What should I look for in a laptop with Core Ultra 9 386H: build quality, ports, and expandability?

  The 386H is a soldered laptop platform, so its motherboard is not selected like a desktop component. Check the exact model's soldered or replaceable memory, SSD slots, USB and display outputs, discrete-GPU TGP, sustained CPU package power, display, and BIOS performance modes. For long compiling or rendering, favor a model with dual fans or multiple heat pipes, upgradeable memory, and higher TGP; the CPU name does not describe system expandability.