Intel released a new non-WHQL driver containing a surprising number of updates. While the 31.0.101.5074 driver for Arc and Iris Xe provides performance improvements for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (which sees an 8% average FPS uplit at 1080p Ultra), there are a plethora of optimizations for DX11 games.
It's nice to see Intel working to optimize older games that are still played and appreciated, like Dishonored 2, Dying Light 2 Stay Human, and Phasmophobia.
The following are the DX11 games that are optimized with respective settings:
- Battlefield V (DX11): Up to 23% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
- Crossout (DX11): Up to 5% average FPS uplift at 1080p with High settings
- Dishonored 2 (DX11): Up to 16% average FPS uplift at 4K with Ultra settings
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human (DX11): Up to 31% average FPS uplift at 1080p with High settings
- Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition (DX11): Up to 12% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Highest settings
- For Honor (DX11): Up to 14% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Extreme settings
- Phasmophobia (DX11): Up to 5% average FPS uplift at 1440p with High settings
- Train Sim World 3 (DX11): Up to 34% average FPS uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings
Naturally, these optimization boosts largely depend on your Intel GPU and your system specs. This update has been rolled out for Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems.
Fixed and Known Issues
There were some issues that this BETA driver addressed, such as an issue with Counter-Strike 2 in DX11 mode, which would exhibit random flickering pixels when multisampling is set to 4x MSAA. Intel also fixes a crash issue with Alan Wake, Ghostrunner 2, and Far Cry 3 when starting a game. Cyberpunk 2077 is the only DX12 game on the list; Intel addresses colorful pixel corruption.
But Intel is still working on a Fortnite DX12 corruption issue with anti-aliasing settings and Dead by Daylight DX11 mode's crash during gameplay. Those who use Topaz Video AI with Arc series may face errors when using video enhancement. Iris Xe and Iris Xe Max-based notebooks may have trouble completing the installation process just like the last time.
It also inherits some of the long-running known issues with Intel Arc control, such as its studio capture mode creating multiple video files when used and when the display detects a DisplayPort connection when an HDMI output is used.
The Intel Arc Control has some known issues that have persisted for some time. One of these annoyances creates multiple video files when using the Studio Capture mode via the Arc Control. Another problem is when the display detects a DisplayPort connection when the HDMI output is used.
You can read more in Intel's release notes, and remember that these are non-WHQL drivers. Keeping that in mind, you can download the 31.0.101.5074 BETA driver from here.
