Intel is getting ready to launch its new generation of graphics cards, the Arc Battlemage, headlined by the Arc B580. The launch, scheduled for December 2024, confirms Intel’s determination not to give up on this market where the previous generation got off to a rocky start. And Intel has no intention of stopping there. After the Battlemage series, the company is already planning the Arc Celestial and Arc Druid generations, expected for 2025 and 2026 respectively. This ambitious roadmap seems to confirm Intel’s desire to establish a long-term presence in the dedicated graphics card market.
Arc Battlemage: launch date and availability
Rumours suggest that Arc Battlemage cards will be officially launched on December 12th 2024. The announcement itself could come a few days earlier. This strategy would allow Intel to get ahead of AMD and NVIDIA, who are planning their own announcements at CES in January 2025. By doing so, Intel hopes to grab attention before the competition arrives on the scene. The latest rumours also show that the Blues want to compete in the entry and mid-range, a target partially abandoned by Nvidia.
The Arc B580 alone at the start?
The Arc B580 card will be equipped with 20 Xe2 cores and appears to benefit from a significant performance boost over the previous version. It will have 12 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit memory interface, providing a bandwidth of 456 GB/s. GPU frequency is expected to reach around 2.8 GHz, surpassing the 1.7 GHz of the previous Arc A580.
Expected performance
With these specifications, the Arc B580 is positioned as a serious alternative to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 cards. The architectural improvements in the Battlemage series should deliver significant performance gains over the Alchemist generation. However, it remains to be seen whether these advances will be enough to compete with the well-established offerings from NVIDIA and AMD. Finally, let’s not overlook Nvidia’s ability to be more aggressive on the existing generation so as not to leave any breathing space for the competition.
Partner brands and design
The lack of leading brands was also a handicap for Intel at its previous launch. The situation is unlikely to improve. Recent leaks have revealed images of customised models of the Arc B580 by ASRock, including the Steel Legend and Challenger versions. The Steel Legend model features a three-fan cooling system and requires two 8-pin power connectors, suggesting a significant power consumption. In contrast, the more compact Challenger model uses a two-fan system and a single 8-pin connector.
Price, the key to success
According to certain sources, the Arc B580 could be offered at a price of around 250 dollars for the limited edition produced by Intel. Partner versions could be priced slightly higher, depending on the features and cooling systems added. This aggressive price positioning is aimed at attracting gamers looking for a high-performance, affordable solution. It’s also worth noting that, if we look at the previous range, the B580 shouldn’t be at the top of the range. However, at the moment, there’s no sign of the other future models. It is possible, however, that they will be announced at the time of launch, with availability staggered.
With its promising specifications and competitive price positioning, Intel could rise to the challenge of NVIDIA and AMD. In recent months, Intel has demonstrated its commitment to optimising performance and taking the previous generation to the next level. It remains to be seen whether these new cards will convince users and push through in a highly competitive market.
