Intel Arc B390 vs AMD Radeon 890M: How Much Faster is Intel's New GPU?

The AMD Radeon 890M has long remained one of the most powerful integrated GPUs for Windows laptops. It allowed modern games to be played at 1080p without a discrete graphics card and became a significant advantage for Ryzen AI 300 processors. The Intel Arc B390 offers a higher level of performance: the Xe3 architecture, 12 Xe-cores, and XMX matrix engines provide a noticeable edge in gaming and video processing tasks.

However, comparing two iGPUs solely based on their names or maximum frequencies is not feasible. They utilize system RAM and share the overall power limit with the CPU cores. Thus, the outcome depends not only on the GPU itself but also on the LPDDR5X frequency, cooling, and specific laptop settings.

Key Differences

The number of compute units and frequency cannot be directly compared: Intel's Xe-core and AMD's Compute Unit perform tasks differently. The Radeon 890M formally has more units and a higher frequency, but the Arc B390 uses a newer organization of its graphics component and specialized accelerators for neural operations.

Why Arc B390 Pulls Ahead

The Arc B390's strength lies in its combination of computational resources, XMX blocks, and high memory bandwidth. For integrated graphics, the latter is particularly important: it has no dedicated video memory, so textures and other data are stored in shared RAM.

In laptops with fast LPDDR5X memory, Intel graphics are less likely to hit bandwidth limits at a resolution of 1920 × 1080. This helps maintain a more stable frame rate during demanding scenes and reduces texture quality drops.

The XMX blocks accelerate the performance of XeSS and other matrix algorithms. The Radeon 890M uses FSR, which does not require specialized hardware and works on a wide range of graphics cards. AMD's approach is more universal, but in compatible games, the Arc B390 can perform neural scaling more effectively.

Gaming Performance

Independent tests show the Arc B390's advantage in most modern games, though its magnitude depends on the specific platform. In some projects, the Radeon 890M lags moderately, while in others, the difference becomes more noticeable, especially under heavy graphical loads.

Comparing results from different reviews should be done cautiously. Laptops may differ in:

• Sustained power limit;
• RAM speed;
• Cooling system;
• Scaling settings;
• BIOS and graphics driver versions.

With sufficient power consumption, the Arc B390 handles 1080p gaming more confidently. It more often allows for medium settings instead of low and uses a less aggressive scaling mode. In the most demanding projects, lowering some parameters is still necessary, but Intel's headroom is greater.

The Radeon 890M holds its ground well in esports titles. For Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Dota 2, and other comparatively less demanding projects, its performance is adequate. The B390's advantage is felt more strongly in modern AAA games, where the Radeon is already operating near its limits.

Neither of these iGPUs replaces a powerful discrete graphics card. Their function is to provide acceptable gaming speeds in a thin laptop without a dedicated GPU, rather than to run new games at maximum settings.

XeSS and FSR

XeSS restores images from a lower internal resolution and reduces the load on the GPU. On the Arc B390, the technology utilizes XMX blocks, giving Intel additional resources for neural processing.

FSR is not tied to a specific architecture and works on a wider range of GPUs. This is its main advantage. The image quality and performance gains of both technologies depend on the version of the algorithm and its implementation in specific games.

Frame generation can also significantly increase displayed FPS but does not fix excessively low base performance. If a game runs slowly from the outset, input lag will remain noticeable even after adding intermediate frames.

Ray Tracing

Both graphics solutions support hardware ray tracing, but for integrated GPUs, it remains a heavy load. Even the Arc B390 will require scaling and quality reductions in demanding games.

Intel's advantage here is determined primarily by its higher overall performance. The B390 should not be seen as a solution for maximum ray tracing, but moderate RT effects are available more often than with the Radeon 890M.

Video Processing

The Arc B390 supports hardware AV1 encoding and decoding, VVC decoding, and Intel Quick Sync. This suite is useful for video editing, converting clips, screen recording, and streaming.

The Radeon 890M also handles AV1 and is suitable for most multimedia tasks. However, Quick Sync has long been supported by video editing and encoding software, giving Intel an additional advantage in compatible applications.

The outcome depends on the specific software. Some editors make better use of Intel's media engine, while others work more efficiently with AMD's compute units. For professional use, it’s worth looking at benchmarks of the needed application rather than just gaming results.

What to Check Before Buying

The name of the integrated GPU does not guarantee identical performance across all laptops. A compact model with a low power limit may lag considerably behind a larger device with the same processor.

Before making a purchase, three parameters are particularly important:

• Speed and capacity of RAM;
• Performance after sustained load;
• Power limits in gaming mode.

It is also advisable to consider noise, chassis temperature, battery life, and screen quality. A slight gain in FPS does not always justify a higher price or a less convenient laptop.

Conclusion

The Intel Arc B390 sets a new benchmark among high-performance integrated GPUs. It outperforms the Radeon 890M in most gaming scenarios, is equipped with XMX blocks, and offers more advanced video processing capabilities. For gaming without a discrete graphics card, this is the preferred choice under comparable conditions.

At the same time, the Radeon 890M does not become a weak option. It remains suitable for esports projects, older AAA games, and new releases at moderate settings. Its main advantage continues to be the price of the ready-made laptop.

If both models are close in cost, memory, cooling, and screen quality, the Arc B390 appears more compelling. The Radeon 890M makes sense to choose when an AMD laptop is considerably cheaper, has longer battery life, or excels in other important characteristics.