Intel is slowly preparing to launch its next-generation Meteor Lake mobile processor family, dropping the Core i brand name in favor of Core Ultra. Today, we are witnessing some early Geekbench v6 benchmarks with the latest leak of the Core Ultra 7 155H processor, boasting an integrated Arc GPU featuring 8 Xe-Cores—the complete configuration expected in the GPU tile. This tile is also projected to be a part of the more potent Core 9 Ultra 185H CPU. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor has been benchmarked in the new ASUS Zenbook 14, which houses a 16-core and 22-thread hybrid CPU configuration capable of boosting up to 4.8 GHz. Paired with 32 GB of memory, the configuration was well equipped to supply CPU and GPU with sufficient memory space.

Perhaps the most interesting information from the submission was the OpenCL score of the GPU. Clocking in at 33948 points in Geekbench v6, the GPU is running over AMD's Radeon 780M GPU found in APU solutions like AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and Ryzen 9 7940U, which scored 30585 and 27345 points in the same benchmark, respectively. The GPU tile is millimeters away from closing the gap between itself and the desktop Intel Arc A380 discrete GPU, which scored 37105 points for less than a 10% difference. The Xe-LPG GPU version is bringing some interesting performance points for the integrated GPU platform, which means that Intel's Meteor Lake SKUs will bring more performance/watt than ever.

Intel today released the latest version of Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.4972 beta fixes an issue with "Starfield" posting lower than expected performance with game patch version 1.8.86 on Arc GPUs. The drivers don't include any new performance updates or bug fixes, but Intel has taken the opportunity to identify a few new issues to address in its future driver updates, spanning games such as "Ghostrunner 2," "Total War: Pharaoh," "Dead by Daylight," and Topaz Video AI. Grab the driver from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4972 Beta

Intel today released the latest version of Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.4887 beta adds support for the new Arc A580 desktop graphics card, which you'll hear more about soon. The drivers also add optimization for "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III" (beta), "Total War: Pharaoh," and "Lords of the Fallen." The drivers also offer performance improvements for "Starfield," with up to 117% performance uplifts at 1080p with Ultra settings, and up to 149% uplifts at 1440p with High settings, as measured with an Arc A770.

The drivers also introduce performance uplifts for "Forza Motorsport," with up to 8% uplift at 1080p with Ultra settings; and "F1 23," which now yields up to 12% gains at 1440p with Ultra High settings; and up to 136% at 4K with Ultra High settings. With this release, Intel fixed a bug that caused "Minecraft" (DirectX 12) to exhibit color corruption in night scenes with DXR ray tracing enabled.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4887 beta

Today HP Inc. redefined versatility with the HP Spectre Foldable PC, a remarkable 3-in-1 device with a foldable screen that seamlessly integrates the best features of a laptop, tablet, and desktop for the ultimate hybrid experience.

"Consumers are demanding greater flexibility to connect, work, and play for their hybrid lives beyond what the traditional laptop can provide," said Jo Tan, Senior Vice President & Division President of Personal Systems Consumer Solutions, HP Inc. "We are excited to introduce the HP Spectre Foldable PC, designed to seamlessly adapt to the various ways you want to work with its unique, durable form factor that pushes the boundaries of design and technology."

Thanks to the latest report from Phoronix, we know that Intel is working on supporting the latest "Xe2" graphics architecture for their upcoming Lunar Lake processors. Today, the latest enablement comes in the Mesa Linux drivers. By employing a new technique that allows for importing prior-generation XML files within the Intel Mesa driver code, Intel engineers have managed to streamline the overall file size. This is significant not just for the efficiency it brings but also because it signifies the beginning of work on enabling Xe2 graphics support. It suggests a thoughtful approach to building upon existing architectures, making it easier to adapt and evolve the software support for each new generation of Intel graphics.

Even though we are at the early stage and Lunar Lake is far away, the progress on Xe2 doesn't stop at Mesa driver changes. There is already some work at the kernel level, and new merge requests for draft compiler changes and shader compiler patches have also been spotted. This proactive development strategy positions Intel well in offering robust open-source graphics support for Linux, and it sends a strong signal to the developer community about Intel's dedication to the platform. After the Linux kernel driver works, this Mesa driver will enable better OpenGL/Vulkan API compatibility, so Lunar Lake arrives with proper software support.

