Intel Arc GPU rumours spell doom for the company’s discrete graphics lineup, but the blue team’s executive vice president just spoke out against the whispers. Commenting on the concerns, Raja Koduri shrugs off the hearsay and insists the chip giant has overcome its initial issues, despite the launch featuring multiple obstacles.
Over on Twitter, a concerned Intel Arc fan quizzed Koduri on the GPU lineup’s future, specifically referencing recent rumours. In response, the VP says the rumours “don’t help” the gaming PC community or the team bringing the cards to market, and highlights the range’s “first gen” status.
Koduri isn’t oblivious when it comes to Arc GPU pitfalls, and admits that the firm had “had more obstacles than planned to overcome.” Of course, the Intel chief adds that the team persisted through the problems, further quashing reports that place doubt on the range’s future.
The reports in question are included in a new video by Moore’s Law is Dead, which includes damning testimonies provided by insiders at Intel. One executive level source claims that “Arc is finished,” while another confirms a “decision’s been made” to cancel the company’s discrete graphics plans.
It’s worth reiterating that Intel hasn’t officially announced plans to cancel any upcoming Arc GPUs, so you should ingest any insider speculation with the usual grain of salt. That said, both MLID’s insider comments and Koduri’s response may represent an internal division at Intel, which isn’t a good sign in any case.
Speculation aside, Intel appears positive about the here and now, as it just released complete specs for its Arc desktop GPU range. Team blue’s RTX 3060 rival, the Arc A770, is also set to release “very soon,” and Intel Fellow Tom Petersen says it’ll be a compelling “perf per dollar alternative.”
Intel admittedly isn’t gunning for the best graphics card crown, and the Arc A770 won’t hold up against RTX 4000 or AMD RDNA 3 GPUs. However, Nvidia is reportedly planning to release revamped RTX 3000 GPUs alongside its next-gen lineup, so even sticking to an entry-level comfort zone could be a struggle for Arc Alchemist.