An MSI Intel ARC GPU is on the way, as the company is about to join the A380 fold alongside ASRock and Gunnir. The entry-level graphics card will make its way to pre-built gaming PCs, but there’s no word on whether it’ll be available to buy outside of China.
Unlike existing Intel Arc GPUs, the upcoming MSI A380 doesn’t require extra PSU connections, as it can run on PCIe slot power. This could give it an edge when it comes to low-profile gaming PC builds, as it means you won’t need to squeeze in the best power supply and extra cables. That said, the card’s 75W TDP can be attributed to the fact it sticks to reference specs, as this particular model lacks factory-overlocking.
Of course, the MSI graphics card’s low TDP is likely to appeal more to low-spec enthusiasts assembling a system rather than pre-build shoppers, but it’ll be the latter who’ll encounter it first. The AIB partner is set to pair the GPU with an Intel Core i3-10105F, i5-10400F or i5-12400F gaming CPU, with price tags ranging between 3,599 and 4,399 RMB, roughly $530-650 USD (via Videocardz).
Intel is slowly, but surely, making its way down the best graphics card track, but it’ll have to keep jogging to keep up with Nvidia and AMD. While the blue team recently compared its A750 to an RTX 3060 in a performance showcase video, and it apparently comes out swinging. However, its GPU contenders aren’t equipped to deal with heavy upcoming heavy-weight RTX 4000 and RDNA 3 challengers, at least when it comes to raw performance.
Performance isn’t the only factor overshadowing Intel’s graphics card debut, as it’s failing to entice AIB partners to get on board. According to Igor’s Lab, a board partner has dropped out of producing Arc GPUs due to “quality concerns” – a foreboding sign that could harm the company’s future endeavours. It’s also worth noting that we’re still waiting on Arc cards making their way outside of China, so we’ll need to wait and see whether Alchemist actually gets a proper global release.