If you’re buying an all-purpose portable laptop this year, this article will come in handy, as it goes over how some of the better mobile platforms available right now compare in capabilities and efficiency.
That means we’re looking at the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 platform (AMD Gorgon Point) versus the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H (Intel Panther Lake), as well as versus a few other options from AMD, such as the Ryzen AI 9 Max+ 395, Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, or the Ryzen AI 7 450, just so you can better understand what sets these apart.
The results and findings we’re discussing here are based on our detailed reviews of fairly similar implementations, most of them in the premium segments of jack-of-all-trades notebooks, such as the:
With that out of the way, let’s get started with the general specs of these platforms. However, keep in mind you can’t draw any real performance conclusions based on these numbers, but they help you understand the general particularities of each platform.
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470
AMD Gorgon Point
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
Intel Panther Lake
AMD Ryzen AI 7 450
AMD Gorgon Point
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
AMD Strix Point
Build process
TSMC 4nm FinFET
Intel 18A
TSMC 4nm FinFET
TSMC 4nm FinFET
Cores/Threads
4x Zen5, 8x Zen5c,
24 Threads
4P+8E+4LPE,
16 threads
4x Zen5, 4x Zen5c,
16 Threads
4x Zen5, 8x Zen5c,
24 Threads
CPU Max Turbo
up to 5.2 GHz – Zen5,
up to 3.3 GHz – Zen5c
up to 4.9 GHz – P Cores,
up to 3.9 GHz – E Cores,
up to 3.5 GHz – LPE Cores
up to 5.1 GHz – Zen5,
up to 3.6 GHz – Zen5c
up to 5.1 GHz – Zen5,
up to 3.3 GHz – Zen5c
Cache
36 MB
18 MB
24 MB
34 MB
Memory
DDR5-5600,
LPDDR5x-8533,
up to 256 GB
LPDDR5x-8533,
DDR5-7200,
up to 128 GB
DDR5-5600,
LPDDR5x-8000,
up to 128 GB
DDR5-5600,
LPDDR5x-8000,
up to 128 GB
Graphics
Radeon 890M,
16x RDNA3.5 CUs,
up to 3.1 GHz
Intel Graphics,
4x Xe Cores,
Panther Lake
Radeon 890M,
8x RDNA3.5 CUs,
up to 3.1 GHz
Radeon 890M,
16x RDNA3.5 CUs,
up to 2.9 GHz
Most of these platforms are hybrid designs, a mix of higher-performance and higher-efficiency cores in various amounts. Intel takes the granularity even further, adding Low Power Efficiency Cores as well, and they show their value in battery use.
Furthermore, you’ll mostly find these platforms paired with external dGPUs, although there are a few exceptions that are built entirely on these Intel/AMD chips in the ultraportable segments. Those options run at lower power, though, and thus perform accordingly. We’ll touch on them in the article.
Finally, most notebooks built on this hardware ship with faster LPDDR5x memory (onboard, non-upgradable), though some mid-level designs offer upgradeable DDR5 in SO-DIMM slots. As for storage, the AMD hardware only offers PCIe 4.0 lanes, and thus only the Intel variants support the faster PCIe 5.0 SSDs.
Sustained CPU Benchmarks – AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 vs. Intel Core Ultra 9 386H
We’ll start with a look at these platforms’ sustained performance at higher power levels that maximize the hardware’s potential.
A few findings:
- for the most part, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 platforms perform within 5-10% of each other in this sustained CPU load, with a minimal advantage for the AMD hardware;
- there’s hardly any difference between the Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370;
- all these are only mid-level performers by today’s standards, where the more powerful platforms score at least 50% higher, including the Strix Halo Ryzen AI 9 Max+ 395 implemented in ultraportable designs;
- the Ryzen AI 7 450 comes at about 75% of the performance of the Ryzen 9 options, due to implementing fewer cores and threads;
- all these devices run loudly and hot on their higher-tier profiles and power levels, and we’re discussing alternatives down below.
Here’s what to expect from these platforms at mid-level profiles and more acceptable noise levels. Furthermore, keep in mind the hardware generally runs at lower thermals as well at these levels.
At around the 50-60W power level, these platforms still deliver about 90% of their capabilities at higher power, with quieter fan noise and cooler internal temperatures.
At the same time, the drop in performance for the AMD Strix Halo Ryzen AI 9 Max+ chip is more significant, but that platform still beats the other options by a generous margin.
