Decoding Intel’s ARC GPUs

Intel’s Arc platform, long shrouded in mystery, is finally unveiling with the imminent release of the new Intel Alchemist GPUs. Marking Intel’s official return to the dedicated GPU arena, this marks the first foray since the late 1990s, when the i740 AGP graphics card was introduced. Initial impressions of the Arc lineup, notably the Intel Arc A380 released in June, haven’t been stellar, but anticipation for Intel’s GPUs remains high. This heralds a potential shift away from the Nvidia-AMD duopoly that has dominated the market for over a decade. What exactly is Intel’s Arc platform, and can it rival Nvidia or AMD Radeon GPUs? Let’s delve into the details.

Deciphering Intel ARC Graphics (2022)

Beyond the hype, this article aims to objectively dissect the Arc lineup, covering its architecture, specifications, performance, and flagship features. Positioned as the next evolution in graphics architecture, Arc GPUs merit a thorough technical examination. Additionally, we’ll evaluate the comparative performance of Intel Arc graphics against Nvidia and AMD Radeon GPUs.

Analyzing the Arc graphics lineup poses challenges due to the uncertain information provided by Intel. However, recent leaks and Intel’s disclosures about the architecture offer insights into the new GPUs. With this information, we can make assumptions about the performance and features of Arc CPUs. For specific queries, refer to the table below.

Intel’s Motivation Behind Developing the Arc GPU Platform

Our initial reaction to Intel’s unveiling of its dedicated GPU in 2020 was one of astonishment. Like many PC enthusiasts, we questioned why Intel, a dominant force in the CPU market at the time, would venture into the discrete GPU arena.

Even now, the exact rationale behind Intel’s foray into dedicated graphics remains elusive. However, with hindsight, it becomes evident that the company’s ambitions were apparent as far back as early 2018 when they recruited key figures such as Raja Koduri from AMD, along with chip architect Jim Keller and graphics marketer Chris Hook. Koduri played a pivotal role in AMD’s graphical resurgence during the mid-2010s, contributing to the development of the Vega and Navi architectures. Reading between the lines, it becomes apparent that Intel was positioning itself for a presence in the high-end graphics market.

Speculating on Intel’s motives, one could attribute its actions to simple economics. As a capitalist entity, Intel perpetually seeks expansion, aiming to augment both its scale and profits. Amidst this pursuit, the burgeoning dedicated GPU sector presents an enticing opportunity. With the GPU market poised to surge by 94% from $18.2 billion in 2018 to $35.3 billion by 2025, Intel’s interest in claiming a share becomes apparent.

Moreover, Intel’s existing presence in the GPU realm, courtesy of its iGPU lineup, dictated that to secure a larger foothold, it needed to delve into manufacturing high-performance graphics (HPG). Recognizing the immense potential of the PC gaming market, Intel was keen on seizing this opportunity.

Intel may be expanding into this market because, despite claiming leadership across various computer segments, its influence in non-CPU markets remains limited. Diversifying into storage, RAM, and now dedicated graphics reflects Intel’s strategy to broaden its product portfolio.

“Arc GPUs, akin to ‘Optane’ before, signify diversification. So why now? This diversification surge likely stems from industry shifts. Intel confronts an existential threat from AMD’s Ryzen 7000-series CPUs, eroding its once-dominant market share. Adaptation is imperative for survival. Intel Arc emerges as a potential savior.”

Exploring Intel Arc Alchemist Architecture

After years of hard work, Intel has finally released its first graphics cards under the Intel Arc lineup (codename Alchemist). While Intel may be considered a newcomer to the graphics market with this new Arc GPU series, they are not new to making GPUs.

Intel has a rich history in this industry and has often been at the forefront of graphics technology. Recently, they introduced the Xe graphics architecture with their Tiger-lake CPUs, which provided a significant upgrade from older UHD graphics. The performance of Xe graphics was impressive, elevating Intel to the level of AMD in integrated graphics.