Intel Graphics has released the latest version of the Intel Arc GPU Graphics drivers, version 101.4672 Beta. Although a bit late to the party, the new drivers brings optimizations for Bethesda's Starfield game, with reduced game load duration, instability and visual artifacts fixes, as well as Game On support for NExT Studios' SYNCED game.

The new 101.4672 Beta drivers do not appear to bring any further improvements or fixes and appear mostly focused on supporting the Starfield game. There are still plenty of issues with Starfield but Intel notes that further fixes are coming in future driver updates.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4672 Beta

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices today, is excited to unveil the BIELK-PAT industrial motherboard and MS-J6412 applications system, tailored to meet the rising demands of modern industries. The BIELK-PAT mainboard is an embodiment of versatility and innovation. Designed to support a broad range of temperature -40 °C ~ 85 °C and 9-24 V operational voltage, the BIELK-PAT mainboard thrives in diverse environments seamlessly integrating into workspaces like outdoor devices, EV charging stations, kiosks, and refrigerated factories. Under its robust framework, it houses an Intel Elkhart Lake SOC Processor and offers display outputs via LVDS, HDMI, and VGA. It supports 2x SO-DIMM DDR4 RAM up to 32 GB 3200 MHz and 2.5 GbE LAN powered by Intel.

Diving deeper into the specifications, the BIELK-PAT features a SATA III and an M.2 slot for storage, along with multiple USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports. It is a top choice for SI businesses seeking robust system integration builds with great hardware synergy with Windows 10 and Linux Ubuntu operating systems. The MS-J6412 applications system from BIOSTAR is ideal for fanless embedded system. Compact yet powerful, it is adept at driving POS systems, interactive kiosks, and interconnected IoT devices across many industries supported by its DC-IN design. It boasts a sleek, thin design and ensures quiet computing thanks to its groundbreaking, slim barebone fanless design.

Intel Graphics today released the latest version of Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.4669 beta comes with Game On (day zero) optimization for "Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon." With the new drivers in place, the Arc A750 can provide average frame-rates of up to 92 FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings; and up to 82 FPS at 1440p with High settings. Among the issues fixed with this release include an application crash for "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" in DirectX 11 mode, in the game menu. Also, it turns out that Arc A380 reporting a base frequency of 2150 MHz compared to 2000 MHz reference with the previous 101.4644 drivers, was a bug. Intel fixed it with this release.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4669 Beta

Intel today released the latest version of the Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.4644 WHQL comes with Game On (day-zero) optimization for "Madden NFL 24," and "Wayfinder." Among the issues fixed with this release include an application crash noticed with "Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection" when launching the game; a system hang noticed when waking up your desktop from sleep, needing you to cycle power; and an application crash observed with Blender 3.6 during render operations, when hardware ray tracing is enabled. Grab the drivers from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4644 WHQL

Intel Graphics late Wednesday released the Arc GPU Graphics Software 101.4578 beta. These drivers come with Game On (day-zero) optimization for the hottest game release of this Summer, "Baldur's Gate 3." Intel beat both AMD and NVIDIA to be the first with optimized drivers for the game. The fantasy RPG releases later today. Given that the game is very easy on system requirements, you can expect the entire span of Intel Arc "Alchemist" graphics card to be perfectly suited to the game. The Arc A380 should be able to max out the game at resolutions of 1080p, while the A750 and A770 should max it out at 1440p and 4K Ultra HD.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4578 beta

Without fanfare, Intel has launched two new mobile GPUs in the shape of the Arc A570M and the A530M. The Arc A570M gets 16 Xe Cores and 256 execution units, as well as four render slices and 16 RT units. The lower-end Arc A530M gets to make do with 12 Xe cores, 192 execution units, three render slices and 12 RT units, which is a smaller cut than the model name suggests. What's interesting to note here is that the Arc A570M appears to have identical hardware specs to the Arc A550M that launched in the second quarter of 2022, although as we'll see, the clock speeds and TGP differ between the parts. The Arc A570M supports 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, the same as the Arc A550M, with the Arc A530M supports 4 or 8 GB of GDDR6.

