Intel plans to release optimizations within its Linux Vulkan driver, offering performance improvement across multiple games for Arc GPUs.
Intel Has Been Leading the Race in Vulkan Driver Support, Up To 12% Performance Boost Coming In Upcoming Release
Intel has been rapidly developing its open-source Vulkan drivers for Linux recently, incorporating technologies like ray tracing & generally improving the performance overall for its GPUs like the Arc family.
Phoronix now reports that Intel's latest Vulkan driver optimization will allow a performance boost in several titles, with games such as Strange Brigade receiving a double-digit boost. Caleb Calleway, from Intel's Linux graphics driver team, has released data highlighting the improvements, which you can see below (tested on an Intel Arc A770 GPU running in Linux 6.3 + Ubuntu 22.04):
You can note that the driver can offer up to 12.78% gains in performance, especially in the afore-mentioned Strange Brigade. Shadow of The Tomb Raider and Dota 2 receive a 2% boost while CS: GO and Borderlands 3 also receive a minor yet appreciable boost of 1-2%. Other titles tested were pretty much the same in performance but we can expect those to improve further in future driver releases.
However, it is essential to note that the optimization is yet to be implemented as support is awaited for the I915_FORMAT_MOD_4_TILED_DG2_RC_CCS modifier within the Mesa Vulkan driver, but the merger is expected to be complete soon. This will hopefully bring maturity within the Intel Arc Vulkan drivers, allowing enhanced support on the platform.
Intel has impressed enthusiasts with its quick support on open-source platforms, especially considering that the existence of the Arc GPU lineup is way after its rivals. At this point, we can say that the company meets the standard of AMD/NVIDIA on open-source Linux graphics drivers and may surpass them if such support is provided continuously. The company has worked tirelessly to offer this level of support and hopefully by the next generation, we can see even better support on launch.
News Source: Phoronix
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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