Linux devs discover that Intel Arc GPU firmware updates need an Intel CPU - Ars Technica

increasing pains —

Firmware updates are rare, but if ever a GPU was going to request one, it's Arc.

Andrew Cunningham - Nov 4, 2022 7:47 p.m. UTC

Enlarge / An Intel Arc GPU.

Intel

In our review of Intel's Arc GPUs, we were mostly impressed by their show for the price, particularly arsenic a first-generation product. But buyers person plentifulness of imaginable caveats to consider, including unstable drivers, inconsistent performance, and a mates of weird problems that you request to dig astir successful your computer's BIOS settings to resolve.

Linux developers moving connected Arc enactment look to person uncovered different oddity astir the cards. According to developer Richard Hughes (as reported by Phoronix), updating the firmware connected Arc GPUs appears to beryllium handled by the Intel Management Engine, a tiny microcontroller that is lone included successful PCs with Intel processors. Hughes ran into the occupation specifically successful the discourse of IBM's POWER CPU architecture, but it seems to marque firmware updates intolerable connected immoderate non-Intel platform, including those based connected AMD oregon Arm CPUs.

Luckily, these kinds of GPU firmware updates don't hap each that often, and erstwhile they do happen, it's usually to hole a circumstantial obscure occupation oregon adhd insignificant features—using a GPU with outdated firmware isn't the extremity of the world. On the different hand, if ever a GPU was going to need important firmware updates determination down the line, it would beryllium this archetypal procreation of Arc cards, which are Intel's archetypal wide released dedicated GPUs and person already proven to beryllium exceptionally unsmooth astir the edges successful a clump of different ways.

We've contacted Intel to inquire whether it plans to alteration however Arc firmware updates are installed, and we'll update this nonfiction if we person a response.