Intel to (Sort Of) Launch its Desktop DG1 GPU Next Year

It’s well known that Intel DG1 engineering samples, designed for desktop systems, are out there in the wild. Albeit, it seems more than a little unlikely that this will be the specific GPU in which Intel will formally launch its long-anticipated dedicated graphics card/s. – Following a report via Expreview, however, it is being suggested that Intel may indeed plan to launch a desktop variant of the DG1, albeit, it seems that only OEMs will have access to them!

Intel DG1 Desktop Graphics Card

Already known to be called the “Iris Xe MAX”, the platform has primarily been designed to initially be incorporated into laptops offering gaming specific performance that benefits from Intel mobile-CPU designs. It has, however, been suggested that Intel will also provide OEMs with desktop PC version of the graphics adaptor.

So, what does this mean for us? Well, in theory, that more samples of the GPU in a dedicated desktop form will be available, but only if OEM partners decide to install them in their pre-built systems. Put simply, don’t expect any retailers to be selling these individually!

What Do We Think?

So, with models heading out to OEMs, can we expect to see from pre-build systems featuring one of these GPUs? Well, as impressive as DG1 appears to be on the laptop stage, we doubt it’s going to tempt many companies such as Dell or HP into choosing it over a more mainstream AMD or Nvidia alternatives. You never know though and, put simply, although we suspect it wouldn’t offer much competition for Nvidia, we’d still love to see what one could do on our test bench!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!