Intel has been developing its Iris graphics technology for several years to provide a better integrated GPU experience for systems that don’t require discrete graphics. But all along, the assumed goal was for the chip giant to create a discrete graphics option based on the platform, which Intel has finally done with the Iris Xe MAX. Laptop makers have just started offering notebooks featuring Iris Xe MAX, such as the recently reviewed Acer Swift X3. Chinese company Chuwi has jumped ahead of much of the competition, however, with the release of its new CoreBook Xe laptop, which also features Iris Xe MAX graphics but at a much lower price point than the Swift X3.

The CoreBook Xe is a 15.6-inch portable that includes 8GB of RAM, a 512GB solid-state drive, and 1,920×1,080 display resolution. To shave some dollars off the price, it ships with an Intel Core i5-10210U CPU, rather than a newer 11th-generation Tiger Lake processor. The Iris Xe MAX GPU won’t turn this system into any kind of gaming or video powerhouse, but it can provide the kind of boost that Nvidia’s entry-level MX mobile graphics has been offering laptop buyers. It uses Intel’s Deep Link technology to yoke integrated and discrete graphics power together to boost performance on AI-enabled editing as well as to balance the CPU and GPU processors to maximize performance.  

To deal with the discrete GPU performance, the CoreBook Xe includes a hefty 90Wh battery, though even then Chuwi only claims six hours of battery life, about half the duration of what ZDNet reviewer Sandra Vogel got from the Swift X3. Like that Acer portable, the CoreBook Xe has to contend with the heat thrown off by the Iris Xe MAX, placing two fans inside the chassis with four automatically regulated speeds.

Chuwi has Acer beat on price, as the CoreBook Xe is being sold for $699.99, rather than the $899.99 base price for the Swift X3. For that price difference, you get a Core i5-1135G7 as well as the Acer brand reputation compared to its Chinese competitor, which is still relatively unknown to most laptop buyers (though favorably reviewed on this site). Do you have any interest in the CoreBook Xe and its Iris Xe MAX graphics? Let us know in the Comments section below.