Intel used CES to give attendees hands-on time with its latest Panther Lake platform, and one component in particular stole the spotlight: the new Arc B390 integrated GPU. Built on Intel’s fresh Xe3 graphics architecture and paired with the newly introduced Panther Lake Core Ultra Series 3 processors, this iGPU delivered gaming results that look far closer to entry-level discrete graphics than what most people expect from integrated solutions.
The test system was a Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 equipped with the top-end Core Ultra X9 388H, featuring the full 12 Xe3-core Arc B390 iGPU. On paper, the laptop was set up with a 25W base TDP and higher power limits (PL1 at 85W and PL2 at 95W). In actual gaming, though, it barely pushed past 50W. That matters because it translates directly to what many laptop buyers care about most: better battery life, cooler operation, and less fan noise. In this case, the system stayed impressively quiet during gameplay, to the point where fan noise was difficult to notice even in a relatively calm room.
What really counts, of course, is real-world performance. Across multiple modern titles at 1080p—often with demanding presets—the Arc B390 iGPU consistently produced smooth frame rates. Intel’s XeSS upscaling played a major role in these results, and the system also demonstrated frame generation support that can significantly boost performance in compatible games. Notably, Arc B390 is currently positioned as the only integrated GPU mentioned here to support multi-frame generation up to 4x, though testing focused on more typical 2x settings.
Here’s a quick look at the benchmark results recorded during testing:
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p)
Medium + XeSS Balanced, no frame gen: 99.45 FPS
Medium + XeSS Balanced, frame gen 2x: 165.74 FPS
High + XeSS Quality, no frame gen: 122.97 FPS
Ray Tracing Medium + XeSS (Auto/Balanced), frame gen 2x: 73.15 FPS
Forza Horizon 5 (1080p)
High + XeSS Quality, no frame gen: 111 FPS
Ultra + XeSS Quality, no frame gen: 68 FPS
F1 25 (1080p)
Ultra High + XeSS Quality, no frame gen: 44 FPS
High + XeSS Balanced, no frame gen: 104 FPS
Doom: The Dark Ages (1080p)
High + XeSS Balanced, no frame gen: 58.4 FPS
High + XeSS Balanced, frame gen 2x: 97.8 FPS
Borderlands 4 (1200p)
High + XeSS Balanced, no frame gen: 50.2 FPS
High + XeSS Balanced, frame gen 2x: 82.2 FPS
Ghost of Tsushima (1080p)
High + XeSS Balanced, no frame gen: 53 FPS
High + XeSS Balanced, frame gen 2x: 89 FPS
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (1080p)
Medium + XeSS Balanced, no frame gen: 58 FPS
Medium + XeSS Balanced, frame gen 2x: 118 FPS
Battlefield 6 (1080p)
High + XeSS Balanced, no frame gen: 47.5 FPS
High + XeSS Balanced, frame gen 4x: 192 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 was a standout example of how far integrated graphics are pushing into “serious gaming” territory. At 1080p Medium with XeSS Balanced, Arc B390 hovered right around 100 FPS without frame generation. Turning on frame generation (2x) pushed performance to roughly 166 FPS, showing how much headroom the new platform can unlock in supported titles. Even with ray tracing set to Medium, the system still delivered 73 FPS with frame generation enabled—an eye-catching result for a thin-and-light style laptop running on integrated graphics.
Forza Horizon 5 also reinforced the point that this iGPU isn’t just scraping by at low settings. At 1080p High settings, it hit 111 FPS with XeSS Quality and no frame generation. Cranking up to Ultra still produced 68 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS mark even at maxed-out visuals.
F1 25 showed a more mixed but still encouraging picture. Running Ultra settings at 1080p with XeSS Quality returned 44 FPS, which is strong considering it was effectively “maxed out.” Dropping to High with XeSS Balanced dramatically improved performance to 104 FPS.
One of the toughest trials was Doom: The Dark Ages, a title known for being extremely demanding on the GPU. With 1080p High settings and XeSS Balanced, Arc B390 managed about 58 FPS without frame generation, and enabling frame generation (2x) boosted it close to 98 FPS. For an iGPU, that’s the difference between “barely playable” and “surprisingly smooth” in a game that often punishes even powerful hardware.
Borderlands 4, a heavy Unreal Engine 5 title, was tested at a sharper 1200p resolution. With High settings and XeSS Balanced, the iGPU averaged about 50 FPS without frame generation, and jumped to about 82 FPS with it enabled. That kind of scaling can make the difference between reducing visual quality or keeping the game looking good while still feeling responsive.
Ghost of Tsushima performed well too, reflecting its reputation as a well-optimized PC title. At 1080p High with XeSS Balanced, it stayed above 60 FPS in parts of gameplay and averaged around 50 FPS in cutscenes without frame generation, with an additional uplift available when frame generation is turned on.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a newer and graphically intensive release, was another strong showing. At 1080p Medium with XeSS Balanced, Arc B390 averaged 58 FPS. With 2x frame generation enabled, performance climbed into the 110–120 FPS range.
After a limited but revealing test window, the takeaway is clear: Intel’s Panther Lake laptops may end up being defined as much by their integrated graphics leap as by the CPU platform itself. Arc B390 delivers playable frame rates in modern AAA games, can exceed 100 FPS in multiple titles with frame generation, and does it while staying under roughly 50W during gaming in this configuration. Combine that with whisper-quiet behavior and the promise of improved battery life, and Panther Lake-based laptops are shaping up to be a compelling option for anyone who wants a thin, efficient machine that can still handle real gaming without relying on a discrete GPU.
