Intel Arc Celestial “Xe3” & Battlemage “G31” GPUs Revealed, Signaling Full Commitment to Discrete Graphics Market

Intel’s plans for the discrete GPU market are becoming a lot clearer, debunking previous speculations that the tech giant might be stepping away from this space. Solid evidence of Intel’s upcoming Arc Celestial “Xe3” and higher-end Battlemage “G31” chips have surfaced, suggesting a robust commitment to future graphics technology development.

Recently, Intel pulled back the curtain on its next-gen Battlemage B-Series, including the Arc B580 and Arc B570 graphics cards. These new entries aim at budget-conscious gamers, priced under $250, and are positioned to go head-to-head with AMD and NVIDIA’s current and future offerings.

By targeting the core gaming audience with the Arc Battlemage lineup, Intel is following a strategy similar to AMD’s plans with the RDNA 4 “Radeon RX 8000” series. However, Intel might have an ace up its sleeve to surprise the market.

Keeping the tech community buzzing, shipping manifests from NBD.ltd recently listed the Intel BMG-G31 SoC, indicating that a higher-end B-Series model could be on the horizon. These prospective GPUs will feature the G31 SoC, leveraging more Xe2 cores, and could be integrated into SKUs like the B770. Intel’s Tom Petersen has hinted about plans for a more potent Arc B-series card, fueling speculation that this development might find its way into their new discrete line.

Meanwhile, Intel’s Celestial or Xe3 GPUs are also making headlines. The shipping documents list several “Panther Falls” discrete GPUs, which are internally categorized under the Celestial SKUs. All these entries, as reported by keen-eyed enthusiast @Haze2K1, are part of the Arc series. Intel has confirmed that they’ve wrapped up work on the Celestial lineup and are now shifting focus to the Druid “Xe4” series.

The listings reveal numerous qualification samples with components like PCBs and complete boards. Another Arc Celestial discrete GPU spotted by Tomasz Gawronski seems to sport a 128 EU or 16 Xe3 configuration, possibly positioning it as an entry-level discrete option. Given the synergy with Intel’s Panther Lake CPUs, this could translate to discrete solutions with up to 12 Xe3 cores.

Clearly, Intel is gearing up to dispel any lingering doubts about its Arc graphics initiative. With the launch of its second-gen Arc GPUs and clear developments for subsequent generations, Intel is teasing high-performance solutions within the Battlemage GPU family. Expectations are set for more news to drop at CES 2025, while the B580 and B570 are anticipated to firmly plant Intel’s flag in the mainstream gaming market.

Intel’s ongoing GPU roadmap showcases a diverse offering across various market segments. Upcoming entries like the Arc Celestial and Druid aim for both mainstream and high-end gaming, continuously evolving through new generations and advancements in processing nodes and design. As Intel looks to expand its presence, the future of gaming graphics looks increasingly competitive.