Intel is preparing its return to the dedicated graphics market with Arc alchemist, a line that initially aims to be directed to desktop computers. The company has been gradually unraveling details of these products, not only hardware, but also software with XeSS, its supersampling technology with which it intends to compete with NVIDIA’s DLSS and AMD’s FidelityFx Super Resolution.
Intel is handling its dedicated graphics with discretion, so much so that the exact date of its launch is not yet known, despite the expectation that they will appear during the course of 2022. However, the rumors that circulate lately point to shed some light about the topic.
First of all we have the release date, which could be March 2022. If confirmed, the company would comply with its plans to launch the first Arc Alchemist models during the first quarter of 2022. On the other hand, the two models that have appeared would compete with the RTX 3070 and the RTX 3060 from NVIDIA, being able to cover the Ti variants of both, which gives hope that Intel is off to a good start to finish hooking from the second or third generation of its dedicated graphics, if it does not make it to the first.
Delving into the Intel Arc Alchemist models that would compete with the RTX 3070 and RTX 3060, the first, which would be the Arc A780, would have 16GB of GDDR6 memory, 512 execution units, 4,096 shaders and a 256-bit memory bus, while the second, whose exact model is unknown (although it is said that it could be the Arc 500), it would incorporate 12GB of GDDR6 memory, 384 execution units, 3,072 shaders and a 192-bit memory bus. Also out there is the possible and more modest Arc A350 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory, 96 to 128 execution units, 786 to 1,024 shaders and a 64-bit memory bus.
Apparently Intel’s initial intention was to start selling Arc Alchemist dedicated graphics in January 2022, but the company decided to delay its launch in order to further debug the products. Seeing all the waiting time, expectations about its good performance will be high, which would have to translate into greater pressure for the chip giant.
At CES 2022 around the corner, Intel is expected to at least release more information on its future dedicated graphics, which have been designed by the team that previously worked at Radeon. Apart from the gaming, which is what will grab the most headlines, these products could be a good choice for Linux users, which until a few years ago were forced to turn to NVIDIA and its anti-standard driver if they wanted to have power in graphics processing.