The Arc architecture enhances Xe graphics by altering various aspects while preserving core elements. Notably, Intel has renamed the graphics block to Xe-core, abandoning the Execution Unit nomenclature.

Image: Intel

Understanding the Xe Core in Intel Arc GPU

A Xe-core comprises 16 Vector Engines (formerly Execution units), each handling a 256-bit SMD chunk. Each vector unit can execute eight FP32 instructions concurrently, commonly referred to as a “GPU core” in AMD and Nvidia designs.

Image: Intel

Intel takes this Xe-core and forms a larger unit known as a Render slice, comprising four Xe-cores, 64 Vector and Matrix Engines, and additional hardware, as depicted in the image above. While intricate in appearance, this chip embodies a diverse array of tools, constituting a truly cutting-edge architecture.

Yet, Xe-cores constitute merely a segment of the feature set accompanying the new Arc graphics architecture. This architecture entails other rendering units such as four ray tracing units (one per Xe-core), geometry and rasterization pipelines, Texture Mapping Units, and the pixel backend (ROPs).

An exciting feature is the new ray tracing unit (RTU) of the Xe-cores. Intel’s inclusion of this cutting-edge feature in its first attempt, surpassing AMD, is commendable. Intel claims its RTU can handle up to 12 rays per box, exceeding Intel’s RT cores and AMD RDNA 2 Ray Accelerator. Theoretically, a single RTU core should surpass a single RDNA or RT core in ray tracing power. However, without hard evidence, we should approach this claim cautiously.

Keep in mind that Intel Xe’s RTU, while potentially more powerful than AMD or Nvidia’s solutions on paper, still lacks overall power. The maximum number of RTUs shipped with Intel’s highest-end card (Arc A770) is 32, while AMD offers up to 80 Ray Accelerators in the RX 6900X and Nvidia has 84 RT cores in the GeForce RTX 3090.

Intel Arc GPU Models and Specifications

Now that we’ve delved into the Intel Alchemist architecture, let’s provide a concise overview of the GPU lineup. Intel’s Arc lineup comprises two distinct GPU dies, categorized into three product families: Arc 700 series, 500 series, and 300 series, based on price and performance differentiators. Below are the differentiating factors for each card:

Specifications	Arc A770	Arc A750	Arc A580	Arc A380
Architecture	ACM-G10	ACM-G10	ACM-G10	ACM-G11
Process Technology	TSMC N6 (6nm)	TSMC N6 (6nm)	TSMC N6 (6nm)	TSMC N6 (6nm)
Transistors	21.7 billion	21.7 billion	21.7 billion	7.2 billion
Xe-cores	32	28	24	8
Clock speeds	2100MHz	2050MHz	1700MHz	2000MHz
VRAM (GDDR6)	16/8	8	8	6
XMX Engine units	512	448	384	128
VRAM bus-width	256	256	256	96
GPU bandwidth (Gbps)	560	512	512	186
TDP (in watts)	225W	225W	175W	75W
Release Date (rumored)	Oct 2022	Oct 2022	Oct 2022	June 2022

The sole officially announced Intel discrete GPU is the entry-level Arc A380, the only one covered by other publications and launched globally (currently available in China). It features eight Xe-cores and ray tracing units, making it the weakest revealed model to date. Nonetheless, it boasts a respectable 6 GB memory size, surpassing other entry-level GPUs like the Radeon RX 6400, which only offers 4 GB of VRAM.

We know about the Intel Arc A580, A750, and A770 GPUs, which are mid-range and comparable to mainstream offerings from Intel and AMD like the 6600X and RTX 3060. These GPUs share a 256-bit memory bus and 8GB of GDDR6 RAM but differ in Xe-core count: A580 has 24, A750 has 28, and A770 has 32.

