This is a piece of hardware that most of us would never have expected to see: a liquid cooler for the Intel Arc Alchemist. More precisely, the water block was made for the only custom version of the graphics card that is currently available, the Gunnir Arc A380 Photon OC.
Being an entry-level card, it’s hard to imagine the Arc A380 actually needing this kind of cooling solution, and yet here we are. Let’s take a closer look at this quirky addition to Intel’s desktop GPU.
Anyone looking to water cool their Arc A380? LOL pic.twitter.com/h6VolhYwD7
— Haze 🪞 (@Haze2K1) August 1, 2022
The official name of the attached file is Bykski I-GNA380-X GPU Block. Made for the Gunnir Intel Arc A380 Photon 6G OC, it is currently unclear if this liquid cooler will fit other Intel Arc models. It depends on whether the Gunnir GPU has a full custom PCB layout or is based on Intel’s reference model. If it’s the latter, it’s possible that Bykski’s water block could be used with other versions of the A380, as long as they are released.
The Gunnir Intel Arc A380 is a cheap graphics card which houses the ACM-G11 GPU. It comes with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory spread over a 96-bit bus. Gunnir equipped this model with a dual-fan design, which means it would already have plenty of cooling on its own, given that its peak power is only 92 watts, which is still more than Intel’s reference model with a TGP of 75. watts.
The device comes with a full spectrum of RGB colors, which means you can now customize your Intel Arc to be nice and bright, assuming you somehow manage to get your hands on one. A remote control is available as an additional purchase for those who want to take full control over the cooler’s RGB capabilities. Unfortunately, no official price has been listed, but it can’t be too expensive. The Gunnir Arc A380 launched with an MSRP of 1,299 Chinese Yuan, which works out to roughly $192, so it’s hard to imagine this water block could rack up a hefty price tag.
It’s a bit optimistic of Bykski to assume that an entry-level graphics card is going to need liquid cooling. Given that it already comes with two fans, and its performance capabilities aren’t too impressive, adding a water block seems completely unnecessary. Liquid cooling has its merits for best graphics cards on the marketbut this Intel Arc entry never aspired to be that: it’s just a budget GPU that’s often compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6400 in benchmarks.
Bykski’s new product might be a fun novelty for enthusiasts who want to upgrade their Intel Arc and make sure it runs smoothly, but depending on the price, that money might be better spent on a better graphics card. Perhaps if the manufacturer continues to make these for other versions of the Intel Arc, there could be a larger audience for this custom liquid cooler. In the meantime, we’re still waiting to find out when Intel might launch its GPU lineup globally – current rumors point to September.
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