AMD’s maintain on the gaming handheld market may lastly be underneath risk. A brand new benchmark exhibits Intel Lunar Lake CPUs stomping over the competitors with big efficiency boosts in comparison with the AMD chips utilized in gadgets just like the Steam Deck. It’s only one check to this point, but when it’s replicated, then it factors to next-gen handhelds changing into far more highly effective.
Intel has been struggling towards the tide of AMD wins for a while in relation to gaming PC efficiency, however a wedge into handhelds may assist enhance the corporate after an extended yr of setbacks. There isn’t a single Intel chip powering any of the very best handheld gaming PCs presently in the marketplace, but when this leak is something to go by, that could possibly be about to alter.
This knowledge comes from Geekerwan, a Chinese language {hardware} tester. In his Bilibili video, he assessments a Lenovo Yoga laptop computer containing an Intel Core Extremely 7 258V CPU towards quite a lot of widespread handhelds just like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally. Each the Steam Deck and ROG Ally run customized AMD chips which have, till now, proved not possible for Intel to beat.
It isn’t a totally honest battle, although. The Intel Lunar Lake CPU that he assessments is drawing round 12W whereas it runs in a restricted energy mode, whereas each the hand held APUs are drawing round 8-9W underneath use. To make the comparability a little bit fairer to the handhelds through the benchmarks, the Lenovo Yoga ran with a 720p decision.
Whereas the Intel CPU did have extra provided energy than the handhelds, it’s nonetheless an attention-grabbing outcome. In Geekerwan’s testing, the Lunar Lake CPU confirmed a 35% enchancment over the APU used within the Steam Deck. It was even higher towards Asus, with the Core Extremely 7 258V CPU hitting efficiency that was over two occasions as quick because the AMD Z1 Excessive APU that the unique ROG Ally makes use of.
In a real-world efficiency check utilizing Cyberpunk 2077, the Core Extremely 7 258V was in a position to hit 28 frames per second, however so as to add salt to the wound, it used AMD’s personal FSR expertise, which helps Intel’s built-in graphics, to assist it get there. In distinction, the Steam Deck solely hit 13fps, whereas the ROG Ally managed simply 11fps.
That is all nice information for Intel, giving it some hope that its newer, extra energy consumption-friendly Intel Core Extremely 200V CPUs will discover their method into gaming handhelds within the close to future. With the power to supply gaming efficiency like this with decreased energy consumption, the following Steam Deck may simply run with an Intel Lunar Lake CPU like this one.
Whereas it’s nonetheless a way off simply but, you’ll be able to take a look at our Steam Deck 2 information for the newest rumors on when you’ll be able to count on Valve’s next-gen handheld to be launched.
