Intel Arc Alchemist desktop series rumored to feature three SKUs

Intel Arc Alchemist: three SKUs, two GPUs?

Intel desktop and mobile Arc Alchemist GPUs are to offer entry-level up to the upper mid-range performance, claims the rumor.

In a new video, Moore’s Law is Dead sheds more light on the upcoming Intel Arc Alchemist GPU launch. According to his sources, Intel is expected to introduce at least three desktop SKUs with 512, 384, and 128 Execution Units. The 512EU model would utilize the full die and it would offer performance between NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3070 TI graphics cards, claims the rumor. Other sources are more conservative with their performance claims and expect Arc GPUs to be faster than RTX 3060, possibly faster than RTX 3060 Ti. Performance estimates are still far from being accurate though, as Intel is still working on their drivers, and chances are their partners do not have access to fully working drivers yet.

The Xe-HPG based Arc Alchemist GPU with 512EUs would feature up to 16GB GDDR6 memory with memory at 16 Gbps, although 18 Gbps is also a possibility. This SKU would be based on DG2-512EU GPU which has already been shown by Intel which gave us a rough estimate on the die size: 396 mm². The GPU would therefore be bigger than AMD Navi 22 (335mm²), but about the same size as NVIDIA GA104 (392 mm²). According to MLID, this card would feature 8+6pin power connectors and TDP at 225W.

The 384EU model would actually be a cut-down variant of 512EU GPU. The card would feature 8GB GDDR6 memory and possibly a 256-bit memory bus. It is worth adding though, that a 448 EU version has been sampled to Intel partners at some point, but so far no other source has confirmed that Intel will launch it.

The entry-level Arc Alchemist SKU featuring DG2-128EU GPU wouldn’t be a gaming card so to speak. It might compete with the GeForce GTX Turing series (GTX 1650) though, but with a lower TDP of 75W and up to 8GB of GDDR6 memory. Should the price be right, we might finally have a worthy upgrade to these series, greatly disturbed by GPU shortages in 2020/2021.

Intel Arc Alchemist GPU Configurations, Source: Moore’s Law is Dead

Intel Arc Alchemist GPU Configurations, Source: WeChat

Although Intel had only showcased its 512EU and 128EU Arc GPUs, leaks have also pointed out that there is a 384EU GPU. Thus it is unclear why would Intel chose a cut-down 512EU GPU for its mid-SKU instead of using a full die. A full rumored lineup included: 512, 448, 384, 256, 128, and 96 EU models, however, this list also includes mobile SKUs.

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