Intel Arc B580 Battlemage: Successful performance debut
Intel's Battlemage graphics card generation in the first test: The Arc B580 not only has to prove its performance, but also its efficiency.
Arc B580 in the “Limited Edition” from Intel.
(Image: c't)
Following the launch, tests of the Intel Arc B580 graphics card will be released in the Battlemage Salami from today, December 12, 2024. It starts with Intel's "Limited Edition" reference card, whose name is likely to be its program, at least in the first few days after launch. It is almost completely black, equipped with a double-slot cooler, has four display outputs and requires an eight-pin connection from the power supply unit. We have separate sections in this test on prices, noise and power consumption, the updated architecture and benchmark comparisons with predecessors, Radeon and GeForce cards.
The card has 12 gigabytes of graphics memory and its BGM-G21 graphics chip clocks at 2670 megahertz as standard –, although this was usually significantly higher in the test.
Intel's Arc B580 controls up to four 4K screens simultaneously and has an HDMI socket and three display ports for this purpose. The HDMI connection complies with the 2.1a specification and should even be able to drive 8K displays at 120 hertz – We were unable to test this due to the lack of a suitable monitor. The bit rate of 13.5 Gbit/s per lane (UHBR13.5) advertised as "up to" can only be achieved by one of the three display ports (it is in the middle and is marked with a border); the other two are limited to UHBR10, which is still sufficient for 4K144. When asked, Intel said that the partners decide for themselves whether they also offer a DP with UHBR13.5 for their cards.
(Image:Â c't)
The CPU load for video playback and video encoding is at the same high level as its predecessor and also includes AV1 encoders as well as other modern formats.
Like its predecessors, the Arc B580 is only suitable for upgrading older PCs to a limited extent. Intel specifies the Core i-10000 generation with a 400 series chipset and functioning "resizeable bar" function as a minimum, or alternatively at least a Ryzen 3000 (not G!) with a 500 series chipset and the corresponding "Smart Access Memory" function.
The driver quality has improved further compared to the launch of the predecessor, only the overclocking functions could do with some fine-tuning. During the test period, Intel released a new version of the control software and a driver with bug fixes at –. Among other things, it fixed image errors in the role-playing game "Dragon Age: The Veilguard".
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Unclear upfront prices
Even though Intel is launching its own B580 card on the market with the "Limited Edition", it does not want to give a recommended retail price in euros. Mathematically, one could assume around 269 euros if the exchange rate and import sales tax are added to the so-called MSRP in US dollars. However, the partner cards already listed in the price comparison were priced at 320 euros and more. AMD's Radeon RX 7600XT is already in this price region as the somewhat faster and, above all, 16 GB graphics memory-equipped sister of the RX 7600 chosen as the opponent. The larger graphics memory is no longer an argument in favor of the Arc B580.
A Radeon RX 7600 with 8 GB is occasionally available for less than 260 euros, one with a thick, stylish cooler scratches the 300 euro mark, the corresponding prices of the GeForce RTX 4060, which is only available with 8 GB, are around 30 euros higher. The final assessment of the Arc B580 therefore depends heavily on where the price will settle.
This in turn depends on when the new GeForce and Radeon generation expected for early 2025 comes onto the market and what prices AMD and Nvidia want for it. Ifthe "GeForce RTX 5060" and"Radeon RX 8600" are significantly faster than their predecessors, Intel will also have to lower the price. From this perspective, Intel has cleverly chosen the timing of the B580 presentation and "only" has to compete against the old guard of the competition.
Performance review
Let's keep it short: Our benchmarks clearly show that the Arc B580 not only makes short work of Intel's previous generation, but also consistently wins in the benchmarks against the Radeon RX 7600 and the GeForce RTX 4060 – regardless of whether with or without ray tracing, whether in Full HD resolution or in the higher WQHD resolution with 2560 × 1440 pixels: The average frame rate is highest with the B580 within the tested group. Only the faster, but significantly more expensive GeForce 4060 Ti is ahead in some of the measurements, but it also only has 8 GB of graphics memory.
Despite all the cheers, the Arc B580 is too weak for the Ultra HD resolution. Even without power-hungry ray tracing effects, the graphics card only achieves smooth frame rates above an average of 60 fps with 3840 Ă— 2160 pixels in the racing game "F1 22" and in the older action adventure "Shadow of the Tomb Raider". We could not detect any significant impairment due to the PCIe 4.0 slot, which is only connected with eight lanes, outside of synthetic throughput measurements.
The AI-supported upscaler XeSS, which also supports intermediate image calculation ("frame generation") in version 2, can provide a remedy. Like all upscalers, the image is rendered in a lower resolution and then upscaled to the desired output resolution with the aid of data such as motion vectors from the image series and a sharpness filter. This does not always work flawlessly, often there are still streaks on the edges or other artifacts, but in many cases it can make the difference between smooth gaming enjoyment or a jerky orgy. We will take a closer look at the individual technologies, including Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR alongside XeSS 2, in a separate article in the coming months.
