Intel has been dealing with a range of bad press lately, but if the Arrow Lake H mobile CPU is any indication, things are looking up for the chip giant. Positioned as a premium solution for thin-and-light laptops, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H—the flagship of the Arrow Lake H series—boasts notable improvements in multicore performance, integrated graphics and power efficiency. It is striking how well the chip compares to competing options and manages to be a solid offering, demonstrating that Intel has plenty of fight left in it.
We have heard much of this before, and I will be honest: I walked in a bit skeptical, but Arrow Lake H has convinced me. Having been sent the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, it made sense to dive into this new flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU and see how it stacks up against the competition. Before we get ahead of ourselves, it is worth examining what makes this new chip so interesting.
The CPU picks up many of the advancements we have seen from Intel in recent years, including Intel Arc with XMX, along with many of the improvements in NPU performance, integrated Wi-Fi 7, Foveros 3D packaging, Thunderbolt 4, AV1 encoding and decoding, all in a relatively efficient package ready for thin-and-light as well as gaming and productivity laptops.
At the heart of Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is a refined architecture designed to deliver generational gains. When put to the test, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H achieves a 20 to 32 percent improvement in multicore performance over its Meteor Lake predecessor in synthetic benchmarks like Geekbench 6. In real-world tasks, such as video encoding with Handbrake, the chip completes a 4K-to-1080p compression in as little as four minutes and 12 seconds—surpassing published AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite benchmarks.
Apple’s M4 in the Apple MacBook Pro remains unmatched in single-core performance, a testament to its optimized ARM-based design. However, Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H narrows the gap, trading blows with the M4 in multithreaded workloads while maintaining compatibility with x86 software ecosystems, with it winning in both Geekbench 6 and Cinebench, although only by a small margin. For professionals and creators, this balance of raw power and versatility positions Arrow Lake H as a compelling option.
“When put to the test, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H achieves a 20 to 32 percent improvement in multicore performance over its Meteor Lake predecessor…”
I am honestly impressed by how close Intel comes in most benchmarks to topping some of the best results we have seen across a range of tasks. There is more competition than ever when it comes to laptop CPUs, and Intel seems to have taken this as a challenge to deliver where it counts most.
This brings me to the graphics side of the Core Ultra 9 285H we tested with the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, and I was generally impressed. Now, don’t get me wrong—this is not a GPU that will let you play the latest AAA titles in 4K Ultra. However, in games like Total War: Warhammer III and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, it delivers playable frame rates at 1080p on medium settings. It was even able to provide a playable Cyberpunk 2077 experience, though you need to turn the settings down a bit, with it only just passing 30FPS even on 1080P Low.
That said, AMD retains an advantage in driver stability and software optimization, which can smooth out gameplay in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and provide a better overall experience. Intel’s graphics drivers are improving, and Xe frame generation is solid overall. However, it is still not as mature as the Radeon driver set, and many games are still working to implement it.
As I saw with the latest Intel Arc B580, Intel is catching up quickly but still has some work to do to make it a flawless experience. That said, improvements are happening almost weekly, which is encouraging to see. When games incorporate these features—like F1 24—the results are impressive, delivering solid performance at a much lower power draw compared to alternatives.
Thermal design plays a critical role here. Laptops like the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, with its robust cooling system, allow the Arc 140T to sustain higher clock speeds. Intel’s integrated graphics now rival entry-level discrete GPUs, a milestone for thin-and-light devices.
This brings us to battery life and how efficient the Intel Core Ultra 9 285H is compared to past Intel offerings. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, equipped with a 99.9-watt-hour battery, lasts more than 14 hours in mixed-use scenarios—outpacing AMD’s Ryzen AI 9-powered counterparts by roughly 36 percent. While some of this endurance stems from the larger battery, Intel’s architectural refinements contribute to lower power draw during light workloads. This is solid, although it is not at the top of the pack and falls short of some alternatives on the market.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite still leads in always-connected efficiency, leveraging its ARM-based design for superior idle power management. Yet, Intel’s x86 compatibility and Thunderbolt 5 support give Arrow Lake H an edge in prosumer workflows, especially for creators, where peripheral connectivity and high-speed storage are non-negotiable.
“Intel Core Ultra 9 285H’s multicore dominance and superior integrated graphics give Intel an upper hand in premium segments.”
Through testing, it is clear that the new Intel Arrow Lake H range offers an impressive boost in performance compared to alternatives and outperforms some of the competition. However, much depends on how well the laptops are placed in, allowing the chip to operate at full efficiency.
Intel made a smart decision to stick with a 28- to 45-watt TDP range, giving the chip space to stretch its legs when possible while bringing the power down in thinner form factors. This ensures flexibility for OEMs, but consumers should prioritize laptops with robust cooling systems to fully harness Arrow Lake H’s capabilities.
With so many options announced at CES 2025, the laptop landscape is more exciting than ever. AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 remains a formidable competitor, particularly in price-to-performance ratios for mid-range laptops. However, Intel Core Ultra 9 285H’s multicore dominance and superior integrated graphics give Intel an upper hand in premium segments. Meanwhile, Apple’s M4 Pro continues to dominate single-core tasks and niche creative applications, albeit within the walled garden of macOS.
As much as I want to love what Qualcomm is doing with laptops, the Snapdragon X Elite—while impressive in battery life and AI acceleration—lags in raw computational power and software support for x86 applications. It is also not nearly robust enough for most gaming and often feels like a compromised experience. For Windows users seeking a no-compromise option, Intel’s latest offering strikes a harmonious balance.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU represents a meaningful evolution in mobile computing, blending performance gains with improved efficiency. The Core Ultra 9 285H excels in multicore workloads and integrated graphics, making it a versatile choice for content creators, professionals and casual gamers. For now, Arrow Lake H solidifies Intel’s position as a key player in the high-performance mobile arena, offering a compelling mix of power and adaptability that few rivals can match.