Best Intel Arc GPU – our top Intel graphics cards
Looking for a good GPU alternative, then Intel Arc has some options to pick from
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In the marketplace for a great new graphics card, then there are plenty of choices out there now. But with a new contender in the duopoly, you may consider the best Intel Arc GPU. The range of cards is Intel’s way back into the dedicated GPU market after many years away. And with a changed scene, there is a lot it can offer.
In a place with only two big manufacturers in play, Nvidia and AMD. This means the choices are limited and pricing can get out of hand as there isn’t too much competition as Nvidia still leads in market share. But over time this may change, with Intel Battlemage expected in the coming years, it shows a willingness to continue and improve on what it has to offer.
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Best Intel Arc GPU
Predator BiFrost Intel Arc A770 OC
Core Clock Speed
2.20 GHz
Shading units
4,096
Memory Size
16 GB GDDR6
Dimensions
267 x 117 mm, 2-slot
PSU Required
650 W
TBP
225 W
- Overclocked model gives the top performance in the range
- Still a cheap alternative to other offerings at the performance level
- Great new design from Predator that is new to the market
- A more expensive option than MSRP
- Drivers still have spotty issues depending on the game
- Model has a high coil whine at large loads
With such a limited range of graphics cards so far, you don’t have to look far to find the best option for the range of cards. At the top of the pack is the Intel Arc A770. And the card comes with a great performance and pricing. Especially as Intel continues to slash retail pricing for the cards to get more users on the generation, and as such it has put a lot of development behind them.
The card leads the pack in performance, and from maturing drivers, it has been improving even further. As we got hands-on with the card and tested its capabilities, in our quick look A770 review it certainly holds up against the latest hardware. Although the older DX11 or lower APIs might be a struggle it is playable and constantly improving. Especially considering the specs and memory available on it compared to the competition at the price.
The card comes with an MSRP of $329, but the custom card comes in closer to $400. But it does provide an overclocked model that can push that performance even higher. And with a different cooling design that is a bit more unique and has some more RGB to it that as we all know gives more performance.
Looking at specifications, the Intel Arc A770 comes with 4,096 shader cores in its 32 Xe cores. Along with 32 ray tracing units, 512 vector engines, and a memory set up of 16GB GDDR6, across a 256-bit interface with 560 GB/s of bandwidth with a speed of 17.5 Gbps. With the Predator card, the clocks are increased with a clock of 2.2 GHz and a boost of up to 2.4 GHz, compared to 2.1 GHz of the Limited Edition card.
Best mid-range Arc GPU
Intel Arc A750
Core Clock Speed
2,050 MHz base, 2,400 MHz boost
Shading units
3,584
Memory Size
8GB GDDR6
Dimensions
280 mm x 115 mm (L x H), 2 slot
PSU Required
550W
TBP
225W
- Great perfromance for the cost, putting it above other options
- Low price for what it can achieve
- Expected to be supported for some time as Intel enters the market so driver support should improve
- Driver support still improving so experience may vary per game still as it improves over time
- Software still developing and has its issues that can spoil the experience when tinkering with the card
Now the other option that is a bit cheaper to get at still, is the Intel Arc A750. It does come close to the A770 in terms of performance already but with an MSRP of $289. This lowers the barrier to entry to an even better point especially to a gaming market with the current generation that might not be too daunting to join in on.
The card drops down to 3,584 shading units, with 28 Xe cores, and 28 ray tracing units. Along with a memory setup of 8 GB of GDDR6, with a 256-bit bus clocked at 16 Gbps giving it a bandwidth of 512 GB/s. But with all that still gives a good performance that is capable of providing a good experience, as long as the games are supported by the developing drivers.
Whilst the design is a more simple, Intel Limited Edition option. It has a two-fan cooling solution, that keeps the temps down, along with a simple blue line of lighting that keeps it simple and clean that will fit well in any build.
