Intel challenges AMD’s handheld dominance with new Arc G3 chips — Panther Lake silicon brings up to 14 cores, Arc B390 graphics to handhelds
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Image credit: Intel
After teasing the range earlier this year, Intel has officially revealed its Arc G3 series of chips designed for the best handheld gaming PCs. The lineup consists of two SKUs—Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme—built on Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) silicon and equipped with either the Arc B390 or Arc B370 integrated GPU, the only two Xe³‑architecture graphics processors currently available.
Specifications
| Feature | Arc G3 Extreme | Arc G3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores (P + E + LP‑E) | 14 (2 + 8 + 4) | 14 (2 + 8 + 4) |
| P‑core Max Turbo (GHz) | 4.7 | 4.6 |
| L3 Cache (MB) | 12 | 12 |
| iGPU (Xe³ cores) | Arc B390 (12) | Arc B370 (10) |
| iGPU Max Clock (GHz) | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Max memory speed & capacity | 96 GB LPDDR5X‑8533 | 96 GB LPDDR5X‑8533 |
| Configurable TDP (W) | 8 – 35 | 8 – 35 |
Both chips use a 14‑core CPU (2 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 4 low‑power efficiency cores). The primary difference is the integrated GPU: the B390 offers 12 Xe³ cores, while the B370 provides 10. Intel has not yet disclosed exact clock speeds or power‑draw figures beyond the configurable TDP range.
Image credit: Intel
New Features
- Intel Precompiled Shaders – The G3 Extreme series will ship with precompiled shader bundles, reducing runtime compilation overhead. AMD recently introduced a similar concept on desktop via Advanced Shader Delivery in partnership with Microsoft.
- XeSS 3 Support – Full XeSS 3 features are available, including multi‑frame generation, AI upscaling, and latency reduction. These capabilities are limited to games that explicitly support them; Intel does not currently provide driver‑level frame generation comparable to AMD’s Fluid Motion Frames.
- Connectivity – Both chips include Wi‑Fi 7 R2, Bluetooth 6, and Thunderbolt 4.
Performance Snapshot
In Tom’s Hardware’s pre‑release testing of the Arc B390, the iGPU delivered impressive results:
- Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, high settings, XeSS Balanced) – > 80 fps on a 16‑inch Lenovo reference laptop.
Performance in a thermally constrained handheld will likely be lower, but the numbers indicate the B390 can handle demanding titles at playable frame rates.
Availability
Partner systems from Acer, MSI, and OneXPlayer are expected to launch “in the coming months.” Intel will showcase several handheld prototypes featuring the Arc G3 range at Computex.