The world of gaming has evolved significantly over the years, with the demand for high-performance graphics cards increasing exponentially. While NVIDIA and AMD have long dominated the market, Intel has been quietly working on its own graphics solutions. One such solution is the Intel Iris Plus, a line of integrated graphics processing units (GPUs) designed to provide improved performance and power efficiency. But the question remains: is Intel Iris Plus good for gaming?
What is Intel Iris Plus?
Intel Iris Plus is a series of integrated GPUs designed for Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors. These GPUs are built into the processor, eliminating the need for a separate graphics card. The Iris Plus series offers improved performance and power efficiency compared to Intel’s previous integrated GPUs, making it a viable option for gamers and content creators.
Key Features of Intel Iris Plus
The Intel Iris Plus series boasts several key features that make it an attractive option for gaming:
- Increased Execution Units (EUs): Iris Plus GPUs have up to 64 EUs, compared to the 24 EUs found in Intel’s previous integrated GPUs. This increase in EUs provides better performance and improved multitasking capabilities.
- Higher Clock Speeds: Iris Plus GPUs have higher clock speeds than their predecessors, resulting in faster performance and improved responsiveness.
- Improved Memory Bandwidth: Iris Plus GPUs have increased memory bandwidth, allowing for smoother gameplay and faster loading times.
- Support for 4K Displays: Iris Plus GPUs support 4K displays, making them ideal for gamers who want to experience high-resolution gaming.
Intel Iris Plus vs. Dedicated Graphics Cards
While Intel Iris Plus offers improved performance and power efficiency, it still lags behind dedicated graphics cards in terms of raw power. Dedicated graphics cards, such as those from NVIDIA and AMD, offer superior performance and features, making them the preferred choice for serious gamers.
Advantages of Dedicated Graphics Cards
Dedicated graphics cards have several advantages over integrated GPUs like Intel Iris Plus:
- Better Performance: Dedicated graphics cards offer superior performance and faster frame rates, making them ideal for demanding games and applications.
- Increased Features: Dedicated graphics cards often include features like ray tracing, artificial intelligence-enhanced graphics, and variable rate shading, which are not available on integrated GPUs.
- Improved Cooling: Dedicated graphics cards have their own cooling systems, which can be more effective than the cooling systems found in laptops and desktops.
Disadvantages of Dedicated Graphics Cards
While dedicated graphics cards offer superior performance and features, they also have some disadvantages:
- Higher Cost: Dedicated graphics cards are generally more expensive than integrated GPUs, making them a significant investment for gamers.
- Increased Power Consumption: Dedicated graphics cards consume more power than integrated GPUs, which can increase electricity costs and heat generation.
- Larger Size: Dedicated graphics cards are often larger than integrated GPUs, which can make them more difficult to install and transport.
Gaming Performance of Intel Iris Plus
The gaming performance of Intel Iris Plus is a mixed bag. While it offers improved performance and power efficiency compared to Intel’s previous integrated GPUs, it still struggles to keep up with demanding games.
Benchmark Results
Benchmark results for Intel Iris Plus vary depending on the specific game and system configuration. However, here are some general results:
- 3DMark Time Spy: Intel Iris Plus scores around 1,500-2,000 points in 3DMark Time Spy, a popular benchmarking tool.
- Unigine Heaven: Intel Iris Plus scores around 20-30 frames per second (FPS) in Unigine Heaven, a demanding benchmarking tool.
- Real-World Gaming Performance: Intel Iris Plus can handle less demanding games like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Overwatch at medium to high settings. However, it struggles with more demanding games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, The Witcher 3, and Cyberpunk 2077.
Comparison to Other Integrated GPUs
Intel Iris Plus is one of the best integrated GPUs available, but it still lags behind other integrated GPUs like AMD’s Radeon Vega series. Here’s a comparison of Intel Iris Plus with other integrated GPUs:
| GPU | 3DMark Time Spy Score | Unigine Heaven FPS |
|---|---|---|
| Intel Iris Plus | 1,500-2,000 | 20-30 |
| AMD Radeon Vega 8 | 2,500-3,000 | 30-40 |
| AMD Radeon Vega 10 | 3,000-3,500 | 40-50 |
Conclusion
Intel Iris Plus is a significant improvement over Intel’s previous integrated GPUs, offering better performance and power efficiency. However, it still struggles to keep up with demanding games and lags behind dedicated graphics cards in terms of raw power.
Is Intel Iris Plus Good for Gaming?
Intel Iris Plus is good for casual gaming and less demanding games, but it’s not suitable for serious gaming or demanding applications. If you’re a casual gamer who wants to play less demanding games, Intel Iris Plus might be a good option. However, if you’re a serious gamer who wants to play demanding games at high settings, a dedicated graphics card is still the best choice.
Recommendations
If you’re looking for a laptop or desktop with Intel Iris Plus, here are some recommendations:
- Look for a system with a Core i5 or i7 processor: These processors offer better performance and power efficiency than lower-end processors.
- Choose a system with at least 16 GB of RAM: This will ensure that you have enough memory to run demanding games and applications.
- Consider a system with a dedicated graphics card: If you’re a serious gamer, a dedicated graphics card is still the best choice.
In conclusion, Intel Iris Plus is a significant improvement over Intel’s previous integrated GPUs, but it’s still not suitable for serious gaming or demanding applications. If you’re a casual gamer who wants to play less demanding games, Intel Iris Plus might be a good option. However, if you’re a serious gamer who wants to play demanding games at high settings, a dedicated graphics card is still the best choice.
What is Intel Iris Plus and how does it differ from other integrated graphics?
