Intel is evidently not backing down from its ambitions in the discrete GPU (dGPU) market. Recently unearthed shipping manifests hint at ongoing work on their Battlemage line and hint at a potential new product shrouded in mystery.
### Intel’s Continued Development with Battlemage “BMG-G31” — Aimed Perhaps at AI or Professional Use
Last year, Intel caught the tech world off guard by announcing two new Battlemage GPUs: the Arc B580 and B570. These models sparked significant excitement, particularly because both NVIDIA and AMD had yet to roll out their next-gen graphics solutions. Fast forward to the present, with the second quarter wrapping up, there’s been silence from Intel regarding their desktop GPU plans. This quiet period had people speculating that Intel might be losing interest, but fresh details from shipping manifests paint a different picture.
A Twitter user by the name of Haze recently posted a cryptic image that had tech enthusiasts buzzing about its implications for Intel’s plans.
Delving into the manifests, there’s mention of the “BMG-G31,” which is expected to be a more advanced version than the current Battlemage offerings. According to some reports, this version could come equipped with an impressive 24-32 Xe2 cores, complemented by a 256-bit memory bus and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. Despite this potential, rumors started swirling that Intel might scrap the BMG-G31’s consumer release altogether. Yet, these manifests categorize the BMG-G31 under “R&D purpose,” suggesting this model might be pivoted towards AI or professional tasks instead.
There’s a fresh twist with another entry in the shipping logs mentioning a puzzling variant, called the BMG “C32.” The name raised eyebrows because it combines Battlemage and Celestial designations. It is reportedly a variant within the Battlemage family — possibly a reimagined version of the “BMG-G31,” according to insights shared by a tech-savvy voice, @mikdt. This suggests Intel is indeed crafting multiple iterations of Battlemage GPUs, though their target market—whether for desktops or otherwise—remains uncertain.
Watching Intel navigate its place in the discrete GPU arena should be compelling, especially as the company advances its Xe3 “Celestial” architecture, intended for the upcoming Panther Lake SoCs. With a new CEO at the helm, Intel seems to be reorienting towards AI, which indicates that forthcoming GPU releases will likely be geared towards AI-driven applications.
