Intel introduces its own Neural Compression technology with a fallback mode that works on GPUs without dedicated AI cores — early performance is on the level of Nvidia NTC

Intel has unveiled its Neural Compression technology, which aims to reduce the size of video game textures in VRAM and storage, similar to Nvidia's NTC. The technology offers two modes: a quality mode achieving a 9x compression ratio and a more aggressive mode reaching an 18x compression ratio. Intel's solution utilizes BC1 texture compression and linear algebra for its XMX-accelerated portion, with a fallback mode that operates on GPUs lacking dedicated AI cores. The tech is designed to accelerate install times, save disk space, and optimize VRAM usage, with Intel showcasing competitive compression ratios compared to Nvidia's NTC.