High power load for multi-display Arc A7 setups fixed by Intel

Arc A7 series GPUs have been very well received by the GPU market, other than one constant plaguing issue of idling power. It consumed as much as 35W when idle, about nine times higher than market competitors.

Intel has developed a guide on how users can achieve lowers power states, but this was invalid for multi-monitor displays. Reaching up to 40-50W on idle, was not acceptable.

Intel worked on a fix and finally released it, resolving the issue. Changes to the system/BIOS are still required. But the latest 4146 drivers are looking to improve on power consumption issues regarding multi-monitor setups.

It must be kept in mind that it’s perfectly normal for GPUs to require more power when connected to more than one display, regardless of resolution. This can be attributed to more power being needed to feed more data.

The higher refresh rates, more monitors, and better resolutions would require more power. However, even considering this, two 1080p or two 1440p monitors shouldn’t really require as much power as they were pulling when coupled with the A-series GPUs.

Some users have reported back great results for the 4146 drivers over the previous gen 4091 drivers. On a single 2560×1080 display, the power consumption has reduced from 11W to about 8W and for a multi-display with a 1600×900, the power consumption has greatly reduced from 38-40W to 8-9W.

However, Intel Engineers have claimed that expectations “must be set right”. This comes in view of the fact that the A7 series have not been optimized enough software-wise, for power states to be lowered when connected to 3 or more monitors.

In addition to the power fix, Intel’s changelog also mentions that it has introduced support for Destiny 2: Lightfall and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, adding optimizations for Halo Infinite running DX12.

About Intel

Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in Silicon Valley. It is the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturer on the basis of revenue, and is the developer of the x86 series of microprocessors – the processors found in most personal computers (PCs).

Incorporated in Delaware, Intel ranked No. 46 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.