In the ever-evolving world of gaming hardware, benchmarking new graphics cards provides valuable insights into their performance capabilities. Recently, the Intel Arc A380 has garnered attention as Intel's entry into the discrete GPU market. This article explores its performance in one of the most demanding titles: Cyberpunk 2077, focusing on ray tracing capabilities and frames per second (FPS) metrics.

Overview of Intel Arc A380

The Intel Arc A380 is part of Intel's Arc Alchemist series, aimed at gamers seeking affordable yet capable graphics solutions. Built on Intel's Xe-HPG architecture, the A380 features 8 Xe cores, 6 GB of GDDR6 memory, and support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Its target market includes mainstream gamers and content creators.

Testing Setup and Methodology

Benchmark tests were conducted on a system equipped with an Intel Core i7-12700K processor, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and the latest Windows 11 update. The graphics driver used was the latest available from Intel's official website. Cyberpunk 2077 was tested at 1080p and 1440p resolutions, with ray tracing enabled at high settings.

Settings Used for Testing

  • Resolution: 1080p and 1440p
  • Ray Tracing: Enabled at high
  • DLSS: Not supported, so no upscaling used
  • Texture Quality: Ultra
  • Other Settings: Ultra, with V-Sync off

Performance Results

1080p Resolution

At 1080p with ray tracing enabled, the Intel Arc A380 achieved an average of 45 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077. The frame times remained relatively stable, providing a smooth gaming experience despite the hardware's entry-level positioning.

1440p Resolution

When tested at 1440p, the FPS dropped to an average of 30, highlighting the increased demand on the GPU. While playable, gamers aiming for higher frame rates may need to lower some settings or consider additional performance enhancements.

Ray Tracing Performance

The Intel Arc A380's hardware-accelerated ray tracing demonstrated noticeable visual improvements in Cyberpunk 2077. Shadows, reflections, and lighting effects appeared more realistic compared to non-ray-traced settings. However, enabling ray tracing resulted in FPS drops of approximately 20-25% at both resolutions.

Comparison with Other GPUs

Compared to entry-level GPUs like the NVIDIA GTX 1650 Super and AMD Radeon RX 6400, the Intel Arc A380 offers competitive performance, especially with ray tracing enabled. While not matching higher-end cards like the RTX 3060, it provides a solid option for budget-conscious gamers seeking ray-traced visuals.

Conclusion

The Intel Arc A380 delivers respectable performance in Cyberpunk 2077, particularly at 1080p resolution. Its ray tracing capabilities enhance visual fidelity, though at a cost to FPS. For gamers on a budget looking to experience ray-traced effects, the A380 presents a compelling choice, especially with further driver optimizations expected in future updates.