Intel’s second Battlemage GPU may reach users a month ahead of schedule as a German retailer lists ASRock Arc B570. This wouldn’t be the first time Arc B Series made it to users’ hands earlier.
Originally up for pre-order, German retailer Mindfactory has since listed the upcoming Arc B570 GPU as “in stock” much sooner than expected. The model in question is an Intel Arc B580 Challenger from ASRock, asking for €288.10 – including 19% VAT. Considering the US MSRP is $219, this euro price seems about right, putting it directly against the cheapest RTX 4060 models. It also sits well with current B570 preorders that can be found around €325.
This makes it a reasonable choice for those who want to upgrade or build a budget machine. Based on its 18 Xe2 core configuration, B570 should be about 10% slower than B580. Roughly, this will put it head-to-head with Nvidia’s RTX 4060 if we believe Intel’s B580 performance claims. That said, B570 features 10GB of VRAM against 8GB on the RTX 4060, which may give it an advantage in the latest games such as Indiana Jones.
Potential performance aside, we wonder how and why this GPU has been listed this early. After all, Intel has fixed a launch date for January 16, so seeing it listed as available raises a couple of questions. Did Intel have a change of heart? Or is it just a mistake from the retailer’s end?
Both seem possible. The first would mean that Team Blue wants to leverage the peacetime it still has before competing products begin storming the market early next year. Meanwhile, the second could be another repeat of Arc B580 cards, which were sent to users before launch as a result of that pesky one-letter difference between Arc Alchemist and Battlemage.
In any case, this doesn’t seem like a listing mistake since all information is correct, including the box pictures. Just keep aware that you might not actually receive the card early as something’s afoot here, even if launching the B570 sooner rather than later may be the best move before AMD and Nvidia counterattack.