Bad performance & Low wattage on Arc B580

[Xebakyr]

Had the Arc B580 a couple months now and it often performs very well. Cyberpunk 2077, for example, performs fantastically at max settings with RTX on. However, i'm currently having issues with certain games, most notably UE5 titles and No Mans Sky are the ones i've noticed.

For example with Oblivion Remastered I struggled to get 60fps regardless of settings, and the same with Expedition 33. I'm most concerned about No Mans Sky, though, as whilst the performance is certainly playable it's much below what i've seen from this GPU in benchmarks and recorded tests by others so i'll be using that as the example.

Specs & Information
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900x
GPU: Intel Arc B580
Motherboard: MSI Mag B550 Tomahawk Max WIFI
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB 16GB (2x8GB) @3200Mhz
PSU: Corsair 1000w, don't remember the exact build (sorry!)
Boot Drive: Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Operating System: Windows 11 Home, Version 24H2, Build 26100.4946
Graphics Driver Version: 32.0.101.7026 (Latest, updated September 2, 2025)
Product Version: No Mans Sky latest build, playing through Steam

Initial information to establish some basic things i've made sure of:
Resizable BAR is ENABLED
Smart Access Memory is ENABLED
PC is using High Performance Mode, selected in Windows
I've tested Game Mode
XMP is enabled
Graphics Drivers have been installed after running DDU to make sure other drivers are gone
VSync is disabled, both in-game and in the Intel Graphics Software
All FPS limiting methods (in-game, in the Intel Graphics Software and otherwise) are disabled
I have tested with low-latency mode both on and off.


I've also attached the SSU report containing the relevant information. Whilst performance is entirely playable and stable, it's far below the actual expectations from the card given what i've seen from benchmarks and videos uploaded to Youtube. I'd love to run CapFrameX (as suggested at https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-ARC-Graphics/Need-help-Reporting-a-bug-or-issue-with-Arc-GPU-PLEASE-READ-THIS/m-p/1494429#M5057) but it does not generate the configuration folder and if I manually create it and drop in the file, it deletes the folder and the file with it, so I can't do that right now. I will attach screenshots to hopefully give details on the issue, and do my best to explain with words, too.

Firstly, i've tested the game at both minimum settings @480p resolution, and maximum settings @ 1080p. The difference in performance is minimal, if any. Certainly not what I would expect from a card that i've seen getting more than twice the FPS i'm receiving. Usually, I would assume a CPU bottleneck, but i've also seen the same CPU benchmarked in this game receiving ~200FPS.

Secondly, upon checking the Intel Graphics software, I noticed the GPU Frequency is at ~900Mhz, whilst GPU Wattage is ~30W which seems odd considering the cards 190W TDP. I'm aware that TDP does not mean "the card will run at this wattage", but with such a low frequency compared to the maximum and such a low power draw and no CPU limitation, that seemed somewhat concerning. VRAM usage was sat at around ~5GB, so i'm also not capping out my VRAM.

Lastly, when stepping the settings up to the maximum and setting resolution back to 1080p, the GPU frequency skyrockets, now sitting at 2250Mhz. However, GPU utilization still sits at ~75% and the GPU still only draws 58w. Performance is almost unchanged. VRAM usage rises significantly, but remains far under the 12Gb available to the card. CPU usage remains identical.

First image is @480p, minimum settings. Second image is @1080p, maximum settings. Apologies if i've missed any potentially relevant information.

[Xebakyr]

Something I did forget to mention: My GPU is overclocked using the Intel Graphics Software. +300Mhz clock speed, +1Gbps memory speed, 120% power limit. This has been stable for months and has never crashed, i've also stress tested this with the UNIGINE Heaven benchmarking tool.

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

Thank you for contacting Intel support regarding the performance issues you're experiencing with your Arc B580 GPU, particularly with UE5 titles and No Man's Sky.

