What just happened? Although Intel’s second-generation Xe2 Battlemage graphics architecture recently debuted on the integrated graphics of Lunar Lake laptops, details on dedicated desktop variants remain scarce. A possible mid-range model of the line has appeared on Geekbench, but questions about pricing and driver support remain.
An Intel graphics card from the upcoming Arc Battlemage series has been unveiled. appeared on Geekbench for the first time. Although its performance score aligns with that of mid-range GPUs, its VRAM capacity, exceptionally high clock speed, and lack of detailed specifications raise major questions.
Listed under the generic designation “Intel
(GB6 GPU) Unknown GPU
Processor: Intel Core i5-13600K (14C 20T)
CPUID: B0671 (original Intel)
GPU: Intel Xe Graphics RI
API: Open CL
Score: 97943
PCI-ID: 8086:E20B
VRAM: 11.6GBhttps://t.co/GTPSvypbev– Benchleaks (@BenchLeaks) September 25, 2024
However, the mysterious Battlemage GPU clocked a maximum clock speed of 2,850 MHz, significantly higher than the boost clock of any card currently on the market. It is still unclear what role the boosters may have played in its performance. Drivers were a major weakness of Battlemage’s predecessor, Alchemist, but Intel has made considerable progress in this area since entering the discrete GPU market.
Additional details suggest that this new card could fall into the top budget tier of the Battlemage line, or possibly the lower end of the midrange segment. It could be the successor to the A380 or a completely new product.
The card’s 160 execution units could represent 20 Xe2 cores, which is a substantial increase over the A380’s eight cores, but slightly below the 24 cores found in the next-level A580. In addition, its 12 GB of VRAM places it between the 8 GB of the A580 and the 16 GB of the A770.
Additionally, Benchleaks identified the GPU as PCI-ID 8086, which had previously been appeared in a Linux kernel driver database as a product based on the Battlemage G21 graphics processor. Reports from established leakers suggest that the G21 is the most powerful GPU that Intel plans to launch in its dedicated Battlemage series, and will likely support multiple products.
The PC used for the Geekbench test included an Intel Core i5-13600K CPU running at 3.5 GHz with a balanced power plan, along with 32 GB of DDR5 RAM at 4788 MT/s.
Intel is expected to introduce discrete Battlemage cards later this year. If the company avoids the shipping delays that hit Alchemist, the new cards could hit the market before next-generation GPUs from AMD and Nvidia, which are expected to debut at CES 2025 in January.
With a few weeks head start, the right price, and good drivers, a new mid-range Intel GPU could help you regain the market share you’ve completely lost. annihilated.
