With the Xe graphics architecture, Intel intends to seriously return to the graphics market and compete in a number of product categories, including laptops. The company’s integrated graphics are generally not seen as a relevant option for those who want to play computer games at something other than the basic level, but Intel wants to change that with integrated Xe graphics parts. Now performance results are starting to emerge which show promising performance for laptops.
The results in question come from the two constant technology leaks _rogame and TUM_APISAK, which both leak Geekbench results for the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor. The processor’s Xe-based Gen 12 graphics component is equipped with 96 computing units (EU) and 768 stream processors. The processor runs at a speed of 1.3 GHz and has a TDP level of 15 watts. The Lenovo laptop on which the test is based is equipped with LPDDR4X primary memory at 4,266 MHz.
Both Geekbench tests evaluate the performance of the graphics component for OpenCL calculations. The first test pits the Intel Core i7-1165G7 against an equivalent Lenovo computer with Nvidia’s entry-level graphics card Geforce MX350 with the Pascal architecture. Intel’s Xe graphics section achieves a result of 59,845 points here, a stone’s throw from the 59,828 points Geforce MX350 reigns supreme.
The result is promising for Intel’s camp as the feat is achieved with an integrated graphics part that is limited in terms of the power budget it works within compared to a dedicated graphics part. Nvidia’s solution is also equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, which gives higher bandwidth to the graphics part compared to Gen 12 in the Intel Core i7-1165G7. A look at the test’s subcategories shows that Intel wins the majority, but the Geforce MX350 clearly performs better for particle effects.
The results also show figures for the Intel Core i5-1135G7, where the 80 EU units’ 640 stream processors match the specifications in Nvidia’s circuit. Here, the results fall by about 13.5 percent compared to the big sibling and Nvidia’s graphics card, but still represent a big step forward compared to the previous generation’s Gen 11 graphics.
Comparison – Results for integrated graphics components in Geekbench 4
Graphics part | Architecture | Number of cores | Speed | Point |
---|---|---|---|---|
Core i7-1165G7 | Gen 12 / Xe (10 nm) | 768 | 1,30 GHz | 59 845 |
Nvidia Geforce MX350 | Pascal (14 nm) | 640 | 1,47 GHz | 59 828 |
Core i5-1135G7 | Gen 12 / Xe (10 nm) | 640 | 1,30 GHz | 51 741 |
Ryzen 7 4800U | Vega 8 (7 nm) | 512 | 1,75 GHz | 46 620 |
Ryzen 5 4600U | Vega 6 (7 nm) | 384 | 1,50 GHz | 38 787 |
When the results are compared with AMD’s processors in the “Renoir” family of laptops, they are positive in Intel’s favor. The comparison is made with the Ryzen 7 4800U, whose Vega 8 graphics part is equipped with 512 stream processors clocked at 1.75 GHz. AMD achieves a result of 46,620 points, which is about 30 percent lower than the Intel Core i7-1165G7. In terms of specifications, the AMD circuit has 30 percent fewer cores, but these also run at 35 percent higher clock speeds than the Intel competitor.
The same situation emerges when the Intel Core i5-1135G7 is compared to the equivalent AMD Ryzen 5 4600U. Here, the Xe graphics’s 640 stream processors are compared to 384 in Vega 6, which runs at 1.5 GHz versus 1.3 GHz in Intel’s case. The result lands 35 percent higher in Intel’s favor, which speaks volumes about the improvements made in Xe versus Gen 11 and previous graphics architectures.
Xe architecture premieres with eleventh-generation “Tiger Lake” laptop processors, which hit the market this fall. The first computers equipped with “Tiger Lake” have already been unveiled, and Intel has begun communicating that integrated graphics reach an acceptable playable level with Xe under the hood.