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Intel Xe-HPG GPUs (DG2) to Feature up to 16MB of L3 Cache, 16GB VRAM, & 4,096 Shaders

As reported earlier last year, it looks like Intel will be taking a leaf from AMD’s playbook and leveraging a large L3 cache in its upcoming Xe-HPG (High-Performance Gaming) graphics cards. Although it’s nowhere as large as the Infinity Cache featured on the Radeon RX 6000 cards, it’s still a step up from the LLC included on most mainstream graphics cards. Interestingly, as per AMD’s testing, using an L3 cache of 16MB increases the cache-hit rate by 40%, with 60MB being the sweet spot reaching an average hit rate of nearly 75%.

Looking at the below specs, it seems likely that the top-end graphics card from Intel will be trading blows with the GeForce RTX 3070/3060 Ti and the Radeon RX 6700 XT on AMD’s side, although poor driver optimization may drag them down a notch.

SKU 1SKU 2SKU 3SKU 4SKU 5
Package TypeBGA2660BGA2660BGA2660BGA1379BGA1379
Supported Memory TechnologyGDDR6GDDR6GDDR6GDDR6GDDR6
Memory speed16 Gbps16 Gbps16 Gbps16 Gbps16 Gbps
Interface / Bus256-bit192-bit128-bit64-bit64-bit
Memory Size (Max)16 GB12 GB8 GB4 GB4 GB
Smart Cache Size16 MB16 MB8 MB4MB*4MB*
Graphics Execution Units (EUs)512384256196128
Shaders
4096307220481024768
Graphics Frequency (High) Mobile1.1 GHz600 MHz450 MHzTBCTBC
Graphics Frequency (Turbo) Mobile1.8 GHz1.8 GHz1.4 GHzTBCTBC
TDP Mobile (Chip Only)
100100100TBCTBC
TDP DesktopTBCTBCTBCTBCTBC

At the very least, you can be sure that Intel will be offering a stiff challenge to at least the GeForce RTX 3060 and AMD’s upcoming Radeon RX 6600 XT. Thanks to the use of TSMC’s 7nm node, you can expect boost clocks of around 2GHz on the desktop cards and slightly lower on the mobile parts. Considering the state of the mobile dGPU market, these new parts are going to have a much more pronounced impact there in comparison to the DIY space.

All-in-all, packing up to 4,096 shaders (512 EUs), a bus width of 256-bit paired with 16GB of GDDR6 memory alongside 16MB of L3 cache, Intel’s upcoming gaming graphics cards are looking to be potent midrange and upper midrange offering.

Source: Igor’s Lab

Areej Syed

Processors, PC gaming, and the past. I have been writing about computer hardware for over seven years with more than 5000 published articles. Started off during engineering college and haven't stopped since. Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Divinity, Torment, Baldur's Gate and so much more... Contact: areejs12@hardwaretimes.com.
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