Intel has launched its PCIe 4.0-supporting Intel Iris X MAX graphics cards for “thin-and-light” laptops.
Intel’s first discrete GPUs are based on the Iris Xe’s Xe-LP microarchitecture and are claimed to offer “7 times faster AI-based creation” than third-party rivals with their Additive AI. Meanwhile, the cards’ Deep Link technology’s Dynamic Power Share offers 20% better CPU performance by allowing all power and thermal resources to go towards the CPU while the discrete graphics are idle.
The Deep Link technology itself “brings together processing engines under a common software framework, allowing software developers to significantly boost content creation workload performance,” said Intel in a press release. “Applications can scale certain workloads across integrated and discrete graphics.”
Gaming-wise, the Iris X MAX GPUs are meant to handle 1080p gaming “on popular games”. They also come with Game Sharpening and Instant Game Tuning features. As CNET reports, the former automatically processes “slightly lower-quality” textures to make them look better while having “higher frame rates than they’d normally have”. As for the latter, Intel described it back in August as being a faster method of delivering game optimisation fixes. Both features will be available via the Intel Graphics Command Center.
The GPUs are already available on the Acer Swift 3, Asus VivoBook Flip TP470, and Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2 in 1, which are the first devices to sport them. Intel says that it’s planning to bring Xe-LP microarchitecture-based cards to value desktops as well in the first half of 2021.
