Intel XeSS 3 Mod Dramatically Boosts Arc A380 Performance in Cyberpunk 2077, Achieving 140 FPS

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Intel XeSS 3 Mod Dramatically Boosts Arc A380 Performance in Cyberpunk 2077, Achieving 140 FPS

In a remarkable demonstration of the potential hidden within Intel's graphics technology, a dedicated YouTuber has successfully modified Intel's XeSS 3 Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) to work on the modest Intel Arc A380 graphics card. This breakthrough allows the budget-friendly GPU to deliver a significantly enhanced gaming experience, pushing frame rates to an impressive 140 FPS in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p resolution with low graphical settings. While this development offers a glimmer of hope for gamers on a tight budget seeking smoother gameplay, it relies on unofficial driver modifications and comes with trade-offs, including potential input lag.

The core of this achievement lies in Intel's XeSS 3 technology, which stands for Xe Super Sampling. This AI-accelerated upscaling and frame generation technique aims to boost gaming performance by rendering frames at a lower resolution and then intelligently upscaling them, while Multi-Frame Generation inserts additional frames between traditionally rendered ones to create a smoother visual output. While Intel has officially enabled this technology for a range of its discrete Arc GPUs and newer Core Ultra integrated graphics with Xe2 or Xe3 cores, its application on lower-end discrete cards like the A380 was not officially supported.

Enter YouTuber Alva Jonathan, who took it upon himself to explore the boundaries of Intel's frame generation capabilities. Jonathan's experiment focused on the ASRock Arc A380 low-profile 6GB GPU, a card that, despite not being Intel's absolute weakest offering, is firmly positioned in the entry-level segment. Previous reviews of the Arc A380 have often characterized its gaming performance as ranging from merely acceptable to outright abysmal, making the prospect of a dramatic performance boost particularly enticing.

The key to unlocking XeSS 3 MFG on the A380 involved a clever, albeit unofficial, driver modification. Jonathan discovered that Intel had not provided official drivers and software for multi-frame generation on its A-series or Arc B-series GPUs. To circumvent this limitation, he resorted to manually copying specific library files – namely, `igxell.dll` and `igxess_fg.dll` – from an older driver folder (`Graphics_101.8362`) to a newer one (`Graphics_101.8452`). By then installing the driver from the newer folder, he was able to unearth a hidden 'XeSS Frame Generation Override' option within the Intel driver control panel, enabling the advanced features.

With the modified driver in place, Jonathan proceeded to test the setup in Cyberpunk 2077. The test configuration included the ASRock Arc A380 LP 6GB GPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 7500F CPU, an ASRock B650M-HDV/M.2 motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and a 750W power supply. Running the game at 1080p with the low preset and Intel XeSS Super Resolution 2.0 set to Ultra Quality, he first benchmarked the performance with Frame Generation disabled, yielding a baseline frame rate of 55-60 FPS. This baseline, while modest, is within the expected range for an A380.

The real transformation occurred when Frame Generation was enabled. Using Intel XeSS set to a 4x multiplier in the driver control panel, Jonathan observed a staggering leap in average frame rates, reaching between 135-140 FPS. This represents a performance increase of over 100%, effectively tripling the game's fluidity. However, this dramatic uplift came with a significant caveat: the 4x multi-frame generation setting proved highly taxing on the hardware. The base frame rate was observed to drop considerably to 33-35 FPS, and a noticeable 'mouse lag' or input latency became apparent, diminishing the overall responsiveness of the game.

Recognizing the impact of the 4x multiplier, Jonathan adjusted the settings. He noted that for effective multi-frame generation, a recommended base frame rate typically falls between 180 and 240 FPS, as a base below 45 FPS often results in a poor user experience. To mitigate the input lag and improve the perceived smoothness, he retested the system with XeSS Frame Generation set to a 3x multiplier. This adjustment yielded approximately 120 FPS in-game, with a base frame rate around 40 FPS. While still slightly below the ideal 45 FPS threshold, the input latency was noticeably improved, making the game feel more playable.

A significant limitation in evaluating the true impact of Intel's frame generation is the current lack of a standardized method for measuring latency. Unlike NVIDIA's DLSS Frame Generation, which integrates with the NV Reflex API for precise latency measurement, Intel's XeSS currently lacks a comparable software solution. Consequently, testers like Jonathan must rely on subjective 'feel' to gauge input lag and overall responsiveness. This makes it challenging to definitively quantify the improvements or drawbacks of the technology.

Despite these limitations, the implications for budget gamers are considerable. The ability to achieve significantly higher frame rates on entry-level hardware like the Arc A380, even with low graphical settings, opens up possibilities for a much smoother and more enjoyable gaming experience. This development is also particularly relevant for users of integrated graphics, including those with gaming handhelds like the MSI Claw family, which also utilize Intel's graphics technology. The potential to breathe new life into less powerful systems is substantial.

The primary hurdle for widespread adoption of this technique remains game support. Currently, games must explicitly support Intel XeSS 2 MFG for users to leverage this technology and witness higher frame rates. The hope is that as Intel's graphics ecosystem matures and with the anticipated arrival of next-generation Intel CPUs like Panther Lake, more developers will integrate XeSS support into their titles. This would democratize high-frame-rate gaming, making it accessible to a broader audience without requiring expensive hardware upgrades.

This unofficial mod serves as a powerful testament to the potential of Intel's XeSS technology and the ingenuity of the PC gaming community. While official support and refined tools are still needed, the groundwork has been laid for a future where even modest hardware can deliver impressive gaming performance through intelligent software enhancements.

Ekhbary News Agency