Integrated graphics have come a long way, though they’re still no match for discrete GPUs in laptops. AMD’s APUs, for example, power the Steam Deck and similar gaming handhelds, delivering impressive performance. Intel is now stepping up with its Xe2 integrated graphics, claiming they’re set to outshine the competition. These new Xe2 graphics will be featured in Lunar Lake laptops, which will include Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs, arriving later this year and continuing into 2025.
At IFA 2024, Intel shared detailed performance figures for Xe2, and the numbers are promising. Xe2 graphics will deliver a 31% frame rate boost compared to previous Intel designs (Core Ultra 9288V vs. Core Ultra 155H) and an 80% improvement over Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X1E. However, Intel’s most audacious claim is that Xe2 will outperform AMD’s Ryzen 9 HX 370 by 16%, which sets up a direct competition in high-end laptops.
Intel’s benchmarks cover a broad selection of games, with over 40 titles tested at 1080p on medium settings. While AMD bested Intel in games like Counter-Strike 2 and GTA V, Xe2 held its own in most tests, particularly in games optimized with Intel’s XeSS upscaling tech. The benchmarks, though exhaustive, seem to favor games that perform well on Xe2, raising questions about how representative they are of real-world performance.
Interestingly, Intel might be aiming its Xe2 graphics at handheld gaming devices, a space currently dominated by AMD’s APUs. The MSI Claw 8, a forthcoming handheld featuring a Lunar Lake processor and Xe2 graphics, could mark Intel’s entry into this market. For gamers, the bottom line is that the latest wave of laptops should offer impressive performance with integrated graphics, making gaming more accessible, even without a dedicated GPU.