Top 10 Reasons Why Gamers Should Care About Intel Arc

When it comes to gaming, you don’t want to play with outdated equipment; the ability to easily access information is key to keeping track of the newest technologies driving your favorite games. So, what to do? Intel began releasing their revolutionary discrete graphics cards to the market, and there are various superlative reasons for everyone, from hardcore PC builders to casual console gamers, to take notice of the new Intel Arc lineup in this cutthroat segment of the graphics card market.

With all its features, it seems that  Intel Arc’s release will take on the graphics card industry and bring in new manufacturers and options, resulting in more competition in the marketplace.

In this article, we’ll discover the 10 most important reasons why Intel Arc is another remarkable step forward.

1. Increased Competition is Good for Gamers

As it stands, the graphics card market is essentially a duopoly between Nvidia and AMD, with these two companies controlling around 95% of market share between them. While both companies do put out great products, a lack of real competition has led to issues like ongoing stock shortages and inflated prices that haven’t been great for consumers. 

Intel’s entry into the discrete GPU arena with their Intel Arc release lineup introduces a meaningful third competitor into the market. Even if Intel doesn’t immediately dominate, their presence alone should help normalize pricing and availability for all graphics cards. More competition is almost always good for consumers.

2. Potential for Better Performance and Value

With the pressure of a new competitor, both AMD and Nvidia will need to optimize their products to offer the best performance and value compared to Intel’s offerings. If Arc delivers graphics cards that are competitively priced for performance, it could drive AMD and Nvidia to follow suit with their subsequent product generations. As a gamer, your options for performance per dollar spent could significantly improve compared to what’s available today.

3. New Features and Innovation

A new player like Intel isn’t afraid to take risks and try new things to differentiate their products. Don’t be surprised if Intel Arc’s released cards come with innovative features not found on current AMD and Nvidia options. They may focus on technologies like real-time ray tracing, advanced upscaling solutions, unique software features, enhanced streaming capabilities, and more. As a gamer, you stand to benefit from any new technologies or capabilities Intel brings that could enhance your experience.

4. Improved Driver and Software Support

One area Intel will need to prove itself is with driver and software support for Arc that is on par with Nvidia and AMD’s mature offerings. However, they have a massive amount of resources and stand to gain a lot by getting this right. Over time, Arc’s driver and software support could match or even surpass the two current market leaders. As a gamer, you want seamless, stable, and optimized driver experiences, which Arc aims to deliver.

5. Expand Gaming to New Segments

Intel Arc also aims to expand PC gaming to new market segments beyond just high-performance desktops. Their mobile discrete graphics solutions could bring much-needed competition and innovation to the laptop gaming space. Arc may also enable more affordable entry-level desktop graphics options. 

This expanded addressable market could mean greater focus on optimizing games to run well even on lower-spec Arc hardware, broadening the range of systems future games are designed to work on.

6. Potential for Lower Entry Costs

Competition from Intel Arc’s release may result in more affordable entry-level discrete graphics cards compared to current options. This could make building a basic gaming PC or upgrading an older system much more attainable on a budget. It may also drive laptops with discrete-level graphics down to lower price points. Lower costs of entry mean more people can experience PC gaming, growing the overall audience and market for all developers and gamers.

7. Improved Availability and Supply

The ongoing shortages that have plagued graphics cards since 2020 have been frustrating for all gamers looking to upgrade. With Intel entering the market, their manufacturing capabilities and supply chain could help to normalize stock levels for all products over time. Arc may provide an alternative option when other cards are out of stock. Their presence increases overall graphics card production capacity in the industry.

8. Long-Term Support for Platforms

Long-term driver support is crucial for graphics cards, as it allows them to continue running new games and applications for several years after their initial release. 

• Unlike AMD and Nvidia, which are third-party GPU manufacturers, Intel has a vested interest in the longevity of their Arc platform through their ownership of the CPU side as well.
• By controlling both the CPU and GPU architectures, Intel is uniquely positioned to optimize how their graphics and processing solutions work together seamlessly. This could translate to Arc cards receiving priority when it comes to driver updates that enhance performance and compatibility over the long haul.

Providing drivers for 5+ years, as Intel has committed to doing, means Arc cards could theoretically remain relevant and usable even after newer iterations are released. This extended relevance helps justify the initial purchase for cost-conscious gamers.

9. Potential to Run Games at Lower Specs

Intel has made great strides with their integrated graphics on CPUs in recent years, showing strength in optimizing for performance on lower-powered hardware. This same focus carried over to their Intel Arc’s released lineup. Intel Arc graphics cards can run new games surprisingly well at lower price and performance tiers, which opens up more options for 1080p gaming on a budget or in slim laptops. This broadens the range of capable systems.

10. Innovation for Future Formats

Being a newcomer, Intel may take more risks innovating on formats like cloud gaming. Their Arc Alchemist laptop GPUs will support technologies like Intel Deep Link to provide enhanced experiences between discrete and integrated graphics. Over time, they could experiment with new approaches, like streaming games directly from the cloud to any device. As gaming evolves, Intel Arc gives you access to the new technologies and experiences they usher in.

Conclusion

As a passionate gamer, new hardware and technology are always exciting to follow. Intel Arc has the potential to significantly impact the graphics card industry and benefit all players through increased competition in both performance and pricing. Even if Arc isn’t an immediate success, their participation in the market should have long-term positive effects. For the latest performance, features, potential cost savings and innovation, keep an eye on the progress of Intel Arc.

Read More: 5 Essential Factors to Consider When Choosing an Intel Evo Laptop