Both the Arc A570M and the A530M will get a GPU clock speed of 1,300 MHz, which is a significant boost from the Arc A550M which is plodding along at a mere 900 MHz in comparison. This makes the two newcomers Intel's third highest clocked mobile GPUs, with only the Arc A770M and Arc A370M being clocked higher. The downside of this is an increase in TGP, where the Arc A550M had a fairly reasonable TGP of 60 Watts, the Arc A530M has a TGP range of 65 to 95 Watts, while the Arc A570M extends this to 75-95 Watts. The rest of the specs appear to carry over from the Arc A550M, so the new GPUs will support up to four displays via eDP, DP 2.0 or HDMI 2.1 and the full set of video encoders and decoders are also supported. The new additions are still made using TSMC's N6 node, so what we're looking at are most likely just optimised silicon here, which has led Intel to be able to boost the clock speeds while maintaining acceptable thermals.

Durabook, an innovator in purpose-built, rugged computing solutions, today announced upgrading its U11 Rugged Tablet with the 12th Gen Intel processor and other architectural innovations that establish it as the most versatile 11-inch rugged tablet. The U11 rugged tablet solution goes above and beyond standard requirements to elevate the professional user's experience.

Upgrading the U11 CPU to the latest Intel 12th generation Alder Lake platform, with Intel Core i7 and i5 processors, is significant in part because it enables performance up to 225% faster than the previous, 10th Gen CPU. Sporting the Coolfinity fanless thermal solution lets the U11 tablet operate quietly while offering higher reliability and decreasing downtime and repairs that negatively impact productivity. Delivered with Intel Iris Xe Graphics boosts the U11's computing power to process large amounts of data, images, and video feeds in real-time. Packing these and a trove of functions and features into a rugged tablet appeals to professional users that desire the utmost performance with the ease of a tablet.

Sparkle Computer and Intel, longstanding Thunderbolt development partner since 2015, have announced a new partnership to launch the SPARKLE Intel Arc Series Graphics Cards. With a wealth of experience producing quality industrial graphics cards, ODM solutions and peripherals, Sparkle is now expanding our reach into the consumer graphics business.

"We value this collaboration and we are fully prepared," says Willie Huang, General Manager of Sparkle Computer Co., LTD. "Sparkle is dedicated to creating a creator-friendly working environment, ranging from industrial graphics, external GPU to docking stations.... As the last piece of the puzzle, Sparkle Intel Arc Graphics, featuring an advanced Xe Media engine and AV1 encoder, has fully completed our product line and fulfilled the requirement of the desktop community"

Intel Labs, in collaboration with Blockade Labs, has introduced Latent Diffusion Model for 3D (LDM3D), a novel diffusion model that uses generative AI to create realistic 3D visual content. LDM3D is the industry's first model to generate a depth map using the diffusion process to create 3D images with 360-degree views that are vivid and immersive. LDM3D has the potential to revolutionize content creation, metaverse applications and digital experiences, transforming a wide range of industries, from entertainment and gaming to architecture and design.

"Generative AI technology aims to further augment and enhance human creativity and save time. However, most of today's generative AI models are limited to generating 2D images and only very few can generate 3D images from text prompts. Unlike existing latent stable diffusion models, LDM3D allows users to generate an image and a depth map from a given text prompt using almost the same number of parameters. It provides more accurate relative depth for each pixel in an image compared to standard post-processing methods for depth estimation and saves developers significant time to develop scenes," said Vasudev Lal, AI/ML research scientist, Intel Labs.

