Intel to utilize Samsung 16 Gbps GDDR6 memory for its ARC Alchemist GPUs

Last Sunday, Twitter user kuna shared a snapshot of the Intel ARC Alchemist discrete graphics card on the platform. The image has been heavily redacted, most likely due to an…

By Nivedita Bangari

January 27, 2022

2 min read

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Last Sunday, Twitter user kuna shared a snapshot of the Intel ARC Alchemist discrete graphics card on the platform. The image has been heavily redacted, most likely due to an embargo, but it does show six memory modules encircling the main chip. The modules also appear to be labeled “Samsung K4ZAF325BM-HC16.”

Below is a screenshot of kuna’s tweet, complete with details and credit for the findings. The Intel DG2-512EU GPU SKU, commonly known as Intel ARC Alchemist, is on display. The unannounced separate card is an ARC Alchemist 6nm graphics card based on the Xe-HPG paradigm. The card includes six Samsung memory modules with the model number K4ZAF325BM-HC16, each of which is expected to have a capacity of 2 GB and a bandwidth of 16 Gbps.

The identical source from the Chinese Tieba Baidu forums was used in the specification table in the tweet from Sunday. It is yet unknown whether the card is designed for mobile or desktop use, as it has confirmed that it is the 512 EU variant.

The graphics card memory modules, however, are representative of the SKU2 model, which is the 384 EU version, according to the memory configuration table in the tweet from user kuna. Intel’s SKU2 graphics card will have 12 GB of GDDR6 memory split across a 192-bit memory bus, with bandwidth speeds up to 384 GB/s.

The photo of one of the memory modules that reveals most of the letters for “Samsung” was enhanced by VideoCardz. According to the website, Samsung presently displays the memory model as a ‘Sampling’ version, which differs from the ‘Mass Production’ status that was originally started in December 2021.

There is no explanation for why Samsung changed the memory modules’ status from ‘Mass Production’ to ‘Sampling,’ or why the 18/20/24 Gbps memory is no longer available in the Samsung product catalog. The Intel ARC Alchemist discrete graphics cards are slated to ship in the first quarter of this year, while no specific date has been set. It’s also unclear whether the 128 EU and 512 EU cards will be included in both the desktop and mobile versions.