Intel markets the Arc B580. This is a full-fledged desktop GPU that would outperform the Nvidia RTX 4060. Only: Is anyone waiting for an Intel GPU in the entry-level segment?

Intel launches the Arc B580 GPU. Designed for desktops, this graphics card has a suggested retail price of $249 in the US and is said to perform better than the popular Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060. On the one hand, this is good news: Intel is showing that it can make a GPU for the masses at a competitive price. On the other hand, it’s not exactly a spectacular achievement: the Nvidia GeForce 40 series is now more than two years old.

Intel has occasionally released entry-level GPUs since 2023, such as the Arc-Pro series for workstations and the regular Arc-A cards for the general public. All GPUs are based on the proprietary Xe architecture. Intel developed this to compete with Nvidia and AMD in the lucrative professional GPU and data center market.

Middle class

However, Intel’s discrete GPUs aren’t really on the right track, and the Arc B580 does little to change that. The card has 18 Xe cores, 12 GB of memory and a TDP of 190 watts. We can relate to that, but Intel isn’t showing that it wants to be or can be a major challenger to Nvidia by releasing an acceptable mid-range GPU. You can challenge Nvidia as the front runner. There is already competition for the GeForce RTX 4060, especially from AMD.

In addition, Nvidia is working on an RTX 50 lineup. It would be released in the first half of next year. Once Jensen Huang fixes these cards, the Intel Arc B580 will be obsolete. The fact that Intel took so long to release this card to the general public doesn’t inspire real confidence.

It currently remains somewhat unclear what exactly Intel is looking for in the GPU market. Next year we are basically looking forward to the professional Falcon Shores chip, which will combine GPU and CPU. However, Falcon Shores has also been significantly postponed. After CEO Pat Gelsinger unexpectedly resigned, Intel’s future plans seem more uncertain than ever. The Arc B580 hardly signals a clear direction or ambition for the company.