Intel’s first series of Xe graphics cards is finally here. Kind of. Although they will not be available as standalone GPUs, Intel has announced that it has finally started sending them to system builders worldwide for use on entry-level computers.
I’m looking forward to the launch of Intel’s Xe GPUs since we got their first look at CES 2020. Back then it was Intel’s DG1 prototype that took center stage, and today the first crop of Iris Xe graphics cards is based. from the same design.
In appearance, they look completely different from Intel’s first prototype. So far, two models have been confirmed: the one featured above, manufactured by Asus, and another completely bluer version pictured below by Colorful. It’s not yet clear if more manufacturers will launch their own Iris Xe cards in the coming months, but given the current shortage of computer hardware in general, it’s not surprising that Intel is starting small, but rather a large one. splash.
This seems like a pretty modest launch, as Intel says that their first pair of Iris Xe graphics cards will only have 4 GB of memory, which will put them at the very bottom of the graphics card spectrum. They also have 80 execution units (Intel’s equivalent of Nvidia’s CUDA cores and AMD’s power processors), which is actually a bit lower than the top 96 EU specifications that Intel previously set out as part of their overarching Xe LP (or low) power) micro architecture. As for the rest of their specifications, details are still thin on the ground at the moment.
Indeed, the only other information Intel has confirmed so far is that the cards will have three display outputs, as well as support for hardware video decoding and encoding acceleration (including AV1 decoding support), adaptive sync and Display HDR. They also have some AI capability thanks to Intel’s DP4a deep learning inference technology, but otherwise it’s your part.
We also do not know when these Xe-powered OEM systems will start selling, but I imagine we will see them pop up in the next few months as the system builders start to carry out their shipments. I would be interested to see exactly what kind of computers they end up in as well. Intel says they are currently targeting ‘mainstream users and small and medium-sized businesses’ with these first two Iris Xe cards, but with so little information currently going on, it’s hard to say whether they will be proper competitors for others. low-end GPUs, such as Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1650 or AMD’s Radeon RX 5500 XT. We’ll just have to wait and see.