Recently, the tech community has been abuzz with rumors about a 24GB variant of the Intel Arc B580. The gossip began when Sparkle's Bilibili account seemingly confirmed the existence of this GPU, and a media manager hinted at a possible release window between May and June. However, these claims were quickly rebuffed when Sparkle officially retracted its initial statements. This retraction might be an attempt to contain any fallout from what could have been a breach of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). While it’s difficult to say for sure, such a move is not unprecedented. Intel first unveiled its Arc Battlemage GPU lineup in December of last year. The lineup includes models like the Intel Arc B570 and B580, which are built using the BMG-G21 die. This die features a 192-bit interface, divided into six memory channels. Shipping documents have suggested the possibility of alternative BMG-G31 and BMG-G10 variants, potentially for the B700 and B300 families, though Intel has yet to confirm these models. This alleged slip-up aligns with previous rumors, indicating that the 24GB variant could be part of Intel's Arc Pro family. This family is designed for AI applications and is expected to succeed the current Alchemist-based Flex or Pro-series offerings. According to the rumors, the BMG-G21 die, similar to that used in the B580, would be equipped with 24GB of memory, achieved through the use of 12 x 16Gb modules in a clamshell configuration. This represents a significant upgrade from Intel's current Arc Pro A60, which offers only 12GB of VRAM. Architecturally, the Battlemage series is one generation behind both Nvidia and AMD's latest offerings. While it may not outperform high-end GPUs like Nvidia's Blackwell PRO or AMD's upcoming Radeon PRO W9000 in raw compute tasks, it can still hold its own in AI training and inference. These applications often require substantial VRAM, making the 24GB variant a potential competitor in scenarios involving Large Language Models (LLMs) and image/video generation models like Stable Diffusion. From a cost perspective, the economics are challenging for Intel. At similar die sizes, Intel's B580, which measures 272mm² and uses the N5 process, is priced at $249. On the other hand, Nvidia's RTX 5070, with a 263mm² die using the N4P process, is priced at $549. While the cost of N4P wafers might be slightly higher than N5, the price difference is still significant. This gap highlights Intel's performance per area (PPA) and architectural limitations. Despite the retraction, the rapid sequence of Sparkle's comments and their subsequent removal suggests that there might be more to the story. If the 24GB variant does indeed exist, it is likely that Intel will reveal more details at upcoming tech events such as Computex. This is similar to the manner in which Intel unveiled the Lunar Lake processor last year. In summary, while the rumors have been quashed for now, the community remains eager for Intel to confirm or deny the existence of the 24GB Arc B580. The potential implications for AI and other compute-intensive tasks make this an exciting prospect, and tech enthusiasts will be keeping a close eye on Intel's future announcements.