Intel releases DG1 discrete graphics cards to OEMs and integrators

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  This Asus-branded version of the DG1 is passively cooled—which should give you a hint where the DG1 sits in terms of raw GPU performance. [credit: Intel ]

Here at Ars, we’ve been talking about Intel’s eventual run at the desktop graphics market for a while now. This week, Intel announced sales of Intel DG1 graphics cards to OEMs and system integrators, for inclusion in prebuilt systems. So far, two variants of the DG1 have been at least partially announced—an Asus-branded, passively cooled card, and an actively cooled version from an unannounced vendor.

If you’re hoping to score a gray-market DG1 and include it in a home-built system of your own, you’re out of luck. Intel told LegitReviews that DG1 cards will work only on very specific systems, with custom UEFI (BIOS) that supports the card:

The Iris Xe discrete add-in card will be paired with 9th gen (Coffee Lake-S) and 10th gen (Comet Lake-S) Intel® Core desktop processors and Intel(R) B460, H410, B365, and H310C chipset-based motherboards and sold as part of pre-built systems. These motherboards require a special BIOS that supports Intel Iris Xe, so the cards won’t be compatible with other systems.

While this is disappointing news for reviewers like yours truly, it’s probably not anything to get upset about if you’re an enthusiast looking for the next hot gaming GPU. If we assume that May 2020’s leaked DG1 Fire Strike benchmarks are still accurate, it won’t get close to breaking any records yet.