www.techspot.com
We recently reviewed Intel's Arc B580, a new budget GPU designed to deliver RTX 4060-like performance featuring 12GB of VRAM for just $250. Our review included testing across 12 games, and for the most part, the Arc B580 performed extremely well.However, after that review was published, it was discovered that the Arc B580 has a rather serious CPU overhead issue that affects performance in CPU-limited games when paired with a slower processor, such as the Ryzen 5 5600.We've since retested the Intel GPU with less capable CPUs, and in short, while the Arc B580 is still very usable with a CPU like the 5600, it does struggle in CPU-demanding games, resulting in noticeably slower performance than we initially expected. This obviously hurts the overall value of Intel's GPU.The overhead issue was discovered before we completed all the testing for this review unfortunately, which uses the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to remove any potential CPU bottleneck.However, in light of this discovery, we decided to release all the data we spent weeks gathering, as it provides valuable insight into how well the B580 performs relative to the RTX 4060 across a massive range of games. In total, we tested 50 games, so there is plenty of data to examine and also if you are interested in a specific title that you like to play, there are better odds that we have benchmarked it here.Typically, we would summarize all the gaming benchmarks for about a dozen titles and present the percentage breakdown in a single graph. However, since the B580's performance can vary significantly, we felt it would be worthwhile to review all 50 graphs. So, prepare yourself there's a lot of blue bar graphs to go through. Let's dive in!BenchmarksFortniteAfter playing a few games in Fortnite with the Arc B580, which allows the shader compilation process to complete, performance was quite good. While it didn't outperform the RTX 4060, it was still more than adequate for competitive settings, achieving 218 fps at 1080p and 160 fps at 1440p.Horizon Forbidden WestThe Arc B580 excelled in Horizon Forbidden West, delivering an average frame rate almost 20% higher than the RTX 4060. It was an impressive 42% faster when comparing 1% lows, likely due to the GeForce GPU's limited 8GB VRAM buffer.At 1440p, this issue became more pronounced, with the B580 outperforming the 4060 by 56% on average and boosting 1% lows by 113%. The B580 delivered smooth gameplay, while the RTX 4060 suffered from significant stuttering.Remnant IIPerformance in Remnant II was more competitive. The B580 was 7% faster at 1080p and 18% faster at 1440p. However, to achieve 60 fps or higher, users may need to enable upscaling or lower some visual settings slightly.Rainbow Six SiegeIn Rainbow Six Siege, the B580 fell behind the RTX 4060, despite offering decent overall performance. At 1080p, it was 22% slower than the 4060, although this margin shrank to 7% at 1440p.Assassin's Creed MirageThe B580 also underperformed in Assassin's Creed Mirage, trailing the 4060 by 14% at 1080p and 8% at 1440p. Additionally, the 1% lows were nearly 20% lower on the B580.Call of Duty: Black Ops 6Using the basic quality preset for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the B580 was noticeably slower than the RTX 4060. At 1080p, it was 22% slower, and at 1440p, it lagged behind by 21%. While overall performance was decent with reduced quality settings, it was disappointing compared to the RTX 4060.Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartThe B580 fared much better in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, outperforming the RTX 4060 by 15% at 1080p and 16% at 1440p, delivering a solid performance boost.The Last of Us Part IThe B580 performed well in The Last of Us Part I, especially at 1440p, where its 12GB VRAM buffer allowed it to handle 'Ultra' quality settings smoothly. It outperformed the RTX 4060 by a significant 29% in average frame rates and a massive 110% in 1% lows.Counter-Strike 2While the B580 delivered solid performance in Counter-Strike 2, it was still slower than the RTX 4060, trailing by 17% at 1080p and 9% at 1440p. However, at 1440p, the B580 showed higher 1% lows compared to the RTX 4060.Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorThe B580 handled Star Wars Jedi: Survivor well, achieving 79 fps at 1080p and 51 fps at 1440p with the maximum quality preset. This made it 7% faster than the 4060 at 1080p and 16% faster at 1440p.Baldur's Gate 3In Baldur's Gate 3, the B580 lagged slightly behind the RTX 4060, rendering 81 fps at 1080p, making it 6% slower, and 5% slower at 1440p.Indiana Jones and the Great CircleIndiana Jones and the Great Circle showcased interesting results. The B580 was just 2% faster than the RTX 4060 in average frame rates but 56% faster in 1% lows. This difference highlights the limitations of the RTX 4060's 8GB VRAM. Similar trends were observed at 1440p, further emphasizing the importance of sufficient VRAM for this title.F1 24The B580 handled F1 24 effortlessly. Although it wasn't noticeably faster than the RTX 4060, it powered through the game using the high preset, delivering a smooth high-refresh-rate experience even at 1440p.Forza Horizon 5Similar to F1 24, the Arc GPU excelled in Forza Horizon 5, delivering 6% better performance at 1080p with an average of 109 fps. At 1440p, performance improved by 10%, although 1% lows were slightly less consistent.Resident Evil 4The B580 performed well in Resident Evil 4, beating the RTX 4060 by an 8% margin at 1080p and 13% at 1440p, maintaining frame rates well above 60 fps.StarfieldUnfortunately, the B580 struggled in Starfield, with weak average frame rates and extremely poor 1% lows. Not only was it significantly slower than the RTX 4060, but the experience was subpar, rendering the game practically unplayable at a satisfactory standard.The Callisto ProtocolPerformance in The Callisto Protocol was much better, with the B580 outperforming the 4060 by 6% at 1080p and 12% at 1440p.Alan Wake 2In Alan Wake 2, previous testing with ray tracing showed that neither the B580 nor the RTX 4060 could deliver playable performance. With ray tracing disabled and high-quality settings enabled, the B580 achieved just 43 fps at 1080p, making it 9% slower than the RTX 4060. Performance in this title remains underwhelming.Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom LibertyThe B580 performed exceptionally well in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. It was 15% faster than the RTX 4060 at 1080p and an impressive 29% faster at 1440p, making it a clear win for Intel.Far Cry 6The Arc B580 delivered mixed results in Far Cry 6. While average frame rates appeared decent, frame rate consistency was poor, with very low 1% lows, resulting in a less-than-ideal experience.Marvel's Spider-Man RemasteredThe B580 shined in Spider-Man Remastered, delivering 20% better performance than the RTX 4060 at 1080p and 25% at 1440p, providing a significantly improved experience.Avatar: Frontiers of PandoraThe B580 edged out the RTX 4060 in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, with a 3% performance gain at 1080p and a 7% advantage at 1440p, along with 17% stronger 1% lows.Hitman 3Performance in Hitman 3 was excellent, with the B580 delivering 145 fps at 1080p using the highest quality settings (excluding ray tracing). It was 12% faster than the RTX 4060 at 1080p and an impressive 27% faster at 1440p.Dying Light 2 Stay HumanThe B580 performed well in Dying Light 2 Stay Human, beating the RTX 4060 at both resolutions. It was 17% faster at 1080p and 25% faster at 1440p, providing a noticeably better experience, especially at the higher resolution.Hogwarts LegacyThe B580 handled Hogwarts Legacy well, matching the RTX 4060 at 1080p. At 1440p, it was 11% faster, improving from 53 fps to 59 fps on average, a difference players will appreciate.A Plague Tale: RequiemThe B580 excelled in A Plague Tale: Requiem, achieving 77 fps at 1080p, making it 20% faster than the RTX 4060. At 1440p, its lead extended to 24%, providing a noticeably better experience.Dragon Age: The VeilguardPerformance in Dragon Age: The Veilguard was mixed. At 1080p, the B580 was 15% slower, a significant margin. However, at 1440p, it managed to pull ahead by 8%.War ThunderThe B580 performed well in War Thunder, outperforming the RTX 4060 by 7% at 1080p and 16% at 1440p, with no issues expected even at 4K.Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2Performance in Space Marine 2 was uneven. At 1080p, the B580 was 16% slower than the RTX 4060, but it remained perfectly playable. At 1440p, performance improved significantly, with the B580 surpassing the 4060 by 6%.Star Wars OutlawsStar Wars Outlaws uses ray tracing effects by default, which heavily impacts frame rates on the ultra preset. The B580 managed 40 fps at 1080p, making it 18% faster than the RTX 4060, but performance still leaves room for improvement.Assetto Corsa CompetizionePerformance in Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) was solid overall, though the B580 trailed the RTX 4060 by 20% at 1080p and 25% at 1440p. This was somewhat surprising, as the Arc GPU typically narrows the performance gap at higher resolutions.Black Myth WukongWith ray tracing disabled, Black Myth Wukong played exceptionally well on the B580 using the medium quality preset. It achieved 79 fps at 1080p and 64 fps at 1440p, outperforming the RTX 4060 by 20% and 45%, respectively.Borderlands 3The B580 also delivered superior performance in Borderlands 3, though the margins were narrower. It was 11% faster at 1080p and 17% faster at 1440p.Total War: Warhammer IIIThe B580 handled Total War: Warhammer III with ease, outperforming the RTX 4060 by 7% at 1080p and 9% at 1440p.Delta ForcePerformance in Delta Force was mixed. While the B580 achieved better average frame rates than the RTX 4060, frame time performance was inconsistent, with notably poor 1% lows. This made gameplay less smooth and more frustrating, despite the decent averages.Dragon's Dogma 2Performance in Dragon's Dogma 2 was underwhelming. The B580 rendered 61 fps at 1080p, but frame time consistency was lacking. Compared to the RTX 4060, the B580 was 22% slower at 1080p and 17% slower at 1440p.Gears 5The B580 struggled in Gears 5, falling significantly behind the RTX 4060. Retesting confirmed the results: the B580 was 34% slower at 1080p and 31% slower at 1440p. While the game remained playable at 'ultra' settings, this performance is disappointing and something Intel may need to address.God of War RagnarkThe B580 delivered mixed results in God of War Ragnark. At 1080p, it was 14% slower than the RTX 4060 but had similar 1% lows. At 1440p, it edged ahead by 3%, again with comparable 1% lows. Overall performance was solid but inconsistent.Gotham KnightsPerformance in Gotham Knights was highly competitive, with the B580 and RTX 4060 delivering nearly identical results at both 1080p and 1440p using the highest quality preset.Halo InfiniteHalo Infinite remains a weak point for Intel Arc GPUs, and the B580 is no exception. While the game loads and plays without major technical issues, performance was disappointing, coming in 31% slower than the RTX 4060 at 1080p and 24% slower at 1440p.Homeworld 3The B580 also struggled in Homeworld 3, performing 22% slower than the RTX 4060 at 1080p and 13% slower at 1440p. The 1% lows were particularly problematic, showing a 37% reduction compared to the 4060, leading to noticeable performance dips.Horizon Zero DawnResults for Horizon Zero Dawn were mixed. The B580 was 11% slower than the RTX 4060 at 1080p but 8% faster at 1440p, with similar 1% lows at both resolutions. Overall performance was acceptable, though not consistently better than the 4060.Hunt Showdown 1896Performance in Hunt Showdown 1896 was disappointing. Despite solid average frame rates, the game suffered from constant and severe frame stuttering. Multiple retests produced the same results, rendering the experience frustrating and unreliable.Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 proved challenging for both GPUs, as neither managed 30 fps at 1080p without lowering quality settings or enabling upscaling. At 1080p, the B580 was 17% slower than the RTX 4060. At 1440p, performance fell short of acceptable levels altogether.ReturnalNext up is Returnal, where the B580 performed very well, delivering 14% better performance at 1080p and 22% at 1440p. This is an easy win for the Arc GPU, offering excellent performance overall using the Epic preset.The RiftbreakerThe B580 also excelled in The Riftbreaker, beating the RTX 4060 by 14% at 1080p and 20% at 1440p.Rocket LeagueWhile the B580 lags slightly behind in Rocket League, overall performance remains excellent. At 1080p, it was 7% slower than the RTX 4060 and, somewhat surprisingly, 16% slower at 1440p.Shadow of the Tomb RaiderIn Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the two GPUs traded blows. The B580 was 6% slower at 1080p but 5% faster at 1440p. Performance overall was similar, and since this is an older title, gameplay was excellent