This is one piece of hardware 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 one and only custom version of the graphics card that’s currently available, the Gunnir Arc A380 Photon OC.
Being an entry-level card, it’s hard to imagine that the Arc A380 will really need this type of cooling solution, and yet, here we are. Let’s take a closer look at this peculiar addition to Intel’s desktop GPU.
Anybody looking to water cool their Arc A380? Lol pic.twitter.com/h6VolhYwD7
— Haze (@Haze2K1) August 1, 2022
The official name of the attachment is Bykski I-GNA380-X GPU Block. Made for the Gunnir Intel Arc A380 Photon 6G OC, it’s currently unclear whether this liquid cooler will fit any other models of Intel Arc. It depends on whether the Gunnir GPU sports a full custom PCB design or if it’s based on the Intel reference model. If it’s the latter, it’s possible that Bykski’s water block could be used with other versions of the A380, if and when they are released.
The Gunnir Intel Arc A380 is a budget graphics card that houses the ACM-G11 GPU. It comes with 6GB of GDDR6 memory spread across a 96-bit bus. Gunnir equipped this model with a dual-fan design, meaning that it would already have plenty of cooling on its own, given its maximum power sits at just 92 watts — which is still more than the Intel reference model with a TGP of 75 watts.
The device comes with a full spectrum of RGB colors, meaning you can now customize your Intel Arc to be nice and shiny — assuming you somehow manage to get your hands on one. A remote controller is available as an extra purchase for those who want to take full control over the RGB capabilities of the cooler. Unfortunately, no official price has been listed, but it can’t be too expensive. The Gunnir Arc A380 was released with an MSRP of 1,299 Chinese yuan, which amounts to roughly $192, so it’s hard to imagine that this water block could rack up a high price.
It’s a little optimistic of Bykski to assume that a very much entry-level graphics card is going to need liquid cooling. Seeing as it already comes with two fans, and its performance capabilities are not too impressive, adding a water block seems completely unnecessary. Liquid cooling has its merits for the best graphics cards on the market, but this Intel Arc entry never aspired to be that — it’s just a budget GPU that is often compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6400 in benchmarks.
Bykski’s new product could prove to be a fun novelty addition 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 put toward a better graphics card instead. Perhaps if the manufacturer will continue making these for other versions of Intel Arc, there could be a bigger audience for this custom liquid cooler. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting to hear about when Intel might release its GPU line globally — current rumors point toward September.
