Intel’s foray back into the discrete graphics card market last year was met with cautious optimism. So far, the company hasn’t disappointed. The Arc GPU, Intel’s offering in a space typically dominated by AMD and Nvidia, recently saw driver updates that have incrementally improved performance, particularly in older games. However, the latest set of beta drivers, version 31.0.101.4952, has been particularly noteworthy for its unprecedented performance gains.
The new drivers have been reported to boost performance by up to 54% in games like Returnal at 1080p with epic ray tracing enabled, and by 53% in Guild Wars 2 at Ultra settings. Yakuza Zero enthusiasts can revel in a staggering 154% performance increase at 1080p ultra graphics. These numbers are impressive, but they pale in comparison to the leap in performance in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which has seen an almost unbelievable 750% increase in frames per second at 1080p maximum quality settings. This isn’t a typographical error; the figure stands at a whopping 750% uplift on average.
Prior to this update, Halo’s performance on the Arc GPUs was lackluster, to say the least. Content from Abe’s Mission Control, a YouTube channel, revealed that at 1440p with Enhanced graphics settings, the game ran at an average of 15 fps, and the GPU utilization was a meager 13%. However, when the settings were dialed down to Performance graphics, the frame rate jumped to an average of 50 fps, with GPU utilization rising to around 40%. This stark contrast highlights the dramatic room for improvement that existed in the drivers.
Technical analysis from sources like Chips and Cheese suggests that the Arc GPUs perform best under high cache and compute demand but falter in scenarios where these demands aren’t as pressing. This is particularly evident in older DirectX 11 games and modern titles that don’t employ heavy rendering techniques. While Intel’s driver team has been successful in mitigating some of these performance issues, the real game-changer is anticipated to be the introduction of a new architecture, codenamed Battlemage, expected in 2024.
Aside from Halo, Intel’s latest Arc GPU driver update has also added support for a variety of new titles, including Robocop: Rogue City, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, The Talos Principle 2, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. The performance improvements aren’t just confined to older DirectX 11 titles; newer DirectX 12 games have also seen significant gains, indicating that Intel is dedicated to optimizing its discrete GPU hardware for the latest gaming experiences.
The driver update applies to Intel Arc series discrete GPUs and CPUs with onboard graphics from the 11th-gen Tiger Lake up to the 14th-gen CPUs. It’s compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11. While there are known issues such as Dynamic Resolution Scaling in DX12 games like Starfield and installation challenges on notebooks, Intel has provided solutions like system reboots and re-installation processes to address these problems.
In terms of raw numbers, the latest Intel Graphics Driver promises an average FPS uplift of 19% in The Talos Principle 2 at 1440p with High settings, and up to a 53% boost in Returnal at 1080p using Epic RT settings. The suite of games that will benefit from this update is extensive, including titles like Civ 5, Total War: Warhammer, and the Far Cry series, among others.
The introduction of the Arc RGB controller, co-designed with Cooler Master, adds a layer of customization for users and is proof that Intel is committed to providing a comprehensive gaming experience.
As Intel continues to release transformative updates, the anticipation for the next-generation Battlemage architecture grows, promising even more dramatic leaps in performance and a solid footing in the competitive discrete GPU market.
Speaking of performance, whereas Alan Wake 2 is going viral for its extensive PC requirements, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has done the exact opposite. Although it’s probably only because it’s one of the most disappointing entries in the franchise to date.
