It seems like the rumors surrounding Intel stepping away from the discrete GPU market are starting to lose steam. More convincing evidence of Intel’s upcoming Arc Celestial "Xe3" and the more robust Battlemage "G31" chips has surfaced online, suggesting the opposite.
Close-up on Intel’s Xe3 & Xe4 GPU Progress and First Looks at the Arc Celestial "Xe3" & Battlemage "G31" Discrete GPUs
Intel has recently pulled back the curtain on its next-gen Battlemage B-Series lineup, which includes the Arc B580 and Arc B570 graphics cards. These are tailored for the mainstream market, priced under the $250 mark, set to compete with current and forthcoming offerings from AMD and NVIDIA.
Intel is making a play for the broader gaming audience with its Arc Battlemage series, mirroring AMD’s strategy with its forthcoming RDNA 4 "Radeon RX 8000" lineup. However, Intel might have an ace up its sleeve.
In recent updates found in shipping manifests from NBD.ltd, the Intel BMG-G31 SoC appeared yet again, indicating there could indeed be a higher-end B-Series graphics card on the horizon. The B580 and B570 GPUs come with BMG-G21 SoCs, while the G31 is rumored to be beefed up with more Xe2 cores, likely shaping up to be the core of products like the B770. Intel’s Tom Petersen has teased the introduction of a more potent Arc B-series graphics card, which suggests this chip may find its way into future discrete products.
Shifting our focus to Intel’s Celestial or Xe3 discrete products, the shipping info lists multiple "Panther Falls" discrete GPUs—a codename for the Celestial SKUs. These are part of the Arc lineup, as pointed out by @Haze2K1. With the Celestial work completed, Intel’s engineers are now fast-tracking development on the Druid "Xe4" series.
The shipping manifest features QS or Qualification Samples, comprising various parts like PCBs and complete boards. Another Intel Arc Celestial discrete GPU was spotted by Tomasz Gawronski, revealing a 128 EU or 16 Xe3 model. We expect Intel’s Panther Lake CPUs to incorporate Arc Xe3 GPUs with up to 12 Xe3 cores, indicating this might be an entry-level discrete alternative.
These advancements hint that the recent buzz about the Arc lineup being dropped might just be speculation. Intel has just rolled out its 2nd-gen Arc products while flaunting future-gen lineups and hinting at premium releases in the Battlemage GPU series. As we head towards CES 2025, we anticipate Intel will shed more light on its discrete GPU roadmap. Meanwhile, the B580 and B570 should establish Intel as a noteworthy challenger in the mainstream segment.
Intel ARC Gaming GPU Lineup Overview
The lineup spans several generations, each targeting both mainstream and high-end gaming markets. From Gen 12 with the ARC Alchemist to future Gen 15 and 16 with potential ARC Druid and E*** GPUs, Intel is poised to cover every angle with evolving technology like TSMC 3nm nodes and innovative designs in memory and process nodes.
Keep an eye on Intel as they continue to develop and release increasingly sophisticated GPUs that could revolutionize the gaming landscape.
