Intel seems committed to making a mark in the discrete GPU market, as recent shipping records have hinted at progress on a fresh Battlemage model, alongside a mysterious new SKU.
Last year, Intel took us by surprise with the unveiling of two Battlemage graphics cards, the Arc B580 and B570. They sparked significant interest at the time, primarily because the latest competitors from NVIDIA and AMD had not yet hit store shelves. However, as the second quarter wraps up, Intel has remained tight-lipped about its future plans for desktop GPUs, leading some to think they lacked ambition. But recent shipping documents suggest otherwise.
The documents have brought to light the “BMG-G31,” which appears to offer more powerful silicon than the current Battlemage models. There’s talk that a version of this chip may boast 24 to 32 Xe2 cores, supported by a 256-bit memory bus and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. Despite rumors circulating online about Intel potentially shelving the BMG-G31, these records suggest it might not be destined for consumer use. Instead, it looks like it could be geared towards artificial intelligence and professional tasks, given its classification under “R&D purposes.”
Additionally, the documents mention a puzzling variant, the BMG “C32.” The name raised eyebrows, as it mixes Battlemage and Celestial naming conventions. There’s speculation that this might be another entry in the Battlemage series, potentially a “reworked” version of the BMG-G31, according to industry insider @mikdt. It’s evident that Intel is developing several Battlemage models, though their target market remains unclear.
It’ll be intriguing to see Intel’s strategy for its discrete GPU range, especially as they are advancing with the Xe3 “Celestial” architecture intended for their Panther Lake SoCs. With the new CEO steering the ship, Intel is shifting its focus towards AI, suggesting that future releases might lean heavily towards AI-centric tasks.
