Intel Arc B580 could face RTX 5090-like fate as AI GPUs take priority

Intel’s Arc B580 could become the latest consumer graphics card to fall victim to the growing profitability of professional AI hardware. A new rumour suggests Intel is considering discontinuing its flagship Battlemage gaming GPU to prioritise higher-margin workstation products, mirroring recent reports about Nvidia’s alleged reallocation of GB202 chips away from the GeForce RTX 5090.

According to leaker Haze (@Haze2K1), Intel may designate the Arc B580 as an end-of-life product as it shifts resources toward its Arc Pro lineup. The leaker specifically mentions the Arc Pro B50, claiming that Intel’s professional GPUs are enjoying strong demand from AI inference customers.The Arc B580 uses Intel’s BMG-G21 silicon, which also powers professional products such as the Arc Pro B50 and B60. The consumer B580 offers 20 Xe cores and 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the B60 pairs 20 Xe cores with 24 GB of VRAM, with some manufacturers like Maxsun and Sparkle offering variants with up to 48 GB of VRAM.

A remarkably similar situation has developed at Nvidia. As we reported earlier, multiple sources claimed Nvidia was diverting GB202 GPUs from its GeForce RTX 5090 toward more lucrative RTX Pro graphics cards. Those rumours subsequently gained credibility when a board partner reportedly became unable to order RTX 5090 kits even on backorder. Nvidia nevertheless maintains that the RTX 5090 has not been discontinued and says shipments will continue.

The Arc B580 is also becoming harder to find at its original asking price. Launched in December 2024 for $249, the graphics card has recently been listed for approximately $330 at Newegg, while UK pricing has climbed to around £500 for certain models. To recall, Intel initially positioned the Arc B580 as a sub-$300 offering that delivered RTX xx60-70-class performance, making it one of the few value-for-money GPUs on the market. Sadly, it was afflicted with poor availability, even before the AI boom decimated the market.