Intel Arc "Battlemage" Xe2-HPG BMG-10 & BMG-21 GPUs Discovered in Shipping Manifest

[T0@st]

Speculated lower-end Intel second generation Arc GPUs popped up via SiSoftware Sandra database entries around mid-March—evaluation samples are likely in the hands of trusted hardware partners. Yesterday, momomo_us happened upon another interesting shipping manifest, following a series of AMD-related leaks. The latest list reveals five "Battlemage" products—three utilizing the BMG-21 GPU, and the remaining two being based on the BMG-10 design. These identifiers have appeared in older leaks, although the latter has been viewed in place sight—chez Intel Malaysia's Failure Analysis Lab.

Previous leaks suggest that these second generation Arc models (Xe2) reside within a "High-Performance Graphics" (HPG) discrete GPU family—the Xe2-HPG BMG-10 range is likely targeting an "enthusiast" market segment, while the Xe2-HPG BMG-21 tier is rumored to offer mid-tier performance. Intel staffers have expressed confidence about a possible late 2024 launch window. Back in January, Tom "TAP" Petersen revealed that the Arc hardware team had already moved onto third-gen "Celestial" GPU endeavors: "I'd say about 30% of our engineers are working on Battlemage, mostly on the software side because our hardware team is on the next thing." The first-gen deck has not been cleared fully it seems—the Alchemist family could be joined by two new variants in the near future.



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[LabRat 891]

The memetic advertising potential here, is palpable.

Intel BMG-50, Ma Duece
when?

 

[GoldenX]

Please don't suck.

And start working on Vulkan drivers already.

 

[maxfly]

Times a wastin Intel.

 

[Daven]

Did a crate full of shipping manifests wash up on shore somewhere? Lots of leaks around shipping manifests. I imagine a patched one eyed captain dropping a large tome after being attacked by pirates.

‘Argh, me manifest is lost to davy jones locker’

 

[HisDivineOrder]

May Intel keep plugging. AMD doesn't seem to care about GPU's when it's just Nvidia and we need AMD to care.

 

[ZoneDymo]

May Intel keep plugging. AMD doesn't seem to care about GPU's when it's just Nvidia and we need AMD to care.

That goes a bit far, remember that the release of the RX7700XT and RX7800XT forced Nvidia to adjust their RTX4070 price.

But a 2 company system does not work for competition really, they dont even have to do illegal price agreement between eachother, they can just look at eachother and offer the same performance for the same price, which is kinda what is going on atm.

We do need a 3rd player, GO FOR IT INTEL.

 

[InVasMani]

That goes a bit far, remember that the release of the RX7700XT and RX7800XT forced Nvidia to adjust their RTX4070 price.

But a 2 company system does not work for competition really, they dont even have to do illegal price agreement between eachother, they can just look at eachother and offer the same performance for the same price, which is kinda what is going on atm.

We do need a 3rd player, GO FOR IT INTEL.

Even a 3rd player doesn't resolve the issue that much look at the memory maker industry, but you're right in principle that more competition diversity is needed or we'll just see monopolistic behavior between the handful of few that exists.

 

[evernessince]

Even a 3rd player doesn't resolve the issue that much look at the memory maker industry, but you're right in principle that more competition diversity is needed or we'll just see monopolistic behavior between the handful of few that exists.

Yep, although at the very least Intel entering the GPU market could help crack Nvidia's proprietary software lock-in. It's in both AMD and Intel's best interests to create cross vendor compatible features that are competitive against Nvidia only features. This removes an incentive for customers to buy an Nvidia card and in turn makes the market more competitive as it allows video cards to be judged on the actual hardware instead of nonsense software lock-in. Being cross-compatible also increases the chance that something will be more widely used / become the standard. A good example of this is FreeSync which has completely won over G-Sync.

Hopefully Intel pushes hard on universally compatible features as that will be a huge boon to themselves and the market as a whole.

