Intel has made a significant announcement regarding the introduction of the Intel Arc B580 and B570 graphics cards, designed for budget-conscious gamers. These next-generation GPUs are constructed on the 'Battlemage' architecture, striving to enhance the accessibility of PC gaming.
The Intel Arc B580 and B570 continue the legacy of the A770 and A750 models, which were tailored for 1080p gaming experiences, incorporating some subtle ray tracing capabilities. The new cards come equipped with an evolved architecture alongside innovative XMX AI cores, enhancing the upcoming XeSS (Xe Super Sampling) and positioning it as a competitor against Nvidia's DLSS and Sony's PSSR.
The Arc B580 boasts 20 Xe-Cores configured into 5 compute units, or 'Render Slices' as Intel describes them. Each Xe-Core is outfitted with 8 Vector Engines along with Intel's shader core and 8 XMX AI cores. Hence, the total for the Arc B580 comes to 160 shader cores and 160 AI accelerators, complemented by 12GB of GDDR6 memory, a considerable amount for a GPU priced at $249.
In comparison, the Arc B570 comprises 18 Xe-Cores, summing up to 144 Vector Engines and AI accelerators. It is equipped with 10GB of VRAM, outpacing the 8GB available with the $299 Nvidia RTX 4060.
Intel asserts that these graphics cards outshine their predecessors significantly, reporting that the B870 can reach speeds up to 80% greater than the A750 in specific gaming scenarios. With this upgrade in performance, Intel aims to cater to 1440p gaming enthusiasts, requiring a more robust graphics solution than those suitable for 1080p gaming. However, comprehensive performance evaluations will be necessary once testing commences in a lab setting.
Release dates for these Battlemage graphics cards are approaching, with the B580 set to launch on December 13 for $249, and the Arc B570 debuting on January 16, starting at a price of $219.