CPU Comparison
Intel Core Ultra 5 338H vs Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
A side-by-side comparison of specs, performance and value. The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H is a 12-core, 12-thread mid-range mobile SoC from Intel’s Panther Lake family, combining four Cougar Cove performance cores, four Darkmont efficient cores, and four low-power efficient cores with integrated Arc B370 Xe3 graphics and a dedicated NPU, aimed at thin-but-powerful laptops that need strong AI and GPU performance without excessive power draw.
The Bottom Line
Overview & Launch
Specifications Compared
Performance Compared
Productivity
Gaming
Virtualization
Efficiency
Specialized Performance
AI / ML
- Dedicated NPU 5 with 47 INT8 TOPS accelerates Windows Studio Effects and local AI models.
- CPU and GPU also support DL Boost and XMX-based AI workloads, but TOPS are lower than on higher-end Ultra 7/9 models.
- Well suited for consumer AI features and small models, not for training or large-scale inference.
- NPU 5 up to 50 TOPS INT8 aligns with Intel’s Copilot+ PC requirements
- Good for local AI assistants, background blur, noise cancellation, and light on-device inference
- Not aimed at large-scale model training, but very capable for client AI workloads
Content Creation
Gaming
- Arc B370 10 Xe3 cores at up to 2.4 GHz deliver roughly 70% more performance than Intel’s previous Arc 140V/140T iGPUs and comfortably outpace AMD’s Radeon 890M in synthetic tests.
- At 35 W, the B370’s Time Spy Graphics score is around 5,933 points, placing it between older RTX 3050 Ti and RTX 4050 laptop GPUs in some scenarios.
- Best suited for 1080p medium settings; more demanding AAA titles may require resolution scaling or lower presets.
- 4-core Xe3 iGPU is a solid step over 11th/12th-gen UHD but below Arc B390/B370
- Suitable for 1080p low/medium in e-sports and older titles
- For serious gaming, pair with a discrete GPU or choose a Panther Lake SKU with more Xe cores
Industry Impact
Best CPU by Use Case
Target Audience
Strengths & Weaknesses
Pros
- Major leap in integrated GPU performance vs older Intel iGPUs
- Good single-threaded performance for everyday and lightly threaded workloads
- 12-core design provides solid multi-core throughput for the TDP
- NPU accelerates AI features without heavily loading CPU or GPU
- 25 W base power enables thin-and-light designs with decent battery life
- Modern I/O: PCIe 5.0, Thunderbolt 4, LPDDR5X, Wi-Fi 7 (platform dependent)
Cons
- Not intended for heavy sustained multi-threaded workloads like high-end rendering
- iGPU still falls short of low-end discrete GPUs like RTX 4050 in more demanding games
- Locked multiplier limits overclocking headroom
- Actual performance and thermals depend heavily on laptop OEM power tuning
- New platform; early firmware and drivers may still be maturing
Pros
- 16 hybrid cores with strong multi-threaded performance for a 25–80 W mobile SoC
- Intel 18A compute tile and modern core designs improve performance per watt vs prior generations
- Xe3 4-core iGPU is a notable upgrade over UHD/Iris Xe for light gaming and media
- NPU 5 with 50 TOPS INT8 supports Copilot+ and local AI workloads
- 20 PCIe 5.0/4.0 lanes and LPDDR5X-8533/DDR5-7200 support modern laptop and mini-PC designs
Cons
- 4-core Xe3 iGPU is still far behind the 12-core Arc B390/B370 found in higher Panther Lake SKUs
- No unlocked multiplier; performance ceiling depends on OEM power tuning
- Max 96 GB memory may feel limiting for some professional workloads
- Not intended for heavy sustained multi-threaded workloads without robust cooling
- Actual power and behavior can vary significantly between laptop designs
Competitors & Alternatives
Intel Core Ultra 5 338H
- AMD Ryzen AI 7 350Rival
Mid-Range Mobile AI APU
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HRival
Higher-End Panther Lake Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 7 8840HSRival
Mainstream Mobile APU
- Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100Rival
Premium Arm-Based Mobile
- Intel Core Ultra 5 228VRival
Lower-Power Lunar Lake Mobile
- Laptop with RTX 4050/5050 discrete GPUAlt
If gaming is your priority and you can tolerate a thicker chassis, a low-end discrete GPU will outperform the Arc B370 iGPU in more demanding titles.
Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370Rival
High-Performance Mobile
- AMD Ryzen 7 8840HSRival
Thin-and-Light Performance
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255HRival
Prior-Gen Mobile
- Intel Core Ultra 9 275HXRival
High-End Mobile
- Compare head-to-headApple M4 ProRival
Premium Thin-and-Light
Same family with more Xe3 iGPU cores for better integrated gaming performance.
Compare head-to-head- Intel Core Ultra 7 265HAlt
Previous-gen Arrow Lake-H option often at lower prices with still-solid performance.
Our Verdict on Each
A well-rounded mid-range mobile SoC that finally delivers competitive integrated graphics and solid multi-core CPU performance in a reasonable power envelope, though its value depends heavily on laptop design and pricing.
Best for: You want a thin-and-light laptop with strong integrated graphics and AI features for light gaming, content creation, and everyday work, and you value battery life more than maximum CPU/GPU performance.
Read the full reviewA very capable mobile SoC for users who want strong CPU performance, modern AI acceleration, and good efficiency, but who don’t need the fastest integrated gaming graphics and are comfortable with OEM-configured power limits.
Best for: Premium productivity or AI-focused laptop where you want strong CPU performance, modern NPU, and good efficiency, but don’t rely heavily on integrated gaming graphics.
Read the full reviewFrequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Intel Core Ultra 5 338H or Intel Core Ultra 7 356H?
Based on our editorial ratings, the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H comes out ahead with a score of 8.4/10. That said, the best choice depends on your workload — check the spec and performance breakdown above for gaming, productivity and efficiency differences.
Which is faster for gaming, Intel Core Ultra 5 338H or Intel Core Ultra 7 356H?
For gaming, the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H leads with a gaming performance score of 78/100 among Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and Intel Core Ultra 7 356H.
Do Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and Intel Core Ultra 7 356H use the same socket?
Yes — all of these CPUs use the FCBGA2540 socket, so they share compatible motherboards.
Which has more cores?
The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H has the most cores. Core counts: Intel Core Ultra 5 338H (12 cores), Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (16 cores).
Which is faster in multi-core benchmarks?
The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H posts the highest multi-core benchmark score. Multi-core results: Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (33,903). Benchmark figures are approximate and workload-dependent.