Lately, whispers suggesting that Intel might be retreating from the discrete GPU market have been losing steam. This shift comes as fresh, compelling evidence about Intel’s upcoming Arc Celestial “Xe3” and the more powerful Battlemage “G31” chips emerged online.
### Intel’s Commitment to Developing Xe3 & Xe4 GPUs and the Unveiling of Arc Celestial “Xe3” & Battlemage “G31” Discrete GPUs
Just recently, Intel revealed their next-in-line Battlemage B-Series, featuring the Arc B580 and Arc B570 graphics cards. These cards, designed to cater to the budget-friendly segment under $250, are set to rival both current and soon-to-launch models from AMD and NVIDIA.
By focusing on the Arc Battlemage lineup, Intel is clearly setting its sights on capturing the broader gaming audience—a tactic that AMD seems to be mirroring with their anticipated RDNA 4 “Radeon RX 8000” range. However, Intel appears to have a few tricks up its sleeve.
Huge battlemage G31 non R&D shipment from malaysia🤔 pic.twitter.com/mjUkR4WqS1
— Tomasz Gawroński (@GawroskiT) December 3, 2024
A recent spotting in the shipping documents from NBD.ltd has once again brought to light the Intel BMG-G31 SoC. This discovery hints at the possibility of a high-end B-Series graphics card hitting the market in the near future.
The current Arc B580 and B570 models are built around the BMG-G21 SoCs. The G31 SoC, however, is expected to boast an increased number of Xe2 cores and be part of future SKUs like the B770. Intel’s Tom Petersen briefly teased a more robust Arc B-series card, and this particular chip might just be the core of those powerhouse graphics cards.
Intel’s Tom ‘TAP’ Petersen hinted on The Full Nerd live show that a more powerful Arc B-series dGPU will release later (G31) <- Not his exact words
Team is already working on Xe3 architecture
Graphics driver team has completely restructured how DX9 an DX11 works on Arc
— Haze (@Haze2K1) December 3, 2024
Turning our gaze towards Intel’s Celestial, or Xe3 discrete products, a significant lineup has been cataloged by a shipping source under the codename “Panther Falls”—a name used internally by Intel for their Celestial SKUs. Industry observer @Haze2K1 noted that all these entries are part of the Arc series. Intel not only confirmed that Celestial’s development is complete but also mentioned that their focus has already shifted to the upcoming Druid “Xe4” offerings.
Since Intel Arc B-Series GPU will be officially revealed tomorrow just know that C-Series discrete graphics cards are in development as well! #IntelArc
Alchemist = Niagara FallsBattlemage = Churchill FallsCelestial = Panther FallsFrd or “Fred” = Arc pic.twitter.com/TMIC9v2MmA
— Haze (@Haze2K1) December 3, 2024
@GawroskiT Here you go 👑🪽 pic.twitter.com/sy5iC1X2w1
— Haze (@Haze2K1) December 3, 2024
The shipping list features various QS or Qualification Samples, including PCBs and complete boards. Another intriguing find by Tomasz Gawronski is an Intel Arc Celestial discrete GPU, which appears to be equipped with a 128 EU or 16 Xe3 model. Given that the upcoming Panther Lake CPUs will incorporate Arc Xe3 GPUs with up to 12 Xe3 cores, this could very well represent a baseline discrete offering.
In conclusion, these insightful developments dismiss the swirling rumors about Arc’s discontinuation. Intel is clearly progressing with its second-generation Arc products while preparing future-generation lineups. They have been hinting at likely high-end releases within the Battlemage GPU series. We’ll likely hear more fresh updates from Intel about its discrete GPU roadmap at CES 2025. Meanwhile, models like the B580 and B570 look set to firmly establish Intel as a strong player in the mainstream segment.
