Intel’s first Alchemist graphics card could battle Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070

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Can’t find where to buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070? Intel Arc Alchemist graphics could have the answer in 2022

Intel Arc GPU
(Image credit: Intel)

Finding where to buy the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 is a complete pain, but Intel may present a solution in the form of its Arc Alchemist graphics cards, which are said to be targeting Nvidia’s $499 GPU. 

That's according to leaker Greymon55 on Twitter, who claims to have seen an official Intel slide that will see the chipmaker aim its upcoming graphics cards squarely at the GeForce RTX 3070. This follows on from Intel’s CEO Pat Gelsinger, reportedly talking up the company’s Xe graphics architecture (via WCCFTech), which the Arc Alchemist gaming and high-performance graphics cards will use. 

“We have our GPU architecture where we are gonna start being in a position to really put pressure on Nvidia for the first time ever,” said Gelsinger in an interview with financial analyst Pierre Ferragu. 

It's a bold claim given Intel’s GeForce 30-series graphics cards are some of the most powerful around and can keep the latest graphics tech from AMD at bay. But then again Greymon55 claims the the Intel slide showed “175-225W SKUs” that will supposedly compete with the GeForce RTX 3070 and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. Comparatively, those graphics cards have a thermal design power (TDP) of 220W and 230W respectively.  

Without any hard evidence, benchmarks and specs, it’s tricky to put too much credence into this claimed leak. But Intel is not a new player in the chip world and has worked on graphics tech before. So we feel the company could indeed have a family of competitive graphics cards in the works. 

We’re all for Intel becoming the third contender in the graphics card arena, as it’s long been just a duel between Nvidia and AMD. More competition means the chance for better tech at keener prices, which is better for customers, notably those looking to build or buy one of our picks for the best gaming PCs. 

And we've already said how Intel could bring both power and innovation to the mobile graphics card world, as well as avoid the chip shortages that have blighted AMD and Nvidia for some 12 months or so. As such, we’d advise you take these tidbits of information and corporate bluster with a dose of doubt, but equally, Intel could be shaping up to deliver some very interesting graphics cards come 2022. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.