For those who came in late, this is Chipzilla’s next-generation Xe2-HPG graphics architecture for discrete desktop and mobile GPUs.

The source of the rumour is DigiTimes, but the Taiwanese site Ctee reported in April that Intel is considering using the 4nm node for Battlemage and the 3nm node for Celestial (Xe3 architecture).

Currently, Intel’s Arc Alchemist GPUs, which feature up to 32 Xe-Cores, are also manufactured by TSMC. The Battlemage GPU will continue with 32 cores but will use the updated Xe2 core.

The shift to a smaller 4nm node may allow Intel to significantly increase complexity, boost clock speeds, and enable more advanced logic. According to rumours, enhanced ray tracing acceleration, a key feature of the Battlemage upgrade, is also expected.

Intel Arc GPU Architectures:

- Xe-HPG dGPU (Alchemist): TSMC N6

- Xe-LPG iGPU (Meteor Lake): TSMC N5

- Xe2-HPG dGPU (Battlemage): TSMC 4nm 

- Xe2-LPG iGPU (Lunar Lake): TSMC N3

- Xe3-HPG dGPU (Celestial): TSMC 3nm 

Intel has not recently provided new updates on Battlemage. However, the company introduced its Xe2 architecture as part of the upcoming Lunar Lake platform. This platform will use the TSMC N3 node for its integrated graphics tile and feature the Xe2-LPG, a low-power variant for laptops.

Rumours suggest that Intel will introduce at least two graphics processors: the BMG-21 with 20 and BMG-31 with 32 Xe2 cores. This new architecture is expected to be released in 2025 at the earliest.

Other GPU vendors are also slated to launch their high-end and mid-range solutions in 2025, while NVIDIA is expected to introduce enthusiast-class GPUs in 2024.