Intel Introduces Arctic Sound-M Data Center Graphics Card Based on DG2 Design and AV1 Encoding

[AleksandarK]

At Intel's 2022 investor meeting, the company has presented a technology roadmap update to give its clients an insight into what is to come. Today, team blue announced one of the first discrete data-centric graphics cards in the lineup, codenamed Arctic Sound-M GPU. Based on the DG2 Xe-HPG variation of Intel Xe GPUs, Arctic Sound-M is the company's first design to enter the data center space. The DG2 GPU features 512 Execution Units (EUs), which get passive cooling from the single-slot design of Arctic Sound's heatsink, envisioned for data center enclosures with external airflow.

One of the most significant selling points that Intel advertises is support for hardware-based AV1 encoding standard. This feature allows the card to achieve a 30% greater bandwidth, and it is the main differentiator between consumer-oriented Arc Alchemist GPUs and itself. The card is powered by PCIe power and an 8-pin EPS power connector. Arctic Sound-M is already sampling to select customers and it will become available in the middle of 2022.

Below is Intel's teaser video.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[trsttte]

support for hardware-based AV1 encoding standard. This feature allows the card to achieve a 30% greater bandwidth, and it is the main differentiator between consumer-oriented Arc Alchemist GPUs and itself

Was or is that confirmed? They seem to share the same silicon, will they limit the consumer products?

And so it starts the stupid market segmentation moves

 

[LemmingOverlord]

Yeah. Nah. Consumers getting fucked again.

Waste of an opportunity to win consumers' hearts and restore trust in Intel. It's "Data Center" segment doesn't seem to be a great solution, either. To keep these passively cooled, they'll need a lot of airflow... *sigh*

 

[trsttte]

To keep these passively cooled, they'll need a lot of airflow... *sigh*

That's the norm for basically every single server oriented card, be it from nvidia, amd, intel or any other vendor (gpu is not the only type of expansion card). Servers always use insane airflow and mostly passive cards

 

[bonehead123]

Sooooo..... apparently this whole article means absolutely SQUAT to most of the members here (unless they're running a data center), as it appears to have NO video output connectors....therefore I'm not sure why intel is calling this a "GPU" instead of a "GAC" ie...graphics accelerator card....

must have been a slow (consumer tech) news day yesterday

 

[Patriot]

Yeah. Nah. Consumers getting fucked again.

Waste of an opportunity to win consumers' hearts and restore trust in Intel. It's "Data Center" segment doesn't seem to be a great solution, either. To keep these passively cooled, they'll need a lot of airflow... *sigh*

Welcome to servers?
guessing 150w cap on that card given single slot.
Guess they are aiming for >8 per server with the single slot design. Or this is a 1u/2u server sku.

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[ghazi]

Sooooo..... apparently this whole article means absolutely SQUAT to most of the members here (unless they're running a data center), as it appears to have NO video output connectors....therefore I'm not sure why intel is calling this a "GPU" instead of a "GAC" ie...graphics accelerator card....

must have been a slow (consumer tech) news day yesterday

Presumably you can still use it for virtualization (unlike CDNA) but yeah. Same deal with Tesla.

What this article does mean to us though is that AV1 is gimped on the consumer cards. Isn't lack of AV1 acceleration one of the main reasons why the 6500 XT outraged the HTPC crowd? Plenty of gamers won't care but that's a ridiculous thing to limit to a server GPU.

 

[fibre]

Presumably you can still use it for virtualization (unlike CDNA) but yeah. Same deal with Tesla.

What this article does mean to us though is that AV1 is gimped on the consumer cards. Isn't lack of AV1 acceleration one of the main reasons why the 6500 XT outraged the HTPC crowd? Plenty of gamers won't care but that's a ridiculous thing to limit to a server GPU.

It's about AV1 encoding while 6500XT is missing AV1 decoding which is even more riddiculous.

 

[Cutechri]

Weirdest name for a graphics card ever. What is this, an audiophile-grade GPU?

 

[n-ster]

Sooooo..... apparently this whole article means absolutely SQUAT to most of the members here (unless they're running a data center), as it appears to have NO video output connectors....therefore I'm not sure why intel is calling this a "GPU" instead of a "GAC" ie...graphics accelerator card....

must have been a slow (consumer tech) news day yesterday

Some of us work in the field, even a Plex server could potentially like this card if they have a big budget, and I still want to know the existence of GPUs even if I can't afford any of them