Intel (INTC) is expanding its graphics chip offerings with the debut of its Arc Pro B50 and B60 series workstation cards. The options, starting at $299 and $500 and higher, respectively, are designed for customers who don’t necessarily need or want to use cloud-based AI processors from the likes of Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), or Microsoft (MSFT).
Workstation systems provide strong security since data is processed on-site rather than being sent to the cloud. They’re also generally more customizable and offer instant access to powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) without the potential for having to wait for availability via cloud services.
Intel has been working on its Arc GPU platform for years. It currently offers its B-series chips for gamers, dubbed Battlemage, and an A-series range for workstations, though those cards are meant more for enterprise graphics and visual capabilities rather than AI.
The Arc Pro B50 and B60, however, offer more memory and functionalities that are designed specifically with AI in mind. The B50 is a mainstream chip that Intel says is designed for AI-assisted software engineering.
According to the company, entry workstation GPUs make up about 30% of the workstation market, offering Intel a clear opportunity to grab market share.
“We expect this to be very competitive and a very attractive solution, particularly for design and engineering,” Intel vice president and general manager of client graphics Vivian Lien told Yahoo Finance.
To do that, Intel has equipped the Arc Pro B50 with 16GB of memory and support for up to 170 TOPS, or trillions of operations per second. TOPS is a generally accepted means of measuring an AI chip’s rough performance capabilities.
The Arc Pro B60 has 24GB of memory and is capable of up to 197 TOPS. According to Lien, that chip is aimed at workstation customers who want to run resource-intensive AI applications.
Intel, like Nvidia (NVDA), is touting the need for customers to opt for high-end graphics chips to power AI models into the future. To that end, the company is also introducing its Project Battlematrix workstation system.
A complete PC, Project Battlematrix combines two to eight Arc Pro B60 GPUs supporting up to 192GB of memory with an Intel Xeon processor. Customers can use it to run AI software across their businesses.
Intel isn’t the only company with its own workstation GPUs or heavy-duty AI desktop systems. Nvidia has also announced its own RTX Pro AI chips and cards, as well as two desktop systems, the DGX Spark and DGX Station.
The DGX Spark is a pint-sized supercomputer that runs on Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell GB10 superchip. Then there’s Nvidia’s DGX Station. Outfitted with the company’s GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra superchip, the DGX Station provides up to 784GB of memory for AI applications.
Intel is working to prove that it’s not backing away from the GPU market while also proving it has what it takes to reclaim its crown atop the CPU market. While the B50 and B60 might not be as powerful as Nvidia’s offerings, they’re clear indications that the company is dedicated to gaining ground in the AI workstation market.
But it still has to prove it can hang in the larger, more lucrative hyperscaler market. And that remains to be seen.
Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoofinance.com. Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley.
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