SYSTEM ANALYZER

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 338H + Intel Arc A550M

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Build Configuration

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PROCESSOR (CPU)

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GRAPHICS CARD (GPU)

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93 Score

Top 7% Ranking

93 / 100

ULTIMATE READY

Apex Performer

Top 7% of systems. Capable of 4K Ultra gaming and advanced rendering.

4K 60+ FPSVR ReadyRay Tracing

System Balance Analysis

CPU vs GPU performance ratio

Well Balanced

CPU

90%

GPU

96%

PROCESSOR

Intel Core Ultra 5 338H

33,989 Benchmark Score

Top 10% Market Ranking

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GRAPHICS CARD

Intel Arc A550M

49,737 Benchmark Score

Top 4% Market Ranking

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Market Position

How your build compares to others

Budget

0-30

Mid-Range

30-60

High-End

60-85

Enthusiast

85-100

Your Build

Game Performance Benchmarks

Real-world 4K FPS in popular titles

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Performance Insights

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Optimal Performance

Your system is in the top tier. You can run any modern game at maximum settings.

4K Gaming Ready

Consider a 4K 144Hz monitor to fully utilize your hardware capabilities.

Compatible Games See what you can play Compare CPUs Find upgrades Compare GPUs Find upgrades

Performance Tiers Explained

90-100

Ultimate

4K Ultra gaming, VR ready, ray tracing enabled, professional workloads

4K 60+ FPS VR Ready

70-89

High-End

1440p Ultra or 4K High settings, excellent for modern AAA titles

1440p Ultra 4K High

50-69

Mid-Range

1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium, great value for most gamers

1080p Ultra 1440p Med

30-49

Entry Level

1080p Medium settings, suitable for eSports and older titles

1080p Med eSports

0-29

Legacy

Basic gaming, older titles, consider upgrading for modern games

720p-1080p Low Older Games

# Intel Core Ultra 5 338H + Intel Arc A550M: A Mobile Duo with Desktop-Class Ambitions

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H and Intel Arc A550M form a laptop pairing that lands in the 85th combined percentile of all CPU+GPU configurations, placing it firmly in enthusiast-tier mobile territory. The CPU, a 12-core Panther Lake-H part built on Intel's 3 nm process, posts an average benchmark score of 33,989, while the GPU, an Alchemist-generation Arc A550M on TSMC's 6 nm node, averages 49,737 across its OpenCL and Vulkan tests. Together, these components deliver a computing experience that sits between high-end mobile workstations and dedicated desktop replacements, with the CPU performing within 0.3% of the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and the GPU trading blows with desktop-class discrete cards like the Radeon RX Vega 64. The data indicates a balanced system where neither component dramatically overshadows the other, though specific workload characteristics reveal distinct strengths and limitations.

CPU Analysis

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H is a 12-core, 12-thread processor based on the Panther Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process node. Its base clock of 1.90 GHz can boost up to 4.70 GHz, with a thermal design power of just 25 W—a remarkably efficient figure for a chip capable of the performance levels shown in the benchmarks. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache, providing ample on-die storage for frequently accessed data.

In Cinebench testing, the processor scores 2,504 points in R15 multicore, 10,213 in R20 multicore, and 16,331 in R23 multicore. Single-core scores are equally competitive: 305 in R15, 1,441 in R20, and 2,044 in R23. These numbers place the chip in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 33,989. The nearest rival comparisons show remarkable parity: the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 34,083 (just 0.3% higher), while the Intel Core i7-12800HX scores 33,875 (0.3% lower). This places the Ultra 5 338H in a performance class that competes with both newer and older high-end mobile processors.

PassMark results paint a detailed picture of workload-specific capabilities. The processor achieves 84,067 in floating-point math and 64,934 in integer math, with a multithread score of 28,717. Data compression scores 276,539, while encryption hits 21,367. The single-thread score of 4,180 is particularly strong, indicating excellent responsiveness for lightly threaded applications. For scientific and engineering workloads, the extended instructions score of 23,906 and physics score of 2,697 demonstrate solid computational breadth. The floating-point advantage over integer operations suggests the architecture favors workloads like 3D rendering, scientific simulations, and financial modeling over heavily integer-dependent tasks.

Balance and Bottleneck

The 85th combined percentile indicates a well-matched pairing, but the data reveals specific bottleneck characteristics. The CPU's average benchmark score of 33,989 versus the GPU's 49,737 shows the GPU holds a roughly 46% raw performance advantage in their respective benchmark suites. This suggests that in GPU-intensive scenarios—particularly gaming at high resolutions—the Arc A550M is likely the primary driver of performance, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom.

However, the CPU's 84th percentile versus the GPU's 86th percentile positions them nearly identically within their own component hierarchies. This near-equal percentile ranking implies a balanced system where neither component consistently limits the other. In CPU-bound workloads like data compression, physics simulation, or single-threaded productivity tasks, the Ultra 5 338H becomes the determining factor. Conversely, in GPU-bound scenarios like 4K gaming or GPU-accelerated rendering, the Arc A550M takes the lead role.

