Up until now, there have been two major powerhouses in the graphics card industry, Nvidia and AMD. However, Intel, known largely as a CPU manufacturer, will be joining them in 2022. Although the chip shortages are expected to go on until 2023, it isn't stopping all three tech giants from battling it out on the GPU playing field, come what may. Given that "team blue" is due to launch its first range of products very soon, many have been wondering exactly when that is. With that, it seems a new rumor feels the "Alchemist" card could be out in about three months.

According to a recent report from Tom's Hardware, Intel may be getting ready to launch the first of its ARC graphics cards in March 2022, still within the Q1 range which was an early prediction. Originally, it seemed that the company was looking to launch sometime in January, or at least the mobile versions, with the possibility of a Q2 launch for its desktop range. However, anonymous sources indicate that two of the DG2 ARC cards will launch in March instead, which will target the mid-range market at first.

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The Intel "Alchemist" is said to rival Nvidia's RTX 3070 Ti, which is not the most powerful card on the market, but is seemingly a decent place for Intel to start before it works its way up to the high-end. However, it should be stated at this stage that these are just speculations, and no matter how reliable the sources may be, the reality won't hit until the first graphics cards land on the market next year. That is, of course, if people can get hold of any of it.

An image of an Intel DG1 graphics card.

The arrival of this competitor in the industry has likely shaken things up for the other big companies. With Nvidia looking to launch the RTX 3090 Ti, a more souped up version of its 3090 card, as well as AMD rumored to be unveiling some entry-level products, there is perhaps everything to play for as the new year approaches.

Early benchmark tests show that the Alchemist could rival Nvidia's GPUs, so it's entirely possible that Intel has what it takes to make a name for itself in the graphics card landscape. Early 2022 could be a fierce time for all three companies, but with the next generation of graphics technology not far away, and an Intel roadmap showing it has plans afoot, there's at least going to be a lot more choice for PC enthusiasts and gamers next year.

MORE: Intel Has a Chance to Hit the Ground Running With Its Arc GPUs

Source: Tom's Hardware