Within Intel’s Graphics System Controller Firmware Update library in Linux, the SOC3, Intel’s third DG2 GPU based on the Xe-HPG architecture, has been found. The Intel SOC1 ‘DG2-512’ and the SOC2 ‘DG2-128’ are the only Xe-HPG powered DG2 GPUs we’ve seen so far. Both of these processors are based on the TSMC 6nm fabrication node, however, Intel appears to be working on another product.
The Intel SOC3, which is the codename for the DG2-256 GPU, has been detected within the IGSCU FU in Linux. His chip, by the way, has 256 Execution Units, for a total of 2048 ALUs. Simply said, the SOC3’s core configuration is half that of the SOC1, making it smaller and easier to manufacture.
The DG2-256 ‘SOC3’ first appeared in 2020, according to Videocardz, while Intel only showed off its SOC1 and SOC2 GPUs in the official Arc Alchemist announcement. The SOC3 GPU has only recently returned in the Linux release. According to what we can deduce, the DG2-256 ‘SOC3’ GPU was intended for the mass market but was later shelved. It’s also possible that this chip won’t be used in the Arc Alchemist lineup, but will instead be used in other graphics segments, such as the Data Center GPUs that Intel is developing using the Xe-HPG architecture.
There have been various reports about the Intel Arc Alchemist series featuring a 256 EU configuration, however, all of those products (graphics cards, etc.) are using a cutdown SOC1 ‘DG2-512’ die rather than the SOC3 ‘DG2-256’ chip. We can’t say for sure if this chip will be available in the market or in what shape, but Intel is close to announcing its first Arc Alchemist products based on the Xe-HPG architecture.
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