Intel’s primary showcased Arc GPU model, the A750 limited edition, features prominently in performance showcase videos. Despite its “limited edition” label, it maintains consistent performance with non-limited variants, retaining identical components, board design, fan setup, and 225W power rating. Notably, it adopts a first-party cooler design akin to Nvidia’s Founder edition cards. Additionally, the Intel Arc A770 incorporates built-in LEDs for enhanced gamer aesthetics.

Speculations arise about a fifth low-power Alchemist GPU, the Arc A310, seen on manufacturer’s websites but not officially announced by Intel. For instance, an Appauls article mentioned a pre-built MSI DP130 PC with the Arc A310 GPU on the specs page, which has since disappeared and is absent from Intel’s Arc website. Its current status remains unclear; it might be delayed or canceled.

Image courtesy: Intel

Intel Arc Alchemist GPU: New Features

Ray Tracing Support

The premier feature, eagerly anticipated by all, is the ray-tracing capability of Intel Arc GPUs. Constructed around the DirectX 12 feature set, Intel has emphasized the integration of ray-tracing since inception. Beyond this, Arc GPUs boast support for key DirectX features including variable-rate shading, mesh shader, and sampler feedback. Among the array of new features, Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) stands out as Intel’s response to DLSS and FSR.

Xe Super Sampling: Intel’s Response to DLSS and FSR

Having discussed Arc’s ray-tracing cores, let’s delve into another significant feature – XeSS.

XeSS (Xe Super Sampling), powered by the new XMX engines, is an AI upscaling feature akin to Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR 2.0, and FSR 2.1. It upscales games rendered at lower-than-native resolution using AI technology.

XeSS utilizes spatial and temporal data, including image and motion data from previous frames, to enhance image quality through AI.

Image credits: Intel

If you want to delve into XeSS mechanics further, Intel’s recent blog post offers comprehensive insights. A notable emphasis by Intel is XeSS’s dual functionality: not only does it upscale like Nvidia’s DLSS, but it also serves as an anti-aliasing solution. This implies that besides enhancing game resolution, the GPU employs a smoothing technique to eliminate pixelated edges.

Intel Arc XeSS Games

Similar to DLSS and FSR, XeSS doesn’t run natively in games and needs developers to actively integrate it. Thus, not all games currently support this upscaling method, as indicated by Intel’s revealed game count, which stands at only 14 titles on their website. Like DLSS and FSR, support for XeSS is initially limited but is expected to expand over time.

Intel Arc GPUs Also Support AV1 Encoding

An intriguing addition to the Alchemist platform is AV1 encoding. Later in the article, we’ll delve deeper into its specifics, but in essence, it’s a video encoding format absent from most Nvidia or AMD GPUs. Only the recently launched Nvidia GeForce RTX 4000-series GPUs support AV1, as highlighted in our RTX 4090 vs RTX 3090 Ti comparison.

Intel also touts the compatibility of this feature with its new Deep Link technology, a software facilitating power and resource sharing between GPU and CPU for enhanced performance in tasks like streaming and video rendering. How do the new Arc GPUs fare in performance? We’ll explore this in our Intel Arc GPU performance section below.

Intel Arc GPU Performance

Intel has showcased both the Arc A770 and A750 GPUs in media briefings, yet only the latter has detailed gaming benchmarks. In a performance video, the Arc A750 ran Control at 1440p/High, averaging 60 FPS. While decent for a mid-range card, we’re skeptical if this performance is exclusive to Intel-optimized games (more on this later).

In a recent performance showcase by Intel, the Arc A750 Limited Edition went head-to-head with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 in various games including Dirt 5, Cyberpunk 2077, Hitman 3, and Fortnite. Intel’s selection of the RTX 3060 for comparison is intriguing, indicating a strategic shift towards capturing a larger share of the mainstream graphics market rather than solely targeting high-end GPU performance.

