Intel Arc B580

Intel’s Arc B580 is a rarity: A $250 GPU that delivers solid 1080p and 1440p gaming, even with a bit of ray tracing.

With 12GB of memory, superb ray tracing chops, a single 8-pin power connector, and the ability to play 1440p games without severe compromise, Intel’s $249 Arc B580 is the budget graphics card gamers have been begging for since the pandemic. It’s a superb option for gamers who don’t want to spend $400+ on a GPU.

I think Intel did consider this, which is why they are launching now. I think they also understand that their pricing must be good enough for people to overlook some shortcomings in the product, and they have enough margins left to bring pricing down even further. It'll also be interesting to see what they have in store with B750 and B770. If you need a new GPU for Christmas, do consider the Arc B580.

Intel offers a great overall value in the Arc B580, sporting 12GB with a price that undercuts the competition while offering generally superior performance. Drivers still have occasional quirks, but things have improved a lot since Alchemist.

For the last few years, it felt like budget graphics cards were an afterthought for the big chip manufacturers. But with the Intel Arc B580, we finally have an exciting $249 graphics card again, one that soundly beats the competition at the same price point. The best part? We don’t have to wait a year for a budget card out of a new graphics architecture like we usually do – this affordable card is the star of the show.

The one thing the Arc B580 had to do was perform consistently, had it done so it would be the best budget gaming GPU out there. For games where it does perform it actually is right now. But inconsistency not only in straight performance, but also whether a game would run or not, have made it all but impossible to recommend this card at launch.

A long overdue disruption, Arc B580 represents a welcome step in the right direction for entry-level graphics cards.

A winner of a budget graphics card, Intel's "Battlemage"-based Arc B580 delivers superb 1080p performance at its $249 price, with very good ray-tracing pep and enough bandwidth to game at even higher resolutions with the right settings.