Intel representative Tom Petersen during an interview with the portal HotHardware glimpsed a prototype of an unknown desktop graphics accelerator. The most interesting detail was that the card is equipped with three 8-pin connectors for additional power.
Image Source: Intel
Intel at the time of the demonstration Arc desktop graphics card did not show what power connectors and how many it has. Peterson confirmed in an interview that we are talking about an accelerator with support for the conventional ATX power standard. This means that the card uses regular 6- or 8-pin connectors and not the latest 12+4-pin PCIe 5.0 connector adopted by ATX 3.0 specifications.
The card shown has three 8-pin connectors. Each such connector can transmit up to 150 watts of power to the video card. Combined with 75W from the PCIe x16 slot (also shown in the interview), up to 525W of power can be delivered to the card. The significant distance between the connectors, which can be noted in the image below, suggests that this is some very early engineering sample of a video card, the main purpose of which is to test the performance of its components. Intel policy prevented Peterson from showing the desktop graphics accelerator prototype in its entirety.
It should be added that the prototype shown by Petersen is not at all similar to those engineering versions of the Intel Arc Alchemist desktop card that appeared in earlier leaks. Intel showed its final reference version at the end of last month.
An early example of an Arc Alchemist graphics card. Image Source: YouTube / Moore’s Law is Dead
Arc Alchemist video card from the March presentation. Image Source: Intel
In fact, it is not yet possible to determine whether Petersen showed a prototype of the Arc series video card or whether we are talking about the next generation accelerator. Formerly Intel confirmedthat the Battlemage series of video cards that will replace Alchemist will be “the solution for enthusiasts.” Also confusing in this story is the use of three 8-pin power connectors, when you could use one new 12 + 4-pin ATX 3.0 standard, capable of transmitting even more power.
Intel has promised to introduce its Arc Alchemist series of desktop solutions early this summer. Most likely, then we will find out all the details.