Intel Arc A380 GPU tested with fifty games over the last two decades to check for practical use in gaming
While Intel has been hard at work in tuning their Arc GPU performance in modern APIs such as DX12 and Vulkan, older games that utilize DX11, DX12, and OpenGL APIs have not received good support so far. And, for a good reason. Intel has only recently jumped into the graphics card category, where companies like NVIDIA and AMD have been in the market for many years. Intel has worked tirelessly to optimize and correct any inconsistencies and bugs for titles previously released over the last few decades. Lisa Pearce, Vice President and General Manager for the Visual Compute Group at Intel, affirmed that Intel is working to “optimize Arc GPU performance” for the APIs for DirectX 9 and 11. DirectX 11 and 12 are similar, but the newer API offers further optimizations and fixes not seen in previous versions. The plethora of older titles is excellent for some gamers as there are award-winning titles that players can now try for themselves. But, with older games, users do not need powerful graphic cards as the technology is less advanced. Over a week ago, Intel released a new driver that removed many inconsistencies with compatibility for their graphics card and the Control panel, which was not well-accepted in the PC communities. Again, Intel seems to play “catch up” with NVIDIA and AMD regarding their specific GPU technology. Between assistance from reviews from the tech community and other feedback, Intel is learning what is required for more compatibility and optimization for the new Arc A380. Unfortunately, Intel branched the Arc series drivers, so many system requirements and more are incorrect and cause issues, such as errors starting the game. The company must also work directly with video game developers to ensure their products will work as intended. In September, Intel is expected to release the Arc A7 graphics, the premium-level graphics series that is anticipated to compete with the other rival companies, NVIDIA and AMD.
