Intel is taking a different approach in its rivalry with AMD for gaming dominance, with a senior executive suggesting that success will hinge more on software than raw hardware power.
Speaking to PC Games Hardware, Intel VP Robert Hallock talked about big changes coming over the next five years to take on AMD in everything from desktops to handhelds. According to him, gamers might be chasing the wrong things when they think about performance.
Robert Hallock said that many dedicated PC enthusiasts underestimate how important software is to the overall experience. He explained that hardware alone, such as more cores or cache, cannot fully improve gaming performance without proper optimization.
The comments come at a time when Intel is attempting to close the gap with AMD and its X3D series of gaming CPUs, which are known for strong frame rate performance due to stacked cache technology.
Robert Hallock explained that Intel is focusing on improving gaming performance through several undisclosed changes aimed at reducing latency. He added that in processors with many cores, a “thread director” could be useful for helping the operating system assign tasks efficiently.
Responding to AMD’s 3D V-Cache strategy, Robert Hallock explained that a larger cache tends to help most in applications with many random memory requests, including older games based on DirectX 9 and DirectX 11. He said newer APIs generally see smaller gains from added cache and benefit more from software optimization.
As part of this approach, Intel is developing the Binary Optimization Tool (BOT). Robert Hallock said it can provide up to a 30% performance improvement in modern games and workloads, independent of cache capacity. He noted that BOT and similar tools are a key focus in Intel’s future plans.
The remarks indicate that Intel is placing greater emphasis on software rather than what Robert Hallock described as a “brute force” approach to gaming performance. Still, the company isn’t stepping away from hardware entirely and is expected to introduce its own 3D V-Cache rival, known as “Big Last Level Cache,” alongside the upcoming Nova Lake architecture later this year.
During the interview, Robert Hallock appeared to confirm the rumored Arc G3 series for future gaming handhelds. When asked about Arc G3 and G3 Extreme, he said he does not work on Arc G3 all the time, suggesting the chips are currently being developed by Intel.
The confirmation increases interest in Intel’s plans for the handheld gaming market, which is currently dominated by AMD-based devices such as the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally.
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