 

[bonehead123]

Well, when the Arc starts sailing as well as a 4080 or 4090, AND at 1/2 of the price, then come & get me, otherwise da battlemage is a just big, fat SNOOZEFEST, at least for the time being

 

[SSGBryan]

Well, when the Arc starts sailing as well as a 4080 or 4090, AND at 1/2 of the price, then come & get me, otherwise da battlemage is a just big, fat SNOOZEFEST, at least for the time being

That isn't their target market - They are targeting 4070ti performance - more customers.

 

[xtreemchaos]

this is all jolly and nice but dear intel please sort the VR support on ya a750/70 because im getting sick of waiting it feels a wee bit like your slacking in that department. sorry ive been waiting to say that for a good while i feel so much better now .

 

[Denver]

That goes a bit far, remember that the release of the RX7700XT and RX7800XT forced Nvidia to adjust their RTX4070 price.

But a 2 company system does not work for competition really, they dont even have to do illegal price agreement between eachother, they can just look at eachother and offer the same performance for the same price, which is kinda what is going on atm.

We do need a 3rd player, GO FOR IT INTEL.

The most effective strategy for Intel to contribute to reducing GPU prices is not through direct GPU manufacturing, but rather by enhancing its competitiveness relative to TSMC, a goal it currently falls short of achieving...

In a scenario where costs continue to rise, if AMD and Nvidia were solely dependent on the gaming market for investment and GPU development, the outcome could be either significantly higher GPU prices or inertia on both sides due to insufficient capital.

 

[Minus Infinity]

That isn't their target market - They are targeting 4070ti performance - more customers.

You hope, I'm not so sure they'll achieve that either. Maybe in compute, but not in gaming. Hope I'm wrong, but ever leak has been downgrading the performance for the last 6 months.

I'm more excited about RDNA4 frankly, as we are looking at raster between 7900XT and 7900XTX in a 8700 class gpu..

 

[RandallFlagg]

You hope, I'm not so sure they'll achieve that either. Maybe in compute, but not in gaming. Hope I'm wrong, but ever leak has been downgrading the performance for the last 6 months.

I'm more excited about RDNA4 frankly, as we are looking at raster between 7900XT and 7900XTX in a 8700 class gpu..

The problem with both AMD and Nvidia is not their design tech, it's the fact that both use TSMC for their GPUs, and CPUs in AMDs case.

Right along with Apple.

So the most they can do is play a game of balancing their use of limited TSMC resources to make AI GPUs, gaming GPUs, mobile CPUs, desktop CPUs, and/or server CPUs. Like any good company, they'll strike that balance based on a combination of what is likely to be most profitable for them and what will grow critical market segments. Both of those will likely be slanted towards AI, and server.

The disruption comes late this year when Intel 4 and Intel 3 are fully online, and again in 2025 when 20A/18A are up and running. That adds more supply and capacity to top tier silicon manufacturing, and breaks TSMCs monopoly on this space.

Even if Battlemage doesn't move past 4070 level of performance, nothing says that AMD or Nvidia can't use Intel 3 for their own chips. This would mean TSMC would have more free capacity, which one or the other could use to make more GPUs.

This is old now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some some next gen Nvidia chips coming out on Intel 3. The timing was about right for Blackwell (5000 series) :

Nvidia CEO Says Intel's Test Chip Results For Next-Gen Process Are Good

Intel-built Nvidia GPUs could be on the horizon.

www.tomshardware.com

 

[k0vasz]

Battlemage is the most exciting thing in years. I really hope it will be on par with AMD GPUs

 

[JAB Creations]

Times a wastin Intel.

Please don't suck.

And start working on Vulkan drivers already.

Intel is not one to be defended though the people working on the extreme numerous aspects of a GPU are. If you're not paying a substantial amount of money in a business transaction (e.g. not simply buying a GPU as a consumer) and you're not investing financially to support their work then the only thing being accomplished is complaining in public while making it clear that you're making zero contributions.

 

[Tek-Check]

The disruption comes late this year when Intel 4 and Intel 3 are fully online, and again in 2025 when 20A/18A are up and running. That adds more supply and capacity to top tier silicon manufacturing, and breaks TSMCs monopoly on this space.

