Latest news indicates that Intel’s high-end Arc B770 is expected to be unveiled at Computex 2025 in Taipei. This GPU, based on the BMG-G31 chip, will feature 24 to 32 Xe2 cores, a 256-bit memory bus, and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. It is positioned to compete with NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 series and AMD’s RX 9060 series, injecting new vitality into the mainstream gaming market.
Intel has taken a relatively cautious approach in the desktop GPU market but has not slowed down its investment in this area. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Intel launched its mid-range Battlemage products, including the Arc B580 and Arc B570. These GPUs have gained some recognition in the entry-level market due to their reasonable performance and price. The Arc B580 offers approximately 10% higher performance than NVIDIA’s RTX 4060 at 1440p resolution, while the Arc B570 provides similar performance with a lower 150W power consumption and 10GB of GDDR6 memory. These products demonstrate the performance and power efficiency improvements of the Battlemage architecture, especially with the Xe2 cores offering around 70% higher per-core performance compared to the previous generation Alchemist.
The Arc B770’s BMG-G31 chip utilizes TSMC’s 5nm process, which is more advanced than Alchemist’s 6nm process, resulting in higher clock speeds and better power efficiency. In terms of specifications, the Arc B770 may feature 32 Xe2 cores, equivalent to 8192 stream processors, paired with 16GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit memory bus, achieving a memory bandwidth of over 560GB/s. This configuration puts its theoretical performance close to NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 or AMD’s RX 9070, making it suitable for high-frame-rate 1440p gaming and some 4K applications. Furthermore, the Battlemage architecture improves ray tracing performance, doubling the triangle intersection calculation capability of each ray tracing unit and equipping it with a 16KB dedicated BVH cache, twice that of Alchemist. This move narrows the gap with NVIDIA and AMD in ray tracing technology.
Recent shipping records of the BMG-G31 chip show that it has been sent to Intel’s Vietnam factory for production. This factory was previously responsible for the assembly of limited-edition Arc series GPUs. Industry insiders speculate that Intel may launch the retail version of the Arc B770 in the second quarter of 2025, with a price expected to be between $350 and $450, aiming to challenge NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 Ti and AMD’s RX 9060 XT in terms of cost-effectiveness. This is also an expected move, as Intel’s current reputation necessitates relying on price to attract some users.
Another highlight of the Battlemage architecture is the XeSS 2 super-resolution technology. Compared to the previous generation XeSS, XeSS 2 introduces frame generation and low-latency modes. Tests show that XeSS 2 can boost 1440p frame rates by up to 3.9 times in games like F1 24. Additionally, the Arc B770’s XMX AI engine will further enhance the processing power for AI-related workloads, potentially giving it some competitiveness in productivity markets such as data centers and edge computing. Intel plans to launch a 24GB memory variant of Battlemage in 2025, specifically designed for AI and professional applications.
Driver stability has been a weakness of the Arc series. Although Intel has improved compatibility and performance through frequent driver updates since the launch of Battlemage, it still needs time to catch up with the mature ecosystems of NVIDIA and AMD. Furthermore, market competition is intensifying. NVIDIA’s RTX 5060 series, based on the Blackwell architecture, has already been launched, offering higher power efficiency and DLSS 3.5 support. AMD’s RDNA 4 architecture will offer 16GB memory options on the RX 9060 and RX 9070, with more attractive pricing. If Intel wants to gain a foothold in this window, it needs to ensure that the Arc B770 is well-balanced in terms of performance, price, and driver optimization.
Computex 2025 in Taipei will be a crucial stage for Intel to showcase the Arc B770. It is expected that Intel will reveal more technical details during the exhibition, possibly including benchmark data and custom models from partners. At the same time, Intel is also advancing its Xe3 architecture (codenamed Celestial), planned for integration into low-power integrated graphics alongside Panther Lake processors. This indicates that Intel’s long-term plans in the GPU field remain firm.
The release plan for the Arc B770 indicates that Intel has not abandoned fully discrete graphics cards, despite previous rumors suggesting the cancellation of the B770 series and a focus on the next-generation C series. News in the hardware industry is often a mix of truth and speculation, changing rapidly. However, for consumers, it is undoubtedly good to see a continuous stream of new product releases, whether to satisfy curiosity or to hope that healthy competition between major manufacturers will lead to reasonable pricing. The GPU market in 2025 will be even more competitive, and whether the Arc B770 can become a game-changer is worth continued attention.