I acknowledge that you've already performed extensive troubleshooting including:

• Enabling Resizable BAR and Smart Access Memory
• Using DDU for clean driver installation
• Testing various performance settings
• Confirming your overclock stability

Based on your detailed report, I recommend updating to the latest graphics driver version 32.0.101.7028, as your current version 32.0.101.7026 may have newer optimizations for the games you're experiencing issues with. You can download the latest driver here: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/785597/intel-arc-iris-xe-graphics-windows.html

Please perform a clean installation using DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller) following Intel's official instructions here: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000091878/graphics.html

For faster communication and more detailed troubleshooting, I'd like to schedule a phone call to work through this issue together. This will allow us to perform real-time diagnostics and potentially identify the root cause of the unexpectedly low GPU utilization and power draw you're observing.

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[Xebakyr]

Hi, thanks for the reply and sorry for the slow one from myself.

I would be okay with scheduling a phone call and can shift my shedule to make room for it whenever. How should I go about sending you my contact number (since i'd rather not post it here)?.

To preadd some more information for your convenience, i've done some more testing over yesterday whilst I was working. I've tried fully reinsntalling my CPU chipset drivers, a full Windows reinstall and, as suggested by you, updating my GPU drivers to the latest version. I've also tried removing both my GPU overclock and my CPU undervolt/underclock and saw negative performance impacts from doing so.

I also tried Intel Presentmon to analyze my frames. Admittedly, this hasn't helped me much, but the data points to my CPU not performing as i've seen in benchmarks (which I acknowledge is not your issue as I am not using an Intel branded CPU, unless this falls unded the Arc driver overhead issue). In No Mans Sky, I was seeing GPU wait times of ~2-3ms, whilst in Baldurs Gate 3 I was seeing no wait times from either the CPU and GPU, and hitting a steady 160 fps with much closer to expected GPU power draw (~150w).

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

Thank you for your detailed follow-up and the additional testing you've conducted. I appreciate the thoroughness of your troubleshooting efforts, including the chipset driver reinstallation, Windows reinstall, GPU driver update, and the Intel PresentMon analysis.

Your findings are very insightful, particularly the difference in GPU behavior between No Man's Sky (2-3ms GPU wait times, low power draw) and Baldur's Gate 3 (no wait times, expected ~150W power draw, steady 160fps). This suggests the issue may be game-specific rather than a general hardware problem.

For our phone call, I'll need to contact you privately to get your phone number. I'll send you a separate email shortly to collect your contact information securely.

In preparation for our call, could you please gather the following information:

• Exact version numbers for No Man's Sky, Oblivion Remastered, and Expedition 33
• Are these Steam, Epic Games Store, or other platform versions?
• Could you capture and save PresentMon logs for both No Man's Sky (problematic) and Baldur's Gate 3 (working well) for comparison?
• CPU and GPU temperatures during the problematic games
• CPU usage per core/thread breakdown
• Any background processes that might be affecting performance
• Screenshots of your in-game graphics settings for No Man's Sky
• Any game-specific optimizations or mods installed

This information will help us have a more productive call and potentially identify patterns in the performance discrepancies you're experiencing.

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Xebakyr]

I've created a ZIP folder containing screenshots of graphics settings for all 4 of the games you listed, as well as Presentmon logs, screenshots of the game window & Presentmon overlay and statistics from HW monitor Unfortunately I wasn't able to get heat statistics from during gameplay. I also do not own a copy of either Oblivion Remastered nor Expedition 33, so I won't actually be able to test any updated versions of the games. The website won't let me attach the ZIP folder unfortunately, so i'll attach this in the email as there's more than 10 files.

After a full reinstall of Windows + my GPU drivers + chipset drivers, performance seems better and GPU power usage seems more in line with expectations, although performance is still below expected when compared to similar hardware and identical CPUs with different GPUs. 

No Mans Sky:
Product Version: 151377 (Latest)
Platform: Steam
Unmodded, vanilla installation

Oblivion Remastered:
Product Version: 0.411.140.0
Platform: Steam
Unmodded, vanilla installation

Baldurs Gate 3:
Product Version: 4.1.1.6897358
Platform: Steam
Heavily modded, no "performance improvement" mods

Expedition 33
Product Version: 57661
Platform: Steam
Unmodded, vanilla installation

Background Processes details:
Steam
Discord
Spotify
SteelseriesGG
HWMonitor
Intel Presentmon

[Xebakyr]

As suggested, I updated my BIOS to the latest build version. Unfortunately, this seems to have made little to no difference in my performance. 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

Thank you for the update regarding your BIOS update to the latest version. I understand that the BIOS update has made little to no difference in your Arc B580 performance issues with No Man's Sky and other UE5 titles. 

