- Update Intel Graphics Driver Gaming
- Intel Gaming Graphics Driver Download
- How To Improve Gaming Graphics
- Gaming Graphics Software
Intel's latest graphics driver for Windows supports the automatic configuration of game settings to improve the gaming experience on machines with integrated Intel graphics adapters.
The new feature is available as a beta version right now with limited game support. You do need the Intel Graphics Driver for Windows version 15.68.3.4944 or later, and also supported hardware.
Advanced PC users may be able to update Intel Graphics drivers manually by searching for the correct version at the Intel Graphics Driver Support ensuring that it matches the device type and exact model, downloading and installing it. However, this process takes time and carries the risk of getting an incorrect driver version or downloading an unofficial driver, which may be bundled with.
The automated configuration of games is supported on Intel Graphics on 6th generation Core processors or higher including Intel Core processors with Radeon RX Vega M graphics.
Intel is introducing a new feature with the ability to automatically configure game settings for Intel Graphics on 6th Gen Core Processors or higher (including systems with 8th Gen Core Processors with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics). Look for the ‘Gaming icon’ in the Graphics Control Panel. This feature is still in beta so game availability and functionality is limited.
Intel HD Graphics Gaming
You find the new 'gaming' option when you open the Intel Graphics Settings after installation of the latest driver. You can do so with a right-click on the desktop and the selection of Intel Graphics Settings from the context menu.
You receive a prompt the first time you click on 'gaming'. Intel explains that the feature will 'access the game configuration file and make modifications to the original game settings' when you enable the functionality.
The list of support games includes classics as well as some of the latest smash hits. To name a few: Dota 2, Destiny 2, Dark Souls III, Overwatch, World of Tanks, or League of Legends, Call of Duty WWII, Grand Theft Auto V.
Gaming lists detected games and options to optimize them. Selecting optimize modifies settings for the best game experience on the machine. There is also a restore option to restore the default settings and another option to view the current settings.
I tried to get Gaming to work on a PC with an Intel Core i7-6700K processor but could not. While Gaming was an option after installation of the latest graphics driver, no game was listed even though I installed Dota 2 from Steam to test the functionality. A reboot did not resolve this either unfortunately.
Update: Intel contacted me about the issue. A company representative stated that games are detected directly after installation of the new driver and then in 24-hour intervals. This explains why Dota 2 was not listed because I installed the game after I ran the driver update. I can confirm that the game is listed now by the application. Intel plans to address this issue in the future.
Gaming is listed as a beta feature; I guess issues like the one experienced on the test system are to be expected.
Update Intel Graphics Driver Gaming
Intel notes that the new driver includes other improvements:
- Enhanced performance of graphics workloads for 6th Gen Core processors or higher with intelligent power management under maximum load.
- Improved performance in video encoding for all codecs.
- Power saving optimizations during video playback and UHD gaming is now available on all 7th Gen Core processors and higher.
Intel Gaming Graphics Driver Download
Closing Words
While I prefer to adjust game settings manually as my preferences may not always align with those applied by automated systems, from Nvidia for instance, I can see this as a powerful option for gamers who need assistance when it comes to configuring games for the best gaming experience.
Now You: Do you play games on your PC? Do you tweak them for optimal performance?
Intel is trying something it has never done before, and if it works, it could be help gamers who are using integrated graphics to spend less time fiddling with settings. That's because Intel's newest graphics driver has the ability to automatically configure game settings in a handful of games.
This is a beta feature that is compatible with 6th generation Core processors (Skylake) and newer. It also works with upcoming 8th generation Core processors with Radeon RX Vega M graphics, otherwise known as Kaby Lake G, that's probably the more interesting scenario.
Intel's upcoming Core G-series processors are full-fledged quad-core Kaby Lake chips with a separate Vega GPU and HBM2 memory. Initially, Intel and AMD are focusing on the mobile market, though they will also appear in all-in-one systems and compact units like the NUC.
The new driver adds a 'Gaming' icon in the graphics control panel. Intel notes that some functionality may be limited while in beta, and not all games are supported. The ones that work include Battlefield 1 and 4, American Truck Simulator, Call of Duty WWII, Destiny 2, DOTA 2, Grand Theft Auto V, League of Legends, Overwatch, and World of Tanks.
In addition to automatically optimizing game settings in the above games, Intel is pitching this as a launch driver for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age HD.
How To Improve Gaming Graphics
Beyond gaming, the driver introduces improved performance in video encoding (for all codecs) and power saving optimizations during video playback.
Gaming Graphics Software
The new driver is available here.