Intel’s Arc GPUs for Laptops Launch March 30, Starting With ‘Arc A370M’

Intel will finally launch its Arc GPUs on March 30; they'll arrive first for laptops before expanding to desktops in Q2.

Intel VP Lisa Pearce confirmed the launch date in a Monday blog post, which also sheds more light on what the company has in store for the products. To start, Intel plans on introducing the “mobile family of Intel Arc A-series GPUs” at the March 30 event, beginning with a discrete graphics chip dubbed the A370M.  

Exact metrics were not given, but according to Pearce, the A370M offers up to a 2x performance improvement versus Intel’s integrated graphics without changing the laptop’s size too much. This is based on Intel benchmarking the GPU against the integrated Iris Xe graphics on an Intel 12th Generation i7-1280P chip. Tests indicate the A370M can double the frame rates on the game Metro Exodus when played on medium settings at 1080p. 

“After that, you’ll see higher performance configs of Intel Arc graphics for both notebook and desktop designs that raise performance levels for gamers and creators. More details and exact specs will be shared soon,” she added.

Pearce also brought up the issue of software compatibility, given that the Arc GPUs represent Intel’s first stab at dedicated gaming graphics cards in over two decades. “Application compatibility is also critical for our users, and while we expect nearly all applications to run, we’ve tested the top 100 applications for compatibility and performance, and we are expanding [our] efforts to cover the top 200 application,” she wrote. 

The company also plans on publishing the number of games each GPU model can play at “1080p or 1440p resolution across medium or high-quality settings.” This includes attaching a table that shows the frame rates buyers can expect from the playable game titles.

As for why the company decided to launch mobile Arc GPUs first, rather than focus on desktop graphics cards, Pearce signaled it's because Intel's bread and butter has long been in developing chips for laptops. 

“Intel technology powers a significant share of the world’s notebooks, and we have decades of experience building leadership platforms with our partners. By beginning to launch our mobile products first, we aim to bring all our technologies (CPU, graphics, media, display, I/O, etc.) to bear to deliver great experiences,” she wrote. 

The company plans on revealing more at 8 a.m. PST on March 30 during a webcast in which Intel will also show off some Arc-powered laptops. Stay tuned for our coverage.