However, it might be more appealing beyond games. New Deep Link tech lets software split tasks between Intel’s integrated GPU on Tiger Lake-based PCs and the Iris Xe Max, sometimes delivering performance that would normally require a desktop video card. Intel is claiming twice the single-stream video encoding prowess of a GeForce RTX 2080 by early 2021, although we’ll have to see how well that translates in the real world. The Xe Max can devote all its power resources to the CPU for apps that depend more on conventional processing.
You’ll likely see more laptops, but Intel has also teased partnerships to roll out budget desktops using the Intel Xe Max’s underlying architecture (Xe-LP) in the first half of 2021. You should truly gaming-ready desktop GPUs from Intel next year, as well. In that light, Iris Xe Max is really laying groundwork for a more ambitious entry into the graphics space. Whether or not everyday users are receptive is another matter. The GPU market has been notoriously reluctant to accommodate more than two entrants, and Intel is still synonymous with slow graphics for many users.