using the highest in-game preset.Stalker 2: Heart of ChornobylStalker 2 is one of the newest games in this test suite, and the B580 struggled slightly, performing 15% slower than the RTX 4060 at 1080p and 10% slower at 1440p.Skull and BonesFinally, there's Skull and Bones, a game that few people have played. We included it for completeness, but it appears Intel overlooked it too, as the B580 couldn't even load the game, crashing every time it tried to load a level. This gives the RTX 4060 a clear win here, though Intel is aware of the issue and will likely resolve it in a future driver update.1080p Average PerformanceThis is interesting. The 12 games we used for evaluating GPUs in our day-one review showed the B580 to be 7% faster than the RTX 4060 on average at 1080p. However, when testing a much larger range of games, the B580 is actually 1% slower than the 4060.While a 7% margin was never substantial, these results highlight just how much performance can vary depending on the title. The Intel B580 performed particularly poorly in Gears 5, Halo Infinite, Rainbow Six Siege, Black Ops 6, Homeworld 3, and Starfield. Among these, only Starfield was part of the original review.Hunt Showdown was also problematic for the B580, though it appeared better than some of the others due to its excellent average frame rate. If we exclude Hunt Showdown, the B580 becomes 2% slower than the RTX 4060. However, this cuts both ways, as several titles exposed the RTX 4060's insufficient VRAM, resulting in shockingly poor 1% lows.Ultimately, when considering a large range of games, the B580 and RTX 4060 are much more evenly matched.1440p Average PerformanceAs we also saw previously, that the B580 stacks up best at 1440p and here we see that it's 5% faster on average across a massive range of games, which is well down on the 14% margin seen in our day one review.You could argue that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is an outlier here, but removing it only changes the margin to 7%, so half what was seen in the day one review.What We LearnedIn our day-one review of the the Arc B580 which included 12 games, the Intel GPU was found to offer 27% better value than Nvidia's RTX 4060 when measuring cost per frame. However, with this updated data across a much larger game sample, the value advantage shrinks to around 21%.Having that said, this comparison assumes the use of a high-end flagship CPU. When swapping the 9800X3D for the 5600, the B580's value proposition significantly diminishes. Because of this, it's difficult to gauge the performance differences between the B580 and RTX 4060 using a smaller sample of games as Arc's performance remains inconsistent, often due to its overhead issue.Intel still has work to do, but the good news is that there's significant room for improvement. This gives hope that Intel can fully unlock the B580's potential. It was a pleasant surprise to find the testing relatively issue-free, with only a few games experiencing frame pacing problems and one game currently not working. Despite of this, the Intel Arc program has come a long way.Building on the conclusions from our Arc B580 reviews, this new benchmark data doesn't drastically alter our assessment. The Intel GPU is still more likely to encounter performance issues compared to the more established Radeon RX 7600 and RTX 4060, which is why we believe a 20% discount is justified.The fact remains that if you're looking to spend less than $300 on a new GPU, there's no better choice than the Arc B580 provided you can actually find one for $250 and have a decent CPU to pair it with. Those savings sometimes come with minor headaches. But for the most part, the experience should be positive, and having a GPU armed with 12GB of VRAM is a huge plus moving forward.The only real problem with the Arc B580 is its current availability, that and pricing in some regions where it's not as competitive what we see in U.S. retailers. For the B580 to truly succeed, Intel needs to address both of these issues, so fingers crossed things can improve on that front.Shopping Shortcuts:Intel Arc B580 on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7600 on AmazonNvidia GeForce RTX 5070 on Amazon (soon)Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti on Amazon (soon)AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT on AmazonAMD Radeon RX 7900 XT on Amazon
