Intel Arc laptop GPUs are only available in South Korea for now

[Daniel Sims]

WTF?! For months, PC users have awaited Intel's attempt to bring customers a third option in the dedicated graphics market dominated for decades by AMD and Nvidia. Intel fully unveiled its Arc series mobile GPUs at the end of March - when they were supposed to launch. A week later, that launch has seemingly been pushed back for most territories.

Since Intel's initial announcement of the Arc series last August, its earliest products were expected to arrive in the first quarter of this year. Last month the company confirmed the laptop GPUs were coming on March 30 – technically the very end of Q1. However, stores like Amazon and Newegg haven't listed them yet. Best Buy currently shows one model – an HP with an Arc A370M – without a release date.

When Game Union TV asked Intel when Arc GPUs would be available, Intel Support initially tweeted that they would arrive before the end of Q2. Then, it revealed that Samsung models with Arc GPUs had already launched, but only in South Korea.

Currently, Samsung's Korean store has a Galaxy Book2 Pro with an A350M, the most basic Arc card. It's likely the same laptop that leaked shortly before the supposed Arc launch date. According to a Korean YouTuber (via Tom's Hardware), it's quite a bit slower than Nvidia's GTX 1650, but Intel is likely still improving its drivers. Intel says other regions will receive Arc laptops in the coming weeks.

Intel Support's mention of late Q2 probably referred to the mid-range A550M as well as the high-end A730M and A770 which are coming in early summer. That's also when Intel's desktop GPUs are expected to launch.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/94118-intel-arc-laptop-gpus-currently-only-available-south.html

 

[psycros]

Slower than a GTX 1650? So the most we can hope for from Intel is the equivalent of two-generations old graphics..which you can get in any number of very cheap laptops right now.

 

[Tom Yum]

In other words, it was a borderline fake launch to appease shareholders who had been told it would launch Q1, but the reality is that the product isn't ready, drivers aren't ready, and the OEMs aren't ready, so launch is really Q2/Q3. What a cluster.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Not really a great start for intel so far. Paper launches in limited countries isnt going to fix much.

In other words, it was a borderline fake launch to appease shareholders who had been told it would launch Q1, but the reality is that the product isn't ready, drivers aren't ready, and the OEMs aren't ready, so launch is really Q2/Q3. What a cluster.

It's rather telling, intel's huge budget and software dev team that is larger then AMD in its entirety is often used as an example of how much of an underdog AMD is, but it seems that all those "resources" are a millstone around intels neck if software issues are still present by the time ARC is available.

 

[emmzo]

Budget is not everything, especially if you consider AMD, which is poor by comparison, could have more than a couple of billions, yes, billions on research. It could take more than a few years, for Intel to iron out a competitive product and I'll personally stay out of their experiments.

 

[Irata]

To add: The Samsung laptop is offered for $2000+

 

[Hardware Geek]

I'm actually looking forward to these being widely available, whenever that actually happens. I personally don't plan to buy one anytime soon because I'm waiting for the next generation of graphics cards, processors, and for ddr5 prices to come down before building a new desktop. More competition will hopefully bring down prices across the board if Intel can produce these in sufficient quantities and they price them competitively for the performance. They may have to settle for taking a loss or breaking even on these to get consumers to buy them, but assuming they sell enough, the next generation might be worth considering.

 

[RudyBob]

I don't mind waiting. It's not like anyone is owed anything. Is it now?

 

[Irata]

I don't mind waiting. It's not like anyone is owed anything. Is it now?

Correct, companies don‘t owe customers products, and customers don‘t owe companies their money or patience. Works both ways.

 

[RudyBob]

Correct, companies don‘t owe customers products, and customers don‘t owe companies their money or patience. Works both ways.

If Intel must take your impatience into account then you owe them patience

 

[Watzupken]

Intel ARC Phantom edition. Launching a few quarters down the road. Jokes aside, the longer they delay, the more the product is going to fail on arrival facing a significantly more formidable RDNA 3 and Ada Lovelace. Arrival means actual availability.

 

[Irata]

If Intel must take your impatience into account then you owe them patience

No, they don‘t, same as other companies. I buy the right product at the right time and price for me.

As far as companies go, they, too, make that same decision, both wrt marketing and supplying the product.

Sure, there is an interdependency between demand and availability (cannot buy what‘s not available / no point in selling something for which there is no demand) but ‚taking into account‘ ≠ owing someone something.

 

[Hardware Geek]

I don't mind waiting. It's not like anyone is owed anything. Is it now?

Nope. However, everyone feels so entitled to have what they want immediately because they "deserve" it.