Intel admits Arc GPUs are delayed and encountered software problems
Lisa Pearce, VP and GM for Intel Visual Compute Group, explained the reasons behind the delays of the Arc hardware and software.
If you were considering buying Intel Arc GPU, it is probably time to think about their competitors. The most anticipated launch this year has hit another delay, which is nicely explained as a limited launch for certain regions. First it was Arc mobile which has only been released by Samsung in South Korea, now its Arc desktop to be released exclusively by Chinese OEMs.
To make matters worse, Intel admits that even then it will still launch exclusively for Chinese retailer market and only later it will expand globally. The company confirms that OEMs and system integrators will take priority ‘later this summer’, while components sales worldwide are to be expected later. When? Probably late enough for you to consider NVIDIA RTX 40 and AMD RX 7000 series a better option at that point.
What Intel explains as a ‘staggered approach’ is a completely opposite of what we expected. Indeed, no one expected a full lineup of cards to be released this at the same time, but keeping Arc GPUs exclusive to Asia for the weeks to come is simply inexcusable. This should have been communicated a long time ago, not when the media started to ask where are Intel Arc GPUs. The answer is: there aren’t any, unless you are invited to Intel HQ or live in Asia.
Question #2: When are the desktop cards with Intel Arc graphics coming?
Unlike notebook designs, desktop systems have a vast set of combinations, including memory, motherboards, and CPUs. To initially limit some of this variation, we will launch working with system builders and OEMs with specific configurations.
We will release our entry-level Intel Arc A-series products for desktops (A3) first in China through system builders and OEMs in Q2. Etail and retail component sales will follow shortly in China as well. Proximity to board components and strong demand for entry-level discrete products makes this a natural place to start. Our next step will be to scale these products globally.
Roll-out of Intel Arc A5 and A7 desktop cards will start worldwide with OEMs and system integrators later this summer, followed by component sales in worldwide channels.
This staggered approach gives us confidence at each step that we can effectively serve our customer base.
In other words, the 2022 Rollout that Intel has presented at the beginning of this year clearly did not mention the exclusiveness for certain markets. We can probably forget about global arability of Intel Arc GPUs for weeks to come.
Source: Intel
