Intel showed off how it raised the bar on integrated graphics in laptops at CES 2026, thanks to the arrival of its Intel Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs. Now, after seeing the latest PC games like Battlefield 6 pushing well past 120 frames per second (FPS) at max settings on a laptop not built for gaming, I'm blown away by the results.
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No discrete GPU here, just a chip using Intel Arc B390 graphics (a.k.a. 12 Xᵉ cores) that features everything you'd expect from the latest graphics cards. That includes what Intel calls "Modern Rendering," with XeSS 3 tech featuring ray tracing, AI-based upscaling and multi-frame generation up to x4. If anything, it puts Nvidia's lower-end RTX 50-series GPUs on notice.
With Intel Core Ultra X9 and X7 processors, we're getting a 77% bump in faster graphics and 53% increase in faster AI compared to the previous Lunar Lake chips. That's a significant jump, and the end result is thin and light laptops being able to play the latest big-budget PC games without needing a dedicated graphics card — and at a high level.
I got a chance to try out many of the latest titles during a hands-on demo, and I'm already impressed by the high-level performance and smooth frame rates Intel's next-gen Core Ultra Series 3 chips bring to laptops. One thing's for sure: your next gaming laptop may not need a dedicated GPU after all.
A major leap for integrated graphics
As Intel boldly claimed during its big keynote, the Arc B390 in Core Ultra X9 and X7 chips will see Battlefield 6 at Overkill settings (the highest visual settings) and Super Resolution running at 59 FPS. Turn on its multi-frame generation tech, though, and this can be upscaled to a super-smooth 145 FPS.
That was fully on show during a brief demo I tried. Now, Battlefield 6 was already a well-optimized game when I tested it on an RTX 5070 gaming PC, where I was getting over 200 FPS at 4K with DLSS 4 switched on. However, this doesn't take away from how well a laptop sporting a Core Ultra Series 3 chip can handle it, as I was seeing detailed visuals and buttery-smooth framerates as explosions and gunfire went off all around me.
But there was more on show. I also got to try Dying Light: The Beast, where I saw framerates reaching 196 FPS at what appeared to be high settings. As expected, it was stunning running around, dropkicking zombies with beautiful visuals thanks to ray tracing.
Also on show was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Marvel Rivals and Painkiller, and while I couldn't see their frame rates or settings, Intel has confirmed that we can expect over 100 FPS with 1080p at high settings using XᵉSS Super Resolution.
Not only does it make playing competitive shooters on an Intel Core Ultra X9/X7-based laptop a breeze, but these new chips can also offer upscaled visuals in demanding PC titles — and that x4 multi-frame gen tech certainly helps.
Outlook
If there's one laptop I'm keeping an eye out for in 2026, it's one boasting an Intel Core Ultra X9 or X7 processor. Team Blue has pushed integrated graphics on its next-gen chip even further with Intel Arc B390, and from the games I've played, it's looking to kick off a new era of PC gaming on thin and light laptops.
Of course, we'll have to put these Intel-based machines through their paces in our testing labs once we get our hands on them, but it's looking like we could see these laptops creep into our list of the best gaming laptops — especially for gamers on the move (and if the price is right, no less).
Speaking of, with Intel also announcing an entire handheld gaming platform with Panther Lake chips, gamers will have a lot to look forward to this year.
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