Arrr, Intel be fixin' a bug in their driver that made landlubber gamers reckon their Arc GPU got a jolly good free upgrade.
2023-08-25
Avast ye, me hearties! If ye be thinkin' yer Intel Arc GPU bein' supercharged by the latest graphics driver, be prepared fer some dire tidings!
Intel has released a new driver for its Arc graphics cards, addressing a supposed increase in clock speed that was believed to be a bonus from the previous driver release. The previous driver had delivered significant frame rate boosts for certain games, particularly Overwatch 2 and GTA V.However, some users with Arc A380 graphics cards, which are on the lower end of Intel's range, noticed that their affordable cards were running 150MHz faster. Unfortunately, it turns out that this was just a reporting error.
Intel has now released a beta version of the Arc driver, which fixes the issue of the incorrect clock frequency value. While the reported clock speed may have been higher with the previous driver, the actual clock frequency remains the same.
It's worth noting that the current release is a beta driver and may not be recommended for use. However, Intel plans to incorporate this fix into the next full driver release, ensuring that the A380 will accurately report its clock speed.
The good news is that this misreporting does not affect the frame rate boosts provided by the latest official driver for certain games. In addition, the new beta driver also includes a fix for crashes in Shadow of the Tomb Raider when reaching the main menu.
Overall, while the clock speed issue may have been disappointing, Intel's driver updates continue to offer improvements for gamers with Arc graphics cards. It's important to stay tuned for future releases and updates to maximize the performance of these GPUs.
Additionally, for those looking for other affordable graphics cards, TechRadar has compiled a list of the best cheap GPUs available right now, as well as the best monitor deals and an explanation of laptop graphics cards.