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Intel’s Arc A770 Limited Edition is the stronger ray-tracing card, but neither Alchemist model makes native 1440p ultra ray tracing a reliable target. The A770 is most comfortable at 1080p with high or ultra effects and can handle selected 1440p settings; the A750 is primarily a 1080p ray-tracing card. XeSS can make difficult scenes playable where a game supports it, while performance in older or poorly optimized DirectX paths remains the biggest risk.
Arc A770 and A750 Limited Edition specifications
| Specification | Arc A770 Limited Edition | Arc A750 Limited Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Xe cores / XMX engines | 32 | 28 |
| Ray-tracing units | 32 | 28 |
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6 at 17.5Gbps | 8GB GDDR6 at 16Gbps |
| Memory bandwidth | 560GB/s | 512GB/s |
| Board power | 225W TBP | 225W TBP |
| Interface and display outputs | PCIe 4.0 x16; three DisplayPort 2.0 outputs and HDMI 2.1 | |
| Media hardware | AV1, HEVC, H.264 and VP9 acceleration | |
These figures are listed by PC Gamer for the Limited Edition boards. The extra memory on the A770 is significant for high-resolution textures and ray-tracing workloads; the A750 has half the capacity, even though both cards carry the same 225W total board power rating.
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How good is ray tracing on the Arc A770?
The A770 is unusually capable for a first-generation Intel GPU. Tom’s Hardware found it essentially tied with an RTX 2080 Super in a native 1440p ultra DirectX Raytracing comparison. That result is notable because the A770 offered twice the VRAM and cost about half as much as the RTX 2080 Super at the time of that test. It does not mean every game will behave the same way: Arc results vary heavily with the game engine and graphics API.
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At 1080p, the A770 has enough ray-tracing headroom for demanding games when settings are chosen sensibly. High or ultra effects are realistic starting points, but a title with especially expensive lighting, reflections or shadows may still need reductions. Native rendering is preferable when the frame rate is already adequate; XeSS is useful when it is not.
#1 Best Overall
- System Compatibility Note: This 2-slot card measures 271 x 112 x 39 mm and requires a single 12V-2x6-pin power connector. Please verify chassis and PSU compatibility before purchase.
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- Professional Intel Arc Pro B70 GPU: Built on the Intel Xe2-HPG architecture, it features 32 Xe cores and 256 XMX engines, designed to accelerate AI, rendering, and complex visualization workloads.
- Massive 32GB GDDR6 VRAM: Equipped with 32GB of high-speed GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, running at 19 Gbps, which allows for handling large AI models and complex datasets locally.
- High-Performance Engine Clock: Delivers an engine clock of 2540 MHz, providing the compute power needed for demanding professional applications and AI inference.
1440p: possible, but not universally comfortable
Tom’s Hardware’s conclusion was blunt: “What about 1440p ultra with DXR? Well, that’s a bit more than Arc A770 can manage, at least with native rendering.” In practice, 1440p ray tracing is a selective setting on the A770 rather than a guaranteed preset. Lowering a few RT options or using XeSS can turn a marginal result into a playable one, while native ultra RT remains too demanding in many games.
Can the Arc A750 run ray tracing at 1440p?
Only in limited circumstances. The A750 is best treated as a 1080p ray-tracing card, with 1440p reserved for lighter titles or reduced settings.
What the five-game test showed
Tom’s Hardware measured a 62-fps average across five games at 1080p medium ray tracing. That average was pulled upward by 112 fps in Metro Exodus and 81 fps in Control. It also hides much weaker results: Cyberpunk 2077 dropped below 30 fps, and Bright Memory Infinite reached only 18 fps in the tested maxed 1080p ray-tracing scenario.
At 1440p maximum ray tracing
The A750 was only barely viable in Control and Metro Exodus at 1440p maximum RT. Tom’s Hardware considered that better than the RTX 3050 or Radeon RX 6650 XT at those settings, but those two competing cards were not tested in that specific comparison. Treat the result as evidence that the A750 can outperform entry-level alternatives in some RT workloads, not as a universal ranking.
For a consistent 1440p experience, the A770’s 16GB memory and additional Xe/RT resources make it the safer Arc choice. Even then, native ultra ray tracing is not a set-and-forget mode.
Is XeSS required for playable performance?
No, but it is often the most effective way to stabilize demanding scenes. Both cards can run ray tracing natively in supported games, especially at 1080p. XeSS can recover substantial performance by rendering internally at a lower resolution and reconstructing the image, but support was limited in the games covered by these tests.
When to use XeSS
- Start with native rendering if your target frame rate is already met.
- Enable XeSS when native 1440p or heavy RT effects produce inconsistent frame times.
- Use a quality-oriented XeSS mode first; move to a more aggressive mode only if the game remains GPU-limited.
- Do not assume XeSS is available in every title. Its benefit depends on game integration and the selected preset.
