Intel's Arc B580 GPU, which has been making waves in the budget gaming market, might soon get significant memory upgrades according to multiple industry leaks. Several reports suggest that both 24GB single-GPU and 48GB dual-GPU variants could be unveiled at the upcoming Computex 2025 event, potentially positioning these cards for AI development workloads rather than traditional gaming applications.
Multiple Sources Confirm 24GB Arc B580 Models
The existence of a 24GB variant of Intel's Arc B580 GPU has been corroborated by several independent sources. Maxsun's parent company recently registered multiple Intel Arc B580 models with 24GB VRAM with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), including the MAXSUN Intel Arc B580 iCraft 24G and its overclocked variant. This follows an earlier slip-up from Sparkle, who accidentally mentioned the existence of such a card before retracting their comments, likely due to non-disclosure agreement concerns.
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| Intel's Arc B580 graphics card showcasing the upcoming 24GB variant confirmed by industry sources |
Dual-GPU 48GB Variant Reportedly in Development
In an even more surprising development, reports indicate that an unnamed board partner is developing a dual-GPU version of the Arc B580, combining two 24GB GPUs on a single PCB for a total of 48GB VRAM. According to sources cited by VideoCardz, this custom-built graphics card will be exclusive to a specific brand and isn't based on any of Intel's official hardware designs. The card is reportedly scheduled for a reveal at Computex 2025, which begins on May 23.
Technical Challenges of Dual-GPU Implementation
Unlike Nvidia's advanced NVLink or Apple's UltraFusion technologies, this dual-GPU implementation will likely rely on a simpler PCIe bridge to connect the two GPUs. This means the system would recognize the card as two separate GPUs rather than a unified solution with pooled memory. While some simulation programs where latency isn't critical might utilize all 48GB as one large resource, most applications would require specific optimizations like model parallelism and data parallelism techniques to effectively use both GPUs.
Targeting AI Development Market
These high-memory variants appear to be targeting the AI and machine learning development market rather than gamers. The standard Arc B580 comes with 12GB of VRAM, which is already generous for its price point in the gaming segment. A 24GB or 48GB configuration would be excessive for most gaming applications but could provide a cost-effective alternative for AI developers who might otherwise need to purchase much more expensive professional cards from Nvidia or AMD.
Pricing Expectations
While no official pricing has been announced, industry analysts estimate that the dual-GPU 48GB variant could be priced around USD $700-800. This would position it significantly below Nvidia's professional offerings like the rumored RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell with 48GB, which is expected to cost approximately USD $4,500. However, users would be sacrificing compute power and the convenience of a shared VRAM pool compared to these higher-end professional solutions.
Intel's Broader GPU Strategy
These developments suggest Intel is exploring ways to diversify its GPU offerings beyond the gaming market. The company has already confirmed plans to reveal more professional GPUs based on the Battlemage architecture at Computex. There are also rumors of a larger BMG-G31 die in development, potentially offering more compute power than the current BMG-G21 die used in the Arc B580, which features 20 Xe cores (2,560 shaders).
Waiting for Official Confirmation
While these leaks are compelling, it's important to remember that EEC registrations and industry rumors don't always translate to actual products. Manufacturers often register placeholder configurations with regulatory bodies to cover all potential future releases. The tech community will need to wait for Computex 2025, just days away, for official confirmation of these high-memory Arc B580 variants and their specifications.