The FPS scaling evidence, though not measured for this exact configuration, can be inferred from the component scores. With the GPU's 86th percentile ranking and the CPU's 84th percentile, frame rates at 1080p and 1440p are likely to be GPU-limited in most modern titles, while at lower resolutions or in esports titles with high frame rates, the CPU's single-thread performance of 4,180 in PassMark becomes more critical. The dual-channel LPDDR5X memory with 136.5 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient data throughput to avoid creating a memory bottleneck between the two components.

Upgrade Path and Platform

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H uses the Intel BGA 2540 socket, which is a soldered mobile platform—this means the CPU is not upgradeable in a traditional sense. It supports LPDDR5X memory in a dual-channel configuration, delivering 136.5 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and features PCIe Gen 5 with 4 lanes from the CPU. The integrated graphics are Arc B370, providing a fallback display output and basic GPU acceleration when the discrete Arc A550M is not in use.

The GPU, an Intel Arc A550M, connects via PCIe 4.0 x16 and has a TDP of 60 W. It is marked as end-of-life in production status, meaning it is no longer being manufactured. For users considering future upgrades, the soldered nature of both components means the laptop itself is the upgrade path—moving to a new system with newer components would be the only way to improve performance. The CPU's 25 W TDP and GPU's 60 W TDP combined suggest a modest power envelope for a laptop pairing, though no specific PSU recommendation is provided in the data.

A sensible next upgrade from this platform would involve moving to a newer generation of Intel mobile processors with higher core counts or newer architectures, paired with a more recent discrete GPU. The absence of a launch MSRP for either component suggests this is an OEM-specific configuration rather than a retail product, so users would be evaluating this system as a complete laptop purchase rather than individual component selection.

Who Should Build It

The benchmark profile of the Core Ultra 5 338H and Arc A550M combination targets users who need strong multi-threaded CPU performance and competent GPU acceleration in a mobile form factor. Content creators working with video editing, 3D rendering, or large dataset processing would benefit from the CPU's 16,331 Cinebench R23 multi-core score and 84,067 floating-point math result. The 276,539 data compression score indicates strong performance in file archiving and data management tasks, making the system suitable for developers and researchers handling large codebases or scientific datasets.

Gamers at 1440p resolution would find the GPU's 86th percentile ranking adequate for high-quality settings in most titles, though the lack of measured FPS data means expectations should be tempered. Students in engineering, computer science, or data science programs would appreciate the combination of CPU compute power and GPU acceleration for coursework involving simulations, machine learning, or graphics programming. Small business workstations requiring reliable multi-threaded performance for office productivity, financial modeling, or light video production would also benefit, with the 25 W CPU TDP contributing to better battery life in professional settings.

The single-thread performance of 4,180 in PassMark ensures responsive everyday computing, while the 12-core configuration handles parallel workloads with ease. The 84th CPU percentile and 86th GPU percentile place this system in the upper echelon of laptop configurations, suitable for users who require desktop-class performance without the bulk of a traditional desktop replacement.

Benchmark Performance

The combined benchmark picture shows a system performing at the 85th percentile overall, with individual component percentiles of 84 for the CPU and 86 for the GPU. The CPU's average benchmark score of 33,989 places it in close competition with several notable rivals: the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H at 34,083 (0.3% ahead), the Intel Core i7-12800HX at 33,875 (0.3% behind), the Intel Xeon 6353P at 33,844 (0.4% behind), and the AMD EPYC 4244P at 34,220 (0.7% ahead). This tight clustering demonstrates that the Ultra 5 338H delivers performance comparable to both high-end mobile parts and server-class processors in aggregate benchmarks.

On the GPU side, the Arc A550M averages 49,737 across Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan tests, scoring 49,894 in OpenCL and 49,580 in Vulkan. Its nearest rivals show interesting comparisons: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti scores 49,957 (0.4% higher), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 50,001 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT scores 50,951 (2.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT scores 48,477 (2.6% lower). The GPU's 86th percentile ranking confirms its position among high-performance graphics solutions, even as an end-of-life mobile part.

The Geekbench Vulkan score of 49,580 versus OpenCL's 49,894 shows near-parity between the two APIs, indicating consistent compute performance across different graphics frameworks. This balance is unusual and suggests good driver optimization for both general-purpose GPU compute and graphics workloads.

FAQ

Q: What is the combined performance ranking of this CPU+GPU pairing?

A: The combined percentile is 85th, placing it in the upper tier of all laptop configurations.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 338H compare to the Core Ultra 7 165H?

A: The Core Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34,083, which is 0.3% higher than the Ultra 5 338H's 33,989—a negligible difference in real-world terms.

Q: What memory type and bandwidth does the CPU support?