TechPowerUp today released the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the popular graphics sub-system information, monitoring, data-logging, and diagnostic tool for gamers, PC enthusiasts, overclockers, and engineers. The latest version 2.54.0 adds support for new graphics cards, and has several improvements that we're sure you'll find useful. Among the new NVIDIA GPUs supported are the GeForce RTX 4060, RTX 4060 Ti, RTX 3060 (based on GA104-B), RTX 3050 Laptop GPU 4 GB, RTX 3050 Mobile 6 GB (based on GA107-B), 40-2Q, L4, RTX A500 Mobile, RTX 2000 Ada Mobile, RTX 4000 SFF Ada, RTX 5000 Ada Mobile. The new AMD GPUs supported include Radeon RX 7600, Pro W7800, W7900, E8860, Ryzen Phoenix Radeon 7x0M, and Ryzen Z1 Extreme. The new Intel GPUs supported include Arc Pro A60, A60M, Flex 140, Iris Xe Max 100, additional Raptor Lake iGPU variants. Vendor support is added for Sparkle (Intel Arc board partner).

With this release, we've added the ability to monitor and log the real-time video memory read/write bandwidth usage for Intel Arc GPUs. Power monitoring for Intel Arc GPUs was broken after a recent driver update, this is fixed now. We've also improved the video codec capability detection in the DXVA section of the Advanced tab, for all GPUs. The XML Dump output file now includes GPU transistor-count and release date. The Fake GPU detection has been improved. Die-size values for NVIDIA GeForce Ada GPUs have been fixed, as is the transistor-count of RTX 4070 Mobile (based on AD106). Grab GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 2.54.0The change-log follows.

Intel Graphics today released the latest version of Arc GPU Graphics Drivers. Version 101.4499 beta adds optimization for F1 23, Aliens: Dark Descent, Forever Skies, and Counter Strike 2. There are major performance uplifts to be had. Counter Strike 2 sees up to 8% uplift at 1440p with high settings, and up to 10% at 1080p with Very High settings. F1 23 players can expect up to 33% uplift at 1080p with Ultra High settings and RT on, and an 18% uplift with RT off; and a 27% uplift at 1440p with high settings. Intel also updated its Destiny 2 optimization, with a neat 11% uplift to be had at 1080p with the highest settings. An error or black screen seen on applications embedding WebView2 frames, has been fixed.

DOWNLOAD: Intel GPU Graphics Drivers 101.4499 Beta

SCHENKER's premium ultrabook series VISION upgrades to Intel's Core i7-13700H and also receives a graphics card update. Aside from the VISION 16 Pro with a GeForce RTX 4070 or 4060, the VISION 16 is only available with an Intel Iris Xe GPU. On the other hand, the VISION 14 with a 99 Wh battery and 3K display offers a choice between a model with Iris Xe and GeForce RTX 3050 Refresh. Thus, the slim laptops are among the lightest and thinnest ultrabooks in their respective performance or equipment classes. Nevertheless, the model series is defined by good connectivity as well as plugged-in RAM and SSDs. All laptops are available in black or silver.

Schenker Technologies updates the 16-inch premium ultrabook SCHENKER VISION 16 Pro in the model version M23 (Mid 2023) to the latest level of technology - with a fast Intel Core i7-13700H featuring 6 performance and 8 efficiency cores as well as an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 or 4060 as freely configurable options, each with a GPU performance of up to 95 watts (70 watts plus 25 watts Dynamic Boost 2.0).

CD Projekt RED, the developer of Cyberpunk 2077, has advertised including various super sampling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and now Intel XeSS supersampling. With the inclusion of XeSS version 1.1, Intel's Arc Alchemist graphics cards can record a significant performance uplift. Thanks to the Intel game blog, we compare XeSS enabled versus XeSS disabled, measuring the ability to play Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Ultra settings with medium ray tracing enabled. The FPS comparison was conducted with Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition GPU, which was paired with Intel Core i9-13900K and 32 GB of RAM.

With XeSS off, the A750 GPU struggled and only reached 39 FPS. However, with XeSS set to performance, the number jumped to 67 FPS, making for a smooth user experience and gameplay. This is a 71% performance uplift, enabled by a new update in the game. Interestingly, Intel XeSS is computed on Arc's XMX Units, while NVIDIA and AMD compute their super sampling on shader units.

