We tested integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics in games. It pulls well

 

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

 

Gaming performance is said to have roughly doubled compared to the previous generation (Intel Iris Plus) and now the 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 the Intel Iris Xe.

Which processors use Intel Iris Xe integrated video?

 

Eleventh generation Intel Core processors (11 gen), based on the Tiger Lake architecture, received new built-in video.

 

You can distinguish them by the number 11 in the name. For example, Intel Core i7-1165G7, Core i7-11370H, Core i5-11300H, etc.

 

Currently, Intel Core 11 gen processors are available for laptops of various classes. And soon desktop CPUs 11 gen will be announced.

 

 

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

 

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

 

At the moment the 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 – integrated Intel UHD Graphics with 48 compute pipelines.

 

As you can see, the most advanced video has Intel Core i7 processors. The number of computational pipelines directly affects gaming performance.

 

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

 

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

 

What they have in common is support for DirectX 12.1, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 2 instructions, and hardware encoding with the AV1 video codec. Possibility of simultaneous 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 a variety of AI-enabled applications, video editing, and more.

 

We decided to find out how a laptop with Intel Iris Xe graphics will behave in games.

 

By the way, the gaming theme has also become noticeable in the Intel graphics adapter control panel. 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 conducted experiments with integrated graphics using Acer Swift 3 SF313-53.

 

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

 

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

 

The line of Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 models is just beginning to appear in Ukrainian stores.

 

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

 

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

 

It seems that 3:2 screens are already becoming a bit of a trend in compact laptops.

 

Versions with a more traditional 14-inch Full HD screen (ratio 16:9) are also available.

 

The Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 provided to us is, let’s say, quite well equipped.

 

Main characteristics 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: Intel Iris Xe integrated
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: SSD NVME 512 GB
• Battery: 56 Wh
• Operating system: Windows 10 Pro
• The cost of Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 laptops in Ukraine: from $900

 

Considering 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.

 

 

We also conducted a small photo shoot of the model…

 

 

In games

 

In all cases, Full HD resolution was used (1080p or 1920×1080 pixels). 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 counter for the current FPS.

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 achieved speeds of over 60 FPS. Indoors the value increased to 90 FPS.

 

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

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)

 

It’s far from new, but it’s still an extremely popular game, both among amateurs and eSports players.

 

 

With high graphics settings in open spaces we received an average of about 57 FPS. On more “squeezed” cards the value reaches 70 FPS.

 

With low graphics settings, FPS increased to approximately 122.

 

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

Tomb Raider (2013)

 

An old, nevertheless, very cool game with good graphics.

 

 

We tried high settings (they call it high, but in fact they are medium) and got more than 60 FPS.

 

You can play comfortably.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

 

The newest version of Tomb Raider at the moment, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, released in 2018, still remains very demanding on the video card.

 

 

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

 

However, 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 a difficult task for many video cards of that time.

 

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

 

 

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

 

DiRT Rally

 

The rally simulator 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).

 

 

Considering 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

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

 

 

3DMark Fire Strike

 

Additionally, we tested Intel Iris Xe in the synthetic benchmark 3DMark Fire Strike

Interestingly, the app can now tell you the approximate level of performance in some popular games, based on the results obtained in 3DMark.

 

 

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

 

Unfortunately, we didn’t have the right hardware to compare the performance of the Intel Iris Xe with its competitors. And this includes the integrated graphics of modern AMD processors and entry-level discrete video adapters for laptops.

 

In its slides, Intel compares the Intel Iris Xe in games with the discrete video of the NVIDIA GeForce MX350 and the integrated video of the AMD Ryzen 7 4800U processor.

 

 

 

How did the Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 perform?

 

 

Oddly enough, games did not become any big problem for the Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 laptop in terms of cooling.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The noise level when working under load and in games, of course, is very noticeable, but it is not nearly as loud as that of gaming laptops.

 

Let’s summarize

 

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

 

Based on the test results, we are convinced that the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics will fully support a huge number of games from recent years, including many of the most modern ones.

 

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, although you will have to set the graphics settings to minimum.

 

Less demanding games already allow you to play with the settings to increase the rendering quality and choose between a more beautiful picture and a better FPS value.

 

Popular CS:GO, Dota 2, Diablo III are generally a fairly simple task, you can also run Overwatch, VALORANT, Fortnite and many others.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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 in no way a replacement for powerful discrete gaming GPUs, where the quality of the gameplay is incomparably higher.

 

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We thank Acer Ukraine for the equipment provided for the test

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