A: The CPU supports LPDDR5X memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 136.5 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Q: Is the Arc A550M still in production?

A: No, the GPU's production status is marked as "End-of-life," meaning it is no longer being manufactured.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The Arc A550M has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with 224.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Q: Does the CPU have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, it includes Arc B370 integrated graphics, which can serve as a fallback display output.

Q: What is the CPU's socket type?

A: The CPU uses Intel BGA 2540, a soldered mobile socket that is not upgradeable.

Gaming Performance

No measured FPS data exists for this exact CPU+GPU combination, so all frame rate expectations are estimates derived from the benchmark scores and should be treated as approximations rather than verified results. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking and the CPU's 84th percentile suggest a system capable of handling modern games at 1080p and 1440p resolutions with high-quality settings. The GPU's 8.397 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth provide sufficient compute and data throughput for most titles, while the CPU's 4,180 single-thread score ensures solid frame pacing in CPU-bound scenes.

The Vulkan score of 49,580 indicates strong performance in games that utilize Vulkan API, which includes many recent AAA titles and esports games. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures compatibility with the latest DirectX features, including ray tracing and mesh shaders. The 16 ray tracing cores provide hardware-accelerated ray tracing, though the 8.397 TFLOPS FP32 performance suggests ray tracing at higher resolutions may require compromises in other settings.

At 1080p, the system is likely GPU-bound in most titles, with the CPU providing ample headroom. At 1440p, the GPU becomes the primary limiter, though the 86th percentile ranking suggests playable frame rates at high settings in most games. At 4K, the 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth may become limiting factors in memory-intensive titles, and users should expect to reduce settings to maintain smooth gameplay. Esports titles at 1080p with competitive settings should see high frame rates given the CPU's strong single-thread performance.

Build Overview

This is a laptop-class build, as indicated by the build class specification, combining the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H mobile processor with the Intel Arc A550M mobile GPU. The system occupies the 85th combined percentile, placing it in the upper tier of laptop configurations. The CPU's 84th percentile and GPU's 86th percentile rankings are closely matched, indicating a balanced design where neither component is a clear bottleneck.

The overall tier of this pairing is high-end mobile, suitable for users who need desktop-level performance in a portable form factor. The CPU's 25 W TDP and GPU's 60 W TDP combine for a 85 W total power draw for the core components, which is reasonable for a performance laptop. The system's 3 nm CPU process and 6 nm GPU process reflect modern manufacturing techniques, contributing to the efficiency that allows these performance levels in a laptop chassis.

GPU Analysis

The Intel Arc A550M is built on the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-512 chip, manufactured on TSMC's 6 nm process. The chip contains 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die, with a transistor density of 53.4 million per mm². The GPU operates at a base clock of 900 MHz with a boost clock of 2050 MHz, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

The GPU's compute configuration includes 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. It features 16 ray tracing cores, providing dedicated hardware for ray-traced effects. The pixel rate is 131.2 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 262.4 GTexel/s. Compute performance is rated at 8.397 TFLOPS for FP32 and 16.79 TFLOPS for FP16 (at 2:1 ratio), indicating strong performance for both traditional graphics and compute-heavy workloads like machine learning inference.

The GPU's benchmark results show an OpenCL score of 49,894 and a Vulkan score of 49,580, averaging 49,737 and placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival comparisons reveal its competitive position: it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti by 0.4% and the Radeon RX Vega 64 by 0.5%, while leading the Radeon RX 6800 XT by 2.6%. These results are particularly notable given the GPU's mobile form factor and 60 W TDP, as it competes with desktop cards that consume significantly more power.

For rendering workloads, the GPU's 8.397 TFLOPS FP32 performance provides solid throughput for 3D rendering in applications like Blender or Maya, while the 16.79 TFLOPS FP16 performance accelerates workloads that can utilize reduced precision. The 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, while modest compared to some desktop GPUs, is sufficient for the 8 GB frame buffer in most rendering scenarios. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility ensure broad software compatibility, and the OpenGL 4.6 support maintains legacy application functionality. The GPU's display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning the available ports are determined by the laptop manufacturer rather than the GPU itself.

Rate My PC: Intel Core Ultra 5 338H + Intel Arc A550M

Apex Performer

System Balance Analysis

Intel Core Ultra 5 338H

Intel Arc A550M

Market Position

Game Performance Benchmarks

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

Performance Insights

Optimal Performance

4K Gaming Ready

Performance Tiers Explained

Ultimate

High-End

Mid-Range

Entry Level

Legacy

CPU Analysis

Balance and Bottleneck

Upgrade Path and Platform

Who Should Build It

Benchmark Performance

FAQ

Gaming Performance

Build Overview

GPU Analysis

4K Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1440p Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

1080p Gaming Performance

Cyberpunk 2077

Red Dead Redemption 2

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Control

Call of Duty: Warzone

Fortnite

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