Intel iris xe graphics: Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics Preview: Is Real Gaming Power in Reach for Thin-and-Light Laptops?

Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics Preview: Is Real Gaming Power in Reach for Thin-and-Light Laptops?

Today, Intel fed us a feast of information around its 11th generation Core “Tiger Lake” processors, enough to sustain us for days to come. But among the most appetizing tidbits were details surrounding its new Iris Xe integrated graphics.

What Is Iris Xe?

To start, Iris Xe is the name for the new integrated graphics that will be built into the upper tier of the company’s 11th generation laptop chips. Intel introduced nine new CPUs in this first wave of Tiger Lake silicon, and Iris Xe will be included in the Core i5 and i7 processors in this new fleet. CPUs like the peak-model Core i7-1185G7 and the midfield Core i5-1135G7 will get it, as you can see in this summary of the new chips:

(Credit: Intel)

The Tiger Lake Core i3 processors, meanwhile, will stick with Intel UHD Graphics. (We’re focusing here on the graphics performance, so for a wider overview of the processor announcements and details, check out our general Tiger Lake coverage. )

The exciting parts of the Iris Xe announcements are the lofty claims Intel made about the 3D performance levels, stating that these chips will roughly double the graphics performance of the previous generation. If true, this represents a major improvement in what integrated graphics are capable of for gaming in thin-and-light and general-use laptops.

Let’s Go to the Inevitable Bar Charts…

For starters, the table below shows Intel’s claims for the 3D performance of the Core i7-1185G7 and its Iris Xe graphics across a variety of titles in 1080p:

(Credit: Intel)

As you can see, while Iris Xe is still short of 60 frames per second (fps) in the demanding AAA games, less-strenuous games (particularly, competitive multiplayer titles) achieve very realistically playable frame rates. These are not running at maximum visual settings (Intel noted that “medium” settings were the norm elsewhere in its demonstration), but they are certainly representative of real, popular games running at full HD (1,920 by 1,080, aka 1080p).

Then there’s the less-demanding games at the right of the chart, which nonetheless have huge audiences. If gamers can play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or League of Legends at more than 100fps on their thin-and-light everyday laptops, it’s a literal game-changing improvement. We’ll have to confirm the 3D performance ourselves, of course, when we get our hands on some Tiger Lake-based laptops with Iris Xe for benchmark testing.

If the numbers prove true, though, these gains stand to be a huge boon to those who don’t have, or can’t afford, a bona fide gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU, providing access on mainstream laptops to some of the most popular games around. This potentially allows the player base of a game like Valorant, with its generally low-fidelity and less-than-demanding visuals, to grow even further as a significant new chunk of the market is suddenly able to play at 60fps or greater.

The Iris Xe silicon is built into the processor. But some premium laptops of the kind we’d expect to see these Iris Xe-equipped chips in today employ low-end dedicated graphics chips such as Nvidia’s GeForce MX to amp up the graphics muscle a little. That’s what makes this second bar chart so audacious: Iris Xe can supposedly reach similar or better performance than Nvidia’s GeForce MX350 GPU. This is a low-end discrete GPU, to be sure, but in our tests the GeForce MX line has typically been markedly superior to integrated graphics in the past. You can see the specific frame-rate results in the table below.

(Credit: Intel)

Not every game is a win for Iris Xe, but the two contenders win some and lose some. That is impressive, considering one is current discrete graphics and one isn’t.

The other head-to-head comparison that Intel offered was to the integrated Radeon graphics of a key rival mobile CPU from AMD. The below chart provides a head-to-head graphics comparison of the integrated graphics of AMD’s Ryzen 7 4800U and Intel’s Core i7-1185G7 Tiger Lake processor with the new Iris Xe graphics, again across a variety of titles.

Recommended by Our Editors

Intel Is Changing Its Logo and Iconic, Five-Note Bong Sound

Intel’s ‘Tiger Lake’ Laptop CPUs: Slightly Faster, Much Smarter

Intel Launches 11th Generation Core ‘Tiger Lake’ Laptop Processors

(Credit: Intel)

Intel also claims superior performance over Ryzen while streaming your gameplay as you play through a demo. This is tougher to test, but a video demonstration claimed roughly twice the frame rates while streaming through OBS, playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and using Discord on thin-and-light laptops. That said, it’s not likely there’s a huge audience for people interested in game streaming who don’t have, or plan to have, a gaming laptop or desktop with a discrete GPU. But if it brings new players into the fold who only have access to a Tiger Lake system when the time comes, that’s a win.

