Intel Arc Battlemage: the official announcement with prices!

As expected, Intel recently unveiled its new range of graphics cards, the Intel Arc B-Seriesbased on architecture Battlemage. With the models Arc B580 et Arc B570this generation of graphics cards promises impressive performance for gamers and content creators thanks to innovative technologies and advanced optimization. Here is an overview of these graphics cards and the characteristics of their architecture.

An architecture designed for power and efficiency: Xe2

THE Intel Arc B-Series leverage the Xe2 architecture, a major evolution that improves per-core performance while reducing software resource requirements. Here are the key points of this new architecture:

• Second generation Xe cores : These compute units are optimized for modern workloads and integrated with high-performance AI engines XMX.
• Performances en Ray Tracing : Dedicated Ray Tracing units offer improved support for AAA games, with significant gains in efficiency and visual quality.
• Mesh Shading : This feature improves the handling of complex objects, ensuring better fluidity in detail-rich environments.

Compared to the previous generation, Arc B-Series cards offer 70% better performance per core Xe and an improvement in 50% performance per wattsetting a new standard for energy efficiency.

XeSS 2: three technologies for an optimized experience

Intel introduces XeSS 2a suite of technologies leveraging artificial intelligence to transform the gaming experience. This new version includes:

1. XeSS Super Resolution : an AI-based upscaling technology, already present in more than 150 games, which improves image quality while maintaining high performance.
2. XeSS Frame Generation : this new feature adds interpolated images using motion analysis algorithms, increasing the fluidity of games.
3. Xe Low Latency : By integrating this functionality directly into the game engines, XeSS 2 reduces response times between player actions and their display on the screen.

These combined technologies can multiply performance by 3.9 timesdelivering an exceptional visual experience even in the most demanding titles.

Competitive performance for gamers

Graphics cards Arc B580 et Arc B570 aim to provide an optimal gaming experience by 1440p with ultra-high quality settings.

• Arc B580 : equipped with 12 GB of dedicated memorythis card is, on average, 24% faster than the previous generation (Arc A750), with gains of up to 78 % in some games. Faced with an NVIDIA RTX 4060 card, Intel is talking about a gain of around 10% on average.

• Arc B570 : With 10 GB of memoryit offers an excellent performance/price ratio, targeting players wanting an accessible solution.

Intel also places emphasis on software optimization. With an optimized driver right from the launch of popular games, players will benefit from stable performance and support for the latest technologies.

Advanced multimedia features

The Arc B-Series are not limited to gaming and include powerful tools for creators:

• Xe Media Engine : with multi-function transcoders, these cards enable high-quality video encoding and decoding, including in AV1, H.265 10-bit et H.264.
• AI Playground : a free platform allowing you to operate artificial intelligence applications locally, such as image generation, photo editing, or the creation of personalized chatbots.

Availability and pricing

Intel offers a competitive range with attractive prices:

• Arc B580 Limited Edition : Available from December 13, 2024at a price of 249 $.
• Arc B570 : Waited for January 16, 2025from 219 $.

Models will be offered by partners like Acer, ASRock, GUNNIR, and many others, ensuring a varied choice of designs and configurations.