Intel is back with a new GPU! Say hello to the Intel Arc B580 “Battlemage”. This is Intel’s shot at taking on NVIDIA and AMD in the budget gaming scene. It’s aimed right at cards like the NVIDIA RTX 4060 and AMD RX 7600. But can it win the battle?
We took the B580 for a test drive. Let’s break down the performance, features, and value — all in an easy-to-understand way.
Specs at a Glance
- GPU Name: Arc B580 “Battlemage”
- VRAM: 12GB GDDR6
- Base Clock: 2.2GHz
- Ray Tracing Cores: Yes
- AI Boost Cores: Yes (similar to tensor cores)
- Price: $249 USD
This card falls in between the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 — not just in specs, but also in price. But does it punch above its weight? Time to find out!
Performance: Games Face-off!
To keep it fair, all benchmarks were run at 1080p and high settings. Here’s how the Battlemage stacks up.
Frames Per Second (FPS) – Popular Games
| Game | Arc B580 | RTX 4060 | RX 7600 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 63 FPS | 68 FPS | 66 FPS |
| Forza Horizon 5 | 92 FPS | 95 FPS | 89 FPS |
| Call of Duty: MW II | 108 FPS | 109 FPS | 107 FPS |
| Fortnite (DX12) | 135 FPS | 141 FPS | 129 FPS |
Overall, the B580 hangs right in there. It’s only a few FPS behind the 4060 and sometimes ahead of the RX 7600. That’s impressive for a newcomer!
DLSS, FSR, and XeSS Battle
Each GPU has its secret weapon for performance boosts:
- NVIDIA 4060: DLSS 3
- AMD RX 7600: FSR 2.2
- Intel Arc B580: XeSS (updated version)
Intel’s XeSS has come a long way. It now works on a bunch of games and really helps boost frame rates. In titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, switching XeSS on pushed FPS from 92 to 118!
Thermals & Power
The B580 runs cool. Average temps under load stayed around 73°C. Fan noise was also quiet compared to the RTX 4060. Power draw was under 170W, which is efficient considering the performance.
Drivers & Software
This is where Intel still needs a bit more polish. Driver updates have improved A LOT since the Arc A770 days. But we ran into a few crashes in older games and some frame pacing issues. Thankfully, Intel seems committed to fixing these regularly.
The Arc Control software is clean and easy to use. Overclocking, fan tuning, and performance monitoring are all baked in.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy It?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons.
Pros:
- Great 1080p performance
- Good price-to-performance ratio
- Cool and quiet operation
- XeSS boosts without major artifacts
Cons:
- Still needs driver improvement
- Fewer game-ready optimizations at launch
- New platform — less mature than NVIDIA or AMD
The Bottom Line: If you’re building a mid-range gaming PC and want something fresh, the Arc B580 is a solid pick. It competes closely with its rivals and costs less. Just make sure you update the drivers regularly.
Intel’s second try is a charm. Not perfect, but pretty darn good. And with more updates, it may become even better over time.
Let the Battlemage battle begin!