Furthermore, this comparison aids in predicting the relative performance of the A770. How? Its larger counterpart, the A770, shares a nearly identical hardware composition, differing only by 4 Xe-cores. Hence, considering the A750’s performance matches that of the RTX 3060, we anticipate the A750’s big brother, the A750 (with analogous hardware components), to perform similarly to the RTX 3060 Ti.

Image Credits: Intel

Intel Arc A380 vs Nvidia GTX 1650: Comparison

Now onto the tested Intel Arc A380 GPU. Despite targeting entry-level systems, its performance fails to impress. Toms Hardware extensively analyzed its capabilities, revealing that while it boasts cutting-edge features like AI upscaling and ray-tracing, its traditional rasterization performance falls short. It merely matches the aging GTX 1650 from Nvidia’s lineup and the mediocre AMD RX 6400.

Recently, Hardware Unboxed shared a detailed breakdown of a Gunnir-made Arc A380 featuring a top-of-the-line Ryzen CPU. The A380 kept pace with AMD’s RX 6400 GPU in most games, but in titles like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, the Intel Arc 380 averaged 93 FPS compared to the RX 6400’s 95 FPS. Conversely, in games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the Arc GPU struggled to match Nvidia’s 1050 Ti, released almost half a decade ago.

This performance dichotomy is striking considering the A380’s significant lead over both the RX 6400 and GTX 1650 in raw transistor count (see specs comparison table below). Additionally, Intel’s GPU boasts more VRAM and a superior memory bus size compared to the RX 6400.

The underwhelming performance of the Intel Arc A380 begs the question: is it a fault of the GPU architecture or rather a deficiency in software? Many industry experts contend that the issue primarily resides in software, a perspective we’ll delve into further below.

Specifications	Intel Arc A380	Nvidia GTX 1650	AMD Radeon RX 6400
Process Technology	6nm	12nm	6nm
Transistors	7.2 billion	4.7 billion	5.4 billion
VRAM	6GB GDDR6	4GB GDRR6	4GB GDDR6
VRAM Memory Bus	96 bit	128 bit	64 bit
Shading units	1024	896	768
Max Clock speed	2000 MHz	1665 MHz	2321 MHz
TDP	75W	75W	53W

Yet, amidst challenges, hope persists. In testing the Arc A380, Toms Hardware observed that Intel’s ray tracing capability, while weaker than an RTX 3050, showed promise with its 8 RTUs. The publication suggested this might stem from its advanced DX12 architecture or its higher 6GB VRAM. Overall, the A380’s ray tracing performance equals or surpasses AMD’s RX 6500 XT GPU. This suggests Intel’s higher-end cards, boasting more ray tracing units, could hold their own. Intel asserts the Arc A750 can rival the RTX 3060 in DXR performance, while positioning the A770 closer to the RTX 3060 Ti or even the RTX 3070.

Intel Arc’s Alchemist architecture excels in video encoding, courtesy of its AV1 video encoder. Initial impressions of the AV1 encoder are positive, as it delivers clearer images than other formats like Nvidia’s H.264, while requiring less data.

Netflix’s VMAF benchmarking tool assesses video quality.

Most modern GPUs, such as Nvidia’s RTX and AMD’s RX 6000 series, support AV1 decoding. This means users with these GPUs can play AV1-coded files. However, the Arc lineup, alongside Nvidia’s 4000 series, stands out as one of the first GPUs with a dedicated AV1 encoder, significantly enhancing performance for video creators.

PCWorld offers a concise explainer on Intel GPU’s AV1 encoding capabilities, delving into Intel’s unique approach. AV1 encoding primarily benefits video editing or streaming, with minimal impact on gaming performance.

Intel Arc’s Strategy: GPU Optimization

You might wonder why Intel Arc GPUs’ performance lags. Theoretically, it should match Nvidia and AMD counterparts. However, a fundamental issue arises. Let’s examine the specifics.

