Intel Arc Explained

Intel Arc
Manufacturer:TSMC
Designfirm:Intel
Marketed By:Intel
Architecture:Intel Xe
Process:N6
Transistors:Up to 21.7 billion
Entry:Arc 3
Midrange:Arc 5
Highend:Arc 7
Openclversion:OpenCL 3.0
Openglversion:OpenGL 4.6
Vulkanapi:Vulkan 1.3
Predecessor:i740
Numcores:Up to 32 Xe cores
Dxversion:DirectX#DirectX 12 Ultimate

Intel Arc is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Intel. These are discrete GPUs mostly marketed for the high-margin gaming PC market. The brand also covers Intel's consumer graphics software and services.

Arc competes with Nvidia's GeForce and AMD's Radeon lines.[1] The Arc-A series for laptops was launched on March 30, 2022, with the A750 and A770 both released in Q3 2022.[2] [3] [4] Intel missed their initial Q2 2022 release target, with most discrete Arc GPUs not launching until October 2022.[5]

Intel officially launched the Arc Pro workstation GPUs on August 8, 2022.[6] [7]

Etymology

According to Intel, the brand is named after the concept of story arcs found in video games.[8] Each generation of Arc is named after each letter of the Latin alphabet in ascending order. They begin with A, then B, then C, and so on. The first generation is named Alchemist, while Battlemage, Celestial and Druid are the respective names for the second, third and fourth Arc generations.[9]

Graphics processor generations

1st generation (Alchemist)

Developed under the previous codename "DG2", the first generation of Intel Arc GPUs (codenamed "Alchemist") released on March 30, 2022.[10] [11] It comes in both add-on desktop card and laptop form factors. TSMC manufactures the die, using their N6 process.[12]

Alchemist uses the Intel Xe GPU architecture, or more specifically, the Xe-HPG variant. Alchemist supports hardware-based ray tracing, XeSS or supersampling based on neural networks (similar to Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR), and DirectX 12 Ultimate.[13] Also supported are DisplayPort 2.0 and overclocking. AV1 fixed-function hardware encoder is included in Alchemist GPUs as part of the Intel Quick Sync Video core.[14]

Intel confirmed ASTC support has been removed from hardware starting with Alchemist and future Arc GPU microarchitectures will also not support it.[15]

Arc Alchemist does not support SR-IOV[16] or Direct3D 9 natively, instead falling back on the D3D9On12 wrapper which translates Direct3D 9 calls to their Direct3D 12 equivalents.[17] [18]

Arc support OpenCL 3.0 for example, this GPU can work in the grid World Community Grid.[19]

Display connections: DisplayPort 2.0 (40 Gbit/s bandwidth) and HDMI 2.1

Workstation

Future generations

Intel also revealed future generations of Intel Arc GPUs under development:[20] Battlemage (based on Xe2), Celestial (based on Xe3), and Druid. Battlemage will succeed Alchemist.

Intel revealed that Meteor Lake and later generations of CPU SoCs uses an Intel Arc Tile GPU.[21] [22]

Intel XeSS

Intel XeSS is a real-time deep learning image upsampling technology developed primarily for use in video games as a competitor to Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR technologies. Additionally, XeSS is not restricted to Arc graphics cards. It does utilize XMX instructions exclusive to Arc graphics cards, but will fall back to utilizing DP4a instructions on competing GPUs that have support for DP4a instructions. XeSS is trained with 64 samples per pixel as opposed to Nvidia DLSS's 16 samples per pixel (16K reference images).[23] [24]

Standard XeSS quality presets[25] ! Quality preset! Scale factor! Render scale
Ultra Quality1.30×77.0%
Quality1.50×66.7%
Balanced1.70×58.8%
Performance2.00×50.0%
Ultra Performance3.00×33.3%

Issues

Drivers

Performance on Intel Arc GPUs has suffered from poor driver support, particularly at launch. An investigation by Gamers Nexus discovered 43 known driver issues with Arc GPUs, prompting a response and acknowledgement of the issues from Intel.[26] [27] [28] Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger also blamed driver problems as a reason for Arc's delayed launch.[29]

A beta driver from October 2022 accidentally reduced the memory clock by 9% on the Arc A770 from 2187MHz to 2000MHz, resulting in a 17% reduction in memory bandwidth.[30] This particular issue was later fixed.[31]

Intel provides an open source driver for Linux too.[32]

DirectX 9 compatibility

As of the Alchemist generation, Arc only includes direct hardware support for the DirectX 11 & 12 and Vulkan graphics APIs, with the older DirectX 9 & 10 and OpenGL APIs being supported via a real-time compatibility layer built into Intel's graphics driver.[33] As a result, Alchemist GPUs perform noticeably worse than competing Nvidia and AMD GPUs in software that can only use these older APIs, including multiple DirectX 9-based esports games such as , League of Legends and .[34] There is also a performance gap between DirectX 11 and DirectX 12.

