Intel Arc A7 GPUs have been on the market for less than two months. To handle earlier DX9 games, the design initially relied on graphics API translation layers. This API is still used by major e-sports games, such as CS: GO, which is included in the Intel Extreme Master event. This influenced Intel to prioritise DX9 enhancements over the current graphics APIs.
It is worth noting that Intel still needs to eliminate the DX12/DX9 translation layers. The DirectX 9 API will be used natively in certain games, while others will stick to previous approaches. This allows Intel to focus on improving drivers for specific games while still delivering the greatest performance for each title.
The DX9 upgrade includes the most recent Arc GPU 3953 driver and newer. This DirectX9 improvement is coming not only to desktop Alchemist GPUs but also to mobile graphics. Intel claims a 1.03 to 1.79x performance gain for DX9 games, with CS: GO benefiting the most at 1080p and 1440p resolutions.
An important feature of the latest Intel DX9 version is its optimization to the slowest one percent of frames. Intel claims that it has improved by up to 2.3x. This implies that the framerate is now more consistent, and the gameplay should be better.
Via Intel