Intel Iris Plus is a line of integrated graphics processing units (GPUs) designed by Intel for their Core series of processors. It is a significant upgrade over the standard Intel UHD Graphics found in most Intel processors, offering improved performance, power efficiency, and features. The main difference between Intel Iris Plus and other integrated graphics is its increased execution unit (EU) count, which allows for better multitasking, higher resolutions, and smoother gameplay.
Compared to other integrated graphics, Intel Iris Plus offers a range of advantages, including support for 4K resolutions, HDR content, and a wider range of graphics APIs. It also features a dedicated eDRAM cache, which helps to improve performance in memory-intensive workloads. Overall, Intel Iris Plus represents a significant step up in terms of integrated graphics performance, making it a viable option for users who want to play games or engage in other graphics-intensive activities without the need for a dedicated graphics card.
Can Intel Iris Plus handle demanding games?
Intel Iris Plus is capable of handling a wide range of games, including some more demanding titles, but its performance will vary depending on the specific game and settings. In general, Intel Iris Plus can deliver smooth performance in games that are optimized for integrated graphics, such as popular titles like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Overwatch. However, it may struggle with more demanding games that require high-end graphics processing, such as AAA titles with complex graphics and physics.
To get the best gaming performance out of Intel Iris Plus, users may need to adjust their game settings, such as reducing the resolution, turning down graphics quality, or disabling certain features. Additionally, Intel Iris Plus can benefit from the use of external graphics solutions, such as an external GPU (eGPU) or a cloud gaming service, which can help to offload some of the graphics processing and improve overall performance. By taking these steps, users can enjoy a wider range of games on their Intel Iris Plus-equipped device.
How does Intel Iris Plus compare to dedicated graphics cards?
Intel Iris Plus is a significant improvement over standard integrated graphics, but it still lags behind dedicated graphics cards in terms of raw performance. Dedicated graphics cards, such as those from NVIDIA or AMD, offer a range of advantages, including higher clock speeds, more execution units, and larger memory capacities. These advantages allow dedicated graphics cards to deliver smoother performance, higher resolutions, and more detailed graphics in games and other graphics-intensive applications.
That being said, Intel Iris Plus has some advantages over dedicated graphics cards, including lower power consumption, reduced heat generation, and increased portability. Additionally, Intel Iris Plus is integrated directly into the processor, which can help to reduce the overall cost and complexity of a system. As a result, Intel Iris Plus is a viable option for users who want a compact, power-efficient device that can still deliver good graphics performance, but may not need the absolute highest level of performance offered by a dedicated graphics card.
What are the system requirements for Intel Iris Plus?
Intel Iris Plus is a integrated graphics solution that is built into certain Intel Core processors, so the system requirements will vary depending on the specific processor and device. In general, Intel Iris Plus requires a compatible processor, such as a Core i5 or Core i7, as well as a sufficient amount of system memory (RAM) and storage. Additionally, Intel Iris Plus requires a compatible operating system, such as Windows 10 or macOS, and may require specific drivers or software updates to function properly.
In terms of specific system requirements, Intel recommends a minimum of 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for optimal performance with Intel Iris Plus. Additionally, Intel Iris Plus requires a display with a compatible resolution and refresh rate, such as a 4K display or a display with a high refresh rate (e.g. 144Hz). Users should check the specifications of their device and processor to ensure that they meet the system requirements for Intel Iris Plus.
Can Intel Iris Plus be used for content creation and video editing?
Yes, Intel Iris Plus can be used for content creation and video editing, although its performance will depend on the specific application and workload. Intel Iris Plus offers a range of features and capabilities that make it well-suited for content creation, including support for 4K resolutions, HDR content, and a range of graphics APIs. Additionally, Intel Iris Plus has a dedicated eDRAM cache, which can help to improve performance in memory-intensive workloads such as video editing.
In general, Intel Iris Plus can deliver good performance in entry-level to mid-range content creation and video editing applications, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve. However, it may struggle with more demanding workloads, such as 4K video editing or 3D modeling, which may require a dedicated graphics card or a more powerful processor. Users who plan to use Intel Iris Plus for content creation and video editing should check the specifications of their device and processor to ensure that they meet the system requirements for their chosen applications.
How does Intel Iris Plus handle heat and power consumption?
Intel Iris Plus is designed to be a power-efficient integrated graphics solution, and it has a number of features that help to reduce heat generation and power consumption. For example, Intel Iris Plus has a dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) system that adjusts the voltage and frequency of the graphics processing units (GPUs) based on the workload, which helps to reduce power consumption and heat generation.
Additionally, Intel Iris Plus is built using a low-power manufacturing process, which helps to reduce leakage current and other sources of power consumption. As a result, Intel Iris Plus is generally able to deliver good performance while staying within a reasonable power budget, making it a good option for devices that require a balance between performance and power efficiency, such as laptops and mobile devices. However, users should still be aware of the potential for heat generation and power consumption, especially during intense graphics workloads, and take steps to manage these factors, such as using a cooling pad or adjusting their device’s power settings.
Is Intel Iris Plus a good option for esports and competitive gaming?
Intel Iris Plus can be a good option for esports and competitive gaming, depending on the specific game and settings. Intel Iris Plus offers a range of features and capabilities that make it well-suited for fast-paced, competitive games, including support for high refresh rates, low latency, and a range of graphics APIs. Additionally, Intel Iris Plus has a dedicated eDRAM cache, which can help to improve performance in memory-intensive workloads such as gaming.
However, Intel Iris Plus may not be the best option for all esports and competitive games, especially those that require very high frame rates or low latency. In these cases, a dedicated graphics card may be a better option, as it can provide more raw performance and customization options. Additionally, users who plan to use Intel Iris Plus for esports and competitive gaming should ensure that their device meets the system requirements for their chosen games, and that they have a suitable display and other peripherals to support their gaming needs.