Intel Graphics 2 Xe-Cores (Panther Lake): 1362 Time Spy Points and the Performance Level of the Old Iris Xe

In Panther Lake, this version of Intel Graphics received the Xe3 architecture and dual-channel memory, but only two Xe-cores. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 with a Core Ultra 5 322 scores 1362 points in the 3DMark Time Spy Graphics test and delivers 18.8 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Low.

Intel Graphics 2 Xe-Cores is used in the entry-level Panther Lake Core Ultra 5 322 and Core Ultra 5 332. Both processors have two Xe3-cores and a maximum GPU frequency of 2.3 GHz.

Two Xe3-Cores Versus Four and Twelve

Intel Graphics 2 Xe-Cores contains 256 ALUs, two ray-tracing units, and 4 MB of L2 cache. The GPU is manufactured using the Intel 3 process.

Panther Lake is available with GPUs that differ significantly in performance: the entry-level version has two Xe-cores, the next model has four, and the Arc B390 has twelve.

System memory operates in dual-channel mode. DDR5-6400 and LPDDR5X-7467 are supported. The Lenovo tested here has 16 GB of DDR5-5600 installed as two 8 GB modules.

Hardware AV1 encoding and decoding, VVC decoding, Quick Sync, DirectX 12 Ultimate, and four displays are supported.

Intel Graphics 2 Xe-Cores in Benchmarks

In Time Spy, the three lower-end solutions show almost no difference: 1335-1362 points. The Iris Xe 96EU in the Core i7-1255U scores 1351 points, while the Radeon 840M scores 1335.

The four-core Intel Graphics in the Core Ultra 5 115U scores 1565 points. The Arc 140V scores 4139 points-more than three times as much.

In Fire Strike, the dual-core Xe3 is weaker: 3085 points, compared with 3887 for the Iris Xe 96EU and 3706 for the Radeon 840M.

Gaming Performance

Dota 2 runs well even at High, delivering 52.2 FPS. At Medium, it reaches 72.6 FPS, and at Low, 91.7 FPS.

Modern demanding games are already below a comfortable 30 FPS. Cyberpunk 2077 delivers 18.8 FPS at 1080p Low, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 delivers 16.1 FPS, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 delivers 25 FPS. F1 25 and ARC Raiders approach 30 FPS only at low settings.

This level of performance is sufficient for League of Legends, Valorant, Minecraft, and older games. In new AAA titles, you will have to lower the resolution or use upscaling.

Ray tracing is supported in hardware, but there is not enough performance here for RT in demanding games.

Processors That Use It

The Core Ultra 5 322 and Core Ultra 5 332 are identical in terms of graphics: both have two Xe-cores and a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz. Therefore, there is no reason to choose the Core Ultra 5 332 for a faster iGPU.

Panther Lake has significantly more powerful integrated graphics options, so when choosing a laptop, it is important to look at the specific GPU configuration rather than just the Core Ultra Series 3 name.

Is a Laptop with Intel Graphics 2 Xe-Cores Worth Buying?

Intel Graphics 2 Xe-Cores is sufficient for work, study, and undemanding games. However, 1362 Time Spy Graphics points, 18.8 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, and 16.1 FPS in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 leave modern demanding games outside the bounds of comfortable 1080p gaming.

Panther Lake itself does not mean fast integrated graphics. The version with two Xe-cores remains roughly at the level of the Iris Xe 96EU, despite its Xe3 architecture and dual-channel memory.