Intel Arc "Alchemist" Mobile GPU Lineup Revealed

[btarunr]

Intel is preparing to debut the Arc "Alchemist" line of graphics processors with a mobile-first approach, where the company leverages its bulletproof relations with notebook manufacturers to use its discrete mobile GPUs to go with their 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processors. These will be launch in two tranches, with the first round expected as early as today (March 30), according to a VideoCardz report citing a leaked company slide. The series will debut with the Arc 3 series of entry-level discrete GPUs, before moving onto the mid-range Arc 5 and premium Arc 7 series "early summer" (we read that as May-June, 2022).

The entire lineup of Arc "Alchemist" is based on two ASICs, the smaller one is the ACM-G11, or DG2-128; while the larger one is the ACM-G10, or DG2-512. The former comes with 128 execution units (EU), while the larger one has 512 EU. The Arc 3 series, consisting of the A350M and A370M, come with 96 and 128 EU (768 and 1,024 unified shaders), respectively, The mid-range Arc A550M is based on the lowest trim of the DG2-512, with half its EU count disabled (256 EU, or 2,048 shaders). The Arc A730M has three-fourths of the EU count enabled, while the A770M maxes it out.



What's interesting is the memory configuration for the Arc 3 series, which sees just 4 GB of it, across a 64-bit memory bus. The A550M gets a respectable 8 GB across 128-bit, the A730M has 12 GB across 192-bit, and the top-dog A770M maxes out the 256-bit wide memory bus, with an impressive 16 GB of memory. Intel will debut these GPUs with the company's Deep Link technology, which allows the Xe HPG discrete GPU and an Xe-LP based iGPU in "Alder Lake" processors to work in greater collaboration, including a form of implicit asymmetric multi-GPU, with pooled power-budgets (Intel Dynamic Power Share) and resource-sharing in not just gaming, but also video encoding (Intel Hyper Encode). The Xe HPG graphics architecture will be Intel's first with DirectX 12 Ultimate readiness, including real-time ray tracing. It will also debut the XeSS (Xe Super Sampling) performance enhancement feature, which is functionally analogous to AMD FSR or NVIDIA DLSS.



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[ratirt]

I'm honestly looking forward to seeing how these will perform.

 

[SL2]

I'm honestly looking forward to seeing how these will perform.

Yeah, me too. when was the last time another GPU player entered the scene like this?
Not counting all the forgotten ones that never made any real world difference, no matter how good they looked on paper..

..yeah, this might be just another one of the latter, tho I doubt it.

 

[ppn]

It will perform like a glorified iGPU that they already have in Alder lake. integrate this as tileGPU in meteor lake ASAp. 8GB HBM3 under the lid. and call it a day.

 

[Deleted member 185088]

Exciting to see how they will perform. Though was looking more forward to the desktop parts.

 

[HD64G]

The stock clocks, # of shaders and tdp aren't too hopeful. Let's see. Driver stability and features will be the make or break factor more than the price imho.

 

[phanbuey]

IMO the first generation is going to stink, like most first generations, but it will be price competitive in its segment and hobble along. The really interesting releases will come in the next few years.

 

[bug]

I'm honestly looking forward to seeing how these will perform.

Mobile-first = couldn't squeeze enough HP for the desktop out of it

Power draw looks pretty good. If they're good enough to compete at mid-range, they may still be interesting, though.

 

[chrcoluk]

Mobile-first = couldn't squeeze enough HP for the desktop out of it

Power draw looks pretty good. If they're good enough to compete at mid-range, they may still be interesting, though.

Well for starters the bottom two will serve the gt 1030 type space which is currently void by both amd and nvidia, nice to see a 20w discrete gpu part.

 

[SL2]

Mobile-first = couldn't squeeze enough HP for the desktop out of it

Well, they did the same with Yonah.

Spoiler

Now someone please tell me a story about how Core evolved from PM-PIII-PII-PPro and is not comparable to this, which I had no clue about. [/s]

 

[bug]

Well, they did the same with Yonah.

Spoiler

Now someone please tell me a story about how Core evolved from PM-PIII-PII-PPro and is not comparable to this, which I had no clue about. [/s]

Does that mean you're holding your breath for another black swan?

