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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →An Acer Swift 3X battery-test listing published on October 21, 2020 revealed that Intel’s first Iris Xe Max laptop GPU used 4GB of LPDDR4X memory, not the faster GDDR6 associated with earlier DG1 demonstration hardware. Tom’s Hardware initially estimated just 34.1GB/s of bandwidth from an assumed 64-bit bus. Intel’s finalized specification later established a 128-bit LPDDR4X-4267 interface and 68GB/s. The change was a real bandwidth compromise for thin laptops, but the 34.1GB/s figure was never the final retail specification.
Acer’s Swift 3X revealed LPDDR4X VRAM
The listing described a specific battery-test configuration rather than a complete specification sheet for every Iris Xe Max laptop. It paired an 11th-generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 with Iris Xe Max discrete graphics, 4GB of LPDDR4X graphics memory, 8GB of LPDDR4X system memory, a Full HD display and SSD storage. Tom’s Hardware reported the listing on October 21, 2020: Tom’s Hardware report.
The important detail was the memory type. LPDDR4X is designed for low power and compact notebook layouts, while the earlier DG1 hardware Intel had shown publicly used GDDR6.
Why the memory looked slower than expected
Intel’s earlier DG1 test vehicle was described as having 96 execution units, 3GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit interface, and 12Gbps memory. Those figures imply 144GB/s of theoretical bandwidth:
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96 bits × 12,000 million transfers per second ÷ 8 = 144,000MB/s
That configuration was not a promise that every retail Iris Xe Max laptop would use GDDR6. It was demonstration hardware, but it established a reasonable expectation that a discrete DG1-derived product would retain comparatively high-bandwidth memory.
The 34.1GB/s number was an early inference
Using the Acer listing’s LPDDR4X detail, Tom’s Hardware inferred a 64-bit interface operating at 4,267 MT/s. That produces approximately 34.1GB/s:
64 bits × 4,267 million transfers per second ÷ 8 = 34,136MB/s
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The arithmetic was sound, but the bus width was not confirmed by the listing. Memory speed alone does not determine bandwidth; interface width is equally important. A 64-bit bus at 4,267 MT/s delivers roughly half the bandwidth of a 128-bit bus at the same transfer rate.
| Configuration | Interface | Effective speed | Theoretical bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
| DG1 demonstration hardware described in 2020 coverage | 96-bit | 12Gbps GDDR6 | 144GB/s |
| Early Acer-based inference | 64-bit | 4,267 MT/s LPDDR4X | About 34.1GB/s |
| Intel’s finalized Iris Xe Max specification | 128-bit | 4,267 MT/s LPDDR4X | 68GB/s |
Intel’s final specification corrected the bandwidth story
Intel’s product page for Iris Xe Max (formerly DG1) lists a 128-bit graphics-memory interface, LPDDR4X-4267 memory and 68GB/s of bandwidth: Intel product specifications.
The full finalized entry also lists a maximum dynamic clock of 1.65GHz, support for up to four displays, DirectX 12.1, Vulkan 1 and OpenGL 4.6, plus hardware H.264 and HEVC encoding and decoding. Intel identifies the launch period as Q4 2020.
Intel’s 68GB/s figure follows directly from the 128-bit bus:
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128 bits × 4,267 million transfers per second ÷ 8 = 68,272MB/s
That is conventionally reported as 68GB/s. Intel’s page uses a confusing “4267 Gbps” label; for memory-transfer terminology, LPDDR4X-4267 or 4,267 MT/s is the clearer description.
Why LPDDR4X made sense in a thin laptop
Compared with GDDR6, LPDDR4X can reduce power use and simplify integration in a slim notebook. It can also reduce board complexity and potentially cost, while fitting the thermal and electrical limits of a roughly 15–20W-class entry-level mobile GPU. These are engineering trade-offs, not a published statement of Intel’s internal bill of materials.
- Power: lower-power memory better suits battery-powered systems.
- Packaging: shared notebook-oriented memory technology can simplify a compact motherboard.
- Thermals: less memory power leaves more of a thin chassis’s thermal budget for the CPU and GPU.
- Performance: the design gives up bandwidth compared with the 144GB/s GDDR6 test configuration.
Dedicated VRAM still avoids some competition with the CPU for system memory. However, 96 execution units and a 1.65GHz maximum clock cannot guarantee high performance if a workload is limited by memory bandwidth, power limits or cooling.
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What the comparison with GeForce MX350 did—and did not—show
The original comparison cited an Nvidia GeForce MX350 configuration with a 64-bit GDDR5 interface at 7Gbps, or approximately 56GB/s of theoretical bandwidth. Against the early 34.1GB/s inference, Iris Xe Max appeared substantially behind on paper. Against Intel’s finalized 68GB/s specification, Iris Xe Max has the higher theoretical bandwidth.
Neither comparison predicts game performance by itself. Drivers, GPU and CPU clocks, application support, power limits, cooling, memory latency and the specific laptop chassis all affect results. Bandwidth is useful architectural context, not a benchmark.
The integrated Iris Xe GPU was part of the strategy
Iris Xe Max was designed to coexist with the integrated Xe graphics in Tiger Lake systems. Intel’s approach allowed software to select the more suitable GPU and raised the possibility of coordinated work between the integrated and discrete parts.
That did not mean two GPUs automatically delivered additive performance. Benefits depended on drivers and application support, and moving data between separate graphics engines could erase some of the theoretical gain. Hybrid operation was therefore a platform feature and a performance wildcard, not a guaranteed doubling of graphics resources.
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Which laptops used Iris Xe Max?
Acer announced the Swift 3X as one of the first Iris Xe Max notebooks, positioning it as a thin, light 14-inch system for mobile professionals, creators and light gaming: Acer’s announcement.
Intel’s launch material also named the Asus VivoBook Flip TP470 and Dell systems among the initial products: Intel’s launch release. An OEM listing described one configuration; it should not be read as proof that every Iris Xe Max laptop had identical CPU, memory or power settings.
What later reviews added
A later Notebookcheck review examined a Swift 3X configuration with a Core i7-1165G7, Iris Xe Max with 4GB of onboard memory, 16GB of LPDDR4X system memory and a 1TB SSD: Notebookcheck review.
That retail context matters because it places Iris Xe Max in the low-power, entry-level discrete category. It was not a replacement for higher-tier gaming GPUs, and results varied with firmware, cooling, CPU choice and chassis power limits. As of 2026, Iris Xe Max is a historical first-generation product rather than a sensible current buying target.
Bottom line
The Acer listing correctly exposed a meaningful change from the GDDR6-equipped DG1 demonstration hardware to lower-power LPDDR4X in a thin laptop. That made “slower-than-expected memory” a fair description of the initial news. But the widely repeated 34.1GB/s figure was only a 64-bit assumption. Intel’s final Iris Xe Max specification was 128-bit LPDDR4X-4267 at 68GB/s—still well below the test vehicle’s 144GB/s, but not as bandwidth-starved as the first interpretation suggested.
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