And here’s what to expect when pegging this hardware at lower power levels, which is either what you’re getting on the Silent/Quiet profiles for the devices mentioned so far, or what you can expect from ultraportable implementations of this hardware.
The AMD Gorgon Point and Intel Panther Lake chips still deliver about 70-80% of their max capabilities at these lower power levels, which is impressive and allows for still solid performance with quiet fan noise and comfortable thermals.
Even towards 25-30W, the Intel chip is still a decent performer at about 65% of max capabilities. That’s what you’re getting with the few ultraportable implementations of the hardware, such as the Asus Zenbook S14.
More CPU benchmarks
Let’s get to the standard CPU benchmarks in the following table.
Keep in mind we’re only discussing the CPU capabilities of each implementation, since the graphics performance varies between units, as each device bundles different GPUs.
Legion 7a
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470,
~85W CPU
Zephyrus G16
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H,
~75W
Yoga Pro 9i
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H,
~65W
ProArt PX13
AMD Ryzen AI 9 Max+ 395,
~70W
Zephyrus G16
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370,
~80W
Legion 5a
AMD Ryzen AI 7 450,
~80W CPU
3DMark – Fire Strike, Physics
31587
29989
30419
31729
30854
29271
3DMark – Time Spy, Physics
10905
15672
15503
10485
11042
10711
CineBench R23 (best run)
24113 cb – multi core,
2059 cb – single core
21589 cb – multi core,
2127 cb – single core
21166 cb – multi core,
2115 cb – single core
20841 cb – multi core,
2029 cb – single core
23719 cb – multi core,
2049 cb – single core
18116 cb – multi core,
1972 cb – single core
CineBench 26 (10 min)
5031 pts – multi threads,
482 pts – single thread
4782 pts – multi threads,
521 pts – single thread
4612 pts – multi threads,
502 pts – single thread
6816 pts – multi threads,
464 pts – single thread
–
3681 pts – multi threads,
478 pts – single thread
Geekbench 6.6.0
15671 multi
2952 single
17080 multi
2907 single
16885 multi
2865 single
18956 multi
2938 single
15238 multi
2834 single
13799 multi
2900 single
Blender 5.1.2 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute
3m 45s
4m 09s
4m 24s
2m 36s
3m 53s
4m 40s
These scores further reflect how close the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H platforms are in general performance, with minor advantages for the AMD hardware in sustained multi-threaded loads and a similar minor advantage for the Intel platform in single-core scores.
However, the results tend to vary more significantly with specific workloads. For instance, in Blender, the AMD Ryzen 9 chip scores 15-20% higher than the Intel Panther Lake Core Ultra 9.
Most heavy workloads put more significant stress on the GPU, though, and for that I’ve added a few results from SpecViewPerf of the few RTX 5060 configurations we’ve tested, at either 90-100W TGP or 65-75W TGP. Hardly any difference between these platforms, including the device built on the slower Ryzen AI 7 chip.
Legion 7a
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470,
RTX 5060 95W TGP
Legion 7a
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470,
RTX 5060 75W TGP
Yoga Pro 9i
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H,
RTX 5060 100W TGP
Yoga Pro 9i
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H,
RTX 5060 65W TGP
Legion 5a
AMD Ryzen AI 7 450,
RTX 5060 105W TGP
Legion 5a
AMD Ryzen AI 7 450,
RTX 5060 75W TGP
3DMark – Fire Strike, Graphics
31076
27979
31340
27476
31722
28977
3DMark – Time Spy, Graphics
11499
10053
11829
10340
12650
10842
SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax 07
106.98
100.90
108.37
110.12
108.52
102.96
SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya 06
406.04
388.10
400.80
397.34
411.38
390.75
SPECviewperf 2020 – SW 07
256.60
240.13
247.22
242.39
257.38
243.88
Gaming capabilities
We’re going back to the same AMD/Intel + RTX 5060 configurations for a few gaming tests.
However, take these results with a big lump of salt, since there are notable design differences between the Legions and the Yogas that favor the former: the existence of a MUX and better cooling.
I haven’t tested a comparable Core Ultra 9 + RTX 5060 with a MUX device for a more accurate comparison; hence, the results in the following table can be misleading and lead you to the wrong conclusions. In real-life and in comparable implementations, there shouldn’t be a notable difference in framerates between the Ryzen AI 9 and the Core Ultra 9 platforms.
