Fresh benchmark leaks are putting Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake integrated graphics back in the spotlight, and the early numbers suggest a major leap over last generation solutions. The chip in question is the Intel Arc B390 iGPU, expected to appear inside Panther Lake-based Core Ultra Series 3 processors, and it’s shaping up to be a standout option for thin-and-light laptops and especially gaming handhelds.
Recent signs also point to Panther Lake already reaching handheld makers, with an early device leak indicating manufacturers are testing next-gen Core Ultra Series 3 hardware now. Alongside that, a new performance entry has surfaced claiming to show what the top-end Arc B390 iGPU can do when pushed through synthetic graphics testing.
Intel is reportedly preparing multiple Arc B300-series iGPU variants for Panther Lake, with four configurations making the rounds: Arc B390, Arc B380, Arc B370, and Arc B360. These are expected to scale from as low as 2 Xe3 cores up to the flagship 12 Xe3 cores, all built on Intel’s newer Xe3 graphics architecture. As you’d expect, it’s the top model that’s appearing most often in leaks, including mentions of strong results in other graphics benchmarks.
In the latest leak, the Arc B390 posts 9,453 points in the PassMark graphics benchmark suite. That number is getting attention because it implies a sizable jump compared to Intel’s recent integrated graphics offerings. For context, the Arc 140V (with 8 Xe2 iGPU cores) comes in at 5,173 points, while the Arc 140T (with 8 “Xe+” iGPU cores) scores 5,635 points. On paper, that puts the Arc B390 ahead by roughly 83% and 67% against those two results respectively, which is a dramatic generational uplift for integrated graphics.
The comparison becomes even more interesting when stacked against entry-level discrete GPUs. The leaked PassMark score suggests the Arc B390 iGPU even outpaces Intel’s discrete Arc A380 by around 50%, which is an eye-catching claim considering the A380 is a dedicated graphics card.
Against AMD’s current top integrated option, the Radeon 890M (RDNA 3.5) commonly found in 28–45W-class processors, the Arc B390 is shown about 16% ahead in this same benchmark. AMD is expected to roll out a faster-clocked Radeon 890M variant in a future Ryzen AI lineup, which could narrow the gap. Still, based on these early figures, Intel’s Arc B390 remains positioned as a potential leader in iGPU performance.
There’s also a notable head-to-head with Intel’s own discrete Arc A530M. Both reportedly carry 12 Xe cores, but the A530M is based on the older Alchemist architecture. In this leak, the Arc B390 leads by about 18%, hinting at clear gains from the newer Xe3 design even when core counts look similar on paper. The performance mentioned also places it in the neighborhood of GPUs like the Radeon 7600M, while NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 is still indicated as a step ahead.
One important caveat: synthetic benchmarks don’t always reflect real gaming results, especially with newer architectures and evolving driver support. The data here also raises questions about how well the benchmark suite reflects older Intel Arc iGPUs, as some prior real-world gaming results for Xe2-based graphics can land closer to competing solutions than certain synthetic charts suggest. With Panther Lake and Xe3 still approaching launch, final drivers could shift performance further, potentially improving real game behavior beyond what early database entries show.
Even with that in mind, the overall picture remains compelling. Panther Lake is expected to focus heavily on efficiency, which is exactly what gaming handheld makers want: strong performance at lower power limits, better battery life, and less heat. If the Arc B390 iGPU delivers anything close to these leaked results, it could help push handheld PCs and compact laptops into smoother 1080p gaming territory without relying as much on entry-level discrete graphics.
Between the 12 Xe3 core configuration, the latest Xe3 feature set (including support for XeSS 3 with frame generation features), and the likelihood of ongoing driver improvements as launch nears, Intel’s Panther Lake integrated graphics are starting to look like a serious new option for portable PC gaming.
