Intel Arc B390 iGPU Sees Significant Performance Gains in Linux 7.2 Benchmarks

Intel Arc B390 iGPU Sees Significant Linux Performance Gains with Kernel 7.2

Intel integrated GPUs have long lagged behind their Windows counterparts in terms of performance on Linux, particularly when it comes to gaming. However, recent benchmarks suggest that the latest Intel Arc B390 iGPU is closing the gap, thanks to improvements introduced in Linux kernel 7.2.

Notable Performance Improvements in Gaming Benchmarks

According to recent testing, CPU performance remains largely consistent across versions, but the real story lies in the graphics performance. Native Linux gaming benchmarks reveal up to a 12% increase in frame rates in certain scenarios. These gains are evident across both OpenGL and Vulkan rendering workloads, highlighting the impact of enhanced support from the updated Intel Xe Linux kernel driver.

For example, in the GravityMark 1.87 ray tracing benchmark, the performance improvement is modest—just a 1% increase with the new drivers. However, more substantial gains are seen in games like Unvanquished 0.56.1, an open-source first-person shooter and real-time strategy hybrid with a native Linux build. At a resolution of 1920 × 1200 and medium settings, frame rates improved by 12%. When settings were increased to high quality, the performance boost tapered to 6%.

Similar trends are observed in Xonotic, another popular open-source shooter. At 1920 × 1200 and low settings, the Arc B390 iGPU delivers a 5% performance increase. This improvement rises to 6.7% at ultra settings and 6.2% at ultimate settings, demonstrating consistent gains across different graphical presets.

Efficiency Maintained for Handhelds and Laptops

One of the most encouraging findings is that these performance enhancements do not come at the cost of increased power consumption. System-on-chip (SoC) power usage remains virtually unchanged, suggesting that battery life on gaming handhelds and laptops equipped with the Arc B390 iGPU should remain unaffected as the new Intel Xe kernel drivers are adopted by mainstream and gaming-focused Linux distributions.

With these improvements, the Intel Arc B390 iGPU is becoming a more compelling option for Linux gamers, especially those using next-generation handheld PCs and laptops. As Linux kernel 7.2 and its updated drivers become widely available, users can expect a smoother and more responsive gaming experience on Intel’s latest integrated graphics hardware.