Intel’s Arc Alchemist cards slip to a May-June release timeframe
The internet won’t be happy if they’re not 99.95% ready from day one.
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As news ofNvidia’s RTX 40 seriesand AMD’s upcomingRX 6000 series refreshdoes the rounds, we can’t forget that Intel is putting the finishing touches on itsArc Alchemist seriesof GPUs. According toIgor’s lab(viaTom’s Hardware) the series should launch in May to June. That’s a bit later than we originally thought but given the importance and high profile of this launch, it’s no surprise Intel wants to take its time.
Igor’s Lab says that qualification samples will tape out in one to two weeks from now. To use a game development term, this would mean that the cards have essentially gone ‘gold’. QS GPUs and cards will be used by Intel’s software developers to tune the drivers and be sent to GPU partners for integration into their own designs.
It’s not an overstatement to say that the success or failure of Arc GPUs may come down to the quality of the drivers. The performance leaks so far suggest that Intel isn’t aiming to compete at the top end of the market, but even if they are price competitive with Nvidia and AMD offerings, it won’t matter much if the drivers aren’t up to scratch.
The last thing Intel wants is for forums or social media to be stuffed with complaints due to poor quality drivers. It’s an area where Intel will have to raise its game if it’s to win the hearts and minds of gamers. Repeats of things like thedelayed Elden Ring driverwon’t garner any fans.
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We have high hopes for Arc cards. If they can compete with the cards like theRTX 3050to3070orRX 6500 XTto6700 XTthen Intel could steal a lot of market share in the high volume entry to mid range markets. But only if they are competitively priced and the drivers are well polished.
The true gaming performance of the various Arc cards is unknown, but ifleaks like thisturn out to be accurate, then the high end cards could compete with the likes of the RTX 3070 Ti or RX 6800. That would be a good start for Intel. We look forward to reviewing these cards.
Intel’s Arc Alchemist cards should contribute to thedownward trend in GPU prices. Greater supply along with less mining demand, lower prices and more cards for gamers to choose from at all prices points sounds good to us. Bring it on, Intel!
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Chris' gaming experiences go back to the mid-nineties when he conned his parents into buying an ‘educational PC’ that was conveniently overpowered to play Doom and Tie Fighter. He developed a love of extreme overclocking that destroyed his savings despite the cheaper hardware on offer via his job at a PC store. To afford more LN2 he began moonlighting as a reviewer for VR-Zone before jumping the fence to work for MSI Australia. Since then, he’s gone back to journalism, enthusiastically reviewing the latest and greatest components for PC & Tech Authority, PC Powerplay and currently Australian Personal Computer magazine and PC Gamer. Chris still puts far too many hours into Borderlands 3, always striving to become a more efficient killer.
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