Based on the comprehensive troubleshooting that has been completed, including: 

• BIOS update to latest official version (from beta version LLC. 2.91 to 7C91v29) 
• Windows reinstallation (which temporarily improved power usage) 
• Clean driver installations with DDU 
• Extensive game settings testing and PresentMon data collection 

I will be checking this internally for further investigation. The performance discrepancies you're experiencing, particularly the low GPU utilization (~75%) and inconsistent power draw patterns in specific games, require detailed analysis. 

I will be reviewing: 

• Your comprehensive PresentMon data and game settings documentation 
• The specific performance patterns in No Man's Sky vs Baldur's Gate 3 
• GPU utilization and power management behavior 

Game-specific optimization issues with Arc B580 

Your system configuration appears to be properly optimized (Resizable BAR enabled, latest drivers, stable overclock), but the game-specific performance issues suggest potential driver optimization opportunities that need internal review. 

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

Intel has just released a new graphics driver that may resolve the issue you've been experiencing.

New Driver Available: Intel® Arc™ & Iris® Xe Graphics - Windows* Version: 32.0.101.7029

Download Link: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/785597/intel-arc-iris-xe-graphics-windows.html

For best results, I recommend performing a clean installation using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU):

• Use DDU to completely remove current graphics drivers
• Download and install the new driver (32.0.101.7029) from the link above
• Restart your computer after installation
• Test your graphics functionality to see if the issue is resolved

Please follow the detailed guide here: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000091878/graphics.html

This clean installation method ensures no conflicting driver files remain on your system, which often resolves persistent graphics issues.

After installing the new driver, please let me know:

• Whether the issue has been resolved
• If you continue to experience any problems
• Any changes or improvements you notice

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

I wanted to follow up on the previous message regarding your inquiry. Have you had a chance to review it? If you have any questions or need further information, please let me know. 

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Xebakyr]

Sorry about the late reply on this. I did try the new driver, unfortunately it has not fixed the issue. I've also noticed problems in Stellar Blade and The Finals (although started to occur *after* originally bringing this up). Both games have a very similar issue, though Stellar Blades is the one that's been easier to experiment with.

I've tested the game at minimum possible resolution and settings with upscaling to remove as much load as possible from my Arc B580 and see if the issue was with my CPU. At the minimum possible GPU load, I get around ~140-160FPS from my R9 5900X. As I turn the settings up, even without being at full GPU load I start to  experience lots of microstuttering, and even when sitting at 90% GPU load I drop to ~75 average FPS. However, 1% lows sit at ~40 whilst my highs sit at ~120. 

Whilst I understand that raising the graphics will drop frames, the FPS drops severely even whilst approaching 85% GPU load. I'm unsure if these issues are related to the under performance in other titles, but i'm mentioning them due to potential relevance. I'm also unsure if these are even GPU specific issues, so i'll continue to work on those myself in the meantime.

[Xebakyr]

This morning, I completely uninstalled my Display Drivers using DDU in safe mode. This did not fix my issue, but I let Stellar Blade run for 15 minutes before closing it and (whilst I know this isn't recommended) setting my GPU voltage to 125%. As a change, using the in-game FPS counter now locks me at a perfect 60FPS, with my 1% lows at 59FPS (which is fine). Whilst locking my FPS, my B580 now sits at ~70% average usage, which I would think indicates room for more performance. 

However, when unlocking my FPS, my FPS rises to ~75 avg, but my 1% lows still drop all the way down to ~40 or even lower. Overvolting my GPU and locking my framerate to 60 is, technically, a solution as this allows me to continue playing the games I wanted to play, but I would prefer not to overvolt my GPU for the sake of both avoiding silicon degradation and overall GPU lifespan. This also doesn't explain the huge discrepancies in framerate between the previously originally mentioned titles (namely UE5 ones and No Mans Sky), benchmarks on similar hardware configurations and titles that perform well for myself like Baldurs Gate 3. 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

Thank you for your continued detailed testing and feedback regarding the performance issues with your Intel Arc B580. I appreciate your persistence in troubleshooting this complex issue and the comprehensive information you've provided throughout our investigation.

