Intel’s first Arc B580 GPUs based on the Xe2 “Battlemage” architecture have been leaked and they look pretty convincing.
Intel Arc B580 “Battlemage” ready for launch, first custom models leaked with 12 GB memory and clock speeds up to 2.8 GHz
It looks like Intel will be first to launch the next generation of GPUs, as evidenced by the leaks of the first two Arc B580 “Battlemage” graphics cards. Based on the Xe2 graphics architecture, the Arc B-series graphics cards aim to be a great option for mainstream gamers, with AMD also set to compete with NVIDIA in their next-generation launches. Since Intel is the first to enter this segment with a next-gen GPU, they can kick-start the gaming market.
Starting with the two leaked models, we have the ASRock Intel Arc B580 Steel Legend OC and the ASRock Intel Arc B580 Challenger OC. Both graphics cards are based on Intel’s B580 solution, which is expected to be one of several Battlemage B-series products that Intel will introduce in the coming month, as recently indicated. Both are fully custom models with an OC configuration, meaning they use no reference PCBs or reference clocks out of the box.
- 12GB 192-bit GDDR6
- Intel Xe2-HPG architecture
- Intel Xe Super Sampling (Intel XeSS)
- Intel Xe Matrix Extensions (Intel XMX)
- Three fan design
- 2x 8-pin power connectors
The ASRock Intel Arc B580 Steel Lgend OC features a triple-fan cooler and a 2.5-slot chassis measuring 15.71 x 8.43 x 3.82 inches. It’s a pretty big graphics card and comes with a factory overclock of 2800MHz. The graphics card is powered by dual 8-pin connectors and the back is visible with a cut-out design as it extends beyond the PCB and allows the third fan to blow hot air out of the back.
The second variant is the Intel Arc B580 Challenger OC which uses a dual-slot, dual-fan cooling solution, which also has a cutout on the back for air to pass through and only comes with a single 8-pin connector. Interestingly, both cards are rated for use with a 650W power supply. The Challenger OC measures 14.17 x 8.54 x 2.52 inches.
In addition to the designs, both graphics cards come with 12 GB VRAM capacity and a 19 Gbps / 192-bit design that should offer 456 GB/s bandwidth. This has slightly lower memory bandwidth than the Arc A580, which had a slower 16 Gbps memory but used a 256-bit bus interface, albeit with an 8 GB VRAM. The card should also use the Battlemage BMG-G21 GPU core with 20 Xe2 cores and the Xe2 architecture should offer a substantial improvement over the Arc A series graphics cards thanks to several IPC and architectural upgrades together with faster RT units.
Both cards are listed on Amazon, but so far there are no price lists, so it’s hard to say how much they will cost. The Intel Arc A580 launched at $179, which was quite a disruptive price point, but the lack of driver and game support for Arc GPUs early on severely damaged the reputation of Intel’s first-generation GPUs.
This time Intel has done a good driver and GPU job, and they have also promised not to make the same mistakes they made with Alchemist, so if Battlemage has the same pricing strategy and better driver support from the start, then it has the potential to kickstart Intel’s GPU journey, so look out for updates on the next-generation Arc graphics lineup.
News source: @RepsUp100