Intel Arc Pro B50 GPU launches, $349 for compact AI performance with 16GB of VRAM

The new Intel Arc Pro B50 GPU is available now, with the AI and workstation-focused graphics card delivering a viable alternative to AMD's Radeon Pro W7500 and NVIDIA's RTX A1000. Based on the 'Battlemage' architecture, it also supports DisplayPort 2.1, multiple displays, and hardware AV1 decoding for editors, with 16GB of GDDR6 memory for $349 - assuming the card is sold at close to MSRP pricing.

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Based on the Battlemage BMG-G21 GPU, the hardware consists of 16 Xe2 Cores, four fewer than the gaming-focused Intel Arc B580. However, with a maximum boost clock speed of 2600 MHz and a power rating of only 70W, it's being positioned as an affordable workstation GPU that can be paired with additional Intel Arc Pro B50 GPUs or easily slot into a compact case. Additionally, compared to the Intel Arc B580 12GB gaming GPU, its 16GB of GDDR6 memory is supported by a slower 128-bit interface, resulting in a total memory bandwidth of 224 GB/s.

With the launch of the Intel Arc Pro B50, our friends over at Igor's Lab have posted an in-depth review of Intel's new affordable workstation option, pitting it against AMD's Radeon Pro W7500 and NVIDIA's RTX A1000, and the results are impressive.

Reviewed in its dual-slot, low-profile form, which features double the VRAM capacity of AMD's and NVIDIA's entry-level alternatives, the Intel Arc Pro B50 proves to be a winner, with various UL Procyon AI benchmarks showing it comes out comfortably ahead. This aligns with Intel's own performance data, which showcases that the Intel Arc Pro B50 offers 1.7 times the Inference performance of the RTX A1000 while costing significantly less.

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The Intel Arc Pro B50 will be available as a standalone GPU, in addition to being part of OEM workstation systems. In addition to AI, the Intel Arc Pro B50 also outperforms its competitors in Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro benchmarks, which is impressive. For a full breakdown of the card's specs and performance, be sure to check out Igor's Lab's full review.