Intel has faced considerable challenges recently, but a new contender emerged at CES 2026: the Panther Lake chip, designed for laptops. This represents a significant step forward for the company, aiming to reclaim lost ground in the processor market.
Testing conducted on an Asus ZenBook Duo equipped with the Core Ultra X9 388H Panther Lake chip revealed promising results for Windows users. However, the crucial question remains: how does it stack up against Apple’s renowned M-series chips?
Initial benchmarks show the 388H surpassing the current M4 chip found in the MacBook Air. Yet, it falls behind the base M5 chip in the MacBook Pro – a chip poised to soon appear in the MacBook Air as well.
The performance gap widens when examining single-core performance. The M5 and M4 demonstrate a clear advantage, with even the older M3 chip exceeding the 388H’s capabilities in this area.
Interestingly, the 388H excels in the Geekbench Compute test, specifically when utilizing OpenCL, a framework commonly favored by Windows PCs. However, Apple advocates for its Metal framework for optimal Mac performance, and the M4 and M5 achieve significantly higher scores using Metal.
Power consumption presents another layer of comparison. The Intel chip is rated at 25W, while the M5 operates at 15W. The ZenBook Duo, with its larger 99-watt-hour battery, achieved approximately 22 hours of single-screen use, exceeding the MacBook Air’s 18 hours.
It’s important to note that the ZenBook Duo experienced a performance drop of around 20 percent when running solely on battery power. This highlights the complexities of comparing efficiency across different systems and testing conditions.
The data suggests a clear trajectory: Apple’s strategic move to develop its own silicon has proven remarkably successful. The results underscore the benefits of a fully integrated hardware and software approach.
Intel’s new chip is a step in the right direction, but the benchmarks demonstrate that Apple remains at the forefront of processor innovation, with no indication of relinquishing its lead.
