At CES, Intel enabled a rare full hands-on evaluation of its Arc B390 integrated graphics on the Panther Lake platform. Media testing was conducted on a Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 powered by the Core Ultra X9 388H, featuring the full 12-core Xe3 GPU configuration.
Rather than focusing solely on synthetic benchmarks, reviewers examined real-world gaming behavior, sustained power draw, thermal stability, and acoustics—areas where integrated GPUs have historically struggled.
🔋 Exceptional Power Efficiency and Acoustics #
Power efficiency emerged as one of Arc B390’s most striking strengths. Even with non-conservative PL1 and PL2 settings, total system power consumption during gaming workloads remained consistently below 50W.
Key observations included:
- CPU and GPU temperatures: Typically stabilized between 40–60°C
- Acoustic profile: Extremely low fan speeds, resulting in near-silent operation under load
These results suggest that the Xe3 architecture prioritizes efficiency-driven frequency and voltage management, avoiding short-lived boost spikes that often inflate benchmark scores at the expense of thermals and noise.
🎮 Performance That Crosses the “Playable” Threshold #
Arc B390 clearly moves beyond the traditional limitations of integrated graphics. Across multiple modern titles at 1080p, performance not only reached but frequently exceeded expectations for smooth gameplay.
- Cyberpunk 2077 achieved around 100 FPS on Medium settings with XeSS Balanced, exceeding 160 FPS with frame generation enabled
- Even with Medium ray tracing enabled, frame rates held close to 70 FPS
- Forza Horizon 5 surpassed 110 FPS on High settings and remained playable at Ultra
- F1 25 consistently delivered 100+ FPS on High presets
Notably, these results were achieved without excessive power draw or thermal throttling, highlighting the balance between compute throughput, cache design, and media engine improvements.
⚖️ Competitive Positioning #
When compared to competing integrated solutions, the generational leap becomes more apparent. Previous-generation Arc 140V graphics and AMD’s Radeon 890M typically operate around the 60 FPS range under similar conditions. Arc B390, with only 12 Xe-cores, frequently approached or exceeded 100 FPS.
Against AMD’s Strix Halo integrated graphics—known for larger GPU area and higher power budgets—the B390 remained competitive, particularly in frame generation scenarios where Strix Halo occasionally exhibited stability challenges.
🧠Handling Demanding Game Engines #
Arc B390 also demonstrated resilience in more demanding engines:
- Doom: The Dark Ages maintained close to 60 FPS at 1080p High with XeSS Balanced
- Borderlands 4 (UE5) averaged around 50 FPS at 1200p High, showing expected limits under extreme workloads but remaining playable with tuning
- Well-optimized titles such as Ghost of Tsushima and Assassin’s Creed Shadows consistently stayed near or above 60 FPS without relying on frame generation
These results indicate that while bandwidth and compute ceilings still exist, the experience is no longer constrained to “low settings only.”
🔍 Redefining the Integrated Graphics Baseline #
Arc B390’s significance lies not merely in higher frame rates, but in the overall experience it delivers. With mature power control, reliable frame generation support, and improved driver stability, the Xe3-based iGPU enables thin-and-light laptops to run modern AAA titles quietly and efficiently.
Rather than competing with high-end discrete GPUs, Intel’s goal with Arc B390 is clear: to redefine what users should expect from integrated graphics in everyday systems.