Some Intel processors come included with a graphics processor. Intel calls this graphics processor an iGPU (Integrated Graphics Processing Unit). The current lineup of Intel iGPUs are called their UHD graphics, and Intel has been pushing out these chips for quite some time now. But, are these graphics processors enough? Let us find out.
Are Intel UHD Graphics Good for Gaming?
AAA gaming workloads are extremely GPU intensive. Modern AAA titles require some of the most powerful GeForce RTX 30 series and Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards for optimal performance.
Although integrated graphics solutions have developed a lot over the years from the HD 2000 days, optimal performance in some of the most demanding games is still a mile away.
Intel showed off the increased power of the UHD 700 series graphics processors back in the summer of 2021 when the 11th generation Rocket Lake chips were launched. These enhanced integrated graphics cores enabled powerful SOCs like the Core i5-11600K and the Core i7-11700K to play AAA titles like Resident Evil: Village at 1280×720 resolutions with some decent framerates. Although the industry moved from the 1280×720 standard as early as 2013, the performance we got from the UHD 700 chip was quite acceptable provided these were integrated graphics processors.
Compared to the processing Intel UHD 630 that came with the 10th generation Rocket Lake processors, the UHD 730 was almost 20% faster in gaming workloads. The UHD graphics are included with the cheaper Core i5-11400, the Core i3-12100, etc. The more capable UHD 750 creates an even larger difference when compared to the UHD 630. The UHD 750 can play some well optimised and less intensive titles like Fortnite at 1080p with the performance preset at almost 60fps. It can also play some other competitive titles like Valorant, CS:GO, etc. at decent framerates.
Intel optimized their formula with the latest UHD 770 graphics. This chipset is included with some high-end Alder Lake processors like the Core i5-12600K, the Core i7-12700K, and the Core i9-12900K. It gives over 100 frames at 1080p in Fortnite’s performance mode. This makes it almost twice as powerful as compared to the UHD 750.
But, these numbers completely fall apart when compared to some of the most basic graphics cards like the Maxwell-based GTX 750 Ti, or the Pascal-based GT 1030. These cards are much more capable as compared to the UHD 750 and the UHD 770 iGPUs. AMD’s Vega 8 and Vega 11 graphics processors also beat the Intel iGPUs by a huge margin.
Coming to the verdict, Intel iGPUs have gotten a lot more powerful than what they used to be. But, they are still quite behind compared to some entry-level graphics cards or AMD’s graphics solutions. We would not recommend Intel iGPUs for gaming. If you are right on budget, AMD APUs are the way to go.