Some gamers appear to be receiving their Intel Battlemage graphics cards a few days ahead of the sales embargo. A couple of card orders were delivered this week, instead of on Dec. 13. That’s when Intel is planning for the second generation of its Arc GPUs to go on sale.

Some people will inevitably deem this a paper launch, though if you ask Intel, demand is indeed high, as one might expect for a capable $249 graphics card.

It seems Intel has some work to do on Battemage’s Linux support as the B580 is much faster on Windows than on Linux, when normally it’s the other way around for Intel graphics.

Intel's new Arc B580 graphics card has flown off shelves, leaving gamers eager for more. This second-generation "Battlemage" card outperforms competit

Speaking to The Verge, Intel spokesperson Mark Anthony Ramirez said, “We expect weekly inventory of the Intel Arc B580 Limited Edition graphics card and are working with partners to ensure a steady availability of choices in the market.

While reviewers have showed the B580 doesn’t beat the 4060 and 7600 in every game, especially for gamers who still play at 1080p resolution, it does seem to pull ahead on averag