No. Below is a slide from Intel themselves. "Full online" for Intel 4/3 is not going to happen any time soon, I am afraid. All of it will be used to keep Meteor Lake trickling into the market and for all server platforms.

Even if Battlemage doesn't move past 4070 level of performance, nothing says that AMD or Nvidia can't use Intel 3 for their own chips. This would mean TSMC would have more free capacity, which one or the other could use to make more GPUs.

AMD and Nvidia would have already signed contracts for Intel 3, but Intel wil not be able to provide enough capacity on this node until 2026. They will barely have it for their server chips.

TSMC has multiple nodes and with high capacity. It's not surprising that they attract most orders.

This is old now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some some next gen Nvidia chips coming out on Intel 3. The timing was about right for Blackwell (5000 series) :

Not going to happen any time soon. Perhaps towards 2027 for one or two lower end chips.

 

[Wirko]

Below is a slide from Intel themselves. "Full online" for Intel 4/3 is not going to happen any time soon, I am afraid. All of it will be used to keep Meteor Lake trickling into the market and for all server platforms.

That doesn't look optimistic. In early 2026, half of the total capacity still from Intel 7 and older? With a growing "Mature" segment?

 

[GoldenX]

Intel is not one to be defended though the people working on the extreme numerous aspects of a GPU are. If you're not paying a substantial amount of money in a business transaction (e.g. not simply buying a GPU as a consumer) and you're not investing financially to support their work then the only thing being accomplished is complaining in public while making it clear that you're making zero contributions.

I reported issues to them and their reply was "no" until I made the problem public. Vulkan is basically a zero priority to them, which for someone like Intel, who has been making drivers for the last 26 years, is disgusting.
They have to provide the drivers so consumers know they aren't wasting money on a dead product. And they have to fix stuff in time and form when people report it.

 

[RandallFlagg]

That doesn't look optimistic. In early 2026, half of the total capacity still from Intel 7 and older? With a growing "Mature" segment?

That isn't what that chart is telling you. Look closer - their capacity in 2026 will be about double what it is now according to that chart. So if half of it is Intel 3/4, 20A/18A, and 14A - then they'll be making as much on those nodes as they do on all nodes combined today.

It's basically telling you that in the next 2 1/2 years, Intel will double the number of chips they can produce. So saying half of them will be Intel 7 / 14 - well that's what they use to make chipsets and IO dies.

But I question that slide's authenticity. For one, they show Sierra Forest and Granite Rapids as Intel 7. They've already been demo'd and they are Intel 3, with the IO die on Intel 7.

In any case it just reinforces what I said earlier about Intel bringing new nodes and fabs to bear on supply constrained markets like GPUs. The key to lowering prices on GPUs, CPUs, etc. - like anything - is increasing production.

 

[MrMilli]

But I question that slide's authenticity. For one, they show Sierra Forest and Granite Rapids as Intel 7. They've already been demo'd and they are Intel 3, with the IO die on Intel 7.

It is showing SF and GR as Intel 3: it's the red square.

 

[Beginner Macro Device]

remember that the release of the RX7700XT and RX7800XT forced Nvidia to adjust their RTX4070 price.

It did not. 7700 XT is slower no matter what and 7800 XT just barely outperforms 4070 in some games, also being totally crushed with RT enabled. NV are lowering prices purely due to falling demand, AMD had no role in that.

AMD are still in the "nothing newer than 2080 Ti exists" kinda phase. 7600 XT for 300+ bucks, 7800 XT still for $500, 7900 XTX is still not under 700 bucks... "Appear strong when you're weak" by Sun Tzu only works if they don't know you're weak. But everyone knows. And it sucks.

 

[ratirt]

It did not. 7700 XT is slower no matter what and 7800 XT just barely outperforms 4070 in some games, also being totally crushed with RT enabled. NV are lowering prices purely due to falling demand, AMD had no role in that.

The last time I checked, 7800xt was $100 less than 4070. Do you think AMD has had nothing to do with the 4070 price drop?
Yes RT which is barely OK on a 4070 anyway in variety of games though. RT is cool but it isn't the top-notch gameplay you can get. It is in most cases 1080p and that is it.