Looks like we are nearing the launch of Intel’s next generation Arc desktop GPUs, codenamed Battlemage. Recently, two Amazon listings have accidentally leaked the specs of the Arc B580 GPU – the model that recently has been actively discussed in the past week.
ASRock Arc B580 GPUs Leaked
Both leaked listings in question (now removed) are ASRock’s Steel Legend and Challenger series variants, with listing images showing the box packaging of Intel’s new GPU. In terms of specs, here’s what we know: the Arc B580 will feature 12GB VRAM via a 192-bit memory bus, and the power limit is likely no higher than 225 watts – this is confirmed via the ASRock Challenger card’s power connector layout, which uses a single PCIe 8-pin connector (image below) to supply the power.
However, the Steel Legend card does gain an extra PCIe 8-pin connector, though this is likely due to the possibility to increase the power limits beyond what the single 8-pin + PCIe connector can handle (150W+75W). And yes – this means the infamous 12VHPWR connector, now updated in the safer 12V-2×6 form, is not present for both cards. Also discovered via the listing images is the PCIe protocol this GPU will be using, which is PCIe 5.0 x8.
Why not PCIe 5.0 x16, you may ask? One likely reason – besides that you gain pretty much nothing from the bandwidth this GPU can push – is to avoid the modern motherboards from downgrading the signaling rate of their primary SSD slots. Some motherboards like ASUS ones often share bandwidth between the GPU slot and the primary SSD slot, and installing any SSD on that slot will forces the GPU to fall back to x8 mode at least – in this sense, the Arc GPU will operate at full capabilities, though it realistically won’t matter (one might argue that even PCIe 4.0 x8 is still sufficient for this GPU’s expected performance level).
Source: Wccftech
Pokdepinion: The launch is surely near.
