The first laptops with Intel Iris Xe Max graphics are now available to order

Earlier this month, audiences got their first glimpse of Iris Xe Max, Intel’s new discrete GPU for thin and light laptops, at an Acer press event. Today, Intel unveiled the first full wave of laptops that will include this GPU, some of which are now available for purchase in select countries.

Laptops include the Acer Swift 3X, Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1, and Asus VivoBook Flip TP470. The Inspiron 15 is available in the US from Best Buy; Acer has already announced that it will be expecting the 3X in the United States in December. The Swift 3X and Inspiron 15 are also available in China through JD.com. Intel says the Asus VivoBook will arrive “soon” in the United States and China.

Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

Intel Iris Xe Max graphics are primarily intended for portable systems for content creators. “We set out to redefine the role of discrete graphics in thin and light laptops and reach out to a growing segment of designers who want more portability,” said Roger Chandler, Intel vice president and general manager of XPU Client products and solutions, in a statement.

The three new laptops also include 11th generation Intel “Tiger Lake” mobile processors, as well as Intel’s Deep Link technology, which allows certain applications to leverage both discrete and integrated graphics for creative work. Intel says Tiger Lake systems paired with Iris Xe Max graphics can deliver “seven times faster artificial intelligence-based creation” than similar laptops with third-party GPUs.

The company also claims that its GPU can deliver “excellent thin and light 1080p games on popular games.” We shouldn’t be too excited about this before the benchmarks are released – it would certainly be surprising to see laptops of this size working. Microsoft Flight Simulator. But the Iris Xe integrated graphics do a decent job with stuff like Overwatch, So you could very well offer lower prices if Acer, Dell and Asus can keep the cooling under control.

Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

I’ve had some time with the Acer Swift 3X, which starts at $ 899.99. It’s a slim, portable machine, with a decent selection of ports and a nice display. But our test unit was not finalized so I was unable to test the graphics. The value of this system (and others like it) to creators will largely depend on GPU performance, battery life, and display quality – so keep an eye out for our next reviews.