Intel (INTC, Financial) has expanded its graphics chip lineup by introducing the Arc Pro B50 and B60 workstation graphics cards. Priced starting at $299 and $500 respectively, these cards cater to customers who prefer local processing over cloud-based AI processors from companies like Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), or Microsoft (MSFT). Workstation systems offer enhanced security by processing data locally and provide customizable, instant access to powerful GPUs without relying on cloud resources.
Intel has been developing its Arc GPU platform for years, offering the B series chips for gamers and the A series for workstations, focusing on enterprise graphics and visual functions rather than AI. However, the Arc Pro B50 and B60 include more AI-specific memory and features. The B50, designed for AI-assisted software engineering, features 16GB of memory and up to 170 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of computing power. The B60, with 24GB of memory and 197 TOPS, targets workstations running resource-intensive AI applications.
Intel aims to capture a significant share of the entry-level workstation GPU market, which constitutes about 30% of the workstation market. The company also introduced the Project Battlematrix workstation system, combining multiple Arc Pro B60 GPUs with Intel Xeon processors for enterprise-wide AI software deployment.
While Intel faces competition from NVIDIA (NVDA), which offers its own RTX Pro AI chips and desktop systems, the Arc Pro B50 and B60 demonstrate Intel's commitment to capturing market share in the AI workstation sector, despite needing to prove itself in the broader, more lucrative supercomputing market.
