Intel boosts its gaming handhelds with new ARC GPU update
Intel boosts the performance of Core Ultra 200V iGPUs with ARC driver update
Thanks to a new GPU driver update, Intel has greatly increased the integrated GPU performance of its ARC-powered Core Ultra 200V Lunar Lake CPUs. At a default TDP of 17W, Intel has reported significant performance gains using their ARC 140V GPUs. Average framerates are boosted by 10%, and 99th percentile framerates are increased by 25% on average. Not bad for a free driver update.
This Intel graphics update is currently available to owners of MSI’s Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ handhelds, though it will soon be available for other devices.
These performance increases appear to come from driver optimisation alone. Both tests use a 17W TDP target, implying that power draw is identical for both tests.
What’s better than getting an upgrade in performance? Getting it for free! We have good news to share: As part of our continuous platform optimizations, we are rolling out a power management update that improves gaming performance for Intel® Core™ Ultra 200V systems (codenamed: Lunar Lake) with built-in Intel Arc 140V and 130V GPUs.
This update is delivered through the graphics driver, and its performance benefits are observed primarily at or under the common default power level of 17W.
In testing this update in 9 games on the MSI Claw 8 AI+ in the Manual 17W profile, players can expect higher average GPU frequency and improved frame pacing, which translates to significant uplifts in not only average FPS but also in 1% low FPS, also called the 99th percentile. What this all means is we’re improving not only performance but also smoothness for a great gaming experience.
This update is now available for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw 7 AI+ on Intel graphics driver 32.0.101.6734 and newer, and will be enabled for other Intel Core Ultra 200V systems over the coming months following validation with our OEM partners. Happy Gaming!
While Intel’s average framerate gains are impressive, its lower percentile framerate increases are truly praiseworthy. This increase in lower percentile framerates will make the gaming experience on ARC integrated graphics more consistent. After all, the gap between average and minimum framerates will be narrower.
This update is a clear sign that Intel are not giving up on the gaming market. ARC remains a core part of Intel’s future ambitions.
You can join the discussion on this Intel ARC integrated GPU performance update on the OC3D Forums.
