Intel has been slowly but steadily improving its Arc series of GPUs since launch last year, not with a bevy of new hardware models, but with patient and painstaking tweaks to software. The latest driver update claims up to a 750 percent performance increase in one popular game, with other titles ranging from modest to significant improvements. You can download the 31.0.101.4952 driver over at Intel’s download center now.
In addition to explicit support for new titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, The Talos Principle 2, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, the updated drivers claim a huge increase at various settings for the following games, mostly using DirectX11:
- The Talos Principle 2* (DX12)
- Up to 19% average FPS uplift at 1440p with High settings
- Returnal* (DX12)
- Up to 53% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Epic Ray Tracing settings
- Guild Wars 2* (DX11)
- Up to 53% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection* (DX11)
- Up to 750% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Enhanced settings
- Sid Meier’s Civilization V* (DX11)
- Up to 6% average FPS uplift at 1080p with High settings
- Total War: Warhammer* (DX11)
- Up to 10% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Lost Ark* (DX11)
- Up to 15% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Very High settings
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 (DX11)
- Up to 16% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Extreme settings
- Sniper Elite 3* (DX11)
- Up to 37% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- World War Z* (DX11)
- Up to 113% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Euro Truck Simulator 2* (DX11)
- Up to 27% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Yakuza 0* (DX11)
- Up to 154% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare* (DX11)
- Up to 20% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Alien: Isolation* (DX11)
- Up to 9% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Far Cry* Primal (DX11)
- Up to 14% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Far Cry 5 (DX11)
- Up to 14% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Far Cry New Dawn (DX11)
- Up to 11% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
As you can see, some older DX11 are seeing absolutely massive improvements, like Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Yakuza 0, and Guild Wars 2. But big improvements on newer DirectX12 titles show that Intel is still very hard at work optimizing its discrete GPU hardware for the latest games.
Further reading: The best graphics cards for PC gaming
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who's been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.