
Intel may launch the next wave of Arc graphics cards in the coming months. This can’t be Battlemage, as those chips are planned for a mid-to-late 2024 release, so it’s likely the Alchemist Refresh. Intel has submitted a new Linux kernel driver patch, adding four new PCI IDs for the Arc Alchemist “DG2” GPUs. The four device IDs were added to the open-source i915 Direct Rendering Manager driver and are as follows: 0x56BA, 0x56BB, 0x56BC, and 0x56BD. [Source: Phoronix]
With the recent release of the Arc A580, all Alchemist chips (that we know of) have been released. So, this is either an Alchemist Refresh or…nothing at all. All four existing Arc graphics cards are based on the ACM-G10 die, including the A770, A750, A580, and the A380.
There’s still approximately a year before the 2nd Gen Arc Battlemage lineup is released, so an Alchemist Refresh makes sense. Things have changed drastically since the Alchemist launch. Intel’s graphics drivers are significantly more mature, with better support for older DX11 and DX9 games. There are also regular updates, bringing Day-0 support for newly released titles.