Intel’s architecture heavily relies on the DirectX 12 feature set, prioritizing low-level APIs and specific hardware decoding such as AV1. This benefits games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Doom: Eternal but struggles with older games using DirectX9 and DirectX11. According to Intel representatives in an interview with Linus Tech Tips on YouTube, older games need extensive tuning for compatibility with newer hardware. Intel argues they lack the time and resources to optimize hundreds and thousands of DX11/DX9 games presently.

The primary reason for Arc A380’s poor gaming performance lies in its compatibility issues with older APIs such as DX9 and DX11. To provide clarity and ensure that Arc GPU buyers are well-informed, Intel introduces the “Three-tier Strategy.” This strategy categorizes games into three optimization tiers, serving as a reference for early Intel GPU adopters. By consulting this list, Arc users can gauge the expected performance levels of various games. Here’s a breakdown of the three-tier split:

Tier I: Games optimized for Intel’s Arc graphics architecture, including titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Intel anticipates expanding this tier in the future, leveraging Arc’s architectural benefits for improved performance compared to competitors (A750 vs RTX 3060).

Tier II: Games not yet optimized for Intel’s Arc architecture but utilizing newer APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan, enabling partial integration with Intel’s architecture.

Tier III: Games based on older APIs like DirectX9 may run far worse on Intel’s GPU compared to Nvidia or AMD cards in the same price range.

Intel’s honest take on their card’s current optimization needs respect. While flawed, there are positive aspects to this approach. For example, consistent play of the latest titles may yield performance comparable to AMD or NVIDIA cards. However, if you prefer nostalgic older titles, such as 7th-gen console titles, Intel Arc cards might not suit you.

Intel ARC Graphics: Expected Release Date

Now, onto the burning question on everyone’s mind: When will the card be available for purchase? This is the million-dollar question. Unfortunately, we can’t provide you with the exact release date of the GPUs. The only clues we have come from Intel’s cryptic press releases or tweets.

For those who haven’t followed the Arc release closely, simply put, its launch timeline has been a rollercoaster. The Arc cards were initially set to launch at the start of 2022. However, after the A380 release was delayed to summer, it never materialized globally.

The latest news from Intel indicates further updates “next quarter.” Taking Intel literally, the next quarter, Q4, begins in October. This aligns with online information regarding the embargo guidelines for the new Intel Arc A770 graphics card.

According to Videocardz, hands-on unboxing videos of the Intel Arc A770 will be available on Friday, September 30. Reviewers will then be allowed to publish their full reviews starting Wednesday, October 5. However, this information is not fully confirmed and should be taken with caution until Intel releases an official statement.

All hope isn’t lost. Many experts suggest the recent surge in Intel blog posts and media appearances hints at an imminent official card release. However, the absence of a release date despite advanced GPU development raises concerns. What’s causing this delay? Are they awaiting software optimizations or facing more fundamental issues?

Launch Confusion: Intel Arc Cancellation?

This confusion prompts PC enthusiasts to question the status of Intel Arc graphics cards—canceled or not. While such speculation may seem absurd to some, tech insiders argue this rumor holds weight unlike past ones.

What sparks this discussion? Intel’s rumored abandonment of its Arc platform follows assertions by numerous industry experts that Intel’s Graphics division is hemorrhaging billions due to struggles in launching Arc graphics cards. They point to Intel’s quarterly financial report in August, revealing a 22% decrease in overall revenue.

Following Intel’s GPU division shedding billions, graphics analyst Jon Peddie labeled it an embarrassment and urged Intel to sell or fold the division entirely. Peddie pointed out that Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has demonstrated a willingness to make tough decisions, as evidenced by recent sales and closures of several divisions, including Intel Optane.

Is this the end of Intel Arc? Not really. While Intel’s urgency in closing non-profitable ventures is swift, we doubt the latest Arc platform will suffer the same fate. Gaming has propelled the PC market for over a decade, with GPUs claiming an ever-larger share with each new generation. The graphics market is too significant for Intel to opt out now; they must resolve it. This sentiment was echoed by Intel AXG’s head, VP Raja Koduri, who tweeted in response to rumors, stating, “We are committed to our roadmap,” promising “four new product lines by year’s end.”

