Intel Arc Revisit: 2023 driver update (Acer Predator BiFrost A770)

1. Introduction2. Acer Predator BiFrost A7703. Testing Methodology4. Game Benchmarks pt.15. Game Benchmarks pt.26. Performance Summary (12-Game Average)7. Cost Per Frame Analysis8. Power Draw9. Performance per Watt10. Acer Predator BiFrost Vs Intel Limited Edition11. GPU Temperatures12. Memory Temperatures13. Acoustics14. Closing Thoughts15. View All Pages

There's no doubt in my mind that Intel Arc has come a long way from the launch of the A750 and A770 back in October. At launch, it was quite challenging to review both Arc products due to the sheer amount of driver issues, but my latest test has been far more successful.

For one, Intel's latest drivers can offer huge performance increases in certain games. We saw this in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where the company has reaped the reward of its new DXVK implementation – average frame rates are improved by almost 100%, and the frame times (1% lows) are better still. Likewise in Total War: Warhammer III, we see another game-changing improvement, with more consistent frame times and a huge uplift to the average frame rate.

Of course, not every game has seen such an improvement, but over the 12 titles we tested, Intel Arc is now much more competitive with the likes of the RTX 3060 and RX 6600 XT than it was back at launch.

It's also pleasing that overall system stability is improved. I had just one crash during the entirety of my testing with Arc GPUs, while it's great to see Intel has tweaked the Control Centre software so it is no longer an overlay.

Of course, the latest drivers aren't a magic instant fix for all of Arc's problems. There are still issues, including high idle power draw (at 47W for the A770 versus 12W for RTX 3060), buggy fan control, and a number of games tested still show erratic frame times. It is clear, however, that this is a huge step in the right direction, and according to Intel's Tom Petersen, the first of several updates they hope to present over Alchemist's lifetime.

As for the Acer Predator BiFrost A770 we have also tested as part of this article, as Acer's first-ever DIY GPU, I have been impressed during my testing with it. It may not be the best custom card I've ever used, but it is a close match for the Intel Limited Edition model, with similar thermal and gaming performance. The key benefit to the BiFrost is its lower-noise operation, as we clocked it in running 3dBa quieter than the Limited Edition.

That said, retailing for £400 direct from Acer UK (£449 with a £50 discount at the time of writing), the BiFrost comes in £40 more expensive than the A770 Limited Edition, which can be found for £360 from Ebuyer. I'm not convinced the BiFrost is worth an extra £40 for its cooler alone, though it does have the advantage of being quieter under load. It's certainly not a bad first GPU from Acer however, so if you are particularly taken with the aesthetics or RGB, you could do a lot worse.

You can get the BiFrost direct from Acer HERE.

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Pros

• Very well built card.
• Quieter than Intel's Limited Edition under load.
• Unique aesthetic.
• Bright RGB.
• Much more competitive now that Intel's drivers have improved.

Cons

• Fan control is slightly buggy.
• £40 premium over Limited Edition.
• Drivers still have room to improve.

KitGuru says: Intel's drivers have come a long way. They're not perfect, but Arc feels significantly more viable now than it did five months ago.

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