The new Lunar Lake devices from Intel reflect the design of modern chips.
It is tempting to call it a « processor » or « central processing unit » – old habits die hard, after all – but in reality, it is a System on a Chip (SoC), both in terms of architecture and philosophy. The CPU cores are connected by integrated GPU cores, a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), and even on-chip RAM. Also, unlike previous Intel chips, Lunar Lake seems determined to strike a balance between the three.
This is clearly evident in Intel’s approach to integrated graphics on Lunar Lake (iGPU). Building on the success of Intel Core Ultra, the new Intel processors also feature Intel Arc – but this time, Intel has returned to giving each iGPU a unique name for its configuration, with the best version being the Intel Arc 140V with eight Xe cores and a maximum frequency of 2.05 GHz.
Meanwhile, Intel’s competition has not remained stagnant. AMD’s latest Ryzen AI processors feature their own integrated graphics updates in the form of Radeon 880M (behind the highly respected Radeon 780M) and the new Radeon 890M (which clearly outperforms Intel Arc in our latest integrated graphics test).
So, how does the performance of the iGPU in Intel’s Lunar Lake chips compare? Is it a slight improvement over previous incarnations? Or a major update? Keep reading for the in-depth benchmark results.
Hardware Specifications for Our Tests
The gaming benchmarks below were run on a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is an advanced Core Ultra 7 chip for thin and light laptops, although it is more mid-range in terms of total core count and performance (unlike, for example, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K). This chip is a popular choice for thin and light laptops powered by Intel technology, selling for over $1000. It may be offered by cheaper laptops as an upgrade.
While the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V is not the most powerful SKU in Intel’s latest lineup, its iGPU seems impressive on paper. It bears the Intel Arc 140V badge, the best version of Arc graphics integrated into the Lunar Lake lineup. It features eight Intel Xe cores, the same number as the highest SKU in Lunar Lake. It is also clocked at up to 1.95 GHz, just 100 MHz lower than the Intel Arc 140V in the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V.
But away from the track, let’s get to the benchmarks.
3DMark
Let’s start with the Time Spy and Night Raid tests provided by 3DMark. Time Spy is a more demanding (but still not extremely punishing) benchmark, while Night Raid is a less-demanding benchmark aimed at entry-level graphics devices, including iGPUs.
These are good results for Intel’s Arc 140V. It scored significantly higher than AMD’s Radeon 880M and 780M, and achieved a small victory over the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus with the previous generation of Intel Arc.
However, AMD’s Radeon 890M remains a clear competitor. It blows the doors off Intel Arc 140V in Night Raid, but is less impressive in Time Spy. This indicates future victories for the AMD Radeon 890M in less demanding games, but there’s only one way to be sure.
Onward, to the games!
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
Let’s give a polite round of applause to Civilization VI. The game was first released in October 2016 and is now eight years old – and over the course of that journey, it has almost doubled its active player base since the months following its launch (based on available Steam statistics for the public).
With Civilization VII slated to sunset this title in 2025, the current entry remains the most popular and commercially successful installment in the Franchise.
It is also a less demanding game that can be played even when frame rates drop below 30 frames per second, making it easy to enjoy on mid-range and thin and light laptops equipped with integrated graphics.
Intel Arc 140V disappoints here, as it delivers essentially the same average frame rate as its predecessor and lags significantly behind AMD Radeon alternatives.
However, not all news is bad. Despite not increasing average performance, the 1% low – the average of the lowest 1% of frames displayed, during frame times – is much higher than before. This means a smoother, more stable experience with less stuttering and clarity.
Dota 2
While not discussed as much in mainstream gaming news, Dota 2 remains typically one of the top three games on Steam and boasts a vibrant esports scene. It is also one of the least demanding games featured in this test.
Dota 2 sees another marginal gain for Intel Arc 140V. While it achieved slightly better frame rates, its advantage is limited to a few frames, which is trivial in a game that averages over 100 frames per second.
This leaves Intel behind AMD’s Radeon 880M and Radeon 890M, although it outperformed the Radeon 780M.
Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIV is a personal favorite game and remains among the most popular MMORPGs on the market.
The latest expansion, Endwalker, has brought a graphics update that significantly improves texture quality and polygon count. This makes handling iGPU devices somewhat challenging, although most can still deliver an average of around 30 frames per second or better at high settings (on laptops).
Intel Arc 140V once again provides a slight boost compared to its predecessor, with the minimum frame rate improving from 24 to 29 frames per second (thus approaching 30 frames per second), while the average has increased from 41 to 45 frames per second.
While these are small gains, each additional frame becomes more valuable when frame rates are low to this extent, and I consider this a tangible improvement. This puts Intel Arc 140V impressively at the top of the group here, outperforming even the AMD Radeon 890M.
Total War: Warhammer III
Despite falling into the same grand strategy genre as Civilization, the Creative Assembly’s Total War: Warhammer III is significantly more demanding. It is challenging enough to test the most capable iGPUs, even at just 1080 pixels resolution and pre-set low details. Intel Arc 140V is no exception.
This is a disappointing result for Intel. Intel Arc 140V does not offer much improvement over the previous version of Intel Arc, and gameplay can be extremely choppy at times, with frame rates dropping to 22 frames per second.
Both AMD’s Radeon 880M and Radeon 890M excel here, providing a much better gaming experience, with Radeon 890M pushing the minimum frame rate above the crucial 30 frames per second threshold.
Even though it is over a decade old at this point, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a game that keeps on giving. Still extremely popular, thanks to the graphical upgrades in the Special Edition, it still requires a bit from iGPUs when running at 1080 pixels resolution with high details.
This is a mixed result. Intel’s Arc 140V does not offer any improvement over the previous version, which is unfortunate because the game can reach an average of over 60 frames per second at 1080 pixels resolution with high details.
However, Intel’s Arc 140V compares well with AMD’s Radeon 880M and Radeon 890M. All three provide a similar experience, with Radeon 890M offering a slightly smoother gaming experience. This puts all three in a comparable position. While AMD’s Radeon 890M reigns supreme, the performance difference is more nuanced here. Some show a significant boost in performance on Radeon 890M while others edge ahead slightly.
Cyberpunk 2077
We end with Cyberpunk 2077, a highly demanding game that, despite its lackluster launch, has regained some of its popularity due to its stunning and visually immersive world.
