Bottom line: Leaked benchmarks for Intel's upcoming Core Ultra 7 155H Meteor Lake processor have arrived, bringing with them plenty of interest. Unfortunately for Team Blue, they reveal some underwhelming results. While the chip does display potential with its integrated graphics capabilities, aspects such as CPU performance and battery life are causing concern, particularly when compared to AMD's Ryzen 7 7840HS.
Slated for an official launch on December 14, this isn't the first time we've seen leaked details regarding Intel's Core Ultra 7 155H, part of the Meteor Lake mobile series.
The latest information comes from some pre-launch tests conducted by Bilibili user Corbcas, who revealed a mixed bag of results.
The 155H does shine when it comes to integrated graphics, scoring 3,077 points in the 3DMark Time Spy Graphics test, outperforming even AMD's Radeon 780M graphics from the Ryzen 7840HS. This achievement is notable, considering the iGPU's strong presence in high-end gaming handhelds. However, the CPU performance tells a different story: the 155H's CPU results in Cinebench R23 are definitely less impressive, especially when stacked against the Ryzen 7 7840HS.
| Component | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS |
|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Time Spy Graphics Score | 3,077 |
2,749 |
| Cinebench R23 Single-Threaded Score |
1,483 |
~1,800 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi-Threaded Score |
12,085 |
~16,000 |
| Power Consumption | ~40 watts | ~35W |
The Intel chip's single-threaded and multi-threaded scores fell short of expectations, a surprising turn for a brand known for its CPU prowess. As AMD is gearing up to launch its Ryzen 8000G APU, this is a significant point for those looking to pick up a new machine soon.
Power consumption of the 155H, at around 40 watts in both Cinebench R23 and Time Spy tests, is on par with its competitors, with no giant leap in efficiency. In battery life tests, including standby, video playback, and web browsing, the 155H lagged behind the Ryzen 7 7840HS, which delivered significantly better battery performance.
The benchmarks also highlighted inconsistencies in the 155H's CPU clock speeds, which could be a factor in its varied CPU performance. During the Time Spy test, the chip's clock speed fluctuated, occasionally peaking at 4.5GHz but also dropping to around 3GHz. These stuttering results are sure to put a speed bump in Intel's roadmap for its CPU series, including the upcoming Arrow Lake, Lunar Lake, and Panther Lake.
While the GPU performance of the 155H is a step in the right direction, the CPU results and battery life leave something to be desired. The final verdict of the chip's real-world capabilities will only be clear after some hands-on testing. But for now, it seems the laptop variant of Meteor Lake CPUs could also be heading in a disappointing direction like its desktop cousins.