Intel Unveils Arc B580 12 GB and B570 10 GB Battlemage GPUs Priced at $249 and $219, Offering Superior Ray Tracing Performance Compared to RTX 4060 and 10% Average Speed Improvement

Intel has officially announced its latest Arc B580 and B570 “Battlemage”graphics processing units (GPUs), which are designed specifically for mainstream gamers, each priced under $250 USD.

Introduction of Intel Battlemage GPUs

After two years since the launch of its inaugural discrete graphics card series, the Alchemist A-Series, Intel is set to introduce its second generation of discrete graphics cards—the Battlemage B-Series—utilizing the advanced Xe2 architecture. The new Battlemage family begins with the BMG-G21 system-on-chip (SoC), aimed primarily at gamers focused on 1080p and 1440p gaming experiences. The Xe2 architecture, which previously appeared in the Lunar Lake SoC, is now making its performance debut.

Technical Specifications of the BMG-G21 SoC

The Xe2-based BMG-G21 SoC is equipped with five render slices, each comprising four Xe2 cores, totaling 20 Xe2 cores. Noteworthy features of each core include:

8 vector engines with 512-bit width
8 XMX engines with 2048-bit width
Support for 64-bit atomic operations
Enhanced cache of 256KB for L1$/SLM
Dedicated Ray Tracing (RT) units

Measuring 272mm² and housing 19.6 million transistors, the chip is approximately 33% smaller than its predecessor, the Alchemist ACM-G10 die, which featured 21.7 million transistors. This advancement has been fabricated using TSMC’s 5nm (N5) process technology.

Performance Enhancements

Intel reports that the Battlemage BMG-G21 discrete GPU yields an impressive 70% performance enhancement per Xe core and a 50% improvement in performance per watt compared to prior generations. The new Xe2 design facilitates lower execution times, thereby optimizing silicon usage for faster operations than previous models.

Detailed Specifications of the Arc B580 and B570 GPUs

Intel’s Battlemage B-Series showcases two primary models: the Arc B580 and the Arc B570. Both GPUs are based on the BMG-G21 SoC with different specifications and price points:

Intel Arc B580 Specifications

The Arc B580 represents the premium option, featuring:

20 Xe2 cores across 5 render slices
20 RT units
160 XMX AI Engines
Boost clock speed of up to 2670 MHz
12 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit interface
Bandwidth of up to 456 GB/s
Peak Total Board Power (TBP) of 190W
Single 8-pin power connector
PCIe 4.0 x8 interface

Intel Arc B570 Specifications

The Arc B570 includes slightly toned-down specifications:

18 Xe2 cores with 5 render slices
18 RT units
144 XMX AI Engines
Boost clock speed of up to 2500 MHz
10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit interface
Peak bandwidth of 380 GB/s
Peak TBP of 150W
Identical connectivity to the B580

Comparative Performance Analysis

In performance metrics, the Intel Arc B580 is claimed to surpass the legacy Arc A750 by 24% on average, while outperforming the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 by 10%. This competitive edge is significant given that the RTX 4060 is priced approximately $50 USD higher and only features 8 GB VRAM. Furthermore, the Arc B580 is reported to deliver up to 32% more efficient rasterization performance, particularly appealing as a budget-friendly gaming solution.

Availability and Pricing

Consumers can expect the Intel Arc B580 to be available for $249 on December 13, 2024, with a Limited Edition option available. Meanwhile, the Arc B570 is set for release on January 16, 2025, priced at $219. Various custom models will also be available for both graphics cards.

Innovative Cooling Design

The Limited Edition Arc B580 features a redesigned cooling and shroud system, characterized by a dual-slot and dual-fan design which enhances cooling efficiency and operational noise levels, while also supporting overclock speeds exceeding 3 GHz.

Summary Table: Intel Arc Battlemage GPU Lineup

Feature	Arc B580	Arc B570
GPU Family	Battlemage B-Series	Battlemage B-Series
Process Technology	TSMC 5nm	TSMC 5nm
Die Size	272mm ²	272mm ²
Transistor Count	19.6 Million	19.6 Million
Core Count	20 Xe2	18 Xe2
RT Units	20	18
XMX Engines	160	144
Max Clock Speed	2670 MHz	2500 MHz
VRAM	12 GB GDDR6	10 GB GDDR6
Memory Bus Width	192-bit	160-bit
Memory Bandwidth	456 GB/s	380 GB/s
TDP	190W	150W
Power Connector	1x 8-Pin	1x 8-Pin
Interface	PCIe 4.0 x8	PCIe 4.0 x8
Price	$249	$219
Launch Date	December 13, 2024	January 16, 2025