Quick Verdict
The 238V is the optimal Lunar Lake Ultra 5 configuration, pairing the higher 4.7 GHz boost with 32GB of memory. It delivers the best balance of performance, battery life, and AI capability in the Ultra 5 V-series lineup.
Overview
Launch
2024
Status
ActiveGeneration
1st Gen Core Ultra (Lunar Lake)
Market
Mobile
The Intel Core Ultra 5 238V is the top-tier Ultra 5 Lunar Lake mobile processor, combining a 4.7 GHz boost clock with 32GB of on-package LPDDR5x-8533 memory and a 40 TOPS NPU for premium thin-and-light laptops.
The Core Ultra 5 238V sits at the top of the Lunar Lake Ultra 5 stack with 4 Lion Cove P-Cores boosting to 4.7 GHz, 4 Skymont E-Cores, 32GB of on-package LPDDR5x-8533 memory, Arc 130V integrated graphics, and a 40 TOPS NPU 4. It maintains the same 17W base TDP as other V-series chips while offering the highest clocks and memory capacity in the Ultra 5 tier.
Specifications
Performance
32GB memory makes a real difference for productivity, allowing more browser tabs, larger documents, and light creative work without the constraints of the 16GB variants.
The higher 4.7 GHz boost and 32GB memory give it a small edge over lower V-series SKUs in gaming, but this remains a casual-gaming-at-best chip.
Slightly less efficient than 16GB variants due to the additional memory power draw, but still exceptional by any standard.
- •4.7 GHz boost helps in CPU-bound scenarios more than the 4.5 GHz variants
- •32GB memory prevents the bottlenecks that can occur with 16GB in some games
- •Arc 130V handles eSports and older titles reasonably well
- •Not a substitute for a gaming laptop with discrete graphics
- •40 TOPS NPU 4 handles AI workloads efficiently
- •32GB memory allows running slightly larger AI models than 16GB variants
- •Good for AI-enhanced photo editing and code assistance
- •DLBoost 4.0 provides additional CPU-based AI acceleration
Architecture
3nm (TSMC)
Process Node
Lunar Lake
Codename
8C / 8T
Core Config
8 MB
L3 Cache
17 W
TDP
Architecture Overview
The 238V uses the same fundamental Lunar Lake architecture as other V-series chips — disaggregated compute (TSMC 3nm) and SOC (TSMC N6) tiles with on-package memory. What differentiates it is binning: Intel selects dies that can sustain the higher 4.7 GHz P-Core boost within the same 17-37W power envelope.
CPU Design
4 Lion Cove P-Cores at 2.1 GHz base / 4.7 GHz boost and 4 Skymont E-Cores at 2.1 GHz base / 3.5 GHz boost. The 200 MHz clock advantage over 226V/228V translates to roughly 3-5% better single-thread performance.
Memory Subsystem
32GB of LPDDR5x-8533 on-package provides 68.3 GB/s bandwidth. The doubling from 16GB to 32GB is particularly valuable for productivity, as it allows running more applications simultaneously and handling larger files in creative software.
PCIe & I/O
4 PCIe 5.0 lanes and 4 PCIe 4.0 lanes, standard Lunar Lake allocation.
Overclocking
Not supported on any Lunar Lake processor.
- Dramatically better power efficiency (17W vs 28W base)
- 40 TOPS NPU 4 vs 11 TOPS NPU 3
- On-package memory with lower latency
- Arc 130V vs Arc Xe-LPG 96EU (different optimization targets)
- Lion Cove and Skymont vs Redwood Cove and Crestmont
- TSMC 3nm vs Intel 7 compute tile
Key Highlights
- Best single-thread performance in the Ultra 5 V-series
- 32GB memory provides meaningful multitasking headroom
- 40 TOPS NPU for AI workloads
- Excellent battery life despite higher clocks
- Premium thin-and-light performance
- 32GB memory is still soldered and not upgradeable
- Significant price premium over 16GB variants in some laptops
- Only 8 cores limit heavy workloads
- Limited PCIe lanes for storage expansion
- Cannot match Arrow Lake desktop performance
History
The Core Ultra 5 238V launched on September 24, 2024, as the top SKU in Intel's Lunar Lake Ultra 5 lineup. It was the chip Intel expected to power the majority of premium thin-and-light Copilot+ PCs, sitting between the value-oriented 226V/228V and the more expensive Ultra 7/9 V-series.<br><br>The 238V's positioning was crucial for Intel's mobile strategy.
It needed to offer enough performance to justify premium laptop prices while still delivering the battery life improvements that Lunar Lake promised. The combination of 4.7 GHz boost and 32GB memory hit that target well, though the soldered memory remained a point of contention with reviewers and power users.
<br><br>In the market, the 238V competed directly against Apple's M3 in the MacBook Air and against Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite in the first wave of Windows on ARM Copilot+ PCs. Intel's x86 compatibility gave it a significant software advantage over Qualcomm, while the NPU 4 kept it competitive on the AI front.
