Intel's Alder Lake-N SoCs: Gaming Performance and Power Efficiency
The recently launched Intel Alder Lake-N SoCs are undoubtedly going to be popular among budget PC builders due to their low prices and decent performance. However, the chips aren’t necessarily the best choice if you’re after a chip capable of good gaming performance. Fortunately, YouTuber Team Pandory has put the N100 chip through its paces and tested its gaming capabilities, and the results are pretty interesting.
Despite not being the best chip for gaming, the N100 chip showcased some pretty decent power efficiency, achieving 60 frames per second in some light games with less than 7W of power consumption. It’s worth noting that the chip isn’t necessarily designed for gaming, and its primary purpose is to handle everyday tasks such as web browsing, video playback, and basic office work. But it’s intriguing to see the chip’s gaming performance, especially considering it’s an E-core-only chip.
Intel’s latest release of ultra-low power and low-cost SoCs, Alder Lake-N features the Gracemount CPU cores, which are known for their efficiency and power. The Gracemount cores are comparable in performance to the 6th generation Skylake CPU cores from 2015, offering L3 cache support and improved branch prediction.
However, the iGPU in the Alder Lake-N chips is less impressive and is comparable to Intel’s previous generation Gemini Lake chips. The integrated graphics chip boasts 24 Execution Units (EUs) and supports up to 8K 60 fps playback with AV1 decode capabilities through Intel’s Xe-LP architecture. However, the chip is limited to 4K 60 fps output for display resolution and can’t reach the performance of the Arc Alchemist.
Team Pandory tested the N100 chip in various games at minimum settings and a 720p resolution, achieving 60 fps in a few titles but averaging around 30 to 20 fps in most games. The YouTuber tested the chip in various games, including Genshin Impact, Dota 2, Grid Autosport, GTA V, Minecraft, Resident Evil 5, Skyrim, Sleeping Dogs, CS:GO, and Forza Horizon 4.
Only CS:GO, Grid Autosport, Resident Evil 5, and Dota 2 managed to hit 60 fps, while the rest ran at 30 fps or less, making them unplayable. However, despite the chip’s gaming shortcomings, it offers impressive performance per watt with its 6W power consumption. Check out the video below for a full run-through.
In addition to the gaming tests, Team Pandory discusses the underlying architecture and features of the Alder Lake-N SoCs. You can learn more about the chips in our Alder Lake N review and our Alder Lake N review roundup.
Staying up to date with the latest advancements in tech, such as Intel’s Alder Lake-N chips, is crucial to keeping up with the ever-changing tech landscape.