And yes, that story is true, but I think the comparison is apt. It doesn't matter where Core came from. You could also argue Arc is an evolution of IGPs before it.

 

[ModEl4]

The clocks are way low in some models for 6nm TSMC, unless the boost clocks are unusually high, even taking account the target TDPs, I would be very surprised if Intel in the desktop space can achieve more than 2.5GHz actual boost clock in the highly OC on air models (ROG strix etc) and logically it would be less than that.
Also the A770M model naming instead of A780M despite 150W TDP and 16GB memory doesn't inspire much hope regarding performance either.
We will see, let's hope they deliver, we need a third player to boost competition.

 

[SL2]

Does that mean you're holding your breath for another black swan?

Why would it? I was simply pointing out that what they can do for now may not be relevant in the long run.

And yes, that story is true, but I think the comparison is apt. It doesn't matter where Core came from. You could also argue Arc is an evolution of IGPs before it.

At least this isn't all new, like Willamette. Even integrated Xe has been on the market for 18 months.

 

[Tarte]

Only Mobile, no Desktop GPUs?

 

[SL2]

"Specifically for these mobile products, the graphics clock listed on the spec sheet is in relation to the lowest TDP configuration Intel offers."

7 minutes:

 

[TheDeeGee]

Lot of reveals, no actual products. Intel GPUs in a nutshell.

 

[medi01]

So, available "starting now", but no reviews?

 

[SL2]

Lot of reveals, no actual products. Intel GPUs in a nutshell.

So, available "starting now", but no reviews?

Isn't that how mobile GPU launches works? We have to wait for new laptop models?

 

[sillyconjunkie]

It will perform like a glorified iGPU that they already have in Alder lake. integrate this as tileGPU in meteor lake ASAp. 8GB HBM3 under the lid. and call it a day.

I don't think this post is going to age well.

Mobile-first = couldn't squeeze enough HP for the desktop out of it

Power draw looks pretty good. If they're good enough to compete at mid-range, they may still be interesting, though.

Maybe but probably not. From a business perspective..

Mobile = a much larger market than desktop

 

[Panther_Seraphin]

This first gen is purely to remove nvida/AMD from getting in on any action with an Intel CPU. Think about how many Laptops have 3060s etc. Now replace them with an Intel chip. More money for Intel less for Nvida.

I think this will hurt Nvidia more in the longer term than AMD but we shall see.

 

[trsttte]

This first gen is purely to remove nvida/AMD from getting in on any action with an Intel CPU. Think about how many Laptops have 3060s etc. Now replace them with an Intel chip. More money for Intel less for Nvida.

I think this will hurt Nvidia more in the longer term than AMD but we shall see.

Oh absolutely, and the same old anti competitive tactics (that have been relegating AMD from the mobile market for years) will be heavily at play

Want a CPU? What if we sell you a gpu too at a massive discount? Oh and look at this pretty little EVO certified sticker, you want that don't you?

Nvidia will be the main one loosing this time, with AMD also pushing for their own certification and own vertical technologies.

 

[bug]

Maybe but probably not. From a business perspective..

Mobile = a much larger market than desktop

Why don't AMD or Nvidia premiere their GPUs on mobile then?

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

I've got to be honest ,this is brutal, I'm deflating with every pr release on Arc.

 

[trsttte]

Why don't AMD or Nvidia premiere their GPUs on mobile then?

The same reason they premiere their top end/halo products first and long before the lower end devices, marketing. Intel didn't because they couldn't (their GPU program is having a really rough start lol)

 

[bug]

The same reason they premiere their top end/halo products first and long before the lower end devices, marketing. Intel didn't because they couldn't (their GPU program is having a really rough start lol)

Just look back at what came before: each time AMD didn't release high-end cards first was when their architecture didn't scale. Whether they mumbled something about small chips or stretched Polaris till perf/W made no sense, nobody ever released anything less than high-end when the high-end looked good.
Of course, that's not a guarantee this is what we're looking at this round, but my gut feeling tells me it is. And I'm ok even with that. I wasn't looking to buy a high-end card from Intel. I was just hoping for a decent mid-ranger.

And stop it with the "rough start" nonsense. They've been building GPUs since forever, just not in discrete form. Do you honestly believe adding a few VRMs and VRAM chips onto a PCB is the tough part in designing a video card?