AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 vs Intel Arc B570 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 scores 7006, which is 164.5% higher than the Intel Arc B570's 2649.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B570 win any benchmark comparison?

A: Yes, the Intel Arc B570 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 96844, which is 34.4% higher than the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700's 63550.

Q: What is the difference in memory capacity between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 has 32 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the Intel Arc B570 has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in compute workloads?

A: The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 scores 15300 in Passmark GPU Compute, which is 110.1% higher than the Intel Arc B570's 7281.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 has a TDP of 300 W and a suggested PSU of 700 W. The Intel Arc B570 has a TDP of 150 W and a suggested PSU of 450 W.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 sits at the 69th percentile, while the Intel Arc B570 ranks at the 65th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 is built on the Navi 48 chip using RDNA 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Arc B570 uses the BMG-G21 chip with Xe2-HPG architecture, also from TSMC but on a 5 nm node. This process advantage helps AMD achieve a much higher transistor density: 151.0M per mm² versus 72.1M per mm² for Intel.

The die sizes differ significantly. AMD's chip measures 357 mm² and packs 53,900 million transistors, whereas Intel's die is 272 mm² with 19,600 million transistors. The larger transistor budget on AMD's side translates into nearly double the shading units: 4096 versus 2304. Texture mapping units also favor AMD heavily, with 256 TMUs against Intel's 144, and raster operation units stand at 128 for AMD versus 80 for Intel.

Ray tracing hardware shows a notable split. The AMD card includes 64 RT cores, while the Intel card has 18 RT cores. Neither GPU lists dedicated tensor cores, so both rely on their general-purpose compute pipelines for AI workloads. Clock behavior differs as well: AMD lists a base clock of 1660 MHz and a boost of 2920 MHz, while Intel runs a flat 2500 MHz for both base and boost. AMD also specifies a game clock of 2350 MHz, a figure Intel does not provide.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. AMD uses a 256-bit bus with 32 GB of GDDR6, delivering 644.6 GB/s of bandwidth. Intel uses a 160-bit bus with 10 GB of GDDR6, capping at 380.0 GB/s. The interface also differs: AMD runs PCIe 5.0 x16, while Intel runs PCIe 4.0 x8. These bus and memory differences have direct consequences for bandwidth-sensitive workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700, which wins 9 out of 10 comparisons. The largest margin comes from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where AMD's 7006 score eclipses Intel's 2649 by 164.5%. This is a comprehensive lead in modern DirectX 12 gaming workloads.

Legacy DirectX performance follows a similar pattern. In Passmark DirectX 10, AMD scores 155 versus Intel's 65, a 138.5% advantage. DirectX 11 shows AMD at 272 against Intel's 118, a 130.5% gap. Even DirectX 9, which often favors older architectures, sees AMD ahead with 363 versus 164, a 121.3% margin. The narrowest gaming-related win for AMD comes in Passmark DirectX 12, where 83 beats 72 by 15.3%.

Compute performance leans strongly toward AMD. The Geekbench OpenCL test shows AMD scoring 118202 against Intel's 83514, a 41.5% lead. Passmark GPU Compute amplifies this gap: AMD's 15300 is 110.1% higher than Intel's 7281. The Passmark G3D score also favors AMD heavily, with 26979 versus 14195, a 90.1% difference. Even the 2D test, Passmark G2D, shows AMD at 1236 against Intel's 661, an 87% advantage.

The single Intel victory is striking for its magnitude. In Geekbench Vulkan, Intel scores 96844 while AMD manages 63550, giving Intel a 34.4% lead. This is the only benchmark where the Arc B570 outperforms the R9700, and it does so by a substantial margin. The result suggests that Intel's Vulkan driver implementation is particularly well optimized, or that the Xe2-HPG architecture handles certain Vulkan workloads more efficiently.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. Process node: AMD uses 4 nm, Intel uses 5 nm. Transistor count: 53,900 million for AMD versus 19,600 million for Intel. Die size: 357 mm² versus 272 mm². Transistor density: 151.0M per mm² versus 72.1M per mm².

Clocks show distinct profiles. AMD's base clock is 1660 MHz and boost is 2920