The computer chip manufacturing giant has finally revealed the release schedule for its hotly-anticipated Arc graphics cards, as announced in an official blog post. They’re going with a staggered release schedule that prioritizes manufacturers over off-the-shelf computer builders. The first part of this launch already happened, as Arc chips are now available for Samsung laptops in South Korea, with other laptop manufacturers following suit in the “coming weeks,” as revealed in a tweet. Intel is also working with other large laptop OEMs like Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and HP to integrate the entry-level Arc 3 chipset. As for the beefier Arc 5 and Arc 7 laptop GPUs, the company says they’ll be available for manufacturers sometime early in the summer. Desktop manufacturers will begin receiving the entry-level Arc A3 GPU in the coming weeks, beginning with Chinese system builders. The more advanced Arc A5 and Arc A7 chips will follow suit “later this summer.” These cards will be released as off-the-shelf components, but not until after professional system builders get their fill. What’s with the delay? You know the drill. Intel says they wished the rollout would be “broader” but global supply and software development issues are to blame. This staggered release schedule ensures home PC builders will have to wait until, at least, the end of the summer to purchase these new GPUs. This launch window puts them squarely in competition with Nvidia, which is expected to release a new 400 series of graphics cards later this year.
