A New Challenger: Intel Arc A-Series GPUs, Now at Micro Center!

Written by Sean Mekinda

A legacy name has entered a brand-new market! Intel has begun releasing their Arc A-Series graphics cards, and Micro Center is proud to be carrying them! Intel, of course, is a name that's been around the computer space for a while, making themselves well known for stellar CPU offerings. But, as a newcomer to the GPU, market, what sets them apart from others?

Photo: Intel

How We Got Here

Intel has been in the industry for over fifty years and is credited with numerous breakthrough achievements in the processor space. From microchips to SRAM and DRAM, Intel has had a foothold in nearly every major leap in computer technology. In the 90s, Intel heavily shifted its focus to microprocessors and solidified its name in the industry as both a leader in high-end and consumer electronics. They remained primarily focused on processors, but began to venture into other sectors, such as SSDs, supercomputers, and self-driving cars, in the 2000s and 2010s. The new Arc A-Series is their first foray into consumer-grade, Intel-created GPUs, and a major step towards shaking up the graphics card market.

Intel Arc A-Series Breakdown

Intel is entering the GPU market with three distinct tiers of cards: The Intel Arc 7 is for "high-performance gaming" (available now), the Intel Arc 5 is for "advanced gaming" (coming soon), and the Intel Arc 3 for "enhanced gaming" (available now). The Arc 7 is further broken down into the Arc A770 and the Arc A750, with the A770 stuffed with just a bit more power (we've got a full spec breakdown below, though it's worth mentioning that there is a 16GB and 8GB version of the A770). That said, all models clock in at under $500, making these cards a dream for a new PC builder on a budget.

Intel Xᵉ HPG Microarchitecture

Intel's Xᵉ HPG, or High Performance Graphics, architecture, uses their Xᵉ-cores for maximum performance for all use cases. Xᵉ cores serve dual purposes: to accelerate traditional graphical workloads and to accelerate AI workloads. These Xᵉ HPG GPUs are built for both rasterization and ray tracing, with full support for both DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulcan. This is all to say that the Intel Xᵉ HPG Microarchitecture is still on the cutting edge, tho they are more budget-conscious cars. With ray tracing capabilities and a surprising amount of power under the hood, they're more than capable of holding their own with the latest releases.

Xᵉ Super Sampling: AI-Enhanced Upscaling

XᵉSS, or Xᵉ Super Sampling, is Intel's approach to AI upscaling. Using XᵉSS means you can set your game at lower resolutions, but still benefit from an increase in both frame rates and quality. With a variety of different settings, you can dial into the quality and frame rate you need. If you're getting into the latest AAA title, you can use Ultra Quality to prioritize resolution over frame count. Or, if you're going for gold in an esports title, performance mode puts more into frame rate than resolution. 'Quality' and 'Balance' offer a middle ground, with a more even split between frames and resolution.

Creatives and Streaming

Intel's new GPU lineup isn't just for gamers, however. Bundled with Intel's Game On drivers is the Arc Control Software, including a Creator Studio full of must-haves for any streaming setup. Take advantage of Intel Deep Link Stream Assist, Virtual Green Screen, and Auto-Frame to up your streams! And if you're more about art, photos, or video, the Arc GPUs feature support for every major Codec, as well as AI tools to help make your job even easier.

Specs At a Glance:

Intel Arc A770 - 16GB

• RAM: 16GB GDDR6
• PCIe support: 4.0
• Architecture: Intel Xe HPG
• Xᵉ Cores: 32
• Graphics Clock Speed: 2100MHz
• Ray Tracing: Yes
• TBP: 225W

Intel Arc A770 - 8GB

• RAM: 8GB GDDR6
• PCIe support: 4.0
• Architecture: Intel Xe HPG
• Xᵉ Cores: 32
• Graphics Clock Speed: 2100MHz
• Ray Tracing: Yes
• TBP: 225W

Intel Arc A750

• RAM: 8GB GDDR6
• PCIe support: 4.0
• Architecture: Intel Xe HPG
• Xᵉ Cores: 28
• Graphics Clock Speed: 2050MHz
• Ray Tracing: Yes
• TBP: 225W

Intel Arc A380

• RAM: 6GB GDDR6
• PCIe support: 4.0
• Architecture: Intel Xe HPG
• Xᵉ Cores: 8
• Graphics Clock Speed: 2000MHz
• Ray Tracing: Yes
• Effective Memory Bandwidth with Infinity Cache: Up to 469GB/s
• TBP: 75W

More from the Micro Center Community:

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