Just yesterday, we reported that one of Intel’s partners might be working on an Arc B580 GPU with 24GB of VRAM, doubling the base memory on the card. Now, it seems that an even more impressive GPU might be in the works, set to rival some of the best graphics cards. According to new leaks, we might soon see a dual-GPU Arc B580 with a whopping 48GB of VRAM.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a dual-GPU anything, much less from Intel. The company’s graphics division always targets the mainstream market, with a focus on bringing forth affordable solutions for everyone. Even workstation-oriented Arc GPUs don’t aim that high. Still, VideoCardz cites its own sources as it claims that one of Intel’s partners is indeed working on such a beastly graphics cards.
Of course, “beastly” can be considered an overstatement here, as the Arc B580 (based on the BMG-G21 chip) only offers up to 20 Xe cores and 2,560 shader units; it’s something akin to an Nvidia RTX 4060. But still, double that up and we’re getting 40 Xe cores and 5,120 shader units.
The most impressive part here would be the memory capacity. VideoCardz’ leak inadvertently serves to confirm the previous report that the Arc B580 might make an appearance in a 24GB version, seeing as the expected VRAM capacity for this new behemoth of a GPU is 48GB. Twice the GPU, twice the VRAM. This brings me back to the days of Nvidia’s GTX Titan Z.
It’s worth noting that this graphics card, if it’s indeed real, will not be an Intel reference design. It’s said to be exclusive to one of its partners. When asked about the GPU, the partner said that it cannot be discussed due to an NDA, which makes me think something might be up — but it’s really too early to say.
If the dual-GPU Arc B580 comes into being, it won’t be a gaming GPU. I could see it being used for AI workflows where 48GB of VRAM could be huge; fortunately, we don’t need that much video memory for gaming just yet. It’s hard to even guess how much it’d cost or when it could be available, but it’s possible that we might see it announced at Computex. Unfortunately, the 24GB version of the B580 is now said to only be available a few months later.
