In the world of GPU technology, there are only really two big names, AMD and Nvidia. With graphics card prices now starting to come down after several months of a deficit brought on partly by a semiconductor shortage, and bots bulk buying hardware, it seems as though people will start buying tech again soon. However, a new player is about to enter the arena which could give the aforementioned two giants a run for their money. And that player is Intel.
Normally associated with CPUs, the tech Mogul has recently thrown its hat into the GPU ring after announcing Intel Arc, which it describes in a recent tweet as "high performance graphics." It seems the company will be rolling out graphics cards for both desktop PCs and laptops. While there is no finalized date as of yet, the official website says people can expect them to hit the market at around Q1 2022, which is only a few months away.
In a video posted to the website, the upcoming hardware product, which was originally the Intel DG2 announced earlier this year, will be codenamed Alchemist, with following iterations being called Battlemage, Celestial, and Druid. It seems as though with this naming system, Intel is going for an RPG theme, which does tie in with them expanding into graphics cards. It's worth saying that this is on top of other hardware that will be put out by the company, including memory and software.
However, one question that may be on PC enthusiast's and gamer's lips is whether or not Intel's upcoming GPUs will be available. At the time of this article going live, there are still some issues with people getting hold of products, with one young person only able to get hold of an Nvidia 3090 through a loophole. However, given that the first wave of Intel cards are not due until next year, it's entirely possible that the market will have mended itself by then.
It's difficult to say how far this new endeavor will go. With the likes of AMD having just launched its new RC 6600 XT, Intel is going to have to work hard to make an impact on the market. New graphics cards are coming out regularly, so there's already quite a lot to choose from. That's not to say there isn't room for another tech giant, but it's unsure exactly what Intel can offer the gaming community that the likes of AMD and Nvidia don't already offer in droves.
Source: Intel