ntel Panther Lake iGPU hits 80 fps in Cyberpunk in early tests
Intel’s Panther Lake laptops are starting to show up in controlled CES 2026 hands-on sessions. Tom’s Hardware tested a Lenovo reference system with the Core Ultra X9 388H and Arc B390 iGPU, which is the 12 Xe3-core configuration reserved for X-series parts. Reveiwers at the scene were closely monitored and were not allowed to just tinker with the reference system how they liked. So naturally these are just early hands-on videos with some general understanding where Intel Arc B390 will sit.
The Tom’s Hardware session used 1080p or 1200p with XeSS upscaling, plus an external PCIe Gen 4 SSD over USB-C. Intel also confirmed the Core Ultra X9 388H power limits as 65W PL1 with an 85W short boost (PL2) for the full SoC.
Here are the game results Tom’s Hardware published from the short benchmarking window:
| Intel Arc B390 iGPU Performance | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom’s Hardware Testing | Average frame rate | 1% low frame rate | Settings |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | 68.4 fps | 39.7 fps | 1200p, High, XeSS Quality |
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Built-in benchmark) | 81.4 fps | 59.1 fps | 1080p, High, XeSS Balanced |
| Doom: The Dark Ages | 51.1 fps | 38.1 fps | 1080p, High, XeSS Balanced |
| F1 2025 (Built-in benchmark, Australia Day Clear) | 109.5 fps | 81.8 fps | 1080p, High, XeSS Balanced |
| Monster Hunter Wilds | 35.5 fps | 28.1 fps | 1200p, Medium, XeSS Balanced |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | 57.4 fps | 30 fps | 1080p, High, XeSS Quality |
ETA Prime published separate hands-on footage from a Lenovo reference laptop at CES using the same Core Ultra X9 388H and Arc B390 iGPU (I guess it’s the same systeM). The video shows 1200p gaming with XeSS in several titles, including Spider-Man 2 above 70 fps after switching XeSS modes, plus Shadow of the Tomb Raider averaging 74 fps at 1200p High without upscaling.
Source: ETA Pprime
Both sessions point to the same sticking point: software consistency. Tom’s Hardware called out uneven XeSS quality between games, trouble capturing data in some titles due to PresentMon not hooking correctly, and additional hiccups like first-pass stutter in Monster Hunter Wilds.
While demo units did not use frame generation, Intel only allowed testing with XeSS. Intel has made a lot of slides mentioning how great Arc B390 will be when using XeSS. Intel said this will be the first integrated graphics to feature AI-based multi frame generation support.
Intel said first laptops with Core Ultra Series 3 will launch around January 27, 2026.
Source: Tom’s Hardware , ETA Prime