A New, Starring Role for Integrated Graphics?

Throughout its presentations extolling both the overall performance and the gaming prowess of its new Tiger Lake chips, Intel stressed that cores and threads are not the only way to measure a processor’s effectiveness. This is a favorable argument for the chip maker to make, as AMD has taken the spotlight in mobile-processor core and thread count (as well as overall performance with CPU-intensive muscle tasks). But the gaming gains, plus some claimed passive AI benefits, give Intel some real ground to stand on.

Based on this preview, Iris Xe looks like the first concrete step in the processor giant’s long-touted plan to make a splash in the GPU space. The Xe project is slated to go down multiple paths, and we’ll see if the chip giant moves into discrete mobile GPUs in the future. But for now, the possibility of capable 1080p gaming performance in mass-market laptops could be a huge development.

We’ll report back with benchmark results for Iris Xe-bearing laptops as soon as we get our hands on the first samples for review later this year. But one thing’s for sure right now: We’re excited to see what they can do.

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

Thanks for signing up!

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

Intel Iris XE vs. NVIDIA: Spec Comparisons and More

Graphics cards or Graphics Processing Units (GPU) can make or break a performance PC. This critical component renders the high-speed, high-resolution images required by demanding graphics applications. Some examples include gaming, CGI animation, Computer-aided design (CAD), 3D rendering, video editing, and machine learning.

The utility and demand for graphics cards has led to rapid advancements in GPU technology. Subsequently, companies like NVIDIA and Intel have become renowned for their development of high-performance graphics cards that consistently deliver the acceleration these video-intensive tasks need. Therefore, if you’re looking for a graphics card as part of your PC build or need to upgrade existing hardware, Intel Iris XE and NVIDIA cards may be on your radar. In this article, we compare Intel Iris XE and NVIDIA’s specs and more, to help you select the right GPU for your machine.

Intel Iris XE vs. NVIDIA: Side-by-Side Comparison

	Intel Iris XE	NVIDIA
Model	Intel® Iris® Xe Dedicated Graphics Card	Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Initial release:	January 26, 2021	September 17, 2020
Influential developers:	Intel	NVIDIA
Graphics Max Dynamic Clock	1500MHz	1500MHz (base clock), 1725MHz (boost clock)
PCI Express Configurations	PCI Express 4.0 (x4)	PCI Express 3.0 and 4.0
TDP	28W	220W
Graphics Memory Speed	267Gbps	1750MHz, 14Gbps effective
Graphics Memory Bandwidth	68GB/s	448GB/s
Graphics Memory Interface	128-bit	256-bit
Graphics Memory Size/Type	Shares system memory	8GB of GDDR6
Graphics Output	HDMI 2. 0b/DisplayPort 1.4 w/ HDR	HDMI 2.1/DisplayPort 1.4a
Max Resolution (HDMI)	4096 x 2160 at 60Hz	1920×1080 / 2560×1440 / 3840×2160
Max Resolution (DisplayPort)	7680 x 4320 at 60Hz	7680 x 4320 at 60Hz
DirectX Support	12.1	12
Vulkan Support	1	1.3
OpenGL Support	4.6	4.6

Great for High Graphics Requirements

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Graphics Card

$595.00

Ampere RTX (second generation) architecture powered
Enhanced Tensor and RT cores, new multiprocessors specifically for streaming, as well as G6 memory, allows you to enjoy even games with very high graphical requirements.
Includes 8GB GDDR 6 memory
Features 1695MHz boosted clock speed
PCI Express 4.0

Buy on Amazon

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

06/21/2023 02:46 am GMT

What’s the Difference Between the Intel Iris Xe and Nvidia?

Intel and NVIDIA both manufacture performance graphics cards, but NVIDIA is recognized as the market leader because of its specialist production of extremely powerful graphics processors.

The Intel’s Iris XE Graphics is a competent graphics processor, but Intel aimed it at the consumer or entry-level market. In short, they have simply not developed this onboard graphics card to take on the gaming-class GPUs that NVIDIA makes. In particular, Intel scrimps on the memory of the Intel Iris Xe graphics card, integrating it with the main Intel CPU. Of course, this keeps costs down. However, this is a massive weakness, as the Intel Iris Xe does not have its own video memory, like the NVIDIA graphics cards.

