Intel is winning users over as its latest Battlemage GPUs offer a well-balanced design at reasonable prices. The brand’s supply chain seems unable to handle consumer demand with cards flying out of shelves.
For all the failures and controversies Intel has been entangled in recently, its Battlemage GPUs are the light that brightens the day. Acclaimed by reviewers around the globe for its value and generational improvement, the Arc B Series shapes to be what the Blue Team needed to turn things around. Being the underdog in AMD’s and Nvidia’s duopoly over the graphics market, Intel won a huge number of consumers who were willing to give its products a shot if it meant a better future.
By going with the Arc B580 first, Intel tackled the glaring lack of affordable mid-range GPUs that aren’t starved for VRAM. Many users have been waiting years for the return of $200-tier cards that are more than display adapters. So much so, that Intel itself seemingly wasn’t expecting this level of interest for its $249 card. Stocks have sold out almost everywhere, and the remaining units are low even though Intel ships more each week.
“Demand for Arc B580 graphics cards is high and many retailers have sold through their initial inventory. We expect weekly inventory replenishments of the Intel Arc B580 Limited Edition graphics card and are working with partners to ensure a steady availability of choices in the market,” Intel spokesperson Mark Anthony Ramirez told The Verge.
Understandable since B580 beats the RTX 4060 in many games, especially at 1440p resolution – all while offering 50% more VRAM and being 16% cheaper. What not to like? Unfortunately, such a success is also detrimental to users who would like to get one since the wait could be long, not to mention scalpers who could worsen the situation. Thankfully, the latter is unlikely to happen since the main selling point of the B500 series GPUs is their low price.
Intel needs to fill shelves sooner rather than later as Nvidia’s and AMD’s upcoming GPUs are around the corner. Though unlikely for Nvidia, AMD is apparently also targeting the mid-range, which means competition for Intel. So, the Blue Team better grab free market share while it can.
