It seems like the whispers about Intel stepping away from the discrete GPU market are beginning to quiet down. Evidence of their latest projects, the Arc Celestial “Xe3” and the more advanced Battlemage “G31” chips, have started appearing online, offering a clearer picture of what’s to come.
### Intel’s Dedication to Xe3 & Xe4 GPUs and the Unveiling of Arc Celestial “Xe3” & Battlemage “G31”
Recently, Intel introduced their Battlemage B-Series cards, notably the Arc B580 and Arc B570. These graphics cards are aimed squarely at mainstream gamers, priced under $250. They’re positioned to tussle with both current and upcoming releases from rivals AMD and NVIDIA.
With the Arc Battlemage series, Intel is clearly setting its sights on the gaming community. This strategy reflects a broader industry trend, mirroring AMD’s own imminent RDNA 4 “Radeon RX 8000” lineup. However, Intel seems to have a little something extra planned, hinting at surprises down the road.
In a recent revelation on the shipping logs from NBD.ltd, Intel’s BMG-G31 SoC has popped up again. This suggests that we might see a high-end B-Series card in the near future. These Arc B580 and B570 GPUs are built around the BMG-G21 SoCs. In contrast, the G31 SoC, featuring more Xe2 cores, is expected to underpin models such as the B770. Tom Petersen from Intel has alluded to an even more powerful Arc B-series card coming soon, which might use this very chip.
Switching focus to Intel’s Celestial or Xe3 discrete GPUs, we’ve got sightings of several “Panther Falls” GPUs, Intel’s internal nickname for these Celestial units. According to @Haze2K1, all these are part of the Arc series, and there are quite a few listed. Intel has confirmed that the work on Celestial is finished, with teams swiftly moving towards the Druid “Xe4” offerings.
Within these listings, we note various QS or Qualification Samples, which include parts of PCBs and complete boards. Tomasz Gawronski also noticed another Intel Arc Celestial discrete GPU, appearing to be a 128 EU or 16 Xe3 unit. Intel’s upcoming Panther Lake CPUs will incorporate Arc Xe3 GPUs with as many as 12 Xe3 cores, so this could represent an entry-level offering.
These updates should squash any lingering doubts about the abandonment of the Arc project. Intel has just rolled out its second-generation Arc products and is actively developing subsequent lineups. There are hints at potential high-end launches within the Battlemage family as well. We’re likely to hear more from Intel regarding their discrete GPU strategies at CES 2025. Meanwhile, the B580 and B570 cards should help establish Intel as a formidable player in the mainstream market.
