Intel isn’t giving up on making waves in the discrete GPU arena. Recent shipping manifests offer a glimpse into the development of a new Battlemage processor and a mystery product that has piqued interest.
Last year, Intel took us all by surprise with the introduction of two Battlemage GPUs, the Arc B580 and B570. These GPUs captured a lot of attention, mainly because, at that time, NVIDIA and AMD had yet to release their next-gen solutions. Now, as we draw close to the end of Q2, Intel has stayed mostly mum on their plans for desktop GPUs, leaving some to believe that the company had no clear intentions in this area. However, the latest shipping manifests tell a different story.
Twitter user @Haze2K1 shared a snapshot that hinted at something intriguing: the “BMG-G31”, which appears to be a more advanced piece of technology than the current lineup of Battlemage SKUs. There are whispers online suggesting this model might boast between 24 and 32 Xe2 cores, complemented by a 256-bit memory bus and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. However, rumors began circulating about the BMG-G31 being canned, sparking speculation that Intel might not be releasing this for the consumer market at all. Instead, the shipping records categorize the BMG-G31 for “R&D purpose,” implying a strong focus on AI or professional workloads.
In another intriguing turn, a different shipping document references the oddly named BMG “C32.” At first glance, this moniker seems puzzling due to its blending of Battlemage and Celestial initials. Nevertheless, it’s being discussed that this variant belongs to the Battlemage family, possibly as an upgraded version of the “BMG-G31.” Twitter user @mikdt suggests that Intel is actively developing several Battlemage models, although it’s unclear which will be geared towards the desktop market.
With Intel simultaneously working on the Xe3 “Celestial” architecture for Panther Lake SoCs, it will be fascinating to see how they position their discrete GPU lineup. Under the leadership of their new CEO, Intel is clearly shifting more towards AI-centric strategies, suggesting that forthcoming GPUs may largely cater to AI-focused uses rather than consumer gaming.
