Intel Graphics Announces Major Update to Arc GPU Graphics Drivers
Intel Graphics has announced the upcoming release of the Q3-2023 major update for its Arc GPU Graphics drivers. This transformative update is recommended for all Intel GPU users. The company has made significant changes to the drivers' under-the-hood components to greatly improve the speed of A-series GPUs. Additionally, Intel has focused on reducing frame-times and introducing a new way to measure the GPU's contribution to it, allowing users to determine if they are in a CPU-limited or GPU-limited scenario. Lastly, the company has updated its PresentMonitor utility with a new front-end interface.
Improved Performance for DirectX 9 Games
The Intel Arc "Alchemist" discrete GPU graphics architecture was primarily designed for DirectX 12 and Vulkan. However, over time, API translation was used for DirectX 9 games. In the Spring driver updates, Intel released a major update that improved DirectX 9 game performance by an average of 43%. This update allowed for per-game optimization, as DirectX 9 remains relevant for many current e-sports titles.
Performance Updates for DirectX 11 Titles
The latest release from Intel promises similar performance updates, with up to a 19% performance increase in DirectX 11 titles at 1080p. These improvements were measured using an A750 on a Core i5-13400F based machine. On the fastest i9-13900K processor, the average performance gain is around 12%. The changes made to the DirectX 11 driver benefit slower processors more significantly.
Introducing the "GPU Busy" Metric
Intel has developed a new performance metric called "GPU Busy." This metric measures the time taken by the GPU alone to process an API call from the CPU. Game rendering is a collaborative workload between the CPU and GPU. Each frame in a game requires the CPU to organize information into an API call and send it to the GPU, which then interprets the call and draws the frame. The GPU Busy metric allows Intel to show how much the latest drivers contribute to minimizing frame-time.
Improved Frame-Time and Smoothness
Intel showcased the improvements in frame-time and smoothness with its latest driver. When comparing a Core i5-13400F-powered machine with an A750 using the latest driver, the overall frame-time is lower, jitter is suppressed, and GPU Busy time is reduced. This demonstrates a greater coherence between CPU and GPU performance. Intel's efforts are focused on improving both frame-rates and smoothness.
PresentMon and Standalone Overlay Application
The latest version of PresentMon allows users to measure the GPU Busy metric. Intel is releasing PresentMon as its own standalone overlay application.
Slide-Deck from Intel
For more information, you can view the complete slide-deck from Intel here.
