Intel Arc Alchemist: Everything You Need to Know About the GPU

14 November 2021 12:00 Digests Technologies TOP

Whenever the words “Intel” and “graphics” show up in the same sentence, the only thing that usually comes to mind is integrated GPUs. Whether it’s a new processor or a cheap laptop, Intel Graphics has always been there to help users get started until they are able to upgrade to something more advanced.

If you couldn’t afford something better later on, then you must remember the pain of trying to find applications and video games that would specifically run on the likes of Intel HD Graphics 5000. For years, Nvidia and AMD have dominated the GPU market, with Intel waiting on the sidelines, watching silently – until now.

With the debut of the Intel Arc line of graphics, the company intends to release high-end GPUs that will directly rival the most powerful cards currently available. Most of the information released at the moment covers the Codename Alchemist chip, while others – Battlemage, Celestial, and Druid – will follow.

So, how powerful is the Intel Arc Alchemist and when will it release? Here’s what we know.

Intel Alchemist specifications

The information that has been officially disclosed so far by Intel has been a bit vague, as all they’ve revealed are key details that hint at how powerful these GPUs will be and that they’re built on the Xe HPG design that Intel has been showing off for a while now.

The first thing that we know is that the GPU will offer full support for DirectX12 Ultimate and feature hardware-based raytracing, which was a massive factor behind the hype that surrounded the Nvidia RTX line of graphics cards. The Alchemist will also feature supersampling handled by artificial intelligence, which means that the GPU will try its best to provide the best picture quality through post-processing.

This makes natural upscaling and picture correction easier, as it won’t have to be done manually.

The only other thing that has been revealed officially and not through rumors is that the GPU will feature 16 Vector Engines with 256 bits per engine and 15 Matrix Engines that are going to be running at 1024 bits per engine. This architecture allows the chip to operate at a very quick pace while handling high-quality graphics and resolution without much of a hassle.

Unlike the integrated graphics that Intel has produced before, the Arc Alchemist has more options and will be available on desktop computers, cards that you can manually add, and laptops, too. And, speaking of rumors, it is speculated that the Arc Alchemist will have three variations, each of which will be more powerful than the previous – for example, an entry-level chip, a medium chip, and one that will be high-end.

Intel Alchemist release date & price

Although an exact release date is currently not known for the Intel Alchemist, the window in which it will be made available to the public has been revealed; the Arc Alchemist will release in the first quarter of 2022. Once the Codename Alchemist is released for laptops and computers alike, we will see the release of the next graphics chips in the line sometimes afterward, though no release date has been announced.

We also don’t know the price at the moment, and, if the rumor of there being three versions is true, the Arc Alchemist will have three different prices based on the model that you buy.

What to expect

Since Intel is about to compete in a market in which they lack a stronghold, it’s not surprising that they are not being very transparent regarding the specifications, models, and prices. They will have to release that information sooner or later, however, and then we’ll finally see how good the new technology really is.

In addition to the upcoming information and the GPUs themselves, Intel is already selling merchandise for fans, which currently includes three t-shirts meant for both men and women. Whether anyone is sold on the GPU’s announcement enough to purchase merchandise without even knowing how good or bad it will be is not something that we can be sure of.

One way or another, we’ll keep you updated with more information as it comes out, and we’re certainly excited to see what the future has in store.

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