I know this site doesn't concern itself with Intel wins (not that there have been any in recent years) but Battlemage is a genuinely good product that got good reviews and quickly sold out. While it assuredly does nothing to change Intel's woes, it's still worth asking, what did Intel get right this time in how they executed to make this product a success. I personally think it's tenacity. Intel really wanted to enter this market and wanted it to be for real this time. There have been many failures under Raja and a lot of money wasted, but a lot of learnings too. But unlike their normal MO, they never gave up and eventually got this win. Your opinions?
11 replies (most recent on top)
Nothing went right.
This is not competitive and not profitable.
There is no supply which is a sign that this is not a real launch.
Wake us up when this thing really launches.
It was done very cheaply. Bangalore and Chengdu, lots of contractors. It’s barely an Intel product.
Selling it significantly below BOM cost, not to mention recouping billions in R&D investment - it's a pretty good deal for the customers, but terrible for Intel shareholders.
It doesn't matter how good Battlemag is, I would never buy it. Intel has a history of walking away from product lines and leaving consumers high and dry.
You are missing to disclose the margin of each unit sold. We all know it is NEGATIVE. Selling at a loss has been the Intel way...But this will change under new stock ticker and company name. The end is for sure coming.
General Zorb says we are all doomed!
Pathetic design that will owe gratitude to brilliance of sales and marketing team for any units that sell.
Intel will just layoff Battlemage support staff in a couple months.
Let's be honest, the success is primarily due to competitive pricing. I'd be surprised if there are positive margins, and it wouldn't shock me if it's being sold at a loss. That said, it’s a solid second step after the disastrous launch of Alchemist. Battlemage builds on the driver improvements from that initial attempt, but honestly, DG1 was supposed to set that foundation—and as with much of Intel's history, they’re late to capitalize. If Intel can execute according to plan, they’ll be in a much stronger position. Otherwise, they'll be forced to compete on price with razor-thin margins.
I’m glad MJ is keeping Intel Graphics on track, and I hope the B580 and B570 sell well enough to prove there’s a viable market for Intel in the mainstream space. This could help them evolve into a more mature competitor to Nvidia. Intel’s software side has potential—assuming the team hasn't been gutted with layoffs (looking at you, Retire/ISP). Nvidia has shown that AI is almost impossible to do without strong GPU support, and so far, no other accelerators or independent efforts have garnered the same attention, except perhaps from sanctioned China.
What will be margins in this product ?
What was the original shipping date ?
How big is this market ?
Is it really a win since it is made on TSMC 4nm?