Best budget Intel Arc graphics card
Sparkle Intel Arc A580 ORC OC
Core Clock Speed
2,000MHz boost, 1,700MHz base
Shading units
3,072
Memory Size
8GB GDDR6
Dimensions
222 x 101 x 40.9 mm
PSU Required
600W
TBP
185W
- Very cheap for modern day graphics card choice
- Great value for basic 1080p gaming performance
- Decent ray tracing performance between AMD and Nvidia
- Requires ReBAR for best performance so needs a more recent platform
- High power consumption and PSU requirement – low efficiency
Intel Arc has an even cheaper option further down the line capable of gaming. Not quite the small and less powerful A380, the Intel Arc A580 offers up a lot for the $180 price tag it asks for. A market in the area that the big names have kind of abandoned, the choice from Team Blue provides you with a great budget option.
As Gamers Nexus revisits the constant updates Intel delivers to its drivers, the card is a capable choice for basic 1080p gaming. With a great choice for over 60FPS performance, but pushing even further in the right game or adjusting the settings even getting into the triple digits. But you can’t expect it to jump to the heights reached by others, it tries to match what the RX 6600 and 3060 can achieve. Even with the ray tracing being a possibility on the GPU.
What you get with the card, is an ACM-G10 GPU providing you with 3,072 shading units, 24 Xe-cores, and 25 ray tracing units. Along with 8GB GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus to provide a bandwidth of 512 GB/s. The card clocks in at 1.7GHz and boosts up to 2.0GHz providing a good overclock potential, but comes in with a TBP of 185 Watts.
How we choose and test the best Intel Arc graphics cards
When it comes to picking out the list of choices, there is a good range of options to pick from. As such we have to go through and make sure we are suggesting the right pick of stuff. Therefore we have a lot of factors to consider when choosing the products, we go through a range of requirements.
One thing is that we look at benchmarks and reviews of the products, the first step to understanding what is a good choice out of the options. We also have the experience and the knowledge to know what to expect and look for in custom models and graphics cards. Being able to look and compare and know what to offer makes sure you get the best bang for the buck.
You can read more about our procedures on our how we test GPUs page.
Intel Arc buying guide
When it comes to choosing which Intel Arc to go for, then there are some differences to look out for. These may have some differences to try to navigate which options to go for. As such it might be hard to find the differences and what they have to offer. Therefore we bring some things to look out for.
Price
One of the key factors is how much you’re paying for the Intel Arc GPU. There you have to consider what the price to performance really is. The pricing ranges between models as they have different specifications and so offer up a different range of performance and what they can achieve.
It will also vary between some custom models and what they feature. Especially when it comes to overclocked models as these stand up from the crowd and will ask for a premium for doing so. This does sometimes make it more viable but does not always suit everyone.
Performance
One key feature of graphics cards is how well they perform. It will vary depending on its use case mostly, with the likes of the resolutions changing how well it can do. So if you’re running 4k you are more likely to go for a higher-end option as you need the performance to be able to run that relatively well.
Some options will also offer a different performance even on the same model depending on the overclock. As even though the rest might be the same, the clocks can differ so it might be more appealing even if that comes at a higher price.
Final word
There is a range of best Intel Arc graphics cards, there aren’t many to choose from, but it still has a few options to choose from. These do offer some differences and offer a good alternative to the limited manufacturer options in the market at the moment. And with the developing drivers, it sure is becoming a good alternative.
FAQs
What is the best performing Intel GPU?
The best Intel graphics card is the Intel ARC A770. It is the top-of-the-range performance, with constantly improving drivers that boost performance even for older titles. It gives a good choice for a lower price range than some of the current options.
Is Intel Arc any good now?
It certainly is, Intel has been constantly rolling out new drivers for the Intel Arc range keeping it going for new games, but also improving the performance for less supported options. As it struggled with DX 11 and lower titles, it has been boosting the capabilities of its cards making them a lot more viable for a range of games.
