Intel quietly steps out of the shadows with two new GPUs

By Monica J. White Published August 1, 2023

Two Intel Arc chips in front of a blue and purple gradient background. — Intel

Intel has just released two new mobile graphics cards — the Arc A570M and the Arc A530M. However, the launch was a little bit of a “don’t blink or you’ll miss it.” The cards appeared on Intel’s website, but there was no announcement of any kind.

Over time, we’ve grown quite fond of Intel’s initial batch of desktop GPUs, so we’re paying close attention to how the company continues to grow its mobile cards for gaming and other high-performance laptops. This unexpected launch puts Intel ahead of both AMD and Nvidia when it comes to the number of laptop GPUs available, but the actual number of computers that will utilize these cards remains to be seen.

Recommended Videos

Intel’s Arc Alchemist laptop lineup is already bigger than its desktop range — we’ve had the Arc A770M, A730M, A550M, A370M, and A350M. The new GPUs slot neatly in the gaps between the higher and lower ends of the lineup, but one of them is very similar to the A550M in terms of specs.

As discovered by Bionic_Squash on Twitter, the new Arcs are built upon a new graphics processor referred to as ACM-G12, which was previously unused in the consumer market.

Neat, more G12 SKU's.
It's device ID is 0x5696 and 0x5697 https://t.co/1SSd1yu2tr pic.twitter.com/9pesSX0wqD

— Bionic_Squash (@SquashBionic) August 1, 2023

The A570M comes with 16 Xe cores, which translates to 256 execution units. This is the same core count as the A550M, but the new GPU boosts the clock speed from just 900MHz to 1,300MHz. The price for the higher frequency is an increase in TGP, which is now rated at 75-95 watts, up from 60-80 watts. VideoCardz reports that the A570M comes with 8GB of GGDR6 memory across a 128-bit bus.

On the other hand, the A530M creates something of a halfway point between the midrange A550M and the entry-level A370M. The new GPU comes with 12 Xe cores (192 execution units) and a clock speed of 1,300MHz, which is actually a bit slower than the A370M with its 1,550MHz. We’re not sure about how much VRAM this card is going to sport, but 8 to 6GB seems like a safe bet. The TGP ranges from 65 to 95 watts.

Intel Arc laptops aren’t gaming beasts, and these new GPUs won’t change that — the top gaming laptop spots will still belong to AMD and Nvidia.

However, with Intel Battlemage slated for a 2024 release, it’s good to see that Intel is still doing what it can to stay on the radar with its GPUs, even if they’re last-gen by current standards.

Topics

Monica J. White

Computing Writer

Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…

Computing

Intel may be throwing away an important opportunity

The backs of the Arc A770 and Arc A750 graphics cards.

However small Intel's presence might be when it comes to discrete graphics cards, it's still chipping away at Arc Battlemage -- but every time we hear of it, the news is strictly bad. This time, a new leak tells us that Intel may not even attempt to release Arc Battlemage for laptops, and even if it does, its partners may still not want to produce the acrds.

The grim update comes from Moore's Law Is Dead, who talked about Arc Battlemage in his latest video. According to the YouTuber's anonymous sources, Intel's next-gen discrete GPUs aren't coming to laptops. References to any mobile GPUs have reportedly been erased from an internal Intel document, indicating that the cards may have been scrapped, as opposed to never having been planned.

Computing

Intel may already be conceding its fight against Nvidia

Two intel Arc graphics cards on a pink background.

Nvidia continues to own the top-of-the-line GPU space, and the competition just hasn't been able to, well, compete. The announcement of the impressive-sounding RTX 40 Super cards cements the lead even further.

As a result, AMD is said to be giving up on the high-end graphics card market with its next-gen GPUs. And now, a new rumor tells us that Intel might be doing the same with Arc Battlemage, its anticipated upcoming graphics cards that are supposed to launch later this year. While this is bad news, it's not surprising at all.
Arc Battlemage leaks
First, let's talk about what's new. Intel kept quiet about Arc Battlemage during CES 2024, but Tom Petersen, Intel fellow, later revealed in an interview that it's alive and well. The cards might even be coming out this year, although given Intel's track record for not meeting GPU deadlines, 2025 seems like a safer bet. But what kind of performance can we expect out of these new graphics cards? This is where YouTuber RedGamingTech weighs in.

Computing

Intel’s forgotten GPUs are still happening

Intel Arc A580 graphics card on a pink background.

Intel's Arc Alchemist lineup is ill-prepared to compete against some of the best graphics cards out right now, but things might get better once the next-gen Battlemage cards are released. However, Intel kept quiet about the GPUs during its CES 2024 keynote, focusing on processors. It seems that Project Battlemage is still alive and well, though, and a new interview tells us a little more about the future of Intel's graphics cards.

The fact that Intel chose not to mention its discrete GPUs during CES 2024 felt pretty weird, but the silence speaks volumes. The lack of an official statement tells us that the GPUs may be quite far off, and PCWorld's interview with Intel fellow Tom Petersen only serves to confirm that suspicion.