Dell Inspiron 14 Plus Intel Arc A370M Driver Not Working Windows 11

The Intel Arc A370M GPU on your Dell Inspiron 14 Plus shows driver errors in Device Manager, games do not use the discrete GPU, or performance is far below what the Arc A370M should deliver. Intel Arc drivers had significant early issues on Windows 11 that have been largely resolved in recent releases.

This guide covers clean driver installation, Intel Arc Control configuration, and performance settings to get the best results from the Arc A370M on Dell Inspiron 14 Plus in Windows 11.

“My Inspiron 14 Plus Intel Arc was running games worse than integrated graphics. Games were not even using the Arc GPU. Updated to the latest Dell driver and now Arc actually works properly.” – Kelvin, multimedia student from KL

Why Intel Arc A370M Has Issues on Dell Inspiron 14 Plus

The Intel Arc A370M uses Intel Xe HPG architecture and requires driver version 31.0.101.4502 or later for stable Windows 11 operation. Early Arc drivers had DirectX 9 compatibility issues, high idle power draw, and incorrect GPU selection that made games use integrated graphics instead of Arc. These issues are fixed in current drivers but require a clean installation to resolve.

• Outdated Arc driver – version below 31.0.101.4502 has known game compatibility issues
• Games defaulting to Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics instead of Arc A370M
• Driver error in Device Manager – Code 43 or Device cannot start
• Arc A370M showing 0% utilization in games that should be GPU-bound

Fix 1 – Install Latest Intel Arc Driver from Dell Support

Go to dell.com/support, enter your Inspiron 14 Plus service tag, and download the Intel Arc Graphics driver under Video. Do not use the generic driver from Intel.com for laptop Arc GPUs – Dell provides an optimized version with correct power management for the Inspiron chassis. Install with a clean installation option selected (uninstall existing driver first).

Fix 2 – Force Games to Use Intel Arc

Open Intel Arc Control (installed with the driver), go to Gaming – Game Profiles, and find the game or add it manually. Set GPU preference to High Performance – this forces the game to use Arc A370M instead of integrated Iris Xe. You can also set this in Windows Settings – System – Display – Graphics and browse to the game executable.

Verify Arc GPU in Task Manager

During gameplay, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go to Performance tab. Look for GPU 1 (Intel Arc A370M). Utilization should be above 50-80% in games. If it shows 0% and GPU 0 (Intel Iris Xe) shows high utilization, the game profile is incorrectly assigned to integrated graphics.

Fix 3 – Enable XeSS and DirectX 12 in Games

Intel Arc performs best with DirectX 12 and XeSS (Intel Xe Super Sampling) enabled. In game settings, set API to DirectX 12 rather than DirectX 11. For games supporting XeSS (like Hitman 3, F1 2022, Shadow of the Tomb Raider), enable it at Quality or Balanced preset for a significant frame rate boost on Arc A370M.

Fix 4 – Update Windows 11 and Intel Arc Firmware

Ensure Windows 11 is fully updated – Arc A370M requires Windows 11 22H2 or later for best compatibility. Also open Intel Arc Control and check for firmware updates under System – System Info. Intel Arc GPU firmware updates include performance improvements and bug fixes separate from the driver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Intel Arc A370M not working on Dell Inspiron 14 Plus?

The Arc driver is likely outdated. Install the latest from Dell Support – early Arc drivers had significant compatibility issues now fixed in newer versions.

How do I fix Intel Arc A370M driver error on Dell Inspiron 14 Plus?

Uninstall the current driver, download the latest from Dell Support, and install. Ensure Windows 11 is updated to 22H2 or later first.

What is the best driver for Intel Arc A370M on Windows 11?

The Dell-optimized Intel Arc driver from Dell Support for Inspiron 14 Plus, version 31.0.101.4502 or later.

Why does Intel Arc A370M perform poorly in games?

Early Arc drivers had major issues. Update to the latest Dell-provided driver and set games to use High Performance GPU in Intel Arc Control for best performance.

Conclusion

Intel Arc A370M driver issues on Dell Inspiron 14 Plus in Windows 11 are primarily caused by outdated drivers from the early Arc release period. Installing the latest Dell-optimized Arc driver, forcing games to use Arc GPU in Intel Arc Control, and enabling DirectX 12 and XeSS delivers the expected gaming performance from this GPU.