Desktop Intel Arc graphics in mid-2026?

I invoked a Betteridge headline here not because I’m not willing to commit to answer, but because I have no idea what’s going on. Yes, it’s time for another Shaggy Dog post where I think out loud about something without arriving at a useful or even interesting conclusion. Today it’s regarding desktop (aka, not workstation) Arc. ☕︎ ☕︎ ☕︎ Clara and I are huge fans of Intel’s Arc graphics cards; though it’s not necessary given how cool they run compared to higher TDP units. Is that my first thermal joke on this blog? Here’s hoping it’s my last, for both our sakes. Intel introduced their first desktop Alchemist Arc cards with the A750 and A770 in 2022, to relatively little fanfare. Enthusiasts praised the introduction of another competitor in the increasingly lopsided consumer graphics card market, though mostly in the hopes they’d apply price pressure on the other vendors who’s cards they actually wanted. “Do you like Arc?” “Oh yeah, it’s awesome!” “So will you get one?” “えと… no,…