Summary
- Intel's Meteor Lake processors are set to revolutionize the gaming handheld market with their powerful architecture and integration of Intel Arc Graphics.
- Emdoor's upcoming handheld gaming PC will be powered by an Intel Meteor Lake-H processor, with a TDP range of 20W to 35W, providing high performance in a portable device.
- The showcase video demonstrates that the handheld is capable of running games like God of War with impressive visual fidelity and framerate, signaling a promising future for Intel in the gaming handheld market.
Intel's Meteor Lake processors are looking to be one of the biggest shake-ups in years, after Intel revealed details of the architecture a few weeks back. The company has yet to announce any processors as part of the lineup, but they're apparently starting to make the rounds, and they're even being shown off in devices, as is the case with an upcoming handheld gaming PC from Emdoor.
Emdoor typically makes mini PCs and tablets, but its first foray into the gaming handheld market is looking fairly promising. According to the spec sheet, it will be powered by an Intel Meteor Lake-H processor, and it will have a TDP ranging from 20W to 35W, which is pretty high for this kind of machine. However, it's also unusually low compared to H-series processors in the past, as those typically start at 45W. This TDP would put it in the range of something like Intel's P-series, which has a base TDP of 28W.
The handheld also features Intel Arc Graphics 5, which, based on the typical nomenclature Intel uses for its CPUs, suggests it may be a more mid-range integrated GPU. Intel used to label its processors based on the graphics prowess of each chip, so you'd known that an Intel Core i5-1035G1 would have a weaker GPU than the Core i5-1035G4, which in turn was weaker than the Core i5-1035G7. Recent models haven't made it clear how powerful the integrated GPU is, even though it does vary between models, so maybe this means Intel will make things clearer again with Meteor Lake.
We don't know much about how this hardware will perform, but in the showcase video by Notebook Italia (via VideoCardz), we see the handheld apparently running God of War, and the visual fidelity and framerate seem pretty good for a handheld. Otherwise, the device comes with up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, which uses the M.2 2280 form factor, meaning it should be very easy to get a replacement if you need to.
Intel has been largely left in the dust for the past couple of years when it comes to the gaming handheld market since AMD has far better integrated GPUs, which allow devices like the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go to be as capable as they are. But with Meteor Lake integrating Intel Arc graphics, it looks like Intel is ready to enter the market in full force, and we'll see many more Steam Deck alternatives in the coming months.