A December 2022 driver update improved Arc compatibility and performance with DirectX 9-based games.[35] According to Intel, the driver update made Arc GPUs up to 1.8x faster in DirectX 9 games.[36] A February 2023 driver update further improved Arc's performance on DirectX 9-based games.[37]

Legacy BIOS compatibility

Intel Arc requires the BIOS has UEFI boot and UEFI secure boot enabled. Intel Arc may have compatibility issues on legacy BIOS (or UEFI with CSM on) systems.[38]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Warren . Tom . August 16, 2021 . Intel enters the PC gaming GPU battle with Arc . The Verge . en . August 29, 2021 . August 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210829104356/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/16/22626912/intel-arc-gpu-brand-alchemist-codename-release-date . live.
  2. Web site: Intel® Arc™ A750 Graphics - Product Specifications . 2023-07-24 . Intel . en.
  3. Web site: Gartenberg . Chaim . March 30, 2022 . Intel's first Arc GPUs are now available for laptops . The Verge . April 2, 2022 . April 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220402014142/https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/30/23000576/intel-arc-gpu-a-series-laptop-gaming-release-date . live.
  4. Web site: Intel Introduces New High-Performance Graphics Brand: Intel Arc . Intel . en-US . August 29, 2021 . March 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220316171323/https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/introducing-discrete-graphics-brand-intel-arc.html . live.
  5. Web site: Szewczyk . Chris . May 9, 2022 . Intel Arc desktop cards face more delays . PC Gamer . en-US . October 6, 2022.
  6. Web site: Intel Unveils Arc Pro GPU Products . Intel . August 8, 2022 . September 15, 2022 . August 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220820124019/https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/article/arc-pro-gpu-products-unveiled.html . live.
  7. Web site: Intel® Arc™ Pro A-Series Graphics for Workstations . Intel . September 15, 2022 . August 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220820101330/https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/docs/arc-discrete-graphics/a-series/workstation/overview.html . live.
  8. Web site: Ung . Gordon . August 19, 2021 . Intel's Arc gaming GPU: Price, specs and availability . PCWorld . en-US . August 29, 2021 . August 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210829104354/https://www.pcworld.com/article/3629402/intels-arc-gaming-gpu-price-specs-and-availability.html . live.
  9. Web site: Intel Introduces New High-Performance Graphics Brand: Intel Arc . Intel Newsroom . August 16, 2021 . October 5, 2022.
  10. Web site: Intel will launch its Arc GPUs on March 30 . www.pcworld.com . en-US . December 25, 2023.
  11. Web site: Rutherford . Sam . August 16, 2021 . Intel Names New Brand of GPUs That Will Hit Shelves Next Year . Gizmodo . en-US . August 29, 2021 . January 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220103155200/https://gizmodo.com/intel-names-new-brand-of-gpus-that-will-hit-shelves-nex-1847493648 . live.
  12. Web site: Cunningham . Andrew . August 20, 2021 . Intel provides more details on its Arc GPUs, which will be made by TSMC. Ars Technica . en-US . August 29, 2021 . August 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210829104355/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/08/intel-provides-more-details-on-its-arc-gpus-which-will-be-made-by-tsmc/ . live.
  13. Web site: Intel® Arc™ A-series Graphics Gaming API Guide . Intel . September 15, 2022 . July 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220720172259/https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/guide/arc-a-series-gaming-api-developer-optimization.html . live.
  14. Web site: Szewczyk . Chris . April 4, 2022 . Intel Arc GPUs will support AV1 encode and decode . PC Gamer . September 15, 2022 . July 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706101018/https://www.pcgamer.com/intel-arc-gpus-will-support-av1-encode-and-decode/ . live.
  15. Web site: intel: ASTC support was removed on Gfx12.5 (!13206) · Merge requests · Mesa / mesa · GitLab . GitLab . October 5, 2021 . October 7, 2021 . October 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211007123652/https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/-/merge_requests/13206 . live.
  16. Web site: Graphics Virtualization Technologies Support for Each Intel Graphics Family. Intel . September 15, 2022 . August 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809091118/https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000091656/graphics.html . live.