Intel has awarded TSMC with some big contracts for future manufacturing of next generation GPUs, according to Taiwan's Commercial Times. As previously covered on TPU, the second generation Battlemage graphics processing units will get fabricated via a 4 nm process. According to insider sources at both partnering companies, Intel is eyeing a release date in the second half of 2024 for this Xe2-based architecture. The same sources pointed to the third generation Celestial graphics processing units being ready in time for a second half of 2026 launch window. Arc Celestial, which is based on the Xe3 architecture, is set for manufacture in the coming years courtesy of TSMC's N3X (3 nm) process node.

One of the sources claim that Intel is quietly confident about its future prospects in the GPU sector, despite mixed critical and commercial reactions to the first generation line-up of Arc Alchemist discrete graphics cards. The company is said to be anticipating great demand for more potent versions of its graphics products in the future, and internal restructuring efforts have not dulled the will of a core team of engineers. The restructuring process resulted in the original AXG graphics division being divided into two sub-groups - CCG and DCAI. The pioneer of the entire endeavor, Raja Koduri, departed Intel midway through last month, to pursue new opportunities with an AI-focused startup.

Intel's next-generation Arc "Battlemage" GPU is expected to numerically-double its shader counts, according to a report by RedGamingTech. The largest GPU from the Arc "Battlemage" series, the "BMG-G10," aims to power SKUs that compete in the performance segment. The chip is expected to be built on a TSMC 4 nm-class EUV node, similar to NVIDIA's GeForce "Ada" GPUs, and have a die-size similar to that of the "AD103" silicon powering the GeForce RTX 4080.

Among the juiciest bits from this report are that the top "Battlemage" chip will see its Xe Core count doubled to 64, up from 32 on the top "Alchemist" part. This would see its execution unit (EU) count doubled to 1,024, and unified shader counts at 8,192. Intel is expected to give the chip clock speeds in excess of 3.00 GHz. The Xe Cores themselves could see several updates, including IPC uplifts, and support for new math formats. The memory sub-system is expected to see an overhaul, with a large 48 MB on-die L2 cache. While the memory bus is unchanged at 256-bit wide, the memory speed could see a significant increase up from the 16-17.5 Gbps on the Arc A770. As for when customers can actually expect products, the RedGamingTech report puts launch of the Arc "Battlemage" series at no sooner than Q2-2024. The company is expected to launch refreshed "Alchemist+" GPUs in 2023.

To showcase its ever-expanding line of Industry 4.0 solutions, AAEON will present world-class augmented reality (AR) solutions at Embedded World 2023, with live demonstrations illustrating how its product lines have amplified AR realization for two of its Industry 4.0 partners. AAEON will be at Booth 306, Hall 1, at Embedded World 2023 in Nuremberg between 14 - 16 March 2023. Along with a number of product showcases, AAEON will present two live demos of AR applications that were developed with its partners, Seabery Augmented Technology and XYZ Reality. Demonstrating cutting-edge AR technology, AAEON will give attendees an insight into the AR revolution it is pioneering.

Late on Friday in a newsroom posting by Intel's Interim GM Jeff McVeigh a roadmap uplift was quietly revealed. Rialto Bridge, the process improved version of Ponte Vecchio currently shipping under the Max Series GPU branding, has been pulled from the roadmap in favor of doubling down on the future design code-named Falcon Shores. Rialto Bridge was first announced last May at SC22 as the direct successor to Ponte Vecchio, and was set to begin sampling later this year. In the same post Intel also cancelled Lancaster Sound, their Visual Cloud GPU meant to replace the Arctic Sound Flex series of GPUs based on similar Xe cores to Arc Alchemist. In its stead the follow-up architecture Melville Sound will receive focused development efforts.

Falcon Shores is described as a new foundational chiplet architecture that will integrate more diverse compute tiles, creating what Intel originally dubbed the XPU. This next architectural step would combine what Intel is already doing with products such as Sapphire Rapids and Ponte Vecchio into one CPU+GPU package, and would offer even further flexibility to add other kinds of accelerators. With this roadmap update there is some uncertainty as to whether the XPU designation will make the transition as it is notably absent in the letter. It is clear though that Falcon Shores will directly replace Ponte Vecchio as the next HPC GPU, with or without CPU tiles included.

