Intel might be gearing up to adopt GDDR7 in its upcoming generation of ARC GPUs

In terms of their latest GPU releases, both AMD and Intel have chosen to continue using the GDDR6 memory standard. As of now, only Intel has transitioned to GDDR7, but it appears the company plans to pursue this path.

A job posting from Intel, highlighted by @haze2K1 on Twitter/X, has indicated that the company is experimenting with GDDR7 memory for future ARC products. This suggests that Intel intends to incorporate GDDR7 memory into its next-gen Xe3 “Celestial” series of graphics cards, which will succeed the Xe2-based ARC “Battlemage” discrete graphics offerings.

Transitioning to GDDR7 memory is a logical step for upcoming GPUs. By the time these graphics cards are released, GDDR7 memory is expected to be much more accessible than it currently is. Additionally, switching to GDDR7 would yield significant bandwidth improvements over GDDR6. When compared to the fastest GDDR6 memory available in consumer GPUs (20 Gbps), standard 32 Gbps GDDR7 memory modules offer 60% more bandwidth. It's important to mention that Intel’s ARC B580 GPU utilizes slower 19 Gbps GDDR6 memory.

Intel plans to unveil its first Xe3-based graphics cards later this year alongside the new “Panther Lake” series of CPUs. Currently, the anticipated release of Intel ARC Celestial discrete GPUs is projected for sometime in 2026. However, Intel has yet to provide a specific timeline for the launch of its next-generation discrete GPUs.

It’s going to take some time before we see these new-generation Celestial and Druid GPUs hit the shelves. The Arc B580 debuted in December last year at an affordable price of $249, followed by the Arc B570 priced at $219. Additional GPUs in the B-series are anticipated to broaden the product lineup.

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