To put it into perspective, Iris equipped Broadwell CPUs operate at an adjustable TDP that is at best 28 watts, which suggests the new generation of chips is far more efficient. Previous generation CPUs running inside a 15-watt TDP were only available with Intel’s less performance focused HD graphics hardware.
However, it’s not clear if these new 15-watt chips with Iris will run at the same clock speeds as previous Broadwell (aka 5th-generation core) models with Iris, or if they will be clocked down to fit the lower power envelope.
Related: Sixth-generation Intel Skylake processors tipped to debut in August, not June
Whether that is the case or not, Intel’s Iris hardware is not going to make whatever system it ends up in a graphical power house. Those wanting to play high-resolution AAA games at anything but a snail pace slideshow will need a dedicated GPU as well, but performance on systems equipped with just the on board graphics should be more than enough for the average end user.
Skylake hardware will, like previous generations, come in three Core flavors; the maximum-performance i7, the more mainstream i5 and the economy end of the spectrum, the i3 range. Fudzilla suggests that it is likely the high end versions of the new generation will include the Iris hardware, though it isn’t clear if the entire range will utilize it.
The first batch of 14nm CPUs will become available towards the end of this year, with Intel said to be launching four Skylake processors in Q4 2015, and a second round of four coming by the end of Q1 2016.
