AMD Radeon 880M vs Intel Arc A380 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a surprisingly competitive split between the Intel Arc A380 and the AMD Radeon 880M, with each claiming victories in distinct performance domains. The Intel Arc A380 wins 4 of the 10 head-to-head tests, while the AMD Radeon 880M takes 6. The most dramatic gap appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the Intel Arc A380 scores 808 against the Radeon 880M's 535 — a 51% advantage. This is the largest delta in either direction and suggests the discrete GPU holds a decisive edge in modern, API-heavy workloads.

However, the Radeon 880M strikes back forcefully in PassMark's DirectX 11 test, scoring 73 versus the Arc A380's 38, representing a 47.9% swing in AMD's favor. This pattern — Intel winning newer DX12 while AMD dominates legacy DX11 — hints at divergent driver optimization strategies and architectural priorities. The Geekbench Vulkan results further complicate the narrative: the AMD Radeon 880M posts 40006 points, edging out the Intel Arc A380's 36736 by 8.2%. Meanwhile, the OpenCL test flips back to Intel, with the Arc A380's 38224 beating the 880M's 31285 by 22.2%.

Compute-oriented workloads show a clear AMD advantage. PassMark GPU Compute gives the Radeon 880M 3719 points versus 2762 for the Arc A380, a 25.7% lead. The 2D graphics test similarly favors AMD, with the 880M scoring 969 against Intel's 610 — a 37% margin. The overall PassMark G3D score reinforces this, showing the Radeon 880M at 7615 versus the Arc A380's 6252, a 17.9% difference. In legacy DirectX 9, AMD also prevails, scoring 97 to Intel's 73, a 24.7% gap. Intel manages narrow wins in DirectX 10 (37 vs 31, up 19.4%) and DirectX 12 (35 vs 32, up 9.4%), but these are small absolute numbers.

The average benchmark scores tell a nuanced story: the Intel Arc A380 averages 8558 across all tests, while the AMD Radeon 880M averages 8436. The Arc A380's nearest rival in average score is the AMD FirePro W5170M at 8595, a negligible 0.4% difference. The Radeon 880M sits just 1.4% behind the Arc A380 in average score, with its closest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX at 8427. These figures place both GPUs in the 43rd–44th percentile of all GPUs, indicating mid-pack positioning overall despite their divergent micro-benchmark profiles.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural split between these two is stark. The Intel Arc A380 uses the DG2-128 chip built on TSMC's 6 nm process, implementing the Xe-HPG architecture from the Alchemist generation (Arc 3). It packs 7,200 million transistors into a 157 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.9 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the AMD Radeon 880M leverages the Strix Point chip on TSMC's 4 nm node, using the RDNA 3.5 architecture from the Navi III IGP generation. Its die is larger at 233 mm² but houses a far greater 34,000 million transistors, achieving a density of 145.9 million per square millimeter — more than three times Intel's density.

These process and density differences translate into divergent compute configurations. The Intel Arc A380 fields 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, along with 8 ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon 880M counters with 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs, but boasts 12 ray tracing cores. Clock speeds also differ dramatically: the Arc A380 runs at a base of 2000 MHz boosting to 2050 MHz, while the Radeon 880M starts at a low 400 MHz but boosts to 2900 MHz. This higher boost clock helps AMD compensate for its lower core count.

Memory architecture represents a fundamental philosophical divide. The Intel Arc A380 is a discrete card with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, delivering 186.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 880M is an integrated GPU sharing system memory, with its bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the 880M's performance scales with the host system's memory configuration, while the Arc A380 offers fixed, predictable bandwidth. Pixel rates reflect this: Intel achieves 65.60 GPixel/s versus AMD's 46.40 GPixel/s, though texture rates are closer at 131.2 GTexel/s for Intel and 139.2 GTexel/s for AMD. FP32 throughput slightly favors AMD at 4.454 TFLOPS against Intel's 4.198 TFLOPS, while FP16 shows a major divergence: Intel reaches 8.397 TFLOPS via 2:1 rate, while AMD stays at 4.454 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio.

Power and physical characteristics could not differ more. The Arc A380 is a dual-slot card drawing 75 W TDP, requiring a 1x 8-pin power connector and a 250 W suggested PSU. It measures 222 mm in length, 114 mm in height, and 42 mm in width. The Radeon 880M is an IGP with a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, and dimensions dependent on the portable device. Both use PCIe 4.0 x8 interfaces and support identical API levels: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Display outputs differ, with Intel offering 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0, while AMD's outputs are "Portable Device Dependent."

Where Each One Wins

The data points to distinct use-case strengths. The Intel Arc A380 excels in scenarios demanding high-bandwidth, low-latency graphics memory — its 186.0 GB/s dedicated GDDR6 bandwidth gives it a 51% edge in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, suggesting superiority in modern games and applications that leverage DirectX 12's low-level features. Its higher pixel rate of 65.60 GPixel/s and superior OpenCL performance (22.2% ahead) position it well for compute tasks that favor dedicated memory and higher ROP counts. The Arc A380's dual-slot form factor and 8 GB of GDDR6 (though the pack specifies 6 GB) make it suitable for desktop builds where space and power are available.

