Intel Battlemage GPU Benchmarks Have Leaked

A new discrete GPU from Intel has appeared on Geekbench, providing a glimpse into its possible specifications. This current entry is the first Battlemage GPU to be featured on a benchmarking platform. The listing was initially spotted by Benchleaks, showcasing a test system with an Intel Core i5-13600K processor paired with an “Intel Xe Graphics RI” GPU.

The GPU achieved a score of 97,943 points in the OpenCL benchmark, positioning it just below the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 and Intel Arc A770. When compared to AMD’s offerings, it falls between the Radeon RX 7700 XT and RX 7600 XT in terms of performance. By examining the GPU’s PCIe ID (E20B), further analysis of the Linux kernel driver database reveals that it is built on Intel’s forthcoming Battlemage architecture. The database indicates five Battlemage SKUs, and this particular GPU appears to be the second most powerful among them.

With Nvidia preparing to launch its RTX 50-series GPUs and AMD working on RDNA 4 graphics cards, this level of performance might not seem competitive. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that this is just a single test, and it doesn’t represent the performance in real-world gaming scenarios. Additionally, the GPU tested is likely an early engineering sample, which may have different specifications upon its final release.

In terms of specifications, the GPU boasts 160 compute units (20 Xe cores), 12GB of VRAM, and a peak boost clock of up to 2,850 MHz. Although the core count is lower compared to the Alchemist-based Arc A770 (32 Xe cores) and A750 (28 Xe cores), the boost clock speeds surpass those of both the A770 and A750.

One of the major enhancements with the upcoming Battlemage GPU is its transition to Intel’s Xe2 GPU architecture, which is a refinement over the initial Xe architecture. This upgrade is anticipated to deliver improved power efficiency, enhanced ray tracing capabilities, and better AI-driven upscaling with features like Intel’s XeSS.

Additionally, the new Xe2 architecture is expected to focus on better driver support and software enhancements, areas where Intel has faced criticism previously. The company has been actively addressing initial concerns regarding stability and performance in its Arc A-series, and the Battlemage series could represent a significant improvement in those aspects.

Intel’s foray into the GPU market has been met with a mix of responses. While the Arc A750 and A770 laid a solid groundwork, they had difficulty competing with the well-established offerings from Nvidia and AMD. Though no official release date or pricing is available yet, industry sources suggest Intel may unveil the Battlemage GPUs by early 2025.