ALMOST AN RTX 4050!? Integrated graphics from the new INTEL!

Intel surprised everyone during the CES 2026 by opening the doors of its booth for real-world performance testing of its new integrated graphics architecture.

The company’s confidence is clear: they allowed benchmarks to be carried out on portable devices and ultra-thin notebooks, revealing that the new performance leap Intel Arc B390 could change the market for entry-level gaming notebooks.

The heart of performance: Intel Core Ultra and Arc B390

The new processors Intel Core Ultra (specifically the models identified with the “X” in the name, like the X9 388H) bring the brand’s most powerful computing unit to date. The big star is Intel Arc B390the integrated graphics that promises to challenge AMD’s dominance and even compete with dedicated NVIDIA GPUs.

Surprising benchmarks: CS, Cyberpunk 2077, and more

Preliminary results show massive generational advancement:

• Counter-Strike (CS): in Full HD at the low preset, the Intel Arc B390 achieved impressive 270 FPSan increase of 60% over AMD’s Radeon 890M, which delivered around 166 FPS. Even at the high preset, the integrated graphics maintained a solid 100 FPS.
• Cyberpunk 2077: at the medium preset with upscaling technologies (XeSS/FSR), the system achieved 80 FPSsignificantly surpassing the competition’s 56 FPS.
• Ultra + Ray Tracing: running on Ultra with Ray Tracing and XeSS in “Ultra Quality”, the iGPU achieved 33 FPS. Although it seems low, the value is close to the 43-45 FPS delivered by notebooks with Dedicated RTX 4050showing that the distance between the integrated and dedicated graphics is decreasing drastically.

Technologies that make a difference: XeSS and Frame Generation

Intel also demonstrated advances in software. Through a new panel, it is possible to perform a “override” via driver to enable the frame generator, allowing you to generate up to 3 or 4 frames for each frame rendered.

However, there is a warning for competitive games: in the title Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 (based on Unreal Engine 5), using the 4x frame generator increased latency, making command response less accurate.

For action games that require timing perfect, the recommendation is to run natively — where the chip delivered around 38 FPS at the medium preset. In less critical games like Cyberpunk 2077, the experience with the frame generator was considered quite playable, reaching peaks of 106 FPS with override activated.

The end of entry-level gaming notebooks?

This evolution raises an important question for the consumer: Is it still worth buying a notebook with RTX 4050?

With the performance of the Intel Arc B390 reaching such high levels, the difference in performance for a dedicated entry-level GPU could be in the region of 20% a 30%. However, notebooks with integrated graphics offer clear advantages:

• Design: much thinner and lighter devices.
• Consumption: lower energy consumption and greater portability.
• Cost-benefit: The need for a massive cooling system and expensive dedicated graphics card is eliminated.

What to expect for the future?

The architecture Intel Xe2 (present in the new chips) demonstrates that Intel is on the right path to dominate the segment of portable devices and ultra-thin notebooks. The greatest expectation now remains for the arrival of this architecture to the desktopswhere the performance potential can be further explored.

Keep an eye on our full CES 2026 coverage for more benchmark tests and impressions straight from the show!