Intel's rumored high-end Battlemage GPUs have been cancelled - is it time to worry about GPU competition?
New high-end GPU options from Intel could have helped disrupt the messy GPU market, but it looks like that may not happen any time soon.
- Intel's rumored high-end Battlemage GPUs have been canceled according to a reliable leaker
- Its 'BMG-G31' die was rumored to have a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores
- We could still see high-end offerings with the upcoming Celestial Arc lineup
While Intel's Battlemage Arc B580 and B570 GPUs have provided great and affordable mid-range options for PC gamers, Team Blue is yet to make a high-end GPU to compete with Nvidia (since AMD is also focusing primarily on the mid-range space going forward). Unfortunately, it now looks like the wait will continue.
According to a reputable leaker, Jaykihn0 on X, Intel's supposed high-end Battlemage GPU plans were cut short in Q3 of 2024: in other words, Xe2-based GPUs reportedly featuring up to 24GB of VRAM have been canceled. The 'BMG-G31' die supposedly had a 256-bit memory bus with 32 Xe cores and at least 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM.
Any hopes of a strong high-end alternative to Nvidia's RTX GPUs are seemingly slimmer than ever, as both AMD and Intel continue to target affordable options for consumers.
While Jaykihn0 suggests there are currently no updates on the upcoming Celestial discrete GPU lineup, it's certainly not over for Intel potentially delving into the high-end market. Celestial GPUs are rumored to use Xe3P architecture, which could involve some high-end GPUs and improved features like XeSS Frame Generation - however, it's not yet clear when they will be ready for consumers.
In the meantime, Intel's Xe3 architecture will be used for the upcoming Panther Lake processors, likely including mobile processors for ultrabooks and handhelds. There's plenty to look forward to on Team Blue's end, especially after the success of its current Battlemage GPUs, and processors like the Core Ultra 7 258V.
We seriously need any high-end competition we can get from Intel
If it wasn't clear enough already, the GPU market is in dire need of a helping hand: scalping, price inflation, and low availability are at an all-time high, and the only way I can see this changing is if consumers don't acquiesce to purchasing overpriced GPUs. However, most importantly, we need more high-end GPUs that aren't from Nvidia.
Team Green's Blackwell GPU lineup is the only product range that includes true high-end options this generation, and it's not a surprise that there's hardly any stock for Founders Edition cards, considering their popularity and demand.
While AMD's mid-range Radeon RX 9070 XT comes at an incredible $599/£569, there are no reference cards, which means consumers must rely on AIB partner cards sold by retailers - which are currently charging over $200 more than MSRP. Don't believe me? Just have a look at Best Buy.
With this in mind, Intel is potentially the only one in the market that could offer high-end alternatives in the near future: I'll admit it's hard to suggest any of these GPUs would beat Nvidia's RTX 5090, but PC gamers need all the industry competition we can get.
