding to the Arc B390 and Arc B370. According to the new leak, this entry-level CPU has 6 fewer cores, and the graphics cores have been slashed to just 4. Refer to the table below:
| Model | CPU configuration | CPU core | Xe3 core | Graphics chip | CPU clock speed | GPU clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The handheld model in the leak | 4P + 0E + 4LP | 8 | 4 | Undecided | Undecided | undecided |
| Arc G3 Extreme | 2P + 8E + 4LP | 14 | 12 | Arc B390 | 4.7 GHz | 2.3 GHz |
| Arc G3 | 2P + 8E + 4LP | 14 | 10 | Arc B370 | 4.6 GHz | 2.2 GHz |
| Core Ultra X9 388H | 4P + 8E + 4LP | 16 | 12 | Arc B390 | 5.1 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Core Ultra 5 338H | 4P + 4E + 4LP | 12 | 10 | Arc B370 | 4.7 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Core Ultra 7 365 | 4P + 0E + 4LP | 8 | 4 | Intel Graphics | 4.8 GHz | 2.5 GHz |
| Core Ultra 5 325 | 4P + 0E + 4LP | 8 | 4 | Intel Graphics | 4.5 GHz | 2.45 GHz |
In the lower half of the table, it can be noted that Intel’s Core Ultra 7 365 and Core Ultra 5 325 have the same core configuration as the entry-level handheld CPU from this leak, both being 4P+0E+4LP with 4 Xe3 cores. These are low-power laptop processor models. Therefore, it can be inferred that the graphics chip on this entry-level handheld chip may be “Intel Graphics” like the Core Ultra 7 365 and Core Ultra 5 325, rather than Arc. Of course, final confirmation will have to wait until the official announcement.
Performance-wise, you probably shouldn’t expect much from this configuration. The Core Ultra 7 365 previously scored 2,451 in single-core and 9,714 in multi-core on Geekbench. Multiple foreign media outlets have pointed out that this batch of Panther Lake low-power models shows only limited improvements over the previous generation, clearly not in the same league as the mid-to-high-end Panther Lake-H. Even if the handheld version has been tuned, its baseline capabilities remain what they are.
As for the release timing, that’s still unknown for now. Based on the leaks, it seems to be only in the early stages. Plus, with memory and SSD prices surging the way they are, even if Intel does launch an entry-level handheld now, the price probably won’t be all that attractive.
Source: KOCPC Chinese