Intel's upcoming Lunar Lake processors are showing impressive performance in early benchmarks, potentially revolutionizing the gaming handheld market. Recent tests of the Core Ultra 7 258V chip reveal significant advantages over current AMD offerings in both performance and efficiency.
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| This image illustrates the sleek design of modern gaming devices that may benefit from Intel's innovative Lunar Lake processors |
Benchmark Results
YouTuber Geekerwan conducted tests comparing the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake) against several competitors:
- At 15W power draw, the Lunar Lake chip outperformed the AMD Z1 Extreme by over 2x in some tests
- In Cyberpunk 2077 at 720p, the 258V achieved 28 fps compared to 13 fps for both the Steam Deck and ROG Ally
- When pushed to 30W, the Lunar Lake CPU nearly matched the performance of AMD's 80W Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in several games
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| Early benchmark results showcase the impressive performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V in gaming applications |
Efficiency Gains
The most impressive aspect of these results is the power efficiency of the Lunar Lake architecture:
- Competitive performance achieved at significantly lower power draw than AMD counterparts
- Battery life reportedly comparable to Apple's M3 chip in laptop testing
Potential Drawbacks
While the performance looks promising, there are some potential concerns:
- Compatibility issues with older games due to Intel's relatively new Arc graphics drivers
- Limited real-world testing in actual handheld devices
Future Outlook
These early results suggest Lunar Lake could be a game-changer for portable gaming PCs. Devices like the upcoming MSI Claw 8 AI+ are set to feature these new chips, potentially offering substantial improvements in both performance and battery life compared to current AMD-powered handhelds.
As the launch of Lunar Lake approaches, it will be interesting to see if these benchmark results translate to real-world gaming experiences and if Intel can address any compatibility concerns with their graphics drivers.