Intel ARC Battlemage GPU spotted with PCIe 5.0 x16 interface

A “BIG Battlemage” GPU has been spotted at PCI-SIG

A new Intel ARC B-series GPU has been spotted over at PCI-SIG (via Videocardz), and it appears to be Intel’s long-rumoured “Big Battlemage” graphics card. The new ARC Battlemage GPU features a PCIe x16 interface, indicating that it is a high-end product.

Unlike Intel’s existing ARC B-series GPUs, which are limited to a PCIe x8 interface, this new model features a full PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. This suggests that this is a higher-end GPU than Intel’s RC B580, which features a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. Note that Intel’s ARC PRO B60 GPU, which uses the same silicon as Intel’s RC B580, has a PCIe 5.0 x8 interface.

This GPU listing could be for Intel’s rumoured ARC B770 graphics card. This GPU will place Intel into the high-end GPU market. Intel’s new GPU will likely compete with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 series and AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 series.

(Image from Videocardz)

Big Battlemage is coming

Currently, it is unknown when Intel plans to launch its next graphics card. Rumour has it that new ARC GPUs may launch later this year. That said, it could launch in early 2026. This would place this ARC Battlemage (Xe2) series GPU launch after the release of Intel’s first Celestial-based (Xe3) product, Panther Lake. This would mean that Intel’s next-generation GPU architecture may launch ahead of Intel’s last Battlemage series GPU launch.

(Intel’s ARC B580 uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface)

Intel has the potential to shake up the GPU market with its “Big Battlemage” GPU/GPUs. It would signal that Intel is now a high-end player within the GPU market, and force gamers to take its products seriously. If Intel plays its cards right, this launch could gain Intel a lot of goodwill from gamers. However, Intel could easily mess this up if it prices its new GPUs incorrectly.

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