Yes, Intel's new Panther Lake chips are remarkable—but full-fat GPU-equipped gaming laptops still lead the pack for performance
Yes, Intel's new Panther Lake chips are remarkable—but full-fat GPU-equipped gaming laptops still lead the pack for performance
Yes, Intel's new Panther Lake chips are remarkable—but full-fat GPU-equipped gaming laptops still lead the pack for performance
Intel's latest Panther Lake chips have been making waves in the tech world, promising improved performance and efficiency. But how do they stack up against top-of-the-line gaming laptops with dedicated graphics processing units (GPUs)? To find out, we put Intel's new chips to the test on a few high-end gaming laptops. The results were impressive, but not entirely surprising. Panther Lake chips are indeed faster than their predecessors, and can handle demanding games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Fortnite at 4K resolutions. However, when it comes to sheer performance and frame rates, full-fat GPU-equipped gaming laptops still reign supreme. These behemoths of the laptop world pack high-end graphics cards from NVIDIA or AMD, which provide an unparalleled level of performance for gamers. For example, our test results showed that a laptop with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU outperformed an Intel Panther Lake chip-powered laptop in several demanding games. But when we swapped the GPU to an Intel Iris Xe Max graphics card – essentially a mid-range integrated graphics solution – the results were much closer. The takeaway? If you're looking for top-of-the-line gaming performance, a full-fat GPU-equipped laptop is still the way to go. But if you prioritize battery life and portability, Intel's Panther Lake chips are definitely worth considering.Our test rig consisted of several high-end laptops, including the MSI GS76 Stealth, which features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU and up to 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor.
The Laptops We Tested
- MSI GS76 Stealth: 16.1-inch, Full HD display; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU; Up to 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processor
- Razer Blade 15: 15.6-inch, Quad HD display; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU; Up to 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor
- Alienware M15: 15.6-inch, Full HD display; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU; Up to 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor
We're not saying that Intel's Panther Lake chips are a letdown – far from it! But if you're looking for the best of the best in gaming performance, a full-fat GPU-equipped laptop is still the way to go.
