Haswell isn't expected to launch until the beginning of June in desktops and quad-core notebooks, but Intel is beginning to talk performance. Intel used a mobile customer reference board in a desktop chassis featuring Haswell GT3 with embedded DRAM (the fastest Haswell GPU configuration that Intel will ship) and compared it to an ASUS UX15 with on-board NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M. 

Despite the chassis difference, Intel claims it will be able to deliver the same performance from the demo today in an identical UX15 chassis by the time Haswell ships.

The video below shows Dirt 3 running at 1080p on both systems, with identical detail settings (High Quality presets, no AA, vsync off). Intel wouldn't let us report performance numbers, but subjectively the two looked to deliver very similar performance. Note that I confirmed all settings myself and ran both games myself independently of the demo. You can be the judge using the video below:

Intel wouldn't let us confirm clock speeds on Haswell vs. the Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) system, but it claimed that the Haswell part was the immediate successor to its Ivy Bridge comparison point. 

As proof of Haswell's ability to fit in a notebook chassis, it did have another demo using older Haswell silicon running Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in a notebook chassis. 

Haswell GT3e's performance looked great for processor graphics. I would assume that overall platform power would be reduced since you wouldn't have a discrete GPU inside, however there's also the question of the cost of the solution. I do expect that NVIDIA will continue to drive discrete GPU performance up, but as a solution for some of the thinner/space constrained form factors (think 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, maybe 11-inch Ultrabook/MacBook Air?) Haswell could be a revolutionary step forward.

Comments Locked

252 Comments

View All Comments

  • blue_urban_sky - Thursday, January 10, 2013 - link

    from article

    "Note that I confirmed all settings myself and ran both games myself independently of the demo."
  • CeriseCogburn - Sunday, January 13, 2013 - link

    Umm.. what the heck do you mean ?

    ( yes that was a well deserved sarcastic attack against the Intel haterz here )
  • Khato - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - link

    If they'd actually demonstrated performance in one of the games that IVB doesn't already do well in. Note that IVB is comparable to to Trinity in Dirt 3 and a number of other games, but then in Civ 5 and a few others it drops down to up to half the performance... those are the games that they need to improve upon, and if HSW doesn't improve there then it'll continue to be sub-par.
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - link

    Indeed. It's unlikely that it will improve either, given that the underlying architecture is not likely to have radically changed.
  • StevoLincolnite - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - link

    Can't forget the drivers or horrible too.
    Makes AMD's look gold plated in comparison.
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - link

    AMDs *are* gold plated by comparison ;)
  • DanNeely - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - link

    Which doesn't change the fact that it's the sort of "gold" plating that will turn your skin green if you wear it continuously.
  • Spunjji - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - link

    No green skin from my drivers yet! ;) Granted, I'm using a laptop without Enduro...
  • mikato - Friday, January 11, 2013 - link

    Where can I download these gold plated drivers? free download? :)
  • DanNeely - Wednesday, January 9, 2013 - link

    The top end Haswell IGP is supposed to be a 40core model vs 16 in IVB. Even if they didn't touch the architecture at all that would be a nice boost.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now