The AMD Radeon 880M dominates in legacy DirectX 9 and DirectX 11 workloads, winning by 24.7% and 47.9% respectively. Its PassMark G3D score of 7615 (17.9% ahead) and GPU Compute score of 3719 (25.7% ahead) indicate stronger overall rasterization and compute throughput in conventional benchmarks. The 880M's 9.7% higher FP32 throughput (4.454 TFLOPS vs 4.198 TFLOPS) and 12 ray tracing cores versus Intel's 8 suggest potential advantages in ray-traced content, despite the lack of dedicated VRAM. Its 15 W TDP makes it ideal for thin-and-light laptops where power efficiency is paramount, and its system-shared memory architecture means it can leverage high-speed system RAM when available.

The 2D performance gap is notable: the Radeon 880M's 969 PassMark G2D score versus Intel's 610 (37% ahead) implies better desktop compositing, video playback, and general UI responsiveness. This, combined with the Vulkan win (40006 vs 36736, 8.2% ahead), suggests AMD's integrated solution handles API abstraction layers more consistently. Meanwhile, Intel's narrow DirectX 10 and DirectX 12 wins (19.4% and 9.4%) are offset by their small absolute scores, indicating these are not decisive advantages. The overall picture: Intel wins where memory bandwidth and modern API optimization matter; AMD wins where raw compute, legacy compatibility, and power efficiency dominate.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc A380 averages 8558 across all tests, while the AMD Radeon 880M averages 8436. This gives Intel a 1.4% advantage in average score, though both sit within 1.4% of each other.

Q: How do they compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The Intel Arc A380 wins the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test with 808 points versus the Radeon 880M's 535, a 51% margin. In PassMark's DirectX 12 test, Intel also wins but by a much narrower 9.4% (35 vs 32).

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between them?

A: The largest delta is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where Intel leads by 51%. The second-largest is in PassMark DirectX 11, where AMD leads by 47.9%.

Q: Which GPU is better for compute workloads?

A: The AMD Radeon 880M wins PassMark GPU Compute with 3719 points versus Intel's 2762, a 25.7% advantage. However, Intel wins Geekbench OpenCL by 22.2% (38224 vs 31285), suggesting the answer depends on the compute API used.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Arc A380's closest rival is the AMD FirePro W5170M at 8595 average score, just 0.4% behind. The Radeon 880M's closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX at 8427, only 0.1% behind.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The Intel Arc A380 has a 75 W TDP and requires a 250 W suggested PSU, while the AMD Radeon 880M has a 15 W TDP and uses no power connectors, being an integrated GPU.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Arc A380 | AMD Radeon 880M |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | DG2-128 | Strix Point |

| Architecture | Xe-HPG | RDNA 3.5 |

| Generation | Alchemist (Arc 3) | Navi III IGP (Strix Point Mobile) |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 4 nm |

| Transistors | 7,200 million | 34,000 million |

| Die Size | 157 mm² | 233 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 45.9M / mm² | 145.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 2000 MHz | 400 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2050 MHz | 2900 MHz |

| Memory Size | 6 GB | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus Width | 96 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 186.0 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Shading Units | 1024 | 768 |

| TMUs | 64 | 48 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| RT Cores | 8 | 12 |

| Pixel Rate | 65.60 GPixel/s | 46.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 131.2 GTexel/s | 139.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.198 TFLOPS | 4.454 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 8.397 TFLOPS (2:1) | 4.454 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 75 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | None |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 2.0 | Portable Device Dependent |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2022-06-13 | 2024-07-14 |

| Predecessor | Xe Graphics | Navi II IGP |

| Successor | Battlemage | None |

| Launch MSRP | 149 USD | None |

The Verdict

The data supports a clear but conditional recommendation. For desktop users prioritizing modern DirectX 12 gaming and applications that benefit from dedicated memory bandwidth, the Intel Arc A380 wins decisively — its 51% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is the single largest performance gap in any test. The discrete 6 GB GDDR6 configuration with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth provides consistent, predictable performance that system-shared memory cannot match. The Arc A380 also edges ahead in average benchmark score (8558 vs 8436) and holds a 44th percentile ranking versus the 880M's 43rd.

However, for mobile or ultra-portable systems where power efficiency is critical, the AMD Radeon 880M's 15 W TDP versus the Arc A380's 75 W makes it the only viable choice despite its lower average score. The 880M's victories in PassMark G3D (7615 vs 6252), GPU Compute (3719 vs 2762), and DirectX 11 (73 vs 38) indicate strong general-purpose and legacy workload capabilities. Its 12 ray tracing cores versus Intel's 8, combined with 4.454 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, suggest better raw compute density. The 880M also benefits from being an active product released in 2024, while the Arc A380 is end-of-life with a successor (Battlemage) already announced. The Arc A380 carries a 149 USD launch MSRP, though no comparable price exists for the integrated 880M. Ultimately, the choice hinges on form factor and workload: desktop DX12 enthusiasts should pick Intel; portable users and legacy-applications-heavy workflows should pick AMD.