Intel Arc Battlemage Graphics Card Spotted: 24 Xe2 GPU Cores, 12 GB VRAM, 192-bit Bus, 19 Gbps Memory

A new Intel Arc Battlemage graphics card has been spotted in the latest GFX DRM log, confirming various specifications such as the Xe2 core count.

Recently, it was reported that Intel is planning to launch its next-gen Arc graphics card series based on the Xe2 architecture, codenamed Battlemage, later this year. The new family will pick up from where Alchemist left off and offer increased performance and brand-new features, some of which we will first get to see on the upcoming Lunar Lake SOCs equipped with Xe2 iGPUs. It looks like Intel is now deep within the testing phase of its first engineering samples before they roll out and we have our look at a brand new sample.

Starting with the details, the Intel Arc Battlemage graphics card that has been spotted uses the "e20b" device ID and was running the 14.01 display version. This particular sample is identified as an Xe2-HPG part and features the G: A0/M: A1 stepping. Based on the GuC parameters, it looks like the chip features up to 24 Xe2 cores which point out towards the BMG-G21 die which reportedly maxes out at 16 Xe2 cores. The chip is rated at two frequencies, one being 1500 MHz and the other being 1800 MHz. It is likely that the these are base and boost clocks of this particular sample since the Arc A770 GPU also features a 300 MHz difference between its base and boost clocks (2.1 vs 2.4 GHz).

Coming to the memory details, the Intel Arc Battlemage graphics card is listed with a total of six DRAM channels so that's 32-bit per channel or 192-bit in total. This configuration features 12 GB VRAM and should be running the standard GDDR6 modules but clocked at 19 Gbps as that aligns with the listed DCLK and the peak memory bandwidth of 456.00 GB/s. This is a higher DRAM clock versus Intel's Arc Alchemist GPUs which featured 17.5 Gbps memory dies but supported a wider 256-bit bus interface. Intel will also have 256-bit and 16 GB variants so those will see additional bandwidth of up to 608 GB/s using the same 19 Gbps modules. That's a 9% improvement in total bandwidth.

That's about as much information that we can get out of this log but it is still interesting to see an Arc Battlemage graphics card being tested like this. The actual announcement is expected in late 2024 & Intel will be hosting a dedicated event since it has postponed its Innovation 2024 event to 2025. It was going to be the perfect opportunity to unveil the new Arc "Xe2" series but Intel's current cost-saving efforts will change the plans a bit.

Regardless, with Intel bringing a 50% performance uplift, brand new ray tracing and XMX engines, and loads of other interesting graphics capabilities, the Xe2 graphics architecture and the Arc Battlemage graphics cards that are based on them will definitely be a product to be excited about in 2024.

News Source: Anandtech Forums