Intel’s Arc Celestial “Xe3” & Battlemage “G31” GPUs Spotted: Blue Team Targets Discrete Market Expansion

The chatter about Intel stepping away from the discrete GPU market is gradually subsiding, especially with fresh evidence pointing to the development of their next-gen Arc Celestial “Xe3” and the more advanced Battlemage “G31” chips.

Intel recently introduced its next wave of GPUs with the Battlemage B-Series, namely the Arc B580 and Arc B570. These are budget-friendly options, falling under the $250 mark, setting the stage to go head-to-head with both AMD and NVIDIA in the mainstream sector.

With the introduction of the Arc Battlemage series, Intel has clearly set its sights on the broader gaming community. Interestingly, AMD seems to be taking a similar route with its upcoming RDNA 4 “Radeon RX 8000” series. However, Intel might just have an ace up its sleeve.

Recent discoveries from shipping manifests at NBD.ltd indicate the Intel BMG-G31 SoC has once again made an appearance. This raises the possibility of a high-end B-Series graphics card launching in the near future.

The Arc B580 and B570 GPUs are built around the BMG-G21 SoC, but the G31 SoC will reportedly pack more Xe2 cores, potentially fitting into models like the B770. Intel’s Tom Petersen has hinted at a beefier Arc B-series graphics card, which may feature this chip.

As for Intel’s foray into the “Celestial” or Xe3 discrete GPU realm, we’ve spotted several Panther Falls GPUs through shipping outlets. Panther Falls is Intel’s internal codename for the Celestial series, which falls under the Arc line-up. Intel confirms progress on Celestial is complete and they are now accelerating development on the Druid “Xe4” series.

Furthermore, a glimpse at various Qualification Samples, including PCBs and full board setups for the Arc Celestial, reveal a 128 EU or 16 Xe3 model discovered by Tomasz Gawronksi. Panther Lake CPUs will feature integrated Arc Xe3 GPUs, with up to 12 Xe3 cores, suggesting this is likely an entry-level discrete model.

Overall, these developments should quell any lingering rumors about Intel discontinuing the Arc line. With the successful 2nd Gen Arc launch and public development confirmations for upcoming models, Intel is even hinting at potential high-end releases for their Battlemage GPU family. We anticipate more updates from Intel on their GPU plans during CES 2025, with GPUs like the B580 and B570 solidifying Intel’s presence in the mainstream segment.