Intel Arc driver update v3959 delivers up to a 1.79x performance uplift in certain DX9 titles ^↺

Intel's Arc graphics cards were (and still are to some degree) plagued with numerous driver issues. While the company has done a decent-ish job of addressing them through software updates, the Arc cards have a long way to go before they can disrupt the AMD/Nvidia duopoly. The latest Intel Arc 3959 driver update addresses one major issue with the graphics cards- sub-par performance in DX9 games.

Intel's blog post makes lofty claims about the performance uplift bought forth by the latest drivers. At 1080p high, the Intel Arc A770 offers up to a 1.79x performance uplift over last year's drivers (version 3490). It is more or less the same at 1440p Ultra with a 1.77x performance increase. Some of the titles tested include CS: GO, Stellaris, League of Legends and Starcraft 2.

While the Intel Arc 3959 driver update will help legacy and e-sports players better utilize their hardware, the DX9 translation is here to stay, at least for now. Intel claims further improvements are due in the coming weeks for legacy and modern-day titles. Whether or not this will convince gamers to pick up the Arc A770 over the heaps of unsold last-gen Ampere/RDNA2 graphics cards remain to be seen.

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