Your latest findings are particularly insightful and concerning. The fact that overvolting your GPU to 125% provides stability at locked 60 FPS but still shows significant 1% low drops when unlocked (dropping to ~40 FPS despite 75 average FPS) indicates there are underlying power delivery or driver optimization issues that require deeper investigation.

Key Observations from Your Testing:

• Performance issues now confirmed across multiple titles (No Man's Sky, UE5 games, Stellar Blade, The Finals)
• GPU utilization inconsistencies (~70% usage at locked 60 FPS, suggesting headroom for better performance)
• Severe 1% low drops (40 FPS) despite reasonable average framerates
• Overvolting temporarily stabilizes performance but is not a sustainable solution
• Clean driver installations and latest driver version 32.0.101.7029 have not resolved the core issues

I understand your reluctance to continue using 125% voltage due to potential silicon degradation and GPU lifespan concerns. This is absolutely the right approach - overvolting should not be necessary for proper operation and is not a recommended long-term solution.

Given the complexity of these performance issues and the fact that standard troubleshooting methods (clean driver installations, BIOS updates, Windows reinstallation) have not provided a complete resolution, I will be checking this internally for further investigation.

Your comprehensive documentation, including the PresentMon data, game settings screenshots, and systematic testing approach, will be invaluable for this deeper analysis. The specific pattern of performance issues you're experiencing may indicate driver optimization opportunities or power management behaviors that require internal review.

For now, please return your GPU voltage to stock settings to avoid any potential hardware damage. I understand this may impact your gaming experience temporarily, but protecting your hardware is the priority while we investigate these issues further.

I will get back to you once I have more information from our internal analysis and any potential solutions or driver updates that may address these performance inconsistencies.

Thank you for your patience and the exceptional level of detail you've provided throughout this troubleshooting process.

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

Thank you for your continued patience as I investigate the performance issues you're experiencing with your Intel Arc B580 in specific games. I have an update regarding your case and need some additional information to help me better understand the root cause. 

I am actively investigating the performance discrepancies you've reported, particularly the low GPU utilization (~75%) and inconsistent power draw patterns (30-58W) in games like No Man's Sky and UE5 titles, while other games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Baldur's Gate 3 perform as expected with proper power draw (~150W). 

To help me better understand the root cause, I need to clarify one important detail from your previous testing: 

You mentioned that you tested removing your GPU overclock (+300MHz clock speed, +1Gbps memory speed, 120% power limit) and saw negative performance impacts. However, I need to confirm whether the low GPU utilization and power draw issues you're experiencing are the same when running at stock settings, or if this represents a different performance characteristic. 

Could you please test again with your GPU at completely stock settings (no overclock) and confirm: 

• Does the low GPU utilization (~75%) still occur in No Man's Sky? 
• Does the low power draw (30-58W) pattern persist? 
• Are the performance issues identical to what you experience with the overclock enabled? 

To conduct a more thorough analysis, I need to focus on one specific game for detailed investigation. Given the comprehensive documentation you've provided, could you please select which game you'd like me to prioritize for my analysis: 

• No Man's Sky (where you've documented the 2-3ms GPU wait times and power draw inconsistencies) 
• Oblivion Remastered (UE5 title with similar performance patterns) 
• Expedition 33 (UE5 title with similar performance patterns) 

Once you've selected the priority game, I can conduct more targeted analysis of the specific performance patterns and potential optimizations needed. 

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr,

I wanted to follow up on the previous message regarding your inquiry. Have you had a chance to review it? If you have any questions or need further information, please let me know. 

Best regards, 

Dean R. 

Intel Customer Support Technician 

[Xebakyr]

Hi, sorry for the slow reply again. I started experiencing an entitely seperate issue which I managed to isolate from my B580 and wanted to fix that before trying to work on this issue more as to not cross symptoms.

As for your question, i'd like to focus on No Mans Sky. I'll do some testing with stock settings and see if the issue persists.