This echoes Intel’s declaration during Intel Architecture Day 2021. At the event, they unveiled the first Xe-HPG codenamed Alchemist, along with a roadmap for future GPU generations: Battlemage (Xe2 HPG), Celestial (Xe3 HPG), and Druid (Xe4 HPG).

These are all part of Intel Arc, the new architecture, and are scheduled for release in the coming years. Considering Intel’s claims, it appears they are committed to Intel Arc GPUs at least until 2025 or beyond. Will they uphold this plan? Only time will tell.

Intel ARC Graphics Cards: Pricing (Rumored)

Coming to one of the most crucial aspects, the pricing of Intel Arc graphics cards remains elusive. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has addressed this topic frequently but hasn’t provided concrete information. His speeches often focus on market monopoly, highlighting the need for Intel to compete aggressively in pricing to challenge AMD and Nvidia.

Currently, the precise prices of Arc Alchemist GPUs remain undisclosed. Intel Arc A380’s pricing in China is the only confirmed information, launching at CNY 1,030, approximately $153 when converted to USD, disregarding regional price variations.

Image courtesy: Wccftech

Despite potential unreliability, the leaked Wccftech report hints at Intel’s envisioned price structure. The leaked image, aligning with Intel’s claims, suggests the probable pricing of the Arc A770 at $350-$399, with the A750 slightly lower at $290-$340. These price points position the cards against competitors such as the RX 6600 and Nvidia RTX 3060, as Intel previously indicated.

Next, A560 is set to debut at $200-$250, joining Intel’s performance lineup. Reportedly, it will anchor their 1080p gaming offerings and compete directly with Nvidia’s RTX 3050 in both price and performance. Moving to the lower end, we have the Intel Arc A380 priced at $150 and the A310 at $99 or less. These cards are considered entry-level, with the A380 showing performance comparable to Nvidia’s GTX 1650.

• Intel Arc A770 – $400
• Intel Arc A750 – $300
• Intel Arc A580 – $250
• Intel Arc A380 – $149

This compares favorably with competitors, aligning with Intel’s intentions. Assessing A380’s performance, it stands out in its price range at $150. However, the question remains whether consumers will perceive it this way, given Nvidia and AMD offerings. Opting for a first-gen Intel discrete GPU currently entails compromises, such as lack of support and poor optimization for older titles. Nonetheless, if Intel maintains rumored prices and enhances game optimizations, the GPU market could become more competitive.

Intel’s ARC GPUs: A Comprehensive Overview

Intel faces challenges if the Arc release continues its current trajectory. While a titan in CPUs, it’s a newcomer in GPUs and has had a shaky start. As the graphics underdog, Intel must offer aggressive pricing, robust performance, and rapid improvement to make an impact. However, performance metrics, including Intel’s own data and reviews, fall short of current-gen GPU standards. Some believe that if Intel Arc GPUs release with improved driver performance, Intel may gain traction. Yet, as 2022 progresses, the outlook dims. GPU prices for AMD and Nvidia cards are stabilizing, even dropping below launch prices for high-end cards. This hostile market, compounded by Intel’s performance and driver issues, presents a formidable barrier to entry.

Can Intel wrest market shares from AMD and NVIDIA? We hope so. The emergence of a third GPU player amid years of inflated prices and zero competition is a blessing. Intel’s entry into the graphics card arena serves as a wake-up call to industry giants AMD and Nvidia. They can no longer recycle old GPUs and pass them off as new. If they persist, they’ll face a fate similar to Intel’s past experiences. So, let’s anticipate the timely release of Intel’s Arc A750 and A770 cards, hoping Intel avoids the fate of obsolescence. What’s your take on Intel’s new Arc graphics cards? Share your thoughts in the comments.