BattleMage is here – Intel has announced the first two cards that use its new GPU architecture. Since Intel uses letters instead of numbers to denote generation, say “hello” to the Intel Arc B580 and B570.
The B580 costs $250, with the B570 slightly cheaper at $220. Both are based on the same BMG-G21 chip, but use different bins. The B580 has 20 Xe2 cores and 12GB VRAM (192-bit bus, 456GB/s), while the B570 has 18 Xe2 cores and 10GB VRAM (160-bit bus, 380GB/s). The B570 also runs at lower clocks and a lower TDP (150W vs. 180W), but both are powered by the same 8-pin connector. Here is a head-to-head comparison between the two cards.
Intel Arch B580 vs B570
Perhaps the more important comparison is with the outgoing Arch A750, which launched at $250 – the same price as the Arch B580. However, the B580 is on average 24% faster than the older Intel card (tested at 1440p). The company’s own testing shows that it beats the Nvidia RTX 4060 by a 10% margin and that the Nvidia card is slightly more expensive when it has less VRAM (8GB).
New Xe2 architecture closer
The new Xe2 graphics architecture looks promising – the BMG-G21 chip has 19.6 billion transistors, which is less than the 21.7 billion of the ACM-G10 used for the A750. So, the smaller the chip, the higher the performance.
B580 vs A750 • B580 vs 4060 • Battlemage vs Alchemist
The Xe2 cores are also 70% faster and more efficient at full tilt, delivering 50% more performance per watt than the cores used in Intel’s first generation GPU (Alchemist). Additionally, they have new X Matrix Extensions (XMX) AI engines, which accelerate ray-tracing.
Intel Arc B580 Limited Edition
Software is as important as silicon these days, so Intel is also introducing XeSS 2. In addition to super resolution (image upscaling), version 2 features frame generation and low latency (these are Nvidia’s answer to Frame Gen and Reflex technology).
XeSS 2 now offers frame gen and low latency options
F1 24 will be the first game to support XeSS 2, with nine others supporting it “soon”:
- Assassin’s Creed: Shadow
- Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions
- RoboCop: Wicked City
- Like the Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
- dying light 2 stay human
- Predominant
- marvel rival
- killing floor 3
- forts
Anyway, the Intel Arc B580 will be available from December 13th. There is a B580 Limited Edition with dual fans. Acer, Asrock, Gunnir, Maxson, Onyx, and Sparkle will also be releasing Battlemage cards. The cheaper Arch B570 is coming on January 16th.
