When it comes to graphics cards, Nvidia is generally considered the market lead, with AMD just chomping at the heels of team green, and Intel just about leaving the starting post. Given that Nvidia may be launching its next generation GPUs in July, and AMD is also getting ready to unleash its RDNA 3 architecture, some may be forgiven for thinking that the newcomers are behind somewhat. However, the Arc graphics cards are on their way, and a recent leak shows what's likely to be in the desktop line-up.
According to a recent tweet from known leaker momomo_us, as spotted by PC Gamer, beta drivers for Intel graphics cards list a series of models that are getting released in the company's Arc range. In a screenshot uploaded to Twitter, it shows a series of desktop graphics cards, as well as mobile variants, with there being five models that are coming to desktop PCs, presumably that cover the high-end as well as the more budget end of the market.
Last month, there was a rumor that Intel would release up to seven Arc GPUs, so it's entirely possible that there's some yet to be listed, or the speculations misjudged slightly. In any case, those who have been waiting can expect the likes of the A380, A310, A770, A750, and A580 to hit shelves at some point. There isn't much else that can be said about what the specs for each of these are, but it's expected that the A3XX series will represent the more entry level side of things, while he A7XX SKUs will be more high-end, possibly even enthusiast. More will likely come to the fore closer to release day.
However, that still could be a while off. With Intel allegedly delaying the desktop Arc launch until August, many may suspect that team blue is cutting things a bit fine. With both Nvidia and AMD looking to leap into the next generation of graphics card technology, the newcomers seem to be risking being left behind as Ada Lovelace and RDNA 3 get ready to launch this year.
Then there's also the ongoing deficit. With the CEO of Intel saying that the chip shortages could last until 2024, it still feels like it's going to be a miserable time to be a PC gamer for the next year or so. In any case, it isn't stopping the big three from unleashing new products into an uncertain market, but team blue will need to get its skates on if it hopes to make an impact on the GPU industry.
Source: PC Gamer