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The rumours were true! Intel's next-generation Arc Battlemage GPUs are coming this year, and thanks to two premature listings on Amazon, we've just gotten our first glimpse of the ASRock Arc B580 graphics cards.
The Amazon listing for the ASRock B580 Steel Legend (via VideoCardz) confirms that it's based on the Xe2-HPG architecture and boasts a factory overclock of 2.8 GHz. It packs 12GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 19 Gbps, offering a decent bump in capacity compared to the current Arc A580.
While the Amazon listing doesn't specify the core count or DisplayPort 2.1 support, it does confirm 8K resolution (7680 x 4320) capability. Interestingly, the images also reveal that Intel is sticking with dual 8-pin power connectors instead of adopting the newer 16-pin standard. A Challenger model was also briefly listed on Amazon and then taken down. Still, some users were fast enough to download the images, which revealed that the card features a single 8-pin power connector, suggesting a TDP of no more than 225W.
Further inspection of the leaked images reveals another interesting detail: the B580 uses a PCIe 5.0 x8 interface. Looking at the images showing the PCIe interface, about half of the connectors don't seem to be powered up. While the x8 configuration might seem limiting, it offers the same bandwidth as PCIe 4.0 x16, currently used by the Arc A580.
This means you'll need a PCIe 5.0-compatible motherboard to unleash the full potential of the B580. However, the silver lining is that using a B580 graphics card might free up PCIe lanes for other devices, as most motherboards are limited in their PCIe 5.0 connectivity. With Intel recently updating its driver website with a new section for Battlemage, a full reveal seems imminent.
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KitGuru says: One question left unanswered with these listings was pricing. The A580 launched at $179 with higher memory bandwidth but only had 8GB of VRAM. How do you think Intel will price these new GPUs?
