Intel Core Ultra 5 338H socket: BGA 2540

What the Core Ultra 5 338H is

The Intel Core Ultra 5 338H is a 12-core, 12-thread mobile processor that Intel launched in January 2026 as the lead Core Ultra 5 member of Core Ultra Series 3, the family codenamed Panther Lake. Its four Cougar Cove Performance-cores run at 1.9 GHz and reach up to 4.7 GHz, while four Darkmont Efficient-cores cover parallel work at 1.5 GHz and up to 3.4 GHz and four low-power Efficient-cores handle background tasks at 1.5 GHz and up to 3.3 GHz. All twelve cores share 18 MB of Intel Smart Cache, and with no Hyper-Threading the thread count matches the core count at twelve.

Graphics are the standout feature at this level. Intel Arc B370 graphics with ten Xe3 cores runs at up to 2.4 GHz with 98 TOPS of Int8 throughput, which makes the 338H the strongest integrated graphics option outside the twelve-core Arc parts. A discrete NPU adds 47 TOPS for background blur, noise suppression and other on-device AI features that run without waking the CPU cores. Intel builds the compute tile on the Intel 18A process, while the graphics tile uses TSMC N3E, and the chip is rated at 25 W of processor base power with up to 65 W of maximum turbo power.

The 338H pairs fewer CPU cores with more GPU than its 16-core neighbours. It keeps the full 18 MB cache and a 4.7 GHz peak that matches the Core Ultra 7 356H, yet carries ten Xe3 cores where the 16-core standard H parts carry four. That mix suits mainstream laptops whose owners play games or edit video on integrated graphics without paying for sixteen CPU cores. It also carries vPro eligibility for managed fleets.

Inside the wider family the 338H sits above the 12-core Core Ultra 5 336H, which steps graphics down to four Xe3 cores at lower clocks. Buyers who prize frame rates and accelerated creation on a mid-range laptop land here, while buyers who need maximum thread count at a similar price look to the 16-core 356H instead.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Core Ultra 5 338H is soldered to its board in the BGA 2540 ball grid array, so there is no socket to plug into and the chip cannot be replaced or upgraded later. The 2,540-ball joint is made once at the factory on a 50 × 25 mm FCBGA2540 package, and each laptop or compact board design is qualified around this exact SKU for its whole service life.

There is no board or chipset choice in the retail sense. The system vendor selects the memory capacity, sets the power policy between the 15 W minimum assured power and the 65 W turbo ceiling, and validates the thermal design for that envelope. Firmware, drivers and the NPU software stack come from the same vendor, so buyers compare finished systems rather than motherboards.

The BGA 2540 footprint is shared with the other Panther Lake H processors and the Arc G3 handheld parts, from 12-core mainstream SKUs to 16-core flagships. Sharing a package does not create an upgrade path, since moving between SKUs still means a different board build with different firmware and validation. Fleet buyers who need vPro choose a system built around this chip from the start.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is dual-channel LPDDR5X up to 8533 MT/s, with up to 96 GB depending on the design, and the fitted capacity is fixed when the board is built. Fast LPDDR5X feeds both the CPU cores and the ten-core Arc GPU, which shares system RAM, so memory speed matters for frame rates. Capacity planning belongs at purchase time because most thin designs solder the memory next to the processor.

Expansion comes from twelve PCIe lanes out of the processor across PCI Express 5.0 and 4.0, split as four Gen 5 lanes plus eight Gen 4 lanes, with Thunderbolt 4 for docks and fast external storage. In practice those lanes serve NVMe storage and high speed peripherals, while display output runs through the integrated graphics with eDP 1.5, DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1. The exact lane split and port list are set per system design, so the vendor specification governs what each chassis exposes.

Cooling is a system responsibility across the 15 W to 65 W span. Four Performance-cores plus ten Xe3 cores make sustained gaming the hardest case for a thin chassis, so fan and heatsink choice decides how long the chip holds peak clocks. There is no boxed cooler and no retail heatsink list for a soldered mobile processor, and power policy in firmware decides the balance between fan noise and speed.

Upgrade paths

There is no CPU upgrade path on a soldered package. When twelve cores stop being enough, the step is a new system, since every faster part on the same socket still means a different board. Memory size changes mean a new board for the same reason, so buyers who keep large projects resident should size up at purchase.

Moving off BGA 2540 means a new platform. Higher power designs with socketed desktop or HX mobile processors serve sustained workstation loads, while 16-core H processors serve buyers who need more threads. The LGA, PGA and BGA: CPU package types explained guide explains how soldered packages differ from socketed ones and why the whole device is the unit of replacement here.