Two parties have fought the graphics card battle for far too long. We have, on the one hand, Nvidia and its GeForce RTX GPUs. Then again, AMD has battled the long battle with its Radeon setup. Yet, we've frantically required an outsider to break into the market and hold the two organizations in line. That is the job Intel has tried to play with the send off of its Curve GPUs.
Yet, are Intel's Curve GPUs sufficient, and would it be a good idea for you to try them out?
1. Intel Arc GPUs Are Really Cheap
An advantage of an Intel GPU over a Nvidia or AMD GPU that Intel has touted is perhaps the most significant: They cost little. I mean, really cheap.
At the time of writing, Intel's flagship GPU, the Intel Arc A770, is available for just $349. In the interim, the lower-end Circular segment A750, which is likewise really good, can be obtained for just $249. Additionally, the Arc A380, the lowest-priced card, can be purchased for just $139. Truly, these aren't very good quality cards, with the A770 equaling the presentation of a Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti. However, for what they provide, they are inexpensive—and even cheaper if you can find a deal.
It's most certainly a much needed refresher. We've become used to illustrations card costs rising consistently. The MSRP of the Nvidia RTX 3080, which was released in 2020, was $700, while the MSRP of the RTX 4080, which was released just two years later in 2022, was $1,200. The RTX 3090, which is more expensive, started at $1,500, while the RTX 4090 began at $1,600. You can probably see the pattern here—GPU manufacturers are confident enough in the fact that consumers will nonetheless purchase their products to significantly raise prices.
Therefore, it is encouraging to see a GPU manufacturer defying this trend and intentionally making its cards affordable. We are also excited to see what Intel will offer in terms of pricing once it has a few more premium cards to demonstrate. It has nothing that can compete with these premium cards at the moment, but that does not mean it will not change in the future.
We likewise need to explain that Intel is doing this trying to lay down a good foundation for itself in a market overwhelmed by two organizations. In terms of CPUs, Intel is unrivaled, but graphics cards are new territory for the company. If you want people to consider your products, what better way to do that than to offer them at a lower price than your rivals? When Intel goes all out with cutting-edge, top-performance cards and gains some brand recognition in the GPU space, we are unsure whether it will maintain its "low price" strategy. It will be excellent if it does.
However, one thing we do know is that AMD and Nvidia will be forced to compete harder, possibly by lowering their own prices, which is good for everyone. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement for purchasers, eventually.
2. Intel's Arc GPUs Are Quickly Maturing (And Getting Faster)
The fact that Intel is just starting out as a manufacturer of GPUs is the second reason why you should think about getting one. That doesn't sound good on its own, but it also means that as the card gets better, Intel will make better drivers that will make the hardware perform better. The hardware of Intel's GPUs is fantastic; The majority of the time, Intel's drivers just don't use it well. The cards will essentially continue to improve in performance as this changes.
This has proactively occurred, as a matter of fact. After driver updates, Intel Arc has conducted "re-reviews" because the improvements in performance are so significant that it is worth rerunning benchmarks and performance updates. What was beforehand conflicting execution across a few games is rapidly pivoting, and games are performing better on the new Intel cards over the long haul. We can barely comprehend this will continue occurring as the card continues to develop.
Be aware that it is insufficient to match the performance of an RTX 4090 or a card that is comparable. In order for that to take place, Intel will need to present a real flagship GPU. However, it is sufficient to permit them to perform above their weight, particularly in light of their price.
3. Intel Arc GPUs Support Most Features in Other GPUs
That's what the third and most significant thought is, truly, you're not missing out on anything contrasted with other GPUs. Even though they are relatively new, Intel Arc GPUs support most of the features that you are accustomed to from other GPUs. Furthermore, we're not simply discussing drivers.
Upscaling of graphics? It exists: That DLSS-shaped void will be filled by Intel XeSS. Beam following? You won't believe it, but it's also there. They probably won't be all around as cleaned as similar highlights in Nvidia/AMD GPUs are, however once more, Intel is cleaning things up after some time — and in people in the future, it ought to try and add the couple of things the card needs at the present time. These GPUs are on track to become just as solid, if not more so, than Nvidia/AMD units, even if they cannot keep up with the current generation. Intel appears to have a bright future in this regard.
4. Intel Arc GPUs Are an Alternative to Nvidia & AMD
Last but not least, and more importantly, one of the main reasons to buy one is that Intel is a new company, and its success—or failure—may have a significant impact on the future of the GPU market.
Nvidia and AMD have been essentially contending between themselves for a really long time. On the off chance that an outsider shows up, and enough individuals begin getting it, it will ultimately compel a change on the lookout, and both GPU goliaths will be compelled to contend considerably more enthusiastically. Perhaps by improving its features or reducing its costs and profits. You could say that Nvidia has become too complacent by charging more than $1,000 for its latest cards, but this would be avoided with serious competition. It's, eventually, a mutual benefit for everybody and for the most part for purchasers.
Give Team Blue a Shot
In the event that you've forever been faithful to a brand, growing your viewpoints and attempting new things may be hard. However, Intel has been working toward this goal for a long time, and if you're looking for a cheap GPU, you should probably check out what it has in store for you.