XeSS is therefore a performance option, not a prerequisite for owning Arc. The limitation is game coverage: a title without XeSS may require ordinary resolution or RT-setting reductions.
Why Arc performance changes so sharply between games
API support and driver optimization matter more on Alchemist than on mature competing architectures. TechSpot’s 12-game testing found strong results in some DirectX 12 and Vulkan games, but weak performance in Horizon Zero Dawn, Halo Infinite and especially the older DirectX 9 version of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Rank #2
- Powerful GPU: The GUNNIR Intel Arc A770 Photon graphics card packs a punch with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM running at 2400MHz, delivering exceptional performance for gaming and content creation.
- Advanced Cooling: Equipped with a triple fan design, this graphics card ensures efficient cooling to maintain stable temperatures during intense workloads.
- Future-Proof Connectivity: With support for PCIe
- HDMI, and DisplayPort, this GPU is ready to connect to the latest displays, including 4K monitors.
- Immersive Visuals: Unlock stunning visuals and seamless gameplay with the Intel Arc A770 Photon, designed to handle demanding graphics workloads with ease.
DirectX 12 and Vulkan
These newer APIs were generally the A770 and A750’s strongest environments in the testing. Modern engines that expose efficient, low-level GPU work tend to let Arc’s hardware perform closer to its specification.
Older DirectX and inconsistent ports
Older APIs and games with less mature optimization can produce disproportionately poor frame rates. That makes an Arc purchase more dependent on the games you actually play than a simple average benchmark would suggest. A modern DX12 title and a legacy DX9 game may deliver completely different value from the same card.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Power, thermals and noise
Both Limited Edition cards are rated at 225W TBP, so the A750 does not have a lower board-power envelope despite its smaller GPU and 8GB memory. TechSpot measured the A770 consuming 23% more power than the Radeon RX 6650 XT in its comparison. That higher consumption is part of the cost of Arc’s performance and feature set.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minutePC Gamer characterized the A770 Limited Edition as “relatively quiet, cool” and “surprisingly quiet even when running at full whack.” Those are review observations rather than a universal noise guarantee: case airflow, ambient temperature, fan curves and workload all affect the result.
Price and value against competing GPUs
Intel’s launch announcement listed starting prices of $289 for the A750, $329 for the standard A770 and $349 for the A770 Limited Edition. Those are launch figures, not current street prices; the supplied testing does not establish today’s retail pricing, stock or seller conditions.
| Comparison point | Arc A770 Limited Edition | Arc A750 Limited Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Ray tracing target | 1080p high/ultra; selected 1440p settings | 1080p, with limited 1440p use |
| Native 1440p ultra RT | Generally too demanding | Usually impractical; barely viable in selected games |
| Upscaling | XeSS can provide substantial gains where supported | |
| VRAM headroom | 16GB | 8GB |
| Power rating | 225W TBP | 225W TBP |
| Software consistency | Generally stronger in DX12/Vulkan; highly variable in older or poorly optimized games | |
The A770’s appeal is its combination of 16GB VRAM, competent hardware ray tracing, AV1 encoding and a historically aggressive launch price. TechSpot nevertheless argued that pricing needed to be substantially lower to offset the software risk, and its measured power draw was higher than the RX 6650 XT. The A750 can be compelling when discounted, but its 8GB capacity leaves less room for future texture-heavy and RT workloads.
Which card makes sense?
Choose the A770 Limited Edition if:
- You want the stronger Arc option for 1080p ray tracing and occasional 1440p RT.
- You need 16GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures, creative workloads or longer ownership.
- Your library is dominated by DX12 or Vulkan games and includes titles with XeSS support.
- AV1 hardware encoding and the card’s display connectivity matter to your system.
Choose the A750 Limited Edition only when:
- Your main target is 1080p gaming and you accept per-game RT tuning.
- The A750 is meaningfully cheaper than the A770 in your market.
- You have checked performance for your specific games, especially if they use older DirectX versions.
Look elsewhere if:
- You expect guaranteed native 1440p ultra ray tracing in every new release.
- Your most-played games are older DX9 titles or known to perform poorly on Arc.
- Lower power consumption is a priority and a competing card offers similar performance at your local price.
Verdict
Intel’s Alchemist cards prove that ray tracing is not exclusive to Nvidia, but they do so with conditions. The A770 Limited Edition is the meaningful enthusiast choice: 16GB of VRAM, 32 RT units and enough performance for strong 1080p RT plus selected 1440p configurations. The A750 delivers respectable 1080p RT and occasional 1440p success, yet its 8GB memory and larger performance swings make it more price-sensitive.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Buy Arc with your game list and API mix in mind. If your library favors modern DX12/Vulkan titles and supports XeSS, the cards’ feature set can outweigh their software risk. If you need consistent results across older games or insist on native 1440p ultra ray tracing, a more mature competing platform is the safer choice.
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