Intel might be saving the CES 2026 show for something other than the expected "Panther Lake" laptop design showcase, as more evidence is growing that Intel's big Arc "Battlemage" GPU is getting ready for launch. This time, it is in Intel's software libraries, which are now enabling support for the yet non-existent Arc B770 GPU. Inside Intel's SYCL templates for linear algebra, which accelerate math with heavy software and hardware optimization, there is a mention of B770 inside "Battlemage" recognition software. This means that Intel is likely scheduling the launch of the big "Battlemage" BMG-31 GPU to coincide with the CES 2026 launch of "Panther Lake," likely as a surprise to gamers and those wanting to upgrade their older "Alchemist" systems.

The Arc B770 GPU will be equipped with roughly 32 Xe2 cores and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit interface. The design is reported to offer a full PCIe 5.0 x16 connection and will be available in multiple SKUs, allowing Intel to cater to both gamers and professional users. A workstation-oriented Arc Pro variant could further expand memory capacity for single-GPU configurations. This GPU is expected to have a 300 W TDP , marking Intel's highest-ever rating in the consumer Arc discrete GPU sector. A 300 W board-level rating significantly exceeds Intel's recent mainstream offerings. Previous high-end cards, like the Arc "Alchemist" A770 and several B-series "Battlemage" models, have board power figures ranging from 190 to 225 W.