This week, during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Intel showed off a new integrated graphics line using fifth-generation Core processors for desktop PC enthusiasts and desktop gamers. First announced back in January, the “65-watt, unlocked desktop Core i7 chip will be Intel's first LGA-socketed CPU with Iris Pro graphics”, said the company (PC Mag). We should expect to see the device (the name remains unconfirmed) in desktops sometime in the middle of the year.

Intentions are to use this processor for systems with tight thermal constraints, especially custom mini-PCs. It will also come unlocked, meaning overclocking is possible, which might require some extra cooling but hey, it's not the end of the world. However, Iris Pro is Intel's highest tier of integrated graphics solutions, so its most compatible machine may in fact be top-end laptops. It's embedded DRAM cache has the ability to speed up data transfer between the CPU and GPU (NDTV Gadgets).

Another announcement includes Intel's plans to release non-Pro Iris integrated graphics in a fanless New Unit of Computing (NUC). It will be a 28W model, based on a Core i7 version of Broadwell, sold by Intel and partners sometime in April. It has some gaming potential, as the little thing with an enclosure capacity of just .62 liters will support high speed M.2 SSDs, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi; and with its 14-nm structure, have increased speeds and performance rates (NDTV Gadgets). Considering about 70 percent of the world's PC's use Intel graphics, surely the company doesn't want to risk losing its customers to its biggest competitor, AMD. I think tackling both graphics and performance on all sides will do the trick.