Thanks for your patience and help.

[Xebakyr]

I've spent a little while testing and the issue with No Mans Sky seems to have disappeared with stock settings (clock speed, voltage, power limit and memory speed). The GPU usage and power draw seem more in line with expectations - 98% usage on (mostly) max settings at native 1080p, with a steady 120fps whilst the card draws ~112w, which is much more in line with expected performance. 

However, performance in other games sees no positive impact. I've also done some testing in other games that seem to be negatively impacted such as The Finals (NvRTX Branch of UE5.4) and Stellar Blade (UE4). I don't own many copies of games that actually perform well on my GTX 1660ti, so i've used Stellar Blade to test if there's any differences between the 1660ti and my Arc B580 as that game does run on the 1660ti.

I noticed that when dropping settings to the minimum to minimize GPU load completely, both GPUs experienced the same performance with my 5900x (120fps)  with the B580 showing lower usage (which makes sense, as it's a much more powerful card). Whilst being sure not to max out the GPU load, I raised settings one step at a time. The framerate with the 1660ti stayed consistent until the GPU was maxed out, at which point it started decreasing. However, with the B580, framerate dropped as GPU utilization rose, even when GPU utilization remained significantly under maximum. This result was also consistent whether the B580 was overclocked or not. 

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr, 

Thank you for your patience and for conducting such thorough testing with your Intel Arc B580. I appreciate you taking the time to isolate the separate issue you were experiencing and for providing detailed results from your stock settings testing. 

I'm pleased to hear that running your B580 at stock settings resolved the performance issues in No Man's Sky! The results you're seeing now are much more in line with expectations: 

• 98% GPU usage (up from ~75%) 
• Steady 120fps at mostly max settings 1080p 
• ~112W power draw (much more consistent than the previous 30-58W fluctuations) 

This confirms that the overclock was contributing to the performance inconsistencies in certain games. 

However, I understand that you're still experiencing performance issues in other games like The Finals (UE5.4) and Stellar Blade (UE4), where the B580 shows frame rate drops even when GPU utilization is well below maximum. This behavior pattern suggests there may be driver optimization issues with certain game engines. 

I recommend updating to the latest Intel Arc graphics driver and performing a clean installation to address the remaining game compatibility issues: 

• Download Latest Intel Arc Driver Version 32.0.101.7076: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/864990/864992/intel-11th-14th-gen-processor-graphi… 

• Perform Clean Installation using DDU: 
  • Download DDU: https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/display-driver-uninstaller-download.html 
  • Boot into Safe Mode 
  • Run DDU to completely remove current Intel Arc drivers 
  • Restart in normal mode 
  • Install driver version 32.0.101.7076 

After the clean driver installation, please test: 

1. The Finals and Stellar Blade performance at stock B580 settings 
2. GPU utilization scaling as you increase settings step-by-step 
3. Frame rate consistency compared to your previous results 

Your comparative testing methodology with the GTX 1660Ti has been very valuable for identifying that this is a B580-specific performance scaling issue rather than a CPU bottleneck. 

Please try the driver update and let me know the results. 

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[DeancR_Intel]

Hi Xebakyr, 

I'm following up to find out if you experience any issues. I'm not able to get any response from you regarding the needed information. 

Best regards,

Dean R.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Xebakyr]

Apologies for the slow reply once again. I've updated to the latest drivers and retested on both Stellar Blade and The Finals using stock settings. Unfortunately results seem to be consistent with the previous ones, meaning no increase in average FPS or 1% lows.

[spunckles]

Hi Dean R,

I am experiencing the exact same issue with my B580 and have done some testing myself to confirm.

Here is a link explaining the testing I did: https://www.reddit.com/r/IntelArc/comments/1nsxhy0/arc_b580_power_draw_issue/

What appears to be happening is that the GPU limits power usage under heavier workloads which dramatically impacts it's theoretical performance ceiling but with no apparent reason as to why. As mentioned in the post, my best guess is that there is a localised area of the GPU which is thermal throttled which is not picked up by telemetry data that limits the entire card.

I'm wondering if this could be fixed at all with a driver update?