"Hi, I'm new here, I've got an Intel Core i5 and Intel HD Graphics - will FIFA 21 run okay"?
It doesn't matter if you've got a desktop Intel Core i5 from 2022 or laptop core i5 from 2008. It doesn't matter what do you personally consider to be "running okay" (lowest settings in 1280x720 resolution with 30 frames per second? Medium settings 1920x1080 resolution with 60 frames per second?) Probably nobody will ever ask. Everyone will answer immediately and pretty much all of the answers on all forum threads and Facebook posts asking those questions will be "no, bad idea, get something with Nvidia or AMD graphics".
Intel's reputation, when it comes to its integrated graphics solutions is really bad. But they do have powerful integrated graphics cards in their lineup. Their top-of-the-line Xe Graphics G7 outperforms even Radeon RX 550 - the dedicated graphics card for gamers. And mops the floor with entry-level dedicated laptop graphics cards from both AMD and Nvidia.
Then why in popular opinion is "Intel HD Graphics" synonymous with "poor performance"? Because Intel doesn't want you to have their top-of-the-line graphics cards.
On the store shelves today you can find laptops that cost well over 2000€ and use Intel UHD 630. Which is basically rebranded Intel HD 630 from the year 2015. You get a graphics solution that was already sluggish 7 years ago.
It's not like those new "Xe" graphics are their first-ever innovation, and eventually given enough time every Intel processor will have integrated high-end Xe graphics.
Back in 2016, they released Iris Pro 580 - at the time the most powerful integrated graphics on the market. It was available on exactly one processor, which was available in exactly one pre-built desktop.
It was a similar story in 2013 when Intel Extreme Masters (e-sports championships) were hosted using exclusively Intel graphics cards. Then instead of making the high-end ones widely available, Intel ignored the desktop market completely and offered 3 laptops with Iris 5100 graphics.
However, before Iris 5100 - there was no high-end model.
In 2012 - from the lowest-end laptops to the highest-end desktops - everyone got Intel HD 4000.
Which was about 40% more powerful than Intel HD 3000 that everyone got in 2011.
Which was about 40% more powerful than Intel HD 1st gen that everyone got in 2010.
Which by the way was initially called Intel GMA 5700 MHD, later renamed to GMA HD, later renamed to Intel HD Ironlake, later renamed to Intel HD 1st gen. Those are not rebrands or later revisions - everyone got their name changes with driver updates. If you purchased a laptop back in 2010 and took a look at Device Manager every few months - you would see a different name there every time.
But despite being unable to decide on a name, Intel got everything else right. Integrating the graphics chip with the processor turned out to be a massive success. Even the first generation outperformed some slower solutions from Nvidia and AMD, and performance was increasing massively for the first 3 years.
Then Intel "discovered" high-end Intel Iris graphics, and performance increases on mainstream chips basically stopped. In 2013 getting from Intel HD 4000 to Intel HD 4400 there was just 5% instead of the usual 40% increase. And in 2015 they simply stopped any improvements on mainstream chips. And for 7 years kept releasing the same integrated graphics (obviously rebranded every year). We had to wait until 2022 for the 12th generation of Intel processors where the mainstream models get the new "Xe" graphics.
And while everybody finally gets a new product, it doesn't mean that everybody gets a good product. The low end only outperforms the previous generation (from 2015) by about 15%. But at least there is a product stack - you pay more and you (usually) get a better integrated graphics.
That is as long as you don't buy the 2021 models from the previous generation (which are still easy to find on the store shelves).
It's a shame that technological innovation of integrating graphics chips with processing cores (and achieving outstanding performance - at the time) quickly became a business innovation. How to keep releasing good products that can be shown to the press, while charging customers as much as possible for outdated garbage.
But at least it looks like things are finally changing for the better - at least you don't get low-end integrated graphics from 7 years ago when you buy the latest and the greatest (and most expensive) laptops and processors.
It doesn't mean that things are good. But why Intel keeps getting away with making processors slower and slower with each generation, and is somehow able to find customers for 60€ single-core processors, is a rant for another time.