Intel's new B580 graphics card takes on the RTX 4060

Intel's new generation of graphics cards is based on the Xe2 architecture, which is already used in notebooks. However, they offer significantly more performance with twice as many graphics cores, up to 12 gigabytes of VRAM and 190 watts of power consumption. The cards are called B570 and B580. In Intel's own benchmarks, the B580 beats the RTX 4060 from Nvidia by an average of ten per cent in 1440p resolution. As always, you should take such manufacturer data with a grain of salt.

Compared to the previous generation, the Arc B series GPUs are said to offer 70 per cent better performance per Xe core and 50 per cent more performance per watt. Compared to the Arc A750, the Arc B580 offers an average of 24 per cent more FPS in 1440p resolution.

Intel particularly emphasises the 10 and 12 gigabytes of RAM respectively. These should give the cards an advantage over the RTX 4060 with 8 gigabytes in RAM-intensive games.

In addition to the limited Intel version of the Arc B580, various board partners - including Acer, Asrock and Maxsun - are expected to offer their own versions of the two cards. The recommended retail price for the Arc B580 is 249 US dollars and that of the Arc B570 is 219 US dollars. The B580 will go on sale on 13 December 2024 and the B570 on 16 January 2025.

Although the cards do not represent a major leap in terms of raw performance - they offer fewer cores than their predecessors - they could be attractive for the budget-conscious. Intel knows that it has no chance against the competition from Nvidia and AMD in terms of performance alone, which is why it has set the price relatively low.

Independent tests will show exactly how the cards perform and whether they are worth buying. Personally, I would wait for these tests before making a purchase. With the first generation of dedicated graphics cards, the drivers were a disaster on release, which has only improved over time.

When the new graphics cards will be available in our shop and at what price is not yet clear.