Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H, the first mobile processor in the Core Ultra 200 or “Arrow Lake-H” family, has a lot to prove after its desktop counterpart’s underwhelming performance. This review examines the Core Ultra 9 285H’s capabilities within the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo (B2HMG) laptop, benchmarking its performance against competitors from AMD and Qualcomm, as well as Intel’s previous mobile chips. The results reveal a significant performance leap over the older “Lunar Lake” processors, particularly in general applications. While the Core Ultra 9 285H excels in CPU performance, its AI capabilities lag behind due to a less powerful NPU.
MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo (B2HMG): Overview
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo (B2HMG), serving as our test platform, is a mainstream laptop with a somewhat generic design. Key specifications include:
- Display: 16-inch 3840×2400 OLED @60Hz
- Processor: Core Ultra 9 285H
- Graphics: Intel Arc 140T
- NPU: 13 TOPS
- Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x-7500
- Storage: 1TB (2x M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4 SSD slots)
- Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C, DisplayPort, Power Delivery 3.0), HDMI 2.1, USB-A 10Gbps, SD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, Kensington lock
- Camera: 1080p, 30fps
- Battery: 99.9Wh
- Wireless: Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7/ Bluetooth 5.4
- Operating system: Windows 11 Home
Design and Features
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo features a magnesium-aluminum chassis that lacks the rigidity of a full aluminum build, although keyboard and display flex weren’t noticeable during testing. The rear-mounted ports, while potentially space-saving, can be inconvenient. The inclusion of an Ethernet port is a welcome addition. The cooling system performed efficiently, with fans rarely reaching peak noise levels. The OLED display offers vibrant colors and deep blacks, but its 2560×1600 resolution falls short of true 4K. The MSI Center utility provides basic system customization options. Wi-Fi 7 support and a webcam-activated sleep mode are notable features.
Input and Multimedia
The Prestige 16 AI Evo’s keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience, complemented by a large, responsive trackpad. Biometric login options include a fingerprint reader and a Windows Hello webcam, providing convenient and secure access. While the webcam supports Windows Studio Effects, image quality is subpar. The laptop’s audio performance is mixed: AI-enhanced microphone functionality delivers excellent noise cancellation and voice clarity, but the speakers lack power and clarity.
Core Ultra 9 285H (Arrow Lake-H) Deep Dive
The Core Ultra 9 285H combines performance and efficiency cores in a 6-8-2 configuration, along with a second-generation Arc GPU and a 13 TOPS NPU. This review benchmarks the Core Ultra 9 285H against Intel’s Meteor Lake and Lunar Lake chips, as well as AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite processors. Tests were conducted on both wall power and battery, with additional runs at maximum performance settings.
CPU Performance
The Core Ultra 9 285H dominates in multi-core benchmarks like Cinebench and Geekbench, showcasing a substantial improvement over Lunar Lake. Single-core performance is competitive with AMD and Qualcomm offerings, though Intel maintains a slight edge. The Core Ultra 9 285H excels in UL’s Procyon Office benchmark, demonstrating its proficiency in everyday productivity tasks, although performance dips on battery power. Handbrake transcoding tests further highlight the Core Ultra 9 285H’s processing power.
GPU and Gaming Performance
While not a dedicated gaming platform, the Core Ultra 9 285H’s integrated graphics hold their own in 3DMark benchmarks. Gaming performance in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider is acceptable at low settings, though it falls short of a smooth 60fps experience. AMD’s Ryzen platform remains superior for gaming.
AI Performance
The Core Ultra 9 285H’s limited NPU capabilities become apparent in AI benchmarks. While Intel has focused on attracting AI developers, many standardized tests either don’t run or are not optimized for AMD and Qualcomm architectures. In tests like UL’s Procyon Vision and Procyon Image Generation, Lunar Lake often outperforms Arrow Lake-H due to its more powerful NPU and the combined use of GPU and NPU. Similarly, in LLM and SLM benchmarks, Lunar Lake demonstrates faster response times and higher token generation rates.
Battery Life
The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo delivers impressive battery life, averaging around 15 hours and 50 minutes in our testing. This puts it in the same league as other leading laptops in this category, demonstrating that the Core Ultra 9 285H does not compromise significantly on battery endurance despite its performance gains.
Conclusion
The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H (Arrow Lake-H) successfully redeems itself in the mobile space after a disappointing desktop debut. It excels in general productivity tasks and offers excellent battery life. However, its AI performance lags behind competitors due to its weaker NPU. While not a gaming powerhouse, the integrated graphics are capable of handling some titles at lower settings. Overall, the Core Ultra 9 285H presents a strong option for users prioritizing productivity and battery life. The laptop market is becoming increasingly competitive, with AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 offering a strong overall package and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon excelling in specific areas. Choosing the “best” laptop chip now depends on individual priorities and needs.
