Reduced anticipation for Intel's upcoming graphics card unveiling
In a bid to make a significant mark in the mid-range graphics card market, Intel has launched the Arc B570 and B580, priced at $259 and $249 respectively, in 2025. These new graphics cards, powered by Intel's Xe2 architecture, offer features such as ray tracing support and AI-based XeSS upscaling.
Despite missing its initial target of shipping 4 million GPUs in 2022 due to software issues, Intel remains committed to its GPU efforts. The tech giant aims to cater to both the gaming and compute markets, with the Arc graphics chips.
However, Intel's GPUs, particularly in the budget and mid-range segments, still face challenges in terms of software adoption and competitive performance compared to market leaders AMD and Nvidia. To address this, Intel is continuously working on releasing refreshes and improvements in their CPU families, such as the planned "Arrow Lake Refresh" in H2 2025, which may indirectly support GPU performance through improved CPU and platform capabilities.
The launch of the desktop variants of Intel's Arc graphics chips is still a work in progress. Nevertheless, some laptops already feature Intel's Arc graphics chips.
Intel's ambition is to offer an affordable option for those with mid-range graphics cards who have been unable to upgrade due to soaring prices. If Intel can be competitive in the $200-$400 price range, it could potentially disrupt the mid-range graphics card market.
The tech giant's foray into the discrete graphics market was announced in 2017, following AMD's entry into the graphics business through its acquisition of ATI in 2006. Intel's integrated graphics have been a part of its CPUs for a long time, with the integrated graphics getting more powerful over the years.
In the wider market, NVIDIA's GTX 1060, announced in 2016 with an MSRP of $249, remains the most popular graphics card according to Steam's latest hardware survey. The demand and prices for graphics cards were substantially reduced due to the crash in cryptocurrency prices.
As Intel continues to refine its product lineup and ecosystem, it is clear that the company is not abandoning its mid-range GPUs. Instead, it is focusing on improving its software technologies like XeSS and frame generation to enhance gaming experiences, and offering competitive pricing and modern features to attract consumers.
- To boost its presence in the mid-range graphics card market, Intel is also considering investing in artificial-intelligence technologies to enhance the performance of its XeSS upscaling feature.
- As Intel works towards improving its GPU software and platform capabilities, it's also planning to expand its finance department to accommodate higher production costs associated with gadgets fitted with advanced technology like artificial-intelligence.
- In the competitive landscape of the graphics card industry, Intel's affordability and focus on modern features could potentially sway technology enthusiasts away from popular alternatives like Nvidia's GTX 1060, attracting more consumers interested in gadgets and gaming equipment.
