Intel Announces Arc Balanced Builds Program: Provide the best cost-effective advice for users to buy PCs
Intel has announced its innovative Arc Balanced Builds Program, with the aim of providing consumers with the best value propositions for PC purchases. By pairing combinations of CPUs and GPUs, Intel seeks to optimize the intersection of performance and cost, providing gamers with an economical price point without the need to comprehend the specifics, thereby streamlining the system-building process.
Regular hardware review readers will be familiar with the fact that even mid-range GPUs are often paired with high-end CPUs in benchmark tests. This is done to eliminate potential limitations and bottlenecks, thereby portraying the most authentic performance. However, in reality, it’s improbable that a gamer would pair a cutting-edge Intel Arc A380 GPU with an Intel Core i9 CPU.
Intel’s Arc Balanced Builds Program is built on a comprehensive evaluation of 15,000 data points, analyzing different games, nine GPUs, and two resolutions (FHD and 2K), amassing a colossal 22GB of data. Based on these tests and data, Intel has designated several tiers within the Arc Balanced Builds Program, including:
– Arc A380 – Optimally Paired with Core i3 or Core i5 CPUs (12th / 13th Gen)
– Arc A750 – Ideally Coupled with Core i5 or Core i7 CPUs (12th / 13th Gen)
– Arc A770 – Optimally Matched with Core i5 or Core i7 CPUs (12th / 13th Gen)
– RTX 4090 – Best Suited with Core i9 or Higher CPUs (12th / 13th Gen)
Interestingly, Intel also employs its competitor Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4090 in its evaluations—an understandable move given Intel lacks a similarly high-end GPU to pair with its Core i9. According to Intel’s data, in most instances, the gaming performance of a Core i5 achieves over 90% of that of a Core i9. Considering the users’ possible future upgrades, it may be advisable to initially invest in a superior CPU for potential pairing with a more advanced GPU in the future.
In addition, Intel offers bundled CPU and GPU packages, starting from a price point of $439.
