Intel Arc B390 iGPU Surpasses AMD Radeon 890M in Latest Linux Benchmarks

Intel’s Arc graphics lineup has faced its share of challenges on Linux, but recent developments indicate a significant turnaround. In a comprehensive benchmark analysis, the new Panther Lake Intel Arc B390 integrated GPU (iGPU), featured in the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, was put head-to-head with the AMD Radeon 890M found in the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. The results reveal that Intel’s latest iGPU consistently outperforms its AMD counterpart, echoing trends observed in early Windows benchmarks.

The testing, conducted on an MSI Prestige 14 equipped with the latest Mesa 26.0 graphics drivers and running Linux Kernel 6.19 on Ubuntu 26.04, focused on the new Xe3 integrated graphics architecture. This setup provided an up-to-date and robust environment for evaluating real-world performance.

Gaming Performance: Intel Arc B390 Takes the Lead

In gaming benchmarks, the Intel Arc B390 iGPU demonstrated a clear advantage. The only exceptions were Counter-Strike 2 at 1920×1200 resolution and Quake II RTX, where the AMD Radeon 890M managed to edge ahead. Across all other tested titles, the Arc B390 not only outperformed the Radeon 890M but also surpassed previous-generation Intel iGPUs, including the Core Ultra 7 155H and Core Ultra 7 258V.

Depending on the game and graphics settings, the Arc B390 delivered performance gains ranging from 15% to over 50%. Notably, in Hitman 3 at 1920×1200 on low settings, the Arc B390 achieved more than 50% higher frame rates than its closest competitor and outpaced the Radeon 890M by 64%. These substantial gains persisted at medium settings, with a slightly reduced but still significant lead at ultra settings.

Benchmark Results: Consistent Superiority Across Tests

The Arc B390’s dominance extended to synthetic benchmarks as well. In 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, the Intel iGPU scored 20% higher than the Radeon 890M. The margin was narrower in 3DMark Solar Bay, but the Arc B390 still came out on top. In GravityMark, the Arc B390 excelled in OpenGL, Vulkan, and Vulkan Ray Tracing tests, further establishing its lead.

Additional benchmarks, including Unigine Superposition, Valley, and Heaven, saw the Arc B390 maintaining at least a 30% performance advantage over the competition. Despite these results, the AMD Radeon 890M remained competitive in terms of efficiency, even if it could not match the raw performance of Intel’s latest offering.

Conclusion: A New Era for Intel Integrated Graphics on Linux

The latest benchmarks highlight a significant leap forward for Intel’s integrated graphics on Linux. The Arc B390 iGPU not only closes the gap with AMD’s Radeon 890M but establishes itself as the new performance leader in its class. With continued driver improvements and robust hardware, Intel’s Arc graphics are poised to offer a compelling option for Linux users seeking strong gaming and graphics performance from integrated solutions.