Intel Arc A380 tested with and without “Advanced Performance Optimizations”
Twitter user 0x22h is one of few people with access to Intel Arc A380 desktop GPU.
Various feature tests were already published by the same user in the last couple of days (definitely worth checking out), but more importantly new benchmark tests were published featuring Intel latest beta driver.
This driver has a new feature toggle for “Advanced Performance Optimizations”. Those are special benchmark specific optimizations that boost Intel ARC GPU performance in synthetic tests such as 3DMark stack. Unfortunately, such optimizations are not allowed as per UL’s rules (developers of the 3DMark).
Interestingly, UL reached out to us yesterday to inform us that even with APO feature disabled they are still in the process of evaluating Intel claims that no optimizations are added for 3DMark specifically. Arc GPUs will only begin providing valid 3DMark scores when UL formally approves this driver. As far as we know, this has not happened yet.
Update: UL has now approved 1743 driver:
Intel Arc Graphics Driver 30.0.101.1743 BETA is now approved for use with 3DMark only when specific optimizations for 3DMark Time Spy and 3DMark Port Royal are turned off. This is the default behavior for this driver.
Automatically detecting and validating the driver settings from submitted results will require a future update to SystemInfo and 3DMark, so the validation of this driver approval is not yet supported by 3DMark.com or the 3DMark client.
For the time being, results using this driver will still show the “graphics driver is not approved” warning in 3DMark, and on the 3DMark website. Intel Arc GPU results will also not appear on the 3DMark.com results search, as only validated results are indexed.
— UL representative
For now, Intel’s APO only affects TimeSpy and Port Royal tests. With the previous driver the A380 scored 5241 points in TimeSpy Graphics test, whereas with the new driver and APO disabled the same card scores 4449 points, that’s a decrease of 15%.
Intel Arc A380 in 3DMark TimeSpy, Source: 0x22h
In Port Royal ray tracing test the A380 scores around 4% lower with APO disabled. These optimizations are clearly not making a huge difference for ray tracing test, but the difference in optimized and unoptimized TimeSpy tests is substantial.
Intel Arc A380 in Port Royal, Source: 0x22h
Initial tests of Arc Alchemist GPUs has shown that their cards perform much better in 3DMark than they do in games. With APO feature disabled, their performance should better reflect how they stack up against competition.
