Intel brings DirectX 9 performance to Arc

When Intel finally released its Arc graphics cards just over two months ago, they were without “native” support for the DirectX 9 graphics interface. Instead, some kind of emulation is used that practically translates calls to DirectX 12. The solution means this becomes software that requires DirectX 9 is doable, but so far it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the performance part.

Although the graphical interface has been around for several years, there are many games that use it, especially in the eSports category. Among others, you can find popular titles such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Starcraft 2. With its latest driver, Intel is addressing part of the problem, using Expanded support for DirectX 9.

When Intel pits the new driver against one launched in October, it’s a mixed bag. The numbers are based on tests with the Arc A770 and all games reported hit higher frame rates (FPS), although titles like Payday 2 and Guild Wars 2 don’t offer any drastic changes. A couple of titles stand out the most, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which has an average FPS increase of nearly 80 percent in both 1080p and 1440p.

However, it should be noted that the new application does not replace the previous simulations, but instead combines them to get a kind of hybrid solution. Intel also states that its main focus remains the most modern interfaces, but more optimizations and optimizations for older games and graphics interfaces are in the works.

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