[danKeymaster]

#2645

The graphics processor built into the popular Intel Core Ultra H-series main processors, like the Core Ultra 5 125H, 7 155H or 9 185H, is called Intel Arc. The Intel Arc branding is also used for Intel’s dedicated video cards, but Arc in this post is related to the integrated graphics only.

It is certainly less powerful than the Arc dedicated GPUs. But on the other hand, it is among the fastest integrated graphics processors you can find built-into the main laptop CPUs. This means the integrated Intel Arc is limited to only light gaming and 3D rendering tasks, but with more oomph than many of the common integrated graphics solutions like the Intel Xe of the 13th Gen Core processors or Intel Graphics of the lower-power U version of the Core Ultra 5 and 7 chips.

There are multiple versions of the integrated Arc, depending on the main processor. For instance the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H has the Arc with 7 graphics processing cores, while in the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and 9 185H it has 8. Plus, the Ultra 7 and 9 have slightly faster core clock speeds. This difference, however, doesn’t affect the performance significantly.

What can make a noticeable difference is the main system memory (RAM). In order to wear the Intel Arc badge, any laptop with this IGP must have dual-channel system memory and at least 16GB of RAM. Otherwise, the laptop makers have to use the simple Intel Graphics badge. RAM, especially, dual vs single channel, can significantly impact the overall graphics performance, so the Arc naming limitation makes things more transparent and makes choosing a laptop based on graphics preferences easier.

Intel Arc Benchmark

Here’s a benchmark of the Intel Arc integrated graphics, compared to some other popular laptop graphics processors:

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