Improvements over Previous Generation
- Dramatically better power efficiency (17W vs 28W base)
- 40 TOPS NPU 4 vs 11 TOPS NPU 3
- On-package memory with lower latency
- Arc 130V vs Arc Xe-LPG 96EU (different optimization targets)
- Lion Cove and Skymont vs Redwood Cove and Crestmont
- TSMC 3nm vs Intel 7 compute tile
Alternatives & Competitors
Should You Buy It?
Recommended for the right buyer
Choosing a Lunar Lake laptop and wanting the best Ultra 5 experience with sufficient memory for productivity and light creative work.
Avoid if…
- You need more than 32GB of RAM
- You do heavy video editing or 3D rendering
- The laptop with 238V is significantly more expensive than one with 236V
Use Cases
Interesting Facts
The 238V has two part numbers (SRPN5 and SRPN4), suggesting Intel bins these chips more carefully to ensure the 4.7 GHz boost is reliably achievable.
Despite being the top Ultra 5 V-series chip, the 238V is still binned below the Ultra 7 and Ultra 9 V-series, which may reach higher sustained frequencies.
The 32GB on-package memory uses 8 memory dies (4 per channel), increasing the package complexity and cost compared to 16GB variants.
The 238V's 4.7 GHz boost matches the desktop Core Ultra 5 245's 5.1 GHz less than one might expect, because mobile P-Cores are tuned for efficiency at the cost of peak frequency.
Laptops with the 238V often cost $100-200 more than identical models with the 226V, primarily due to the 32GB memory cost.
The Arc 130V iGPU in the 238V can drive up to four external displays simultaneously in some laptop implementations.
The 238V was found in some of the first Copilot+ PCs to hit the market, alongside Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite devices.
Despite having fewer cores than the Meteor Lake 125H (8 vs 14), the 238V matches or exceeds it in many single-threaded benchmarks due to the Lion Cove architecture.
The 238V's NPU 4 uses a different architecture than the NPU 3 in Arrow Lake desktop, with higher TOPS per watt specifically optimized for mobile power envelopes.
Intel positioned the 238V as the 'sweet spot' Lunar Lake SKU, expecting it to be the highest-volume Ultra 5 V-series part.
People Also Ask
Is the Core Ultra 5 238V worth the upgrade over the 236V?
The 238V has 32GB vs 16GB memory, which is the more significant difference than the identical 4.7 GHz boost. If you need more than 16GB for your workflow, the 238V is worth it. If 16GB suffices, save money with the 236V.
How does the 238V compare to Apple M3?
The 238V offers competitive single-thread performance and better AI capability (40 TOPS NPU vs Apple's estimated ~18 TOPS Neural Engine), but the M3 typically wins in battery life and GPU performance.
Can the 238V run Photoshop and Lightroom?
Yes, the 32GB memory and Arc 130V GPU make it capable for photo editing. Performance is good for moderate-sized files but not ideal for very large PSD files or batch processing.
What is the difference between 238V and 228V?
The 238V has a higher 4.7 GHz boost clock vs the 228V's 4.5 GHz, and 32GB memory vs 32GB (same). The 238V is the higher-binned, faster variant.
Is 32GB enough for the 238V long-term?
For most thin-and-light use cases, 32GB provides a comfortable 3-5 year horizon. However, it cannot be upgraded, so consider your future needs carefully.
Does the 238V support external GPUs?
With only 4 PCIe 5.0 lanes, eGPU support is technically possible but severely bandwidth-limited. It is not a practical solution.
What laptops use the Core Ultra 5 238V?
The 238V is found in premium thin-and-light laptops from manufacturers like ASUS, Lenovo, Dell, Acer, and Samsung in their Lunar Lake-based lineups.
Can the 238V output to 4K displays?
Yes, the Arc 130V iGPU supports 4K output on multiple external displays, depending on the laptop's port configuration.
Is the 238V better than the 125H for most tasks?
For single-threaded tasks and battery life, yes. For heavily multi-threaded workloads, the 125H's 14 cores (18 threads) still have an advantage, though at much higher power consumption.
Does the 238V get hot?
At 17W base and 37W max, the 238V runs relatively cool. However, laptop thermals depend heavily on the chassis design and cooling solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TDP of the Core Ultra 5 238V?
17W base TDP with a maximum power of 37W.
How much memory does the 238V have?
32GB of LPDDR5x-8533, packaged on the processor die.
What is the boost clock?
Up to 4.7 GHz on P-Cores and up to 3.5 GHz on E-Cores.
Does the 238V have Hyper-Threading?
No, it has 8 cores and 8 threads.
What is the NPU rating?
40 TOPS from the NPU 4.
What are the part numbers for the 238V?
SRPN5 and SRPN4.
Can I upgrade the 238V's memory?
No, the 32GB LPDDR5x is soldered on-package and cannot be upgraded.
What graphics does the 238V have?
Intel Arc 130V with 8 Xe Cores at up to 1850 MHz.
Is the 238V a Copilot+ PC processor?
Yes, the 40 TOPS NPU meets the Copilot+ PC requirement.
How does the 238V compare to the Ultra 7 258V?
The Ultra 7 258V has more P-Cores and higher sustained frequencies, but the 238V offers similar peak single-thread performance at a lower price point.