XMG has released a new roadmap showcasing its entire lineup of notebook models coming in 2022. Included in the lineup are two upcoming SKUs designed around Intel's new Arc Alchemist mobile discrete GPUs, which will be released later this year, around Q3 2022.
The two models mentioned include a 15.6-inch NUC Project featuring Intel's reference design "Alder County" specification, and another notebook known as the X-Series project which will be powered by Intel's flagship Arc graphics GPU and function as a desktop replacement. Undoubtedly this will be one of XMG's flagship gaming notebooks, which will probably feature a 17.3-inch display as well due to its desktop replacement status.
For the uninitiated, "Alder County" is Intel's latest reference specification for a gaming laptop that functions under the NUC umbrella. It is an optional design that Intel's partners can choose from -- but if one does decide to use it, it will be using parts that Intel has specifically chosen.
Alder Country is the most unique reference design to date, as it encompasses both an Intel CPU and Intel discrete GPU thanks to Intel's newly developed Arc Alchemist graphics architecture. As the name suggests, this reference spec will include an Alder Lake CPU and an Arc GPU only.
We don't know what CPU and GPU XMG will use for its NUC Project, but it could be anything from a Core i3 to Core i9 Alder Lake mobile processor, and an Arc 3, Arc 5, or Arc 7 series GPU. Presumably, XMG will have multiple SKUs of the NUC Project with different CPU and GPU configurations.
XMG says this laptop will be similar to 2019's XMG Fusion 15 which also used Intel's reference design. It will be based on a 15' chassis featuring a sleek design XMG says, so expect this notebook to be a thin and light gaming device.
For XMG's X-Series project, this laptop will undoubtedly use Intel's flagship Arc Alchemist mobile GPU known as the A770M. This GPU features a total of 32 Xe Cores (or 512 XVE/EUs) 16GB's of memory and a TGP somewhere between 120-150W, depending on how much wattage laptop manufacturers want to pump into their notebooks.
XMG says this notebook will be developed on an entirely new chassis that is designed for the high-performance segment, so we can expect this laptop to be the polar opposite of the NUC Project with a beefy and thick form factor.
Since Intel just announced its Arc GPUs today, we really have no idea how they will perform against Nvidia and AMD's counterparts. But, with the A770M being the flagship GPU for Intel's newest descrete GPU generation, we hope it will have similar performance to its competitors -- such as the RTX 3080 and RX 6800M.
What we do know is release dates, Intel is releasing its entry-level Arc 3 series of GPUs today including the A350M and A370M with 6 to 8 Xe Cores and 4GB of memory. However, Intel is waiting until early summer to release the rest of its product stack, including the A550M with 16 Xe cores and 8GB of VRAM, A730M with 24 Xe cores plus 12GB of VRAM, and flagship A770M GPUs.
XMG is just one of Intel's partners that have announced Arc integration with its future gaming notebooks. Expect a lot more of Intel's partners to follow suit.
