Intel strikes back: Core i7-1065G7 with Iris Plus Graphics G7 on par with AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
The long wait is over, we have received one of the first retail notebooks with Intel's brand-new Ice Lake CPU, the Lenovo Yoga C940. Intel's iGPU was pretty much identical the last couple of years, so we are obviously eager to check the performance of the new Iris Plus Graphics with 64 shader units. The processor of the Lenovo Yoga C940 is the new Core i7-1065G7. Thanks to the dual-channel memory setup (16 GB LPDDR4X-3733 onboard), the device should be able to utilize the full performance potential of the iGPU. The maximum Turbo Boost of the Iris Plus Graphics is specified at 1100 MHz; more technical details are available here.
Synthetic Benchmarks – Iris Plus Graphics beats AMD
We start with the graphics performance in the synthetic benchmarks. We obviously want to see how much faster the new chip is compared to the familiar UHD Graphics, which is also used by the new Comet Lake CPUs. The next question is whether Intel can close the gap or even beat AMD's Vega iGPUs and how the new Iris Plus Graphics compares with Nvidia's entry-level dGPUs (MX150, MX250), which are available in many compact laptops.
We use the following comparison devices with different graphics adapters: Dell XPS 13 7390 with the small Ice Lake GPU (32 EUs), the two Lenovo IdeaPads S540 14 (with the GeForce MX250 25W and the RX Vega 10), Schenker Slim 15 (Comet Lake UHD Graphics 620), Asus VivoBook 14 X403F with the Whiskey Lake UHD Graphics 620 as well as the HP Envy 13 with the slower 10W version of the GeForce MX250. All laptops with iGPUs are equipped with dual-channel memory, so the results are comparable.
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API | |
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 | |
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA |
3DMark | |
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | |
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng | |
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 | |
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA | |
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 | |
Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Core i3 | |
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U | |
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA | |
1280x720 Sky Diver Graphics | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
HP Envy 13-aq0003ng | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API | |
HP ProBook 445 G6 |
The results in the two 3DMark 11 and 3DMark benchmarks are very good and the new Iris Plus Graphics G7 (64 EUs) is only beaten by the faster 25W version of the GeForce MX250. All other GPUs, however, are slower. AMD's fastest iGPU, the RX Vega 10, is about 15-20% slower, while the old UHD Graphics 620 is almost 50-60% slower.
Gaming Benchmarks – Intel and AMD on par, but beaten by Nvidia
Synthetic benchmarks are one thing, but dedicated graphics adapters usually have an advantage in real-world gaming tests thanks to their dedicated video memory. This is also the case here, and both GeForce MX250 versions are clearly faster and therefore the better choice for gaming in compact devices. However, the two integrated GPUs from AMD and Intel, which are pretty much on par in the gaming tests, are still a decent choice for occasional gamers. The advantage compared to the old UHD Graphics, however, drops to 50-60%.
Dota 2 Reborn | |
1920x1080 high (2/3) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API | |
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U | |
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA | |
1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API | |
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U | |
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA |
X-Plane 11.11 | |
1920x1080 med (fps_test=2) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API | |
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA | |
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U | |
1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14IWL | |
Lenovo Yoga C940-14IIL | |
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API | |
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA | |
SCHENKER Slim 15 Comet Lake U |
Initial Verdict
It looks like Intel's new Iris Plus Graphics G7 can close the gap to AMD and it is even faster in the synthetic benchmarks. The slower 10W version of the GeForce MX250 is beaten as well.
However, the situation changes in real-world gaming tests, where Nvidia's GPUs still have the edge thanks to the dedicated video memory. AMD and Intel on the other hand perform on a very similar level.
We will run additional benchmarks over the next couple of days and release the results in our full review of the Lenovo Yoga C940, which will probably be released by the end of the week.
Source(s)
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