Have you been yearning for a fresh contender in the GPU arena? Well, the wait is over. Intel has officially unveiled its latest entrants into the graphics card market: the Arc B580 and Arc B570, both under the Battlemage series.
These new GPUs are designed to deliver exceptional performance per dollar, aiming to provide gamers with high-quality experiences without breaking the bank. The Arc B580 is priced at $249 and is set to be available starting December 13, 2024. Its sibling, the Arc B570, comes in at $219 and will hit the shelves on January 16, 2025.
Both cards are built on Intel’s X e 2 “Battlemage” architecture, which promises improved efficiency and higher performance per core compared to its predecessors. The Arc B580 features 20 X e 2 cores, a 2.8GHz GPU clock, and 12GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit interface, providing a memory bandwidth of up to 456 GB/s. The Arc B570, slightly less powerful, boasts 18 X e 2 cores, a 2.6GHz GPU clock, and 10GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit interface, offering a bandwidth of up to 380 GB/s.
In terms of performance, Intel claims that the Arc B580 runs 10% faster on average than Nvidia’s RTX 4060 in a variety of games at 1440p and ultra settings. This is particularly notable in memory-intensive scenarios, thanks to the B580’s 12GB of video memory compared to the RTX 4060’s 8GB. For instance, in Forza Motorsport with ray tracing enabled, the B580 reportedly achieves 64 frames per second, outperforming the RTX 4060’s 57 frames per second.
Both GPUs support Intel’s updated XeSS 2 technology, which now includes three components: XeSS Super Resolution for AI-based upscaling, XeSS Frame Generation that interpolates frames using optical flow and motion vector reprojection, and Xe Low Latency to enhance responsiveness. With all three features activated, XeSS 2 can increase frames-per-second output by up to 3.9 times, delivering smoother gameplay in demanding triple A titles.
The Arc B580 and B570 also come equipped with second-generation ray tracing units and improved mesh shading performance, ensuring that they can handle the latest gaming technologies effectively. They support modern display standards, including DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1, and are designed to operate on a PCI.
With these releases, Intel aims to provide gamers with affordable yet powerful alternatives in a market traditionally dominated by Nvidia and AMD. The competitive pricing and robust feature set of the Arc B580 and B570 make them compelling options for those looking to upgrade their gaming rigs without overspending.
So, mark your calendars: the Arc B580 becomes available on December 13, 2024, at $249, and the Arc B570 follows on January 16, 2025, priced at $219.
