Intel Investigates Performance Issues of Arc B580 GPU on Older CPUs

Intel is investigating the high CPU overhead associated with its Arc B580 graphics cards when used with older processors. The B580, which Tom’s Hardware has dubbed the $249 GPU champion, is currently the most budget-friendly modern GPU on the market. However, reviewers have noted significant performance issues when pairing the B580 with older CPUs. An Intel Community forum moderator addressed the issue, stating, "Thank you for your patience. We are aware of reports of performance sensitivity in some games when paired with older generation processors. We have increased our platform coverage to include more configurations in our validation process, and we are continuing to investigate optimizations." The performance issue was first observed in early January during benchmark tests conducted by multiple reviewers. For instance, Hardware Unboxed compared the B580’s performance with both an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and a Ryzen 5 2600, using an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 as a control. The results were striking: - **Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2** - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 62 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 74 FPS (19.69% higher) - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 5 2600: 31 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 2600: 52 FPS (69.48% higher) - **Rainbow Six Siege** - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 240 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 309 FPS (28.75% higher) - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 5 2600: 212 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 2600: 223 FPS (5.19% higher) - **Hogwarts Legacy** - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 71 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 70 FPS (1.43% lower) - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 5 2600: 34 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 2600: 52 FPS (52.94% higher) - **Starfield** - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 40 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 50 FPS (25.00% higher) - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 5 2600: 24 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 2600: 44 FPS (83.33% higher) - **Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered** - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 152 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 7 9800X3D: 127 FPS (20.32% lower) - Intel Arc B580 + Ryzen 5 2600: 46 FPS - Nvidia RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 2600: 78 FPS (69.57% higher) On average, the RTX 4060 outperforms the B580 by about 10% when paired with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. However, the performance gap widens significantly with the older Ryzen 5 2600, with the RTX 4060 achieving a 22% advantage over the Intel card. In some games, the B580 paired with the Ryzen 5 2600 delivers unplayable frame rates, such as 30 FPS or lower. This issue is particularly concerning for budget gamers, who are the primary target audience for the B580. Many gamers might be tempted to upgrade from older GPUs like the GTX 1060, which was still the most popular GPU on Steam as late as 2022. However, the CPU overhead problem means that they may need to upgrade their CPU and motherboard as well, significantly increasing the cost of the system upgrade. For those with an AM4 motherboard, the situation is less severe, as AMD continues to release new chips for this socket even in 2025. But for users with older AM3+ or Intel systems, the necessary upgrades could make the B580 a less attractive option. With tariffs complicating and raising the cost of hardware, this could mean that many budget gamers are unable to afford the latest games at all. Hopefully, Intel can identify and resolve this issue quickly, as it is a critical concern for the B580’s target market. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to stay updated on the latest news, analysis, and reviews, and ensure you don’t miss any important developments in this ongoing investigation.