Intel Arc Pro B50 and B60: High-VRAM Workstation GPUs for Creators and AI Developers
Published: 05-28-2025
IMAGE CREDIT: Intel
Intel has unveiled the Arc Pro B50 and Arc Pro B60 graphics cards. A new B-series of professional GPUs targeted at workstation users. Announced at Computex 2025, these cards are built on Intel’s second-generation Xe2 “Battlemage” architecture and come packed with unusually large memory allocations (16 GB and 24 GB, respectively) to accelerate professional workloads in content creation, 3D design, and AI development.
With features like dedicated AI cores and ray tracing units, the Arc Pro B50 and B60 aim to deliver practical performance and value for engineers, creators, and data scientists looking for capable yet affordable GPU options.
Battlemage Architecture and Key Features
IMAGE CREDIT: Intel
Under the hood, both the Arc Pro B50 and B60 leverage Intel’s Xe2 GPU microarchitecture (code-named Battlemage), which succeeds the earlier Alchemist generation. This means updated Xe-cores with enhanced performance and full support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI processing. Each GPU includes specialized XMX (Xe Matrix Extension) cores for matrix operations to speed up AI inference, alongside the ray tracing units for real-time rendering. The B-series represents a substantial jump over Intel’s previous Arc Pro A-series: for context, the older Arc Pro A50 had only 6 GB of VRAM and PCIe 4.0 connectivity, whereas the new B50/B60 cards feature much higher memory and PCIe 5.0 support for greater bandwidth.
The Arc Pro B50 is equipped with 16 Xe cores and 128 XMX engines, yielding up to 170 INT8 TOPS of AI performance. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus (224 GB/s bandwidth) and has a surprisingly-low 70 W total board power.
Meanwhile, the Arc Pro B60 maxes out the Battlemage GPU with 20 Xe cores and 160 XMX engines (~197 INT8 TOPS), alongside 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit interface (456 GB/s bandwidth).
The B60’s power envelope is configurable between 120 W and 200 W depending on board design and usage. Both cards use a PCIe 5.0 x8 interface, which Intel notes can improve data transfer rates from system memory and yield ~10–20% better performance in certain data-heavy tasks compared to older PCIe 4.0 cards.
Ample VRAM and Efficient Design for Workstations
The B50 offers 16 GB of video memory – double or more what similarly priced pro GPUs from NVIDIA typically provide (often 6–8 GB).
The higher-end B60 provides 24 GB VRAM, surpassing mid-tier rivals that commonly top out at 16 GB.
This abundance of memory means these cards can handle large 3D models, complex scenes, and sizable datasets without bogging down, which is especially beneficial for tasks like high-resolution video editing, architectural rendering, and AI model training.
Beyond memory, the cards are designed with practical workstation integration in mind. The Arc Pro B50 is a low-profile, dual-slot card rated at 70 W TDP, meaning it’s highly power-efficient. In fact, at 70 W it can draw all needed power from the PCIe slot (no external power connector required).
Intel’s idea is that multiple B50 cards could be combined to create affordable AI systems with large aggregate memory – for example, two B50s would provide 32 GB VRAM for significantly less cost than a single higher-end GPU.
The Arc Pro B60, in contrast, is a full-height card meant for more powerful systems. Its 120–200 W power range gives partners flexibility to offer both efficient passively cooled versions or higher-clockspeed active cooling models.
The broad power envelope is because Intel is working with third-party board partners to produce the B60 in various form factors. ASRock showed a fanless dual-slot B60, while Maxsun demonstrated a dual-GPU board that places two B60 GPUs (48 GB total VRAM) on one card.
Both B-series cards support up to 4 simultaneous displays (via DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1 outputs) and hardware acceleration for modern media codecs (including H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 encode/decode).
This makes them well-suited for media production environments where driving multiple high-resolution monitors or performing 8K video encoding is required. Intel has balanced the Arc Pro B50/B60’s raw specs to emphasize memory capacity and efficiency. Critical for professionals while still providing the necessary throughput and I/O for creative workflows.
Pricing and Availability
Pricing for the Arc Pro cards is highly competitive. The Intel Arc Pro B50 comes in at an MSRP of $299 for the 16 GB model.
This price undercuts most comparable NVIDIA Quadro/RTX and AMD Radeon Pro offerings, considering their lower memory configurations. The higher-end Arc Pro B60 does not have a fixed Intel-set MSRP, but Intel estimates its “card value” to be around $500 for a 24 GB GPU.
Are These Cards For You?
IMAGE CREDIT: Intel
Overall, the Intel Arc Pro B50 and B60 launch marks an exciting development for workstation professionals—particularly those who have felt constrained by the limited memory on mid-range NVIDIA/AMD cards or the high price of entry for larger VRAM models. By offering 16 GB and 24 GB options at aggressive prices, Intel is addressing real pain points in fields like 3D modeling, architecture (AEC), video production, and machine learning. For a CAD engineer or 3D artist, a $299 card that can comfortably handle a large assembly or complex scene without running out of memory is a very practical proposition. Similarly, an independent AI developer or data scientist can now consider a 24 GB GPU at around $500, which opens the door to experimenting with sizable models (or multiple models concurrently) on a single workstation.
The Arc Pro B-series also emphasizes versatility. The low-power B50 can be sprinkled into compact workstations or multi-GPU rigs to cheaply scale out memory and inference throughput. The beefier B60 can serve as a cost-effective backbone for AI inference servers or high-end content creation rigs – especially with the prospect of combining several of them for near-linear scaling in memory capacity. Intel’s focus on ISV driver certification and cross-compatibility (one driver supporting both consumer gaming and pro apps) means users don’t have to sacrifice general usability for professional stability; a system with an Arc Pro can still run games or standard apps, while using pro drivers when needed for critical workloads.
Of course, real-world testing will ultimately determine how well Intel’s claims hold up. But the early signs – including improved driver stability from the Arc A-series days and endorsements from system integrators at Computex – indicate that Intel is serious about gaining a foothold in the pro graphics market.
At Titan Computer USA, we can’t wait to get our hands on these cards and put them through the paces, to see if they measure up to the standards our customers have come to expect. Watch this space!
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