Intel reiterates that Battlemage will arrive in 2024
Recently at CES 2024, Intel researcher Tom Peterson was interviewed by PC World, where he reiterated details about the much-anticipated next-generation Arc “Battlemage” graphics cards. He confirmed that these new products, employing the Xe2-HPG architecture, are slated for release in 2024, with more information to be shared when appropriate.
Peterson mentioned that the development team is diligently advancing the project, with about 30% of the team currently engaged in Battlemage’s development, primarily software engineers. This is because the hardware team has moved on to developing the next-generation Celestial, utilizing the Xe3-HPG architecture. The Battlemage chips are already in Intel’s labs, and there are more exciting developments to come, though details remain under wraps for now.
Previously, Tom Peterson had noted that, unlike the Xe-HPG architecture used in Alchemist, Battlemage will be streamlined into two architectures: Xe2-LPG for integrated graphics and Xe2-HPG for discrete graphics. This approach is intended to simplify driver development, reduce costs, and enhance compatibility. The Lunar Lake integrated graphics will be the first to adopt the Xe2-LPG architecture, with the discrete GPU modules for graphics cards expected to be released earlier than those for processor graphics.
According to Michelle Johnston Holthaus, Intel’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sales, Marketing, and Communications, Lunar Lake is set to launch between this fall and the end of the year, with Battlemage’s release likely to follow a similar timeline.
Rumors suggest that Battlemage’s flagship chip, the BMG-G10, will feature 56 Xe cores, corresponding to 448 XVEs (Execution Units), each XVE equipped with 2 shaders. It’s expected to have an Adamantine cache of 112MB and be paired with GDDR6X memory, likely featuring 16GB of memory and a 256-bit memory bus. The new generation GPU continues to be manufactured by TSMC, using a 4nm process, with the total card power consumption anticipated to be controlled at around 225W.
