Intel’s Panther Lake integrated graphics are just as good as an Xbox Series S, Alan Wake 2 benchmarks show
Despite being a mobile architecture currently being fitted into lightweight or AI-focused work laptops (like the new MSI Prestige series models), Intel has already demonstrated that Panther Lake is actually viable for gaming, too. It did so at CES 2026, premiering solid Battlefield 6 performance thanks to the help of XeSS 3 upscaling with Multi Frame Generation. Support for XeSS 3 with MFG on older Intel hardware is coming soon, and some people have already got it working.
New benchmarks from Digital Foundry give us a wider set of results to dive into, testing the top Arc B390 iGPU, which comes with premium Core Ultra Series 3 processors, namely the Core Ultra X9 and X7 chips. Testing from DF reveals incredibly similar performance to the Xbox Series S console, but with much more impressive frame time results for Panther Lake.
Intel Arc B90 iGPU versus Xbox Series S in Alan Wake 2
Richard Leadbetter of Digital Foundry has done some testing with a Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 laptop, which is fitted with the flagship Intel Core Ultra X9 388H processor and integrated Arc B390 graphics. Testing Alan Wake 2 at 1440p in FSR 2 Performance mode, the laptop and console reveal similar framerates, averaging 29.54 FPS with a 30W power limit.
Source: Digital Foundry
Source: Digital Foundry
Previous
Next
“The result from Panther Lake was impressive, especially bearing in mind that 1440p output resolution isn’t typically associated with any PC SoC barring Strix Halo. I couldn’t quite achieve a locked 30 FPS, but I did get quite close: a 29.54 FPS average – seven percent higher than Series S with its more compromised feature set.
The improvement might not sound tremendous, but it’s actually the difference between a reasonably steady 30 FPS with mostly even frame-pacing and a far less stable, more jerky experience on the junior Xbox.”
Richarrd Leadbetter, Digital Foundry
The 30W limit is similar to what you’ll find in handheld gaming PCs such as the Steam Deck or ROG Ally series. No Panther Lake-powered handhelds have been revealed just yet, though Intel has already announced an “entire handheld gaming platform with Panther Lake” coming later this year, listing partners such as MSI and Acer.
We hope to see more tests like this in the future, because a single-game test fails to provide the bigger picture. Regardless, it’s worth keeping in mind that laptops such as the Lenovo IdeaPad tested are catered to productivity, not gaming, so being on par with one of Microsoft’s latest Xbox consoles, albeit the weaker of the two Series X/S models, is an impressive feat.
