The Intel Arc B580 graphics card, part of the next-generation Battlemage lineup, goes on sale tomorrow. While only the reference version, the Intel Arc B580 Limited Edition, has been reviewed so far, additional factory-overclocked models from Intel’s partners will be showcased starting tomorrow.
Specifications and Architecture
The Intel Arc B580 is a mid-range solution based on the Xe2 Battlemage architecture, the same technology featured in Intel’s upcoming Lunar Lake laptop processors. The card is powered by the BGM-G21 GPU, fabricated on a 5nm process, and boasts:
- 20 Xe2 cores (2560 shader engines)
- 160 texture units, 80 rasterization units
- 160 tensor cores and 20 second-generation ray tracing cores.
Intel claims a 70% increase in per-core performance over the previous Arc Alchemist generation. The base clock is 1700 MHz, with a boost frequency of up to 2670 MHz.
The card features 12GB GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus and a bandwidth of 456 GB/s. It uses an 8-pin power connector and consumes 190W, with recommendations to pair it with Resizable BAR for optimal performance.
Gaming Performance at 1080p
Initial reviews highlight excellent performance for its price:
- 42% faster than its predecessor, Arc A580.
- 5% faster than NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4060.
- 15% faster than AMD’s Radeon RX 7600, though it trails higher-end options like the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and Radeon RX 7700 XT, which are significantly pricier.
Gaming Performance at 1440p
At 1440p, the Arc B580 also performs admirably, surpassing:
- GeForce RTX 4060 by 8%,
- Radeon RX 7600 by 9%,
- Arc A770 by 12%, and
- Arc A580 by 30%.
However, for demanding 1440p titles, compromises on graphical settings or reliance on upscaling technologies like XeSS 2 may be necessary.
Ray Tracing Performance
Thanks to architectural improvements, the B580 handles ray tracing better than its AMD counterparts at 1080p and remains competitive at 1440p, leveraging its 12GB memory to outperform the 8GB GeForce RTX 4060 Ti in specific scenarios.
Power Efficiency and Noise Levels
In gaming scenarios, the Arc B580’s power consumption is a reasonable 185W, making it more efficient than its predecessor and AMD’s Radeon RX 7600 XT. However, idle power consumption is relatively high at 34W, compared to 14W for the RTX 4060 and just 2W for the RX 7600. Intel suggests enabling ASMP settings in the BIOS to lower idle power to 7W, though multi-monitor setups still consume significantly more.
The card operates quietly, with noise levels around 30 dBA in the reference model. Its cooling system keeps temperatures at a modest 73°C under load, though the fan algorithm has been criticized for intermittent behavior.
Conclusion
Reviewers praise the Intel Arc B580 for its excellent price-to-performance ratio, strong ray tracing capabilities, and efficient gaming power usage. Its downsides include high idle power consumption, occasional software glitches with fan control, limited PCIe 4.0 lanes, and the dependency on Resizable BAR.
At a starting price of $250, the Arc B580 is an appealing choice for budget-conscious gamers targeting 1080p gameplay at max settings or 1440p at reduced settings. It offers impressive performance for its cost, making it a serious contender in the mid-range market.
