Since the introduction of Intel's brand-new "Panther Lake-H" mobile processor series, the flagship Arc B390 integrated graphics solution has received the lion's share of media attention. The impressive 12 Xe3-core iGPU is reserved for Core Ultra 300 series X9 and X7 models—likely a sore point for budget-conscious prospective buyers. When considering Team Blue's (roughly) "20% upcharge for a generational leap," customers seek current-gen solace elsewhere (AMD Radeon 890M). Fortunately, the step-down Arc B370 model seems to be relatively performant. The (presumably) much cheaper in-house alternative has been test driven by Notebookcheck. A preview report, published on February 13, provides an initial look at the 10 Xe3-core contender, that was onboard a Core Ultra 5 338H engineering sample. The German publication noted that the 12-core (4P + 8E) processor test subject ran with a "steady power limit of 35 watts." When comparing the Arc B370 to its more capable sibling, Notebookcheck outlined key points of interest: "the maximum GPU clock is also slightly lower at 2.4 vs. 2.5 GHz. Just like models (armed with) the Arc B390 GPU, the Core Ultra 5 338H is only available with soldered RAM (up to 8533 MHz)."

A disappointing Furmark score leaked out late last year, but it is reassuring to see the B370 performing admirably a few months later. Notebookcheck's tester observed this model being: "beaten by the Arc B390 in the synthetic benchmarks, but the power limits also play a role here...The results of the Arc B370 are very promising in general and there is a big advantage over previous iGPUs from Intel (Arc Graphics 140V/140T) as well as AMD (Radeon 890M)." Their 3DMark/Time Spy graphics chart shows the Core Ultra 5 338H engineering sample's Arc B370 iGPU scoring 5933 points. The B390 managed 6679 points, when evaluated on an ASUS ExpertBook Ultra B9406CAA test platform. When analyzing performance at lower TDP values, Notebookcheck noticed that the Arc B370's performance being "virtually identical to the Arc B390 at 20 Watts, while the deficit is just 6 % at 35 Watts." Further comprehensive tests are expected in the coming weeks, as Intel's Core Ultra 5 338H heads to retail in finalized form.