Intel's GPU side of things is very much alive and well and RedGamingTech has received information that the anxiously anticipated Battlemage GPU will be launching in 2023. You might remember our exclusive from a while back that confirmed Intel Arc GPUs are not cancelled and the Battlemage GPU is going to be a beefy, desktop-first affair.
Intel Battlemage GPU targeting RTX 4070 performance levels and 2023 release
Back when I wrote my exclusive, my source told me that the Battlemage GPU would either be coming in late 2023 or early 2024 barring any black swan event. If RGT's info proves to be reliable, it looks like Intel is making good progress on the development of the GPU and is actually targetting a 2023 launch - which would also give them ample time to iron out a good chunk of the bugs in their driver stack. Without any further ado, here is the relevant slide from RGT's video:
Intel's Battlemage will be a 225W affair that will be targeting the RTX 4070 performance level based on the current state of the Arc driver stack. If Intel is able to significantly improve the driver stack, then this performance level could go up as well. This certainly ties in very well with what Raja Koduri said that their core audience is one that only wants a single power connector - essentially the mainstream to enthusiast market. The ultra-enthusiast market will remain firmly in NVIDIA and AMD's control for 2023 at least.
I had also heard that Intel was considering an Alchemist refresh based on the state of the market (if they choose to push Battlemage to 2024) and it looks like they seem to have (tentatively) decided to push forward with Battlemage. The lowest hanging fruit for Intel also remains their driver and software stack. The hardware and silicon is already up to mark as far as their target market goes, and improvements in the software stack will bring performance gains in leaps and bounds. Here is an extract form our exclusive for our readers:
- Intel will internally decide on whether an Alchemist refresh is appropriate or not by 2023 - before introducing Battlemage. This decision has not been made yet. This does not constitute a cancellation of Arc anymore than it constituted a cancellation of AMD Radeon (AMD utilized the Polaris chip for multiple generations: 4xx, 5xx, 6xx).
- Delays aside, *as of right now* Intel remains committed to bringing Battlemage to discrete desktop graphics. Barring any black swan event, you should see Battlemage in discrete desktop format by late 2023 or early 2024 depending on how fast the R&D goes.
Extract from our "The Future of Intel Arc" exclusive.