Benchmarking the Intel Iris XE Graphics Card and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070

Thousands of enthusiasts have put both the Intel Iris XE graphics card and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 through their paces with GPU benchmarking. Subsequently, a comparison of the speed, efficiency, and performance of these two video cards demonstrates the marked differences between them. However, here are the most important points, referenced from over half a million user builds on UserBenchmark.com:

NVIDIA eclipses Intel’s Iris XE on speed, with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 achieving speeds that are over 900% faster than that of the Intel Iris XE card. In particular, GeForce delivers the higher effective 3D speeds that gamers crave.

The NVIDIA card makes a clean sweep in all areas of GPU performance including lighting speeds (+1,149% faster), reflection handling (+762% faster), gravity/NBody calculation (+551%), and multi-rendering (+1,091%).

The visual quality, resolution, and responsiveness of real-world image sequences from these cards also have a substantial difference, with Intel’s Iris XE scoring lower on fine detail and texture. In addition, NVIDIA’s graphics processor has the speed and power to keep up with advanced rendering techniques like path tracing.

About the Intel Iris XE’s Graphics

Intel has developed their Iris Xe to deliver enhanced GPU and graphics performance on consumer PCs and laptops. Though the Intel Iris XE is not a gaming graphics card, PCs with Intel Iris Xe graphics can deliver faster, richer imaging and gaming experiences than a regular integrated GPU.

Intel aimed this graphics processor at gamers, creators, and people who want to watch HD video on their PC or laptop. In addition, an AI-enhanced engine supports image-intensive tasks like photo or video editing.

However, one feature that targets consumers but diminishes the performance of this card is its low-power architecture. Though it boosts the battery life of laptops and other devices and helps users multitask, it means that this card simply cannot go toe-to-toe with the power-hungry NVIDIA cards.

About the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3070 graphics cards are a formidable range of graphics cards that are designed specifically for the most demanding video games. In addition, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 has proprietary architecture, along with high-speed memory and streaming multiprocessors, to deliver outstanding image quality and speed. Further, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 cards also use NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling). NVIDIA has developed this deep learning image enhancement technology to render high-resolution images from a lower-resolution graphics pipeline using artificial intelligence.

Budget Pick

Intel NUC 11 Mini PC Desktop

$649.00

Features Intel’s Iris XE 28W Integrated Graphics

i7-1165G7 CPU (2.8GHz, 4.7GHz overclocked)

16GB RAM included

Warranty: 3 years globally

Buy on Amazon

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

06/22/2023 04:26 am GMT

Intel Iris XE vs. NVIDIA: Must-Know Facts

Rugged technology manufacturer Getac Technology Corporation has integrated the 12th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processor with Intel’s Iris Xe graphics in its latest line of rugged laptops.

Intel’s Iris Xe graphics feature in the Intel NUC 12 Pro portable PC, again alongside the 12th generation Intel Core i5/i7 processor, which it draws memory from.

Many of the latest Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and HP laptops, for an uplift in the graphics performance of these consumer laptops, also used the Intel Iris Xe graphics card.

A bug that has affected its latest GeForce driver has hit NVIDIA. The driver is producing an unwelcome uptick in CPU usage, with spikes of up to 10-15% of usage cycles, after closing games. A hotfix for the problem was released on March 7th, 2023.

NVIDIA has a dedicated GeForce Now game streaming service. This cloud gaming hub has over 1500 games that you can steam across almost all platforms.

There are rumors that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 is soon to be succeeded by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 which has up to 16 GB of VRAM.

Intel Iris XE vs. NVIDIA: Which is better?

The Intel Iris XE graphics card never stood a chance against the NVIDIA GeForce GPU. In short, these two cards are simply not in the same league. For instance, NVIDIA’s powerful specialty gaming cards and dedicated memory eclipses the more pedestrian specs and performance of the Intel Iris Xe. However, the Intel Iris Xe card is slowly but surely finding its feet in the consumer market where it delivers tangible performance benefits. Many PC and laptop owners appreciate enhanced PC graphics, especially if they vlog or do graphic design. Subsequently, the Iris Xe card will be at home at this level of the market.

Therefore, which graphics card is better for you will depend on your needs. So, should you have a lower budget and less stringent graphics requirements, choose Intel. However, should you need excellent performance, while having a high budget, choose NVIDIA.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Graphics Card

$595.00

Ampere RTX (second generation) architecture powered

Enhanced Tensor and RT cores, new multiprocessors specifically for streaming, as well as G6 memory, allows you to enjoy even games with very high graphical requirements.

