FIRST DISCRETE INTEL XE GPUS
Intel prepares to be the third graphics player
© INTEL, GOOGLE
INTEL’S ASSAULT on the GPU market took another step with the release of discrete GPUs for system builders. At the bottom of the stack is the Xe-LP, branded Intel Iris Xe Max. This is essentially what we’ve seen coupled to a CPU on the Tiger Lake chips. It delivers moderate gaming performance, but it’s not being marketed as a gaming chip—Intel pushes “content creation.” It runs with a peak clock of 1,650MHz, and has 96 EUs (Execution Units). The Xe-HP is aimed at data centers, and is currently with developers, notably the Argonne National Laboratory. Meanwhile, the design for Xe-HPC (the supercomputers version) has been finalized. The first discrete graphics card, DG1, is a low-end affair, due shortly. We’ll have to wait for DG2, the Xe-HPG card, for a real glimpse of what Intel has in store for enthusiasts. This is due next year, and is rumored to be pitched against the GeForce RTX 3070, which means 512 or so EUs.