Our expectations of the new Raptor Lake processors for the smaller performance classes were pretty muted after seeing the specs, as there are no changes from Alder Lake except for slightly higher clocks. Our verdict is also sobering after reviewing the new Raptor Lake Core i7-1360P. Intel managed to improve performance and efficiency (around 5-10%) which is actually not a bad result considering the chip is still manufactured in a slightly improved Intel 7 process (10nm) . The newer Raptor Lake processors also have an advantage over Alder Lake at higher clocks.
However, the big problem is that the chip fails to run at the highest clocks of 4.5 GHz for all P-cores, even at the specified maximum power consumption of 64 W. We only managed to see about 4 GHz for P cores and only 3-3.2 GHz at 38, where there is no real advantage over previous Alder Lake chips. The same goes for the integrated GPU, because the extra 100 MHz is not noticeable. Intel was already lacking in this regard last year (especially compared to Apple), and the difference will be even greater when AMD releases the new Zen4 chips. Despite the slightly improved efficiency, Intel is still significantly beaten by AMD and Apple in GPU efficiency and performance.
The new Raptor Lake Core i7-1360P is slightly faster and more efficient than its predecessor, but overall efficiency and integrated GPU performance are still far behind AMD and Apple.
Intel’s high power limits are also an issue for laptops, and we’ve already seen issues for many Alder Lake devices over the past year. Many 65W power adapters are often not able to handle peak draw, so the battery must also be used in peak load scenarios. The fans are also very active, which is also the case with the new Lenovo Yoga 9i 14. The fan will work even during a light workload, even when you are only using one core. There are obviously differences between laptop models, but fans of modern Intel laptops tend to be more active than similarly equipped AMD machines.
Apple has already launched its new processors (M2 Pro and M2 Max) and the efficiency of the CPU section is a little lower compared to the old M1 Pro chips, but the advantage over Intel is still significant (our full analysis of the new Apple SoCs will be published in a few days). We’re still waiting for new processors from AMD; the first Ryzen 7000 chips have already arrived in our editorial office, but only the Zen3+ models and not Zen4. AMD’s new lineup is actually quite confusing, while Intel has reduced the number of processors for Raptor Lake.
Availability will likely again be a major factor when deciding between Intel and AMD, as Intel clearly has an advantage in this regard. The Ryzen 7 6800U was already the top mobile processor last year, but that doesn’t mean much when you can’t buy many laptops with the processor. The next two months will show if the situation changes this year.