2.5K resolution,
Ultra settings
Legion 7a
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470,
RTX 5060 95W TGP
Legion 7a
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470,
RTX 5060 75W TGP
Yoga Pro 9i
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H,
RTX 5060 100W TGP
Yoga Pro 9i
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H,
RTX 5060 65W TGP
Legion 5a
AMD Ryzen AI 7 450,
RTX 5060 105W TGP
Legion 5a
AMD Ryzen AI 7 450,
RTX 5060 75W TGP
Black Myth: Wukong
(DX 12, Cinematic Preset, RT ON Very High)
DLSS 4.0 – DLSS 55 Balanced,
MFG On 2x
46 fps (32 fps – 1% low)
40 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
40 fps (12 fps – 1% low)
36 fps (8 fps – 1% low)
40 fps (14 fps – 1% low)
34 fps (12 fps – 1% low)
Cyberpunk 2077
(DX 12, Ultra Preset, RT On Overdrive)
DLSS 4.0 – DLSS Balanced,
MFG On 2x, Ray Reconstruction On,
Path Tracing On
58 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
53 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
56 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (40 fps – 1% low)
62 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (24 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West
(DX 12, Very High Preset, DLAA,
DLSS 3.0 Balanced, FG On)
95 fps (75 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (49 fps – 1% low)
84 fps (70 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (65 fps – 1% low)
102 fps (88 fps – 1% low)
90 fps (74 fps – 1% low)
Red Dead Redemption 2
(DX 12, Ultra Optimized, TAA)
81 fps (58 fps – 1% low)
74 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
59 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (60 fps – 1% low)
73 fps (58 fps – 1% low)
Efficiency and Battery Power
Here are some battery life results on these tested devices. We’re looking at the average power draw with each platform, as the actual runtimes can differ based on the battery size, which varies somewhat between units.
The gains in efficiency are significant for the 2026 Intel and AMD platforms compared to their predecessors.
The Core Ultra 9 386H Panther Lake chip has an edge in general multitasking and video streaming over all the AMD options, but even the Gorgon Point AMD Ryzen AI 9 and AI 7 chips still run way more efficiently than the past Strix Point implementations.
AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 – Legion 7a
- 10-12 W – text editing in Google Drive, Quiet Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 9-10 W – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Quiet Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 12-20 W – browsing in Edge, Quiet Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H – Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i
- 8-10 W – text editing in Google Drive, Battery Saver Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 6.5-7 W – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Battery Saver Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 10-12 W – browsing in Edge, Adaptive Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON.
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H – Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i
- 8-10 W – text editing in Google Drive, Battery Saver Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 6.5-7 W – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Battery Saver Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 9-12 W – browsing in Edge, Adaptive Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON.
Intel Core Ultra 9 386H – Asus ROG Zephyrus G16
- 8-11 W – text editing in Google Drive, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
- 6-7 W – Netflix 4K HDR fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
- 9-13 W – browsing in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON.
AMD Ryzen AI 9 370 – Asus ROG Zephyrus G16
- 14 W – text editing in Google Drive, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
- 14 W – Netflix 4K HDR fullscreen in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
- 16-20 W – browsing in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
AMD Ryzen AI 9 370 – Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
- 12 W – text editing in Google Drive, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
- 15 W – Netflix 4K HDR fullscreen in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
- 16-18 W – browsing in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 – Legion 5a
- 10 W – text editing in Google Drive, Quiet Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 10 W – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Quiet Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 12-20 W – browsing in Edge, Quiet Mode, screen at 50%, Wi-Fi ON;
Conclusions
All in all, both the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H are compelling mobile platforms, and you won’t go wrong with any of them.
Sure, some minor differences would favor one side over the other, with the most notable one being the improved efficiency of the Panther Lake hardware, which translates into slightly lower thermals and longer battery life in general use, but the 2026 AMD Gorgon Point options are not trailing the Intel hardware by that much.
At the same time, though, Intel hardware is generally implemented in higher-tier and more expensive products, while the AMD Ryzen AI 9 can be found in more affordable mid-tier devices, and that can make a difference for many of you, especially when considering 2026 prices for Windows laptops. Furthermore, if battery life is not that important for you, I’d still go with an AMD Strix Point device from last year, which offers similar and even better performance than the 2026 updates, for potentially a fraction of the cost.