Intel Arc B580 to Get a 24GB Variant as well, Likely Aimed at the Productivity Market
Update: It’s likely an Intel Arc Pro GPU. Therefore, the article has been updated accordingly.
The Intel Xe2-based Battlemage series was unveiled on 4th December 2024 and the first GPU to hit the shelves on 12th December was the Arc B580, which boasted the BMG-G21 GPU and brought 12GB GDDR6 VRAM. Apparently, this isn’t the only version Intel has planned for the lineup but is reportedly preparing for a 24GB edition launch as well.
A report from Weixin states that Intel wants to expand its Battlemage lineup due to witnessing a surge in AI demand. As we enter 2025, experts have been forecasting a huge AI demand and the demand for AI hardware as well. Hence, Intel wants to increase the memory capacity of the Arc B580 GPU to twice the capacity it boasts at the moment but for the productivity market, so, likely the Arc Pro series GPU with the same BMG-G21 GPU.
The report says that the target users of the productivity market will include data centers, edge computer rooms, education and scientific research, and various other sectors. This card could still play games but wouldn’t be very useful for gamers since harnessing the power of 24GB VRAM also requires a strong GPU chip, which the Arc B580 lacks.
The GPU features a 192-bit bus and therefore, has 12GB GDDR6 VRAM through 6x 2GB modules. To increase the memory capacity to 24GB, Intel will have to deploy either 6x 4GB GDDR6 memory modules or 12x 2GB GDDR6 dual-rank modules. Achieving 24GB of memory capacity with 4GB modules is only seen on professional GPUs and hence, both cases are possible but generally deploying high-capacity modules is more expensive.
The other configuration is still a challenging task and will require Intel to modify the PCB layout, power delivery, and cooling solution as well. This will require both hardware and some software updates to let the memory controller handle the new memory configuration. Hence, the overall cost would increase, which is expected. We could see the MSRP reach a sub-$400 price tag, which doesn’t sound too bad considering that this will be the only GPU with such a big memory capacity at less than $400.
Currently, we only have 16GB budget GPUs at under $400, namely RX 7600 XT 16GB and some older Radeon GPUs and Intel GPUs. There is no word on the pricing or availability of this card, and we have yet to hear such an announcement from Intel officially.