Includes 8GB GDDR 6 memory

Features 1695MHz boosted clock speed

PCI Express 4.0

Buy on Amazon

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

06/21/2023 02:46 am GMT

Intel NUC 11 Mini PC Desktop

$649.00

Features Intel’s Iris XE 28W Integrated Graphics

i7-1165G7 CPU (2.8GHz, 4.7GHz overclocked)

16GB RAM included

Warranty: 3 years globally

Buy on Amazon

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

06/22/2023 04:26 am GMT

Intel Iris XE vs. NVIDIA: Spec Comparisons and More FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is VRAM?

Video Random Access Memory or VRAM is a specific kind of RAM that is specifically for use by a Graphics Processing Unit. You can learn more about VRAM in the article, VRAM vs. RAM: What’s the Difference?.

What is PCI Express?

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI Express or PCI-E) is an interface that was originally developed by Intel for connecting hardware components like a GPU to a PC motherboard. You can learn more about PCI Express in the article, PCI vs. PCIe: 4 Differences and Full Comparison.

What is OpenGL?

Open Graphics Library is one of the leading application programming interfaces (APIs) for the rending of 2D and 3D graphics. This open-source cross-language, cross-platform graphics interface has become widely supported since Silicon Graphics developed it over 30 years ago.

What is Vulkan?

Vulkan is an alternate open-source graphics API that was released in 2016. It is particularly useful for rendering performance 3D graphics in real-time.

What is DisplayPort?

DisplayPort (DP) is an industry-standardized digital display interface that has been developed for connecting a video source to a compatible display. It was developed in 2006 and replaces legacy interfaces like VGA, DVI, and FPD-Link.

About the Author

Renée Christian

Renée Christian is a writer and long-standing tech enthusiast with interests that span wireless networking, programming, cybersecurity, and personal tech. She enjoys demystifying the big ideas in technology and presenting them as innovative solutions to everyday problems.
If Renée is not over here sharing neat solutions and tips for a more connected way of life, you can find her keeping her screen time under control by walking her favorite coastal paths with family and friends.
Social: https://www.instagram.com/dartmartdevon/

Follow Me On:

More from History-Computer

NOTEBOOKCHECK Available here: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Nvidia-GeForce-RTX-4070-Mid-range-graphics-card-could-be-launched-in-three-flavours.696013.0.html

NVIDIA Available here: https://www.nvidia.com/en-gb/geforce-now/

NVIDIA Available here: https://www. nvidia.com/en-gb/geforce/graphics-cards/30-series/rtx-3070-3070ti/

NVIDIA Available here: https://developer.nvidia.com/vulkan

Intel Available here: https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/architecture-and-technology/visual-technology/graphics-overview.html

UserBenchmark Available here: https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-RTX-3070-vs-Intel-Iris-Xe/4083vsm1268515

TECH POWERUP Available here: https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/geforce-rtx-3070.c3674

Intel Available here: https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/products/sku/211014/intel-iris-xe-dedicated-graphics-card-80-eu/specifications.html

COMPUTER INFO BITS Available here: https://computerinfobits.com/does-a-computer-need-a-graphics-card/#what-is-an-integrated-gpu-igpu

OPEN GL Available here: https://www.opengl.org/

Testing Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics in games. But

pulls well 01/22/21

During the announcement of the first eleventh generation Intel Core processors, a lot of attention was paid to the new graphics adapter built into these processors Intel Iris Xe .

Gaming performance is claimed to have roughly doubled compared to the previous generation (Intel Iris Plus) and now Intel Iris Xe even allows you to play almost all modern games at Full HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels, or 1080p).

We decided to see this for ourselves and arranged a gaming test of Intel Iris Xe.

Which processors have integrated Intel Iris Xe video?

11th generation Intel Core processors based on the Tiger Lake architecture have new integrated video.

You can distinguish them by the number 11 in the title. For example, Intel Core i7- 11 65G7, Core i7- 11 370H, Core i5- 11 300H, etc. And desktop CPUs 11 gen will be announced soon.

Intel Iris Xe Integrated Video Logo

Depending on the processor model, integrated video performance may vary.

There are some differences in the maximum GPU frequency, but even more important is the difference in the number of computational pipelines .

