Intel’s Arc Alchemist A780 could be delayed til Q3 2022, potentially putting the RTX 3070 Ti-class GPU into unfavorable contention with Lovelace

Tipster Enthusiastic Citizen recently shared information on Intel's plans for its desktop Arc GPU lineup. According to Enthusiastic Citizen, the Arc desktop lineup will, unfortunately, be delayed further. Desktop Intel GPUs may not launch until Q2 or early Q3. This could put these parts in direct contention with AMD and NVIDIA's next-generation GPUs, slated to arrive later this year.

Earlier rumors suggested that Intel's flagship Arc graphics cards would go head to head with the GeForce RTX 3070 and the RX 6800. If priced right, that would've been a great position for Intel, especially if it had brought these cards to market a bit early during the GPU shortage. As things stand right now, a further 4-6 month delay might put Intel on the backfoot against the competition.

NVIDIA's Restocked and Reloaded campaign has seen prices for RTX 30 series parts come down significantly. Availability for the RX 6000 series has also improved. Moreover, rumors suggest that NVIDIA's top-end Lovelace card could be 60-80 percent faster than the GeForce RTX 3090.

If this holds true, Intel's top-of-the-line Arc cards may deliver less than half that performance. Unless Intel positions and prices these as midrange contenders, the Arc lineup might end up being a tough sell in a post-GPU crisis market.

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