Intel Graphics has introduced feature rivaling NVIDIA VSR (virtual super resolution) for Chromium-based web-browsers such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, which enhances the quality of streaming video, both from lower resolutions to higher; as well as improving the quality at native resolution. This was discovered in the change-log of a Chrome build, which talks about the introduction of a "-features=IntelVpSuperResolution" command-line argument to start Chrome with, to enable the feature.

Apparently, the Intel VSR feature works on Intel iGPUs dating back to the 11th Gen Core ("Tiger Lake" and "Rocket Lake,") based on the Xe-LP graphics architecture. The feature should come particularly handy when trying to upscale online video from lower resolutions (such as SD 360p/480p or HD 720p), up to Full HD (1080p) or higher. It's reported that VSR is enabled by default on Chrome/Edge 110, and doesn't require that command-line argument. To use it, you will need Intel iGPU graphics drivers version 27.20.100.8681 or later.

MSI, a world leader in high-performance and innovative computing solutions, announced the PRO DP10 13M Business & Productivity Mini PC. This pint-sized enclosure is packed with more technology than what meets the eye. Featuring a compact chassis, powerful processor options, exclusive software, and Thunderbolt 4, the PRO DP10 13M is designed with efficiency and productivity in mind.

Powerful Ideas with Limitless Potential
PRO DP10 provides limitless potential while being less than 1.1 liters in volume. The small design helps tidy up a desk and save space, while the available robust hardware and software configurations support users in multitasking. Up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 12 cores and Iris Xe Graphics enables users to edit graphics and work with multiple programs faster and more seamlessly than previous generations. Furthermore, it supports up to 64 GB memory with a dual-channel design to address specific task requirements, delivering a robust and stable computing performance. In addition, the rich selection of IO ports includes one DP-out, one HDMI-out, one D-Sub (VGA), and one Thunderbolt 4, which supports up to 40Gb transfer speed and display output up to 8K resolution. The PRO DP10 can support up to four displays simultaneously, so users can view different programs in great detail.

Today at MWC 2023, Lenovo unveiled its latest PC and Chromebook solutions to help embrace dispersed hybrid working styles and provide advanced features that empower users across a broad selection of requirements and needs. Encompassing a progressive and contemporary design philosophy, the latest PC solutions, including a comprehensive refresh across the ThinkPad portfolio, focus on improvements in system performance, increased use of more sustainable materials, and continued enhancements to user experience. ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 second generation Windows 11 laptops enhance key areas of hardware and software functionality to help users maintain a creative edge. ThinkPad Z13 also presents a new Flax Fiber top cover, using bio-based materials, for a unique individual look and feel. Lenovo also introduced a redesigned fourth generation ThinkPad X13 and X13 Yoga with narrower bezels, new colors, materials and features to facilitate hybrid work and mobility. The ThinkPad portfolio for 2023 is completed with fourth generation ThinkPad T14s, T14 and second generation T16 workhorse laptops along with the fourth generation ThinkPad L13, L13 Yoga, L14 and L15, designed for businesses with a wide range of mobile computing needs.

Value-conscious businesses seeking focused productivity features can select a fifth generation ThinkPad E14 with new 16:10 displays or a new 16-inch form factor in the ThinkPad E16. Frequent travellers will like the additional protection provided by the new ThinkPad Professional Sleeve, available in 13-inch and 14-inch sizes to support a broad selection of laptops. The highly versatile ThinkCentre Tiny-in-One Gen 5 Monitor offers improved audio-visual capabilities and redesigned features capable of supporting multiple work scenarios. Finally, consumers can enjoy the flexibility offered by the latest IdeaPad Duet 3i, a Windows 11 detachable laptop that seamlessly transitions between clamshell and tablet modes; or relish the ChromeOS eco-system with the latest IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook featuring a range of audio, visual, and connectivity upgrades.