  17. Web site: Which Intel® Graphics Products Support DirectX 9* (DX9)? . Intel . September 15, 2022 . August 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220827124053/https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000091238/graphics.html . live.
  18. Web site: Killian . Zak . August 15, 2022 . Intel Xe And Arc Graphics Lack DX9 Support Forcing DX12 Emulation . HotHardware . en-US . October 10, 2022.
  19. Web site: Help . World Community Grid . September 15, 2022.
  20. Web site: Smith . Ryan . August 16, 2021 . Intel Video Cards Get a Brand Name: Arc, Starting with 'Alchemist' in Q1 2022 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220108230710/https://www.anandtech.com/show/16886/intel-video-cards-get-a-brand-name-arc-coming-q1-2022 . January 8, 2022 . August 29, 2021 . AnandTech.
  21. Web site: Smith . Ryan . February 17, 2022 . Intel Meteor Lake Client Processors to use Arc Graphics Chiplets . AnandTech . February 17, 2022 . February 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220217181425/https://www.anandtech.com/show/17264/intel-meteor-lake-client-processors-to-use-arc-graphics-chiplets . live.
  22. Web site: Sripada . Radhakrishna . July 7, 2022 . [Intel-gfx] [PATCH 0/2] i915: Introduce Meteorlake ]. Free Desktop . September 15, 2022 . July 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220707194456/https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/intel-gfx/2022-July/301011.html . live.
  23. Web site: Solca . Bogdan . August 8, 2022 . More details on Intel's AI-based Xe SuperSampling tech launching with the ARC GPUs revealed by principal engineer . NotebookCheck . July 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220703025535/https://www.notebookcheck.net/More-details-on-Intel-s-AI-based-Xe-SuperSampling-tech-launching-with-the-ARC-GPUs-revealed-by-principal-engineer.556659.0.html . July 3, 2022.
  24. Web site: Intel® Iris® Xe MAX Graphics Open Source Programmer's Reference Manual For the 2020 Discrete GPU formerly named "DG1" Volume 11: Media Engines February 2021, Revision 1.0 . Intel . September 15, 2022 . July 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220703025311/https://01.org/sites/default/files/documentation/intel-gfx-prm-osrc-dg1-vol11-mediaengines.pdf . live.
  25. Web site: Mujtaba . Hassan . March 24, 2022 . Intel Showcases Arc Alchemist GPU Performance With XeSS & Raytracing Enabled, Calls XeSS Better Than Temporal Upscaling . Wccftech . en-US . March 24, 2022 . March 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220324133632/https://wccftech.com/intel-showcases-arc-alchemist-gpu-performance-xess-raytracing-enabled-calls-xess-better-than-temporal-upscaling/ . live.
  26. Web site: Gamers Nexus . August 1, 2022 . Worst We've Tested: Broken Intel Arc GPU Drivers . YouTube . en-US . December 8, 2022.
  27. Web site: McLoughlin . Aleksha . October 8, 2022 . Intel Arc driver issues – Are they fixed? . PC Guide . en-US . December 8, 2022.
  28. Web site: Pearce . Lisa . August 19, 2022 . Engineering Arc - 8/19/2022 . Intel . en-US . December 8, 2022.
  29. Web site: Cunningham . Andrew . August 9, 2022 . Rumors, delays, and early testing suggest Intel's Arc GPUs are on shaky ground . Ars Technica . en-US . December 8, 2022.
  30. Web site: Some Intel Arc A770 Limited Edition GPUs may show up with lower memory clock . VideoCardz . en-US . October 24, 2022 . December 8, 2022.
  31. Web site: Klotz . Aaron . October 28, 2022 . Intel Arc A770 GPU Memory Clock Bug Fixed With Driver Update . Tom's Hardware . en-US . December 8, 2022.
  32. Web site: Phoronix . August 25, 2022 . Intel Arc Graphics Running On Fully Open-Source Linux Driver . Phoronix . en-US . January 13, 2023.
  33. Web site: Roach . Jacob . August 22, 2022 . Bad news: Intel's Arc GPU issues run much deeper than performance . Digital Trends . en-US . December 8, 2022.
  34. Web site: Kan . Michael . December 7, 2022 . With New Driver, Intel Arc GPUs Run Older DirectX 9 Games Up to 79% Faster . PCMag . en-GB . December 8, 2022.
  35. Web site: Shrout . Ryan . December 6, 2022 . Upward Trajectory: Improvements to DirectX 9 Games on Intel® Arc™ Graphics . Intel . en-US . December 8, 2022.
  36. Web site: Intel Arc GPUs get performance boost for DirectX 9 games, CS:GO now up to 1.8x faster . VideoCardz . en-US . December 7, 2022 . December 8, 2022.
  37. Web site: Intel Arc Graphics Updates, New Bundle, and Pricing .
  38. Web site: Intel® Arc™ A-Series Graphics  - Desktop Quick Start... . 2024-07-04 . Intel . en.

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