Intel’s first dedicated graphics card for consumers will apparently end up in an Asus laptop.
The VivoBook Flip 14 was recently unveiled on Asus’s website, and according to the features list, the laptop convertible will carry the “First Intel Discrete Graphics” unit inside.
If you dig into the Asus website code, the PC vendor also names the GPU the “Intel Iris Xe Max graphics,” which caught the attention of Twitter user @momomo_us.
Strangely, Asus hasn’t been talking up the 14-inch laptop on social media or through its public relations channels. Nor has Intel. So we’re not sure why it isn’t getting more fanfare. Both companies didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Still, the laptop does fit into Intel’s timeline for its dedicated graphics card. In August, the company’s head of graphics, Raja Koduri, said Intel was on track to ship its first discrete GPU for laptops by the end of 2020. However, the card won’t be for gaming laptops, but for notebooks designed for mobile content creators, such as graphic artists.
The VivoBook Flip 14 fits the bill; Asus is marketing it to creative types who need a fast laptop for work projects. The Windows 10 machine will also come with Intel’s 11th-generation Core "Tiger Lake" processors, up to 1TB of PCIe SSD, and a Thunderbolt 4 port.
Unfortunately, Asus’s website for the VivoBook Flip 14 doesn’t list a price or a launch date. But we reviewed the AMD Ryzen version of the laptop, and it’s currently up for sale on Amazon starting at $707.