Intel’s Lunar Lake raced AMD Strix Point and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite in an F1 24 gaming demo – here’s what happened

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While we love talking about AI performance in AI PCs, the new chipsets offer better gaming performance with integrated graphics than we’ve ever seen before. The days of needing a discrete GPU to play a game at medium or high settings may be behind us thanks to the AMD Ryzen AI 300 “Strix Point” series and now the Intel Core Ultra 200V “Lunar Lake” chipsets.

During the global launch event for Intel’s latest Intel Core Ultra processors ahead of its IFA Berlin conference, the company showcased the new silicon in a series of AI, gaming, and power-efficiency demos. All of the demos were run on laptops that will be available to customers, making each one even more impressive when compared to tests run on purpose-built hardware.

The F1 24 The demo made the biggest impression on me, as Intel ran the game on “High” settings at 1080p on an AMD Ryzen AI HX 370 Strix Point system and an Intel Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake system. Intel also had a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite laptop running F1 22 on “High” settings at 1080p resolution, like the newer F1 24 title will not run on Qualcomm laptops, even when emulated.

Due to the emulation required for the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite system, it only managed to average 30-40 FPS F1 22Meanwhile, the AMD Ryzen AI 300 laptop maintained a decent 60 FPS and the Intel Core Ultra 200V system averaged well over 70 FPS, with peaks breaking the 90 FPS barrier.

Do you still need a separate GPU?

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It’s been an open secret for a few generations of laptops that you can game on an integrated GPU, as long as you accept that you won’t get a stable framerate above 30 FPS in most games.

Over the past year, those expectations have been dashed. Qualcomm boasted about gaming performance on its Snapdragon X Elite chipset, though the experience was somewhat disappointing post-launch and required some tweaks.

When the AMD Ryzen AI 300 Strix Point launched, we were blown away by the power of its integrated graphics performance. Now, Intel aims to raise those expectations even higher with the updated Intel Arc iGPU from Lunar Lake.

Granted, if you want to game in high resolutions with frame rates well above 60 FPS, a laptop with a discrete graphics card is still the best option. An iGPU would also seriously hinder competitive gaming.

However, if you need a laptop that offers great battery life, delivers solid productivity performance, and can handle casual gaming, one of these ultra-thin and light AI PCs is the way to go. It’s the best of both worlds.

Laptop magazineThe IFA Berlin 2024 edition will celebrate one of the world’s longest-running consumer technology fairs: the German Internationale FunkAusstellung Berlin.

Our on-site team brings you all the news from the Messe Berlin showroom, highlighting the best in consumer technology as we announce our first Laptop Laurel winners for best products at the show.

Go to Laptop magazineIFA Berlin 2024 edition for more information.