Intel GPU on sale, but not the one we expected – Intel DG1
Alchemist should be somewhere right behind
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An Intel DG1 graphics card has been listed by the Chinese company GUNNIR as reported by Videocardz. Updating its website it has been named the Iris Xe Index V2 and features a full DG1 die. Previously it has only been found in laptops as Intel’s own graphics driver, as a better option than onboard but not requiring a third-party solution.
So not quite the ARC Alchemist series based on the DG2 family that we’re expecting anytime now. However, the DG1 SKU is available now and you can find it at the online retailer Taobao. GUNNIR is offering a choice from three variants of the DG1 based cards:
- GUNNIR DG1(low-profile), priced at 569RMB (90 USD)
- GUNNIR Iris Xe Index V2, priced at 639 RMB (101 USD)
- GUNNIR Iris Xe MAX Index V2, priced at 699 RMB (110 USD)
Intel DG1 specifications
The price isn’t breaking the bank and will be the cheapest graphics card on the market from the newest generations. The next best is the RX 6500 XT having an MSRP of $199 and the RTX 3050 has an MSRP of $249. However, you won’t get the same performance out of this card. In benchmarks for laptops, it performs worse than a GTX 880M, 970M, and GTX 1650 mobile.
However, it is also limited to what system you can use it with. The GPUs will only work on 9th and 10th Gen Intel systems, in B460, B365, and H310C motherboards.
With a limited PCIe 4.0 x 4 bus, the card already has limited performance like the RX 6500 XT. Even then it has a much lower TDP of only up to 41W, giving you great efficiency and low power usage but lacking power. A proper cooling solution on a graphics card might solve that issue with more stable performance and the potential for overclocking.
It also has less VRAM and runs slower meaning it probably won’t run anything above 1080p. But it is an option for some people to move up from lower-powered iGPUs and a test for the upcoming Alchemist launch, whenever that may be.
| Iris Xe MAX | Iris Xe | Arc A370 | Arc A350 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPU | DG1 | DG1 | DG2-128EU | DG2-128EU |
| Architecture | 10nm SuperFin | 10nm SuperFin | TSMC N6 | TSMC N6 |
| GPU Clock | 1.65 GHz | 1.5 GHz | ~2.2 GHz | ~2.2 GHz |
| Memory | 4GB LPDDR4X | 4GB LPDDR4X | 4GB GDDR6 | 4GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bus | 128 bit | 128 bit | 64 bit | 64 bit |
| EUs | 96 | 80 | 128 | 96 |
| Bandwidth | 68 GB/s | 68 GB/s | 112 GB/s | 112 GB/s |
| TDP | 25-41W | 25-41W | 35-50W | 35-50W |
| Launch date | 2021 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 |
