Reddit user u/genxontech posted an image of two Intel Arc B570 cards in a car allegedly purchased from a local Micro Center branch. This news surprises the broader tech community, especially as Intel said during the launch of the Battlemage GPUs that they’ll be available starting January 16, 2025. However, enthusiasts likely want to get their hands on these new mid-range graphics cards as soon as possible, especially given the fantastic performance of the Intel Arc B580 for its $249 price tag.
These Battlemage cards are in demand, and the B580 is still hard to come by, even though Intel restocks these GPUs weekly. So, if it’s true that Micro Center has already started releasing its stocks of the Intel B580, users looking to get their hands on an entry-level GPU would likely want to visit a nearby branch right away.
However, it’s more likely that a Micro Center staff member made a mistake and sold these GPUs when they’re not supposed to go live yet. After all, even though Micro Center is a big retailer, it might get in legal trouble if it broke Intel’s launch date—whether accidentally or on purpose.
The user said he was looking for an Intel Arc B580 GPU, but it’s out of stock everywhere, and that he refused to pay a $150 premium on Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace listings. This makes it more likely for someone in their local Micro Center to make an error.
Aside from that, since the B570 isn’t officially launched yet, the user reported that their CPU does not see the GPU. Although Intel recently released an update to its graphics drivers that supports the latest Intel Battlemage GPUs, it’s likely that Intel still hasn’t released a driver for the B570 to avoid inadvertent leaks like this. This won’t be an issue for long, though, given that the user would only have to wait about four more days until the official launch—we could safely assume that the GPU would have drivers available by then.
With just a few more days until Intel launches the GPU, many budget gamers are excited to get their hands on a new graphics card that won’t break the bank. Let’s hope that the first wave of these Battlemage GPUs reaches real gamers and does not end up in the hands of scalpers looking to profit from the enthusiasm of people just wanting to enjoy modern graphics on a budget.
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