We're just days away from the launch of Intel's new Arc desktop graphics cards, the A770 and A750, with a release date of October 12 to blatantly coincide with the launch of Nvidia's RTX 4090. It's also the date for Microsoft's Surface Showcase, Google's Cloud Next event, and Amazon Prime Day 2. If you need me that day, you can find me crying in a box of nuggets behind my local McDonald's.
My eating habits aside, some interesting new information has emerged regarding Intel's much-criticized line of GPUs. Completely out of character, Acer has announced that it will be making a discrete GPU for desktops, and that it won't be partnering with Nvidia or AMD: no, Acer's first graphics card will be an Arc A770.
Naturally, this is a gaming GPU; it bears Acer's "Predator" branding, along with the BiFrost name. No, this is not an allusion to the card's sexuality or its Norse origins, but to the fact that this card has two fans. The interesting part? They are two completely different types of fans.
As you've no doubt guessed by now from the image, Predator BiFrost sports a large RGB-lit conventional GPU fan at one end of the card, while a second, smaller fan is recessed near the center. This second fan is called a "fan", already seen on Nvidia's RTX 2000 Founders Edition and AMD RX 5000 cards.
Introducing the new @intelgraphics #IntelArc A770 GPU, which we have named #PredatorBiFrost. Paving the way for a new generation of amazing games! pic.twitter.com/MmN4rAszItSeptember 30, 2022
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Analysis: an impressive design - and hopefully effective -
I've never seen a GPU like this before; Fan tables have largely gone out of style in favor of bulky outdoor fan designs. While the latter typically features two or three large fans and an exposed heat sink, the former has an enclosed enclosure that exhausts expelled thermal air directly from the card's rear I/O (and by extension, the case itself). from your PC). They also often use a steam chamber instead of conventional heat pipes.
Now open fan designs are generally 'better' as they allow for more heat dissipation, although some of that waste heat will end up circulating inside your PC so you better have good fans. With the sheer power of the RTX 4000 series, it's no surprise that Nvidia's manufacturing partners have settled for an outdoor setup. However, less powerful GPUs like Intel's A770 make the fan approach more viable.
I'm not sure exactly what's inside the Predator BiFrost, but I bet it features a steam chamber and heat pipes (a similar design has been seen on Nvidia's RTX 3000 FE GPUs). Note that the fan is located almost directly above the GPU chip, where most of the heat will be generated. I think this means that the fan will remove most of the waste heat from the back of the card, while the larger fan will play a supporting and aesthetic role.
Thermal performance aside, it's certainly an eye-catching design. It's a must for Acer, which is entering a very competitive space in the GPU market. I've seen a lot of people already think that the BiFrost won't be available separately, but will come inside Acer's pre-built Predator gaming PCs, but to that I say: nonsense.
Acer announced this card on its own, not alongside a new line of Predator desktops. It makes sense; MSI and Asus, two of Acer's biggest PC gaming competitors, already make their own GPUs. It looks like Lenovo could also enter this market by partnering with Nvidia to launch its own RTX 4090.
Exclusivity agreements between GPU manufacturers and third-party manufacturers are also not new. Some have already criticized Acer for its decision to partner with Intel, but Sapphire has been making AMD Radeon GPUs exclusively for years and is still growing.
Personally, I'm excited to see more manufacturers enter the graphics card industry. While the latest leaked Arc A770 and A750 SKUs haven't been very impressive, the pricing is very aggressive.
With no RTX 4060 in sight, the budget space is wide open right now. After a previous production partner reportedly dropped Intel's Arc line due to profitability issues, it's encouraging to see Acer rise to the challenge. In fact, I'm very excited to get my hands on a BiFrost card now...