Last year, Intel introduced not only Tiger Lake-U processors to the laptop market, but also the first dedicated graphics chips based on the Xe-LP architecture (including Iris Xe MAX Graphics, Server GPU). Last summer, during the Architecture Day conference, Intel announced graphics cards dedicated to players. These systems are to be based on the Xe-HPG architecture, supporting, among others hardware ray tracing acceleration, as do the NVIDIA GeForce RTX and AMD Radeon RX 6000 (NAVI 21). In the latest drivers, the manufacturer has introduced two new identifiers relating to the so-called DG2 – Discrete Graphics 2. Intel DG2 is an early name for graphics cards based on the aforementioned architecture. The new entry gives us some idea of ​​the possible specification of the cards.

In the new Intel drivers there are mentions of DG2 (Xe-HPG) graphics chips, featuring 128 and 512 Execution Units.

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Last year Intel confirmed that the debut of Xe-HPG graphics cards will take place in 2021 year. The specific release date of the first chips is still unknown, but according to reports so far, the premiere may coincide with the presentation of the 8-core Intel Tiger Lake-H processors. It is therefore possible that the DG2 chips will appear in the second quarter of the year, as will the processors. Then Intel will be able, together with OEM partners, to prepare notebooks based entirely on the Intel platform. Also according to earlier information, Intel DG2 cards can be equipped with 6 or 8 GB of GDDR6 memory (192 – bit and 256 – bit). We also know that DG2 chips will be produced in external factories – TSMC and 6 nm lithography are the most typed here.

References have appeared in the latest manufacturer’s drivers for graphics chips for DG2 (Xe-HPG cards). According to the identifiers, the first chip has 128 EU execution units, the second one 512 EU. Following this lead, the first chip will be equipped with a total of 1024 stream processors, more powerful in 4096 stream processors. Intel DG2 with 128 EU seems to be a more budget proposition, competing with cards such as NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT. However, the second card is already a higher shelf, which may aspire to compete with NVIDIA and AMD cards based on Ampere and RDNA 2 architecture.

Source: VideoCardz