Current situation is as follows:

Intel Core i7 processors – Integrated Intel Iris Xe video with 96 compute pipelines;

Intel Core i5 processors – Integrated Intel Iris Xe video with 80 compute pipelines;

Intel Core i3 Processors – Embedded video Intel UHD Graphics with 48 compute pipelines.

As you can see, Intel Core i7 processors have the most advanced video. The number of compute pipelines directly affects game performance.

Therefore, the difference between the Core i7 and Core i5 will be, but not so significant, but the Core i3 in games will yield very well.

By the way, despite the difference in names, Intel Iris Xe and Intel UHD Graphics, in this case, use the same architecture.

Common to them is support for DirectX 12.1, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2 instructions, hardware encoding with AV1 video codec. Ability to simultaneously work with four screens at once (implementation depends on the equipment itself).

Intel says the new integrated video adapters can be used even more efficiently for rendering in various AI-enabled applications, video editing, etc.

Intel Iris Xe in games.

By the way, the gaming theme has become noticeable in the control panel of the Intel graphics adapter. You can create profiles for each game.

And in a special section on the Intel website, where links from this panel lead, the user can select the game and the graphics adapter used, after which the optimal (according to Intel) set of graphics settings will be provided in the form of screenshots.

Intel Iris Xe and Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 laptop

We experimented with integrated graphics using Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 90 010 .

I would like to say a few words about this PC.

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

The Acer Swift 3 family is a highly advanced yet ultra-compact laptop of a fairly high class.

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 is just starting to appear in Ukrainian stores.

The body panels are made of metal, the screen frame, traditional for modern laptops, is very thin.

Our version of the Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 has an interesting 13.5-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2256×1504 pixels. and aspect ratio 3:2.

It looks like 3:2 screens are becoming somewhat of a trend in compact notebooks.

Also available with more traditional 14″ Full HD screen (16:9 aspect ratio).

The Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 provided to us is, let’s say, not weak.

Key features of the Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 laptop used in the test

Screen: 13.5-inch IPS with a resolution of 2256×1504 pixels.

Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7;

Video: Integrated Intel Iris Xe

RAM: 16 GB

Storage: NVME 512 GB SSD

Battery: 56 Wh

Operating system: Windows 10 Pro

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 line price in Ukraine: from $900

Given that the installed processor here is Intel Core i7-1165G7, we got the maximum version of Intel Iris Xe graphics with 96 computing pipelines.

This is how GPU-Z recognizes the GPU. 9Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 9 0214

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

Acer Swift 3 SF313 -53

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

9021 5

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

90 210

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

Testing in games

Full HD resolution (1080p or 1920×1080 pixels) was used in all cases. Depending on the demands of the games, different graphics settings were set.

Please note that in the screenshots in the upper left corner there is a current FPS counter.

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V)

Still a very popular game. By modern standards, it is not particularly demanding.

With low graphics settings, we easily got over 60 FPS. Indoors, the value increased to 90 fps.

As you can see, there is some margin for experimenting with improving the quality of graphics.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)

Far from new, but still extremely popular among amateurs and e-sportsmen alike.

With high graphics settings in open spaces, we averaged about 57 FPS. On more “squeezed” maps, the value reaches 70 FPS.

With low graphics settings FPS rose to about 122.

Overall CS:GO turned out to be a fairly easy task for the Intel Iris Xe

Tomb Raider (20 13)

however, a very cool game with good graphics.

We tried high settings (called high, but in fact they are medium) and got over 60 FPS.

You can play comfortably.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

The latest version of Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, released in 2018, is still very demanding on the graphics card.

To get FPS above 30, I had to set the graphics settings to the lowest (with TAA enabled).

Nevertheless, for undemanding players, this result can be called satisfactory. You can play.

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The most popular game The Witcher 3 at the time of its release in 2015 was not an easy task for many video cards of those times.

Today it can no longer be called very demanding, but to get high FPS you need a strong video card.

In the case of Intel Iris Xe, we got 36 FPS on medium settings and 45 FPS on low settings, which is quite good.

DiRT Rally

DiRT Rally (2015) was not a very difficult task for the Intel Iris Xe. We got 51 FPS on high settings (in fact, these are medium settings) and 81 FPS on low settings (but not minimum).

Given that this class of games does not require the same high FPS values as, for example, 3D shooters, the gameplay is very comfortable.

Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5 3D shooter was not easy to handle with the Intel Iris Xe video adapter. We set the graphics settings to the lowest with anti-aliasing and got an average FPS of 29. Intel Iris Xe in 3DMark Fire Strike

synthetic benchmark The app can now provide estimates of performance for some popular games based on 3DMark scores.

For example, in our case, 3DMark indicated that you can expect 35+ FPS in Battlefield V at 1080p Ultra settings.

Unfortunately, we did not have the right equipment to compare the performance of the Intel Iris Xe with the competition. And this is the integrated graphics of modern AMD processors, and entry-level discrete video adapters for laptops.

In their gaming slides, Intel compares the Intel Iris Xe to NVIDIA GeForce MX350 discrete video and AMD Ryzen 7 4800U integrated video.

New Intel Iris Xe Integrated Graphics Performance with NVIDIA GeForce MX350 Discrete Video (Intel Official Slide) 003

How Acer performed Swift 3 SF313-53?

Surprisingly, gaming hasn’t been a big issue for the Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 in terms of cooling.

This is probably due not only to the cooling system, but also to the rather low level of heat dissipation of the Intel Iris Xe GPU.

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

In our conditions (room temperature 19 °C), the GPU temperature rarely reached 70 °C and usually kept around 60 °C.

GPU boost frequency in games was approximately in the range from 900 to 1100 MHz.

For comparison, tasks that intensively load all cores can warm up the CPU in Acer Swift 3 to 90+ °C and under continuous load, a drop in operating frequency can be observed. This, by the way, is a common picture for laptops.

The noise level under load and in games is certainly very noticeable, but it is nowhere near as loud as gaming laptops.

Summary

In the transition from the tenth generation of Intel Core processors to the eleventh, Intel made a really big step forward in terms of integrated graphics power.

According to the results of the tests, we are convinced that the integrated graphics Intel Iris Xe will completely run a huge number of games of recent years, including many of the most modern .

With Full HD resolution, you can achieve an average FPS of 30 in fairly demanding games like Far Cry 5, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, however, you will have to set the graphics settings to the minimum.

Less demanding games already allow you to play with the settings in the direction of increasing the rendering quality and choose between a prettier picture and a better FPS value.

Popular CS:GO, Dota 2, Diablo III are pretty easy, you can also run Overwatch, VALORANT, Fortnite and many more.

But the most demanding ones like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 will most likely not allow you to get an average 30 FPS even on the minimum settings.

For many years, thin small laptops, here we mean devices like ultrabooks, not sophisticated gaming models, were completely unsuitable for any demanding games.

Now it looks very impressive when you can really play on such a compact and completely non-gaming Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 with built-in video.

Acer Swift 3 SF313-53

But, of course, the gaming comfort provided by Intel Iris Xe is suitable, let’s say, only for ordinary users (not for enthusiasts and hardcore gamers).

And Intel Iris Xe is by no means a substitute for powerful discrete gaming GPUs, where the quality of the gameplay is incomparably higher.

We thank Acer Ukraine for the equipment provided for the test

0002 Acer Predator Helios 300 laptop review: Ultimatum

MSI GeForce RTX 3080 GAMING X TRIO 10G video card review . Compare with RTX 2080 Super

Review of ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card. With a large margin

Review of ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card and RGB PC build in ASUS style

Compare Intel Core i9-10900K and i5-9400F processors. Budget six cores vs. top ten ACER SWIFT-5-SF514-56T GECID.com.
::>Notebooks and Tablets
>2023
> Test of updated Intel Iris Xe G7 integrated graphics in ACER SWIFT-5-SF514-56T 9 laptop0003

10-01-2023

What comes to mind when you hear the word “energy efficiency”? For us, it is synonymous with the term integrated graphics, for example, standing in most modern laptops – Intel Iris Xe Graphics. Of course, it is more than enough for typing, will it even allow you to play something?

We will test the integrated Intel graphics on an ACER SWIFT-5-SF514-56T laptop. Of course, this laptop is positioned as an excellent workhorse, but no one forbids driving simple toys on it.

And the 12th generation Intel Core i7-1260P processor, based on Alder Lake architecture and a typical TDP of 28W, will help us with this.

It has a total of 12 cores with 16 threads, of which 4 are hyper-threaded and 8 are not. There’s also 16GB of LPDDR5-4800 RAM in dual-channel mode, which should please the integrated graphics as well.

So, the main character of today’s review is integrated graphics Intel Iris Xe G7 with 96 execution units. Its base frequency in our case is 300 MHz, and if necessary it can be accelerated up to 1400 MHz. This video core supports modern APIs such as DirectX version 12.1, OpenGL and Vulkan.

Unfortunately, it does not have its own video memory, so it uses the RAM. Accordingly, the performance depends on the frequency of the latter and the mode of operation. So fast dual-channel RAM is a priority if you need more FPS in games. And what frame rate exactly Iris Xe G7 shows in games we’ll see next!

Games

Traditionally, we start our selection of games with Apex Legend . Of course, you can’t see a beautiful picture on the World’s Edge map with minimal settings, but you can play with stable 60 frames with drawdowns up to 32 by 0.1% Low. Although with adaptive rendering enabled, we will have a somewhat soapy picture, in general, the gameplay is quite comfortable, and the controls are pleasant.

Next comes the classics, if it’s about CS:GO . After running the bots on high settings, the average frame rate was 65, and 0.1% Low satisfied us at 30 frames. It is comfortable to play, although not immediately, you need to let the system “warm up” and have comfortable controls for distributing headshots.

Folk Dota 2 started without problems on medium settings. So Iris Xe was able to give out as much as 78 FPS on average, albeit with drawdowns. During furious fights with a bunch of effects, the frame counter could drop even below 50, but in general there was no need to complain. Will help to play for the result a nice picture as for “integrated” and sensitive control.

We decided to make some fun and launched Forza Horizon 5 at very low settings, and if you don’t mind your eyes, you can play with an average FPS of at least 53 frames. The video sequence can be called quite smooth, although there is twitching from time to time, but the control is quite obedient.

Fortnite was launched at low settings, setting 75% of the image rendering, and got a smooth, though soapy image with a harmful 55 frames per second on average. At the start, the rollers had subfreezes, which over time were no longer very annoying, and it was even possible to hit enemies with pleasant control.

By setting the render to 100% and selecting the performance mode, we will have a sharper picture by 27% with a higher average. Friezes, of course, this procedure did not remove, but it became easier to target opponents.

Now we do not touch the graphics settings in GTA V , that is, we leave them at the minimum level to get a nice result at the level of 60-62 fps. There is no need to complain about the control, and the smoothness of the image is enough for the passage of a single player, and possibly not only.

In Overwatch 2, ran at low settings and got comfortable gameplay with 72 FPS. At the beginning of the match, subfreezes were noticeable, then such problems were not encountered. Cybercutlets will be able to easily play as both supports and headshots. There are no questions about control or picture quality, given that we play on the integrated graphics.

To run PUBG in Full HD, I had to choose very low settings, and even lower the render to 70%. But even this did not help to get rid of low FPS. Moreover, the soapy and twitchy picture does not allow you to play effectively, because it is still difficult to aim at opponents.

Slightly smoother gameplay can be obtained by going to 720p at the same settings. But it doesn’t get much better because of this, because now the soapy image masks enemies at medium and even more large distances. You can play, unless, with a strong desire.

Rainbow Six: Siege is different. Yes, on low settings, but the game just flew, satisfying us with 60 frames per second, albeit with drawdowns below 40. However, the video sequence was pleasant, without twitching, so there was no need to complain.

Third Witcher launched on minimal graphics with dynamic rendering. With such settings, the beauties of Tousent, of course, cannot be pampered, since the average FPS is about 38, and the freeze is to help him. Slowdowns are constantly felt, especially when loading locations or when moving quickly through them. You can play, albeit with a stretch.

We were surprised by NFS Unbound , which even started and even allowed us to ride a little. True, only in 720p resolution and, of course, with minimal settings and 75% rendering.

Even harder Iris Xe G7 was given God of War . Here, in order to get at least a jerky 30 frames per second on average, soapy and with artifacts, I had to not only select the minimum HD settings, but also reduce the render to 50%.

Closes our selection of games Warfame with “classic” moving graphics at low graphics settings. So you can no longer complain about the gameplay, although twitches were felt. However, 85 FPS on average allows you to play quite comfortably.

Synthetic tests

Conclusions

In the conclusions, we can say that the updated built -in graphics from Intel – Iris XE Graphics G7 – showed itself quite well. Perhaps we expected the worst. Yes, of course, it was not designed for games with ultra settings, but there will be something to drive on it.