Intel Battlemage GPUs: New PCI IDs Hint at Higher Performance Options

Rumors are milling in the graphics card domain once again. This time, it's Intel's Battlemage GPUs taking the breeze. Eagle-eyed people have been digging into open-source Linux graphics drivers. They have found something interesting. There are three brand-new PCI device IDs associated with Battlemage. The Discovery: More Than Meets the Eye? For now, Intel's Arc Battlemage series has given us the B570 and B580 cards. These are solid entry points. However, most people are waiting for higher-performance options. They want cards to go toe-to-toe with more established GPU giants. This is where these new PCI IDs get interesting. As noticed in the Mesa 3D graphics driver code – the open-source driver used on Linux systems – three new IDs have appeared: 0xe210, 0xe215, and 0xe216. One ID, 0xe210, is clearly marked "BMG G21" – the chip behind the existing Arc cards. The other two are only marked "BMG." This subtlety is feeding the rumor mill. Could these unnamed IDs…