Intel Arc Alchemist GPUs rumored for earlier-than-expected launch

New rumors from Taiwan say Intel is gearing up for an earlier-than-expected launch of its Arc Alchemist GPUs. The new GPUs are part of the company’s desktop lineup and are expected to bring some pretty serious performance when they launch this year. Many suspected that Intel planned to release its real heavy hitters in the third quarter sometime. However, these new rumors point toward some of its desktop GPUs getting a release as early as the end of May.

Intel Arc Alchemist GPUs may be here sooner than we thought

The graphics card market has been a really interesting place as of late. We’ve seen a lot of fluctuations in current GPU prices, which is exciting for buyers looking to get a new card right now. We’ve also seen some leaks about Nvidia’s next-gen GPUs, too. Those are expected to see some pivotal increases from the current RTX 30 series.

Now, though, a new rumor reported by Wccftech could give us more details about an imminent launch of Intel’s Arc Alchemist GPUs.

According to sources in Taiwan, Intel’s first three desktop GPUs, the A750, A580, and A380, should see release dates before July. These are just three of the Arc Alchemist GPUs the company plans to release. And, they aren’t even the top-of-the-line options that Intel plans to offer.

Many expect the Intel Arc A750 to compare to Nvidia’s current RTX 3060. That means the card will act as a solid mid-range performer. Additionally, the budget-entry A580 will compare to the RTX 3050, and the entry-level A380 will compare to Nvidia’s older GTX 1650.

Wccftech’s sources say that they expect the A750 to release sometime at the end of May or in early June. They expect the A580 to hit a July release. Finally, the entry-level Intel Arc Alchemist GPU, the A380, will arrive around the same time as the A750.

Establishing in a crowded market

None of these cards are bad, but it’s really all about establishing the brand in the marketplace. Currently, Nvidia and AMD dominate the PC graphics market. As such, Intel will need to make some big moves to get traction. One of those moves is going to include keeping its Arc Alchemist GPUs as close to MSRP as possible.

Right now, we’ve only seen one graphics card even come close to MSRP in the past two years. The market is stacked right now with high prices and a somewhat limited supply. Intel will be in a good spot if it can slash the prices of its new Alchemist GPUs. That would allow it to offer competitive prices that beat out Nvidia and AMD. Ultimately attracting more attention to its newfound endeavor.

For now, it’s a game of waiting and seeing how the Intel Arc Alchemist GPUs hold up. We’ve already seen the first Intel Arc mobile GPUs. But now we’ll need to see how these desktop options compare both price and performance-wise to other cards.

At least now we may get access to those cards a little bit earlier than expected. Most still expect the higher-end cards to release in the third quarter.