When the topic of PC hardware comes up, it's only a matter of time until someone mentions the name Intel. With the launch of its i9 119000K CPU coming early this year, Intel is arguably the go-to company when choosing a processor. What some may not think about, however, is the fact that it also makes GPUs, and the company's latest announcement could give the likes of Nvidia (and possibly AMD) a run for its money.
While there is no solid information about it yet, the Intel Xe DG2 graphics card could offer an alternative to what's currently available on the market, more so because it's rumored that it could have double the VRAM of the Nvidia RTX 3070. Currently, the Nvidia model has 8GB of video memory, whereas Intel's latest effort may have up to 16GB of GDDR6 memory.
In fact, such spec would put it more in line with the likes of AMD's Radeon RX 6000 range, or it may even surpass it. Of course, that's for the high-end Intel DG2. There are reportedly other models which have different configurations; everything from 4GB to 12GB RAM with some variations boasting 64-bit and 192-bit versions. Naturally, VRAM doesn't count for everything, so it's always worth waiting for other details to be announced. That would be like judging a car based purely on its gasoline capacity without considering all the other elements that go into making it a suitable model.
This latest rumor came about due to a post on Twitter in which the user listed numerous hardware devices and their respective RAM capabilities. Of course, these are all just speculations at the minute. There is no definitive word yet on whether such a GPU will even come to fruition. However, reports indicate that if it does see the light of day, it may not be until 2022. Having said that, mere rumors about a potential GPU hitting the market doesn't stop people from holding onto hope.
With the way the current graphics hardware market is, it's unsurprising that many may not think to look towards Intel products. Most will think of Nvidia or AMD as being the two head-to-head combatants battling for graphical supremacy. However, Intel have been putting out GPUs for PCs since the late 90s. Intel are used to competing when it comes to CPUs, but when the company puts its hat into the graphics card ring, it's likely that it will have a fight on its hands.