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Integrated graphics can run some modern PC games, but performance depends heavily on the exact graphics chip and the computer around it. Some recent integrated GPUs can deliver playable frame rates in selected demanding games at modest settings; other game-and-system combinations fall below 30 frames per second. If you want demanding new games at high settings or higher resolutions, a computer with a discrete graphics card offers more performance headroom.
What “integrated graphics” means for gaming
An integrated GPU is built into the processor or its platform rather than installed as a separate graphics card. It can render games, but it shares the computer’s system resources, including memory, power and cooling capacity. That makes an integrated GPU’s gaming results more dependent on the complete system than a model name alone might suggest.
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“Integrated graphics” is not a single performance class. The capabilities of one model can differ substantially from another, even when both are described as graphics built into a processor. The precise GPU model matters; so do the laptop’s power limits and cooling, the memory configuration, and whether the graphics drivers are current. A result from one laptop should not be treated as a promise for every computer using a GPU with the same name.
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What recent game tests show
PC Gamer’s 2026 hands-on comparison tested four specific laptops: an Asus Zenbook Duo with Intel Arc B390, an Asus Zephyrus G16 with AMD Radeon 890M, an Asus Zenbook S 14 with Intel Arc 140V, and an Acer Nitro V 15 with a 75-watt mobile RTX 4050. The figures below are for the named laptop configurations, not guarantees for every system using those graphics chips.
| Game and settings | Intel Arc B390 | AMD Radeon 890M | Intel Arc 140V |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077, 1080p Medium, no upscaling | 64 fps average; 52 fps 1% low | 41 fps average; 35 fps 1% low | 33 fps average; 27 fps 1% low |
| Black Myth: Wukong, 1080p Medium, no upscaling | 39 fps average; 31 fps 1% low | 23 fps average; 20 fps 1% low | 17 fps average; 14 fps 1% low |
| F1 24, 1080p Medium, no upscaling | 113 fps average | 74 fps average | not stated (PC Gamer, 2026) |
| Cyberpunk 2077, 1080p Medium, upscaling set to Quality | 92 fps average; 60 fps 1% low | 53 fps average; 45 fps 1% low | 40 fps average; 33 fps 1% low |
All benchmark results in the table are from PC Gamer’s 2026 comparison. The article used 1080p with game-specific settings. The F1 24 results for the two listed GPUs include averages only; the comparison figures do not state 1% lows for that row. “Not stated” means no result for that GPU-and-game combination is included among the figures cited here.
The results illustrate why a single frame-rate number cannot settle whether integrated graphics are “good.” At 1080p Medium without upscaling, the tested B390 laptop averaged 64 fps in Cyberpunk 2077, while the tested Arc 140V averaged 33 fps. In Black Myth: Wukong, the tested 890M and Arc 140V laptops averaged 23 and 17 fps respectively. A racing game such as F1 24 can be much less demanding on a given system than a visually intensive action game.
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The average is only part of the experience. A 1% low describes performance during the slower portion of a run and can help reveal dips that an average conceals. For example, the B390 laptop’s Cyberpunk result was 64 fps average with a 52 fps 1% low, while the Arc 140V laptop’s result was 33 fps average with a 27 fps 1% low. Neither pair tells you everything about frame pacing, but the lower figure helps contextualize whether play may feel consistently smooth.
These tests are not a controlled comparison of graphics chips in otherwise identical computers. PC Gamer cautioned that the RTX 4050 laptop’s graphics power alone was higher than the Intel integrated-graphics system’s total power. Laptop power and cooling configurations also differ. The results are useful examples of what particular machines achieved, not a universal ranking or a prediction for every implementation.
Which games are a good fit?
Integrated graphics are most comfortable when the game’s demands match the computer’s performance budget. Casual games, older releases, many esports titles and selected current games can be reasonable choices, especially when you are willing to tune settings. Some games also run well at a given setting on one integrated GPU but not on another, so “it plays modern games” is too broad a promise to be useful.
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- Less demanding or older games: Often a more natural fit, though the exact game and GPU still matter.
- Esports and racing games: Some can run at strong frame rates on capable integrated graphics. PC Gamer’s 2026 F1 24 test, for example, recorded 113 fps average on its B390 laptop and 74 fps on its 890M laptop at 1080p Medium without upscaling.
- Demanding current games: Expect to consider lower settings, reduced resolution or in-game upscaling. The tested 890M averaged 23 fps in Black Myth: Wukong at 1080p Medium without upscaling, showing that a capable integrated GPU can still struggle in a demanding title at those settings.
- High settings, demanding effects or higher resolutions: These goals are more likely to call for a discrete GPU, which has more dedicated performance headroom.
“Playable” is also a personal target. Some players accept a lower frame rate in a single-player game; others prioritize responsive controls or a stable high refresh rate. Look at the average and 1% low for the game you intend to play, then decide whether those results meet your own expectations.
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Do not compare GPU names in isolation or treat an average frame rate as a complete verdict. Use results for the actual game and, where possible, for the specific laptop or desktop platform you are considering.
- Exact graphics model and generation: Confirm the integrated GPU, not just the processor family or a general label such as “integrated graphics.”
- System implementation: Check the computer model and its power and cooling configuration. A laptop’s limits can affect sustained performance.
- Memory configuration: Verify the capacity and configuration for the machine being compared when that information is available. Do not assume every system with the same GPU has the same memory setup.
- Game and requirements: Look for tests of the titles you actually play, and check those games’ system requirements.
- Matching test conditions: Compare the same resolution, preset, ray-tracing setting and upscaling mode. A native-resolution result is not directly equivalent to a result rendered with upscaling.
- Frame-rate details: Consider average fps and 1% lows together. If a source reports frame pacing, that can add useful context; do not infer it from averages alone.
- Drivers and software: Keep graphics drivers current and confirm that the game and chosen graphics features are supported by the specific hardware.
When choosing a laptop, prioritize independent tests of the exact model and configuration rather than assuming another laptop with the same GPU label will perform identically. The Asus Zenbook Duo in PC Gamer’s B390 test is an example of a real laptop configuration, not a guarantee about every B390 laptop or a statement about current retail availability.
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How to improve performance without changing the computer
Adjust settings methodically. A lower resolution or preset can make a game easier to render, but each change has an image-quality trade-off. Upscaling can improve frame rate when the game and GPU support it, but its quality depends on the selected mode and implementation. Test in a representative gameplay scene rather than relying on a menu or a short, unusually light section.
- Check the game’s display and graphics settings. Note the current resolution, preset, ray tracing setting and available upscalers so you can judge what changed.
- Reduce resolution if native 1080p is too slow. Try 1600×900 or 1280×720. Lowering resolution can improve performance, but it also reduces image detail and sharpness.
- Choose a Low or Medium preset. If performance remains inadequate, lower demanding options such as shadows and turn off ray tracing where the game offers it.
- Try an available upscaler. Start with Quality, then test Balanced or Performance if you need more speed. Quality generally retains more image detail but offers less performance gain; more aggressive modes can deliver a larger gain at greater image-quality cost.
- Play through a representative scene and assess consistency. Check for dips and responsiveness as well as the average. If the game still falls short of your target after reasonable compromises, it may not be a good fit for that system.
Change one category at a time when practical. That makes it easier to tell whether a lower resolution, a less demanding preset, or an upscaler improved the experience, and which image-quality cost you are accepting.
What XeSS, FSR and RSR do—and what they do not guarantee
Upscaling techniques render a game at a lower internal resolution and reconstruct an output image, aiming to improve performance while preserving useful detail. Availability depends on both the game and the hardware or software path. An upscaler is not a fixed frame-rate boost: the outcome varies by title, system and quality mode.
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Intel XeSS
Intel’s support guidance says XeSS is available in supported titles on Intel Arc graphics and graphics hardware from other vendors. When a game offers it, select XeSS in that game’s display or graphics menu. Intel describes a trade-off between modes: Quality preserves more image quality but generally provides less performance gain, while more aggressive Performance settings can provide more speed at a larger image-quality cost. The supported-game list can change, so check whether the specific title offers XeSS.
AMD FSR
AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) is a game-integrated option whose availability depends on the title and supported products. Some FSR features are enabled inside the game; certain supported FSR versions can also be managed through AMD Software. Look for the setting in the game first, since the game determines which options are available.
AMD Radeon Super Resolution
AMD Radeon Super Resolution (RSR) is a driver-level option for compatible AMD RDNA-architecture or newer graphics hardware when a game runs in exclusive full-screen mode. AMD recommends using in-game FSR when the game supports it, because it typically yields better results, and warns that enabling both RSR and FSR together can degrade image quality.
AMD’s RSR page also lists “up to” performance multipliers from AMD tests dated February 8, 2022. Those tests used a discrete Radeon RX 6800 XT, not integrated graphics. For example, AMD reported up to 3.2× in Cyberpunk 2077 when upscaling 1080p to 4K compared with native 4K, and up to 2.1× when upscaling 1440p to 4K. Those vendor test figures do not establish an expected uplift for an integrated GPU.
When a discrete GPU makes more sense
A discrete graphics card is the more suitable direction if your priority is demanding AAA games at high settings, demanding graphics effects, or higher resolutions. It provides more performance headroom than integrated graphics, though the actual result still depends on the specific card and computer. If portability, casual gaming or a mix of older and selected current games matters more, integrated graphics may be a reasonable compromise.
Decide based on the games you intend to play and the compromises you will tolerate, not on a broad claim that integrated graphics can or cannot game. Find tests for the exact model, compare like-for-like settings, and use the results to determine whether its performance meets your personal smoothness target.
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