Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Intel Arc Alchemist graphics card hits over 120 fps in Ashes of the Singularity

By

The upcoming Intel Arc Alchemist gaming graphics card was spotted in an Ashes of the Singularity benchmark.

Intel’s first discrete gaming GPU managed to maintain consistently high frame rates in the test.

Concept art of an Intel DG2 graphics card.

The card appeared in a benchmark posted on the official website for Ashes of the Singularity. It appears to be a dedicated graphics card based on the Xe-HPG DG2 GPU. Although the benchmark doesn’t specify that this is an Intel Arc Alchemist card, it’s easy to deduce — integrated Intel Xe graphics don’t offer the kind of performance this card managed to pull off.

Recommended Videos

Paired with Intel’s latest-and-greatest Intel Core i9-12900K processor, the card held up well, maintaining an average of 126.9 frames per second (fps). The preset used suggests that medium graphic settings were used and the game was being played at 1080p.

Related

As this is a demo sample being tested ahead of time, it’s difficult to accurately compare that score to graphics cards offered by Nvidia and Intel. The result was similar to that of an RTX 3080 Ti, but that may not reflect the real expected performance of the graphics card. Ashes of the Singularity benchmarks are also not the most reliable way to measure a card’s performance, but the fact remains that it maintained a rather high fps rate.

Intel Arc Alchemist is going to be Intel’s first line of gaming graphics cards. Although it can’t be expected to outperform the best GPUs on the market, it should find its way into many gaming PCs. Specifications of the card put it in line with Nvidia’s RTX 30-series cards. Intel may not be releasing a competitor to the RTX 3090 just yet, but the top variant may be comparable to the RTX 3070.

A render of an Intel Arc Alchemist graphics card.
Image credit: Wccftech

Over the last few months, many leaks regarding the cards have been spotted, allowing us to learn more about their specifications. The top variant is expected to come in at least three different configurations, starting with the high-end Alchemist with 512 execution units (EUs), 4,096 cores, 16GB of GDDR6 memory, and a 256-bit bus. The memory bandwidth is rumored to be at either 16Gbps or 18Gbps. Rumors point to a clock of around 2.2 to 2.5GHz, but Intel hasn’t revealed the official specifications just yet.

Aside from the highest configuration, rumors point to a variant with 384 EUs, 3,072 cores, and 12GB of memory, running on a 192-bit bus. There may also be a GPU with 256 EUs, 2,048 cores, 8GB of GDDR6 memory, and a 128-bit bus.

All of the cards are expected to consume rather high amounts of power. Intel made the choice to create competitive gaming graphics cards, but the jump in performance definitely comes at a price. The top 512 EU Alchemist card is rumored to have a TDP of 225 watts to 275 watts.

While the Arc Alchemist branding was already announced through a dazzling light show, Intel is supposed to fully unveil the upcoming graphics cards during CES 2022 in January. Desktop units are likely to hit the shelves in February, but laptop users may have to wait for months before trying out an Intel Arc Alchemist GPU.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the "PC building is just like expensive…
How much does Intel Arc cost? Arc Alchemist buying guide
Intel Arc A770 GPU installed in a test bench.

Intel Arc Alchemist, also known as Intel's first serious venture into discrete graphics for gamers, is finally here. While the GPUs can't hope to compete with some of AMD's and Nvidia's best graphics cards, they can stand their own ground in the midrange market, and they're priced very competitively to make up for the fact that they won't replace your new RTX 4090 or even your old RTX 3080.

Intel's lineup right now includes the flagship Arc A770, which is supposed to be available with either 8GB or 16GB memory. Then, there's the Arc A750 and the entry-level Arc A380. Below, we'll explore their pricing, availability, and, most importantly, which one is worth spending your money on.
How much does the Intel Arc A770 cost?

Read more
Does ray tracing work on the Intel Arc GPUs?
The backs of the Arc A770 and Arc A750 graphics cards.

Intel is the newest player in the GPU market now that the company has finally launched its Arc Alchemist GPUs. Since these are first-generation products from a company that has almost no experience in making desktop-grade graphics, you might wonder if GPUs like the Arc A770 and A750 support modern features like ray tracing.

Intel Arc does in fact support ray tracing, just like AMD and Nvidia does, and the performance might even surprise you.
Does ray tracing work on Intel Arc?

Read more
Arc GPU drivers are getting better, but Intel says it’s challenging
Intel head of Graphics Raja Koduri explains Arc driver troubles

Intel Arc A770 and A750 graphics cards will be available to order on October 12, but Intel admitted it’s still struggling with drivers for DirectX games. Raja Koduri, Intel’s head of Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Group (AXG), discussed the challenges in a recent interview.

With reviews expected to start arriving today, the pressure is on Intel to either impress us with its recovery or rush to solve issues quickly. Intel has been creating graphics drivers for decades, but until this year, that has focused on integrated graphics built into the CPU, which come with much lower expectations. Koduri explained that the first generation of Arc GPUs was most difficult because programmers had to start with a completely new architecture. Pandemic challenges slowed development as well. Heading into the second generation it should be better.

Read more