What you need to know
- Intel just introduced its Arc Pro A-series range of graphics.
- The series is aimed at professionals with demanding graphical workloads, such as those in architecture, engineering, and construction.
- The Intel Arc Pro A30M, A40, and A50 are the first products from the range.
- All of the new GPUs support ray tracing, machine learning, and AV1 hardware coding and acceleration.
Intel just showed off its new range of professional GPUs from the Intel Arc Pro lineup. The Intel Arc Pro A30M, A40, and A50 are the first GPUs from the lineup, and they are designed for professionals with graphically demanding workloads. The A30M is for laptops, while the A40 and A50 are for desktops.
Despite unveiling the new graphics components, Intel was shy on a release date, only stating that the GPUs will be available “starting later this year from leading mobile and desktop ecosystem partners.”
The professional-grade GPUs are built for industry professionals, such as those that work in architecture, engineering, and construction. All of the new components have ray tracing hardware, machine learning capabilities, and AV1 hardware encoding and acceleration.
| Intel Arc Pro A40 GPU | Intel Arc Pro A50 GPU | Intel Arc Pro A30M GPU (Mobile) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak Performance | 3.50 TFLOPs at Single Precision | 4.80 TFLOPs at Single Precision | 3.50 TFLOPs at Single Precision |
| Xe-core | 8x Ray Trace Cores | 8x Ray Trace Cores | 8x Ray Trace Cores |
| Memory | 6GB GDDR6 | 6GB GDDR6 | 4GB GDDR6 |
| Display Outputs | 4x mini-DP 1.4 with Audio Support | 4x mini-DP 1.4 with Audio Support | Laptop Specific with Support for up to 4x |
| General | 50w Peak Power in a Single Slot Form Factor | 75w Peak Power in a Dual Slot Form Factor | 35-50w Peak Power and ISV Software Certified |
The new GPUs can power two 8K displays at 60Hz, one 5K ultrawide display at 240Hz, a pair of 5K displays at 120Hz, or four 4K displays at 60Hz. Intel highlighted that the mobile Arc Pro A30M can drive the same resolutions as the new desktop GPUs.
Intel recently reentered the GPU market, though the company’s return has been gradual. It unveiled its Arc A-series GPUs for laptops back in March. The Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro runs on Arc A-series graphics (not the pro ones announced this week). The Intel Arc A380 desktop GPU started shipping to China in June but has not rolled out to other regions yet.
As Intel builds up its graphics portfolio, it should position itself to compete with the likes of NVIDIA and AMD. The new Intel Arc Pro A-series GPUs line up against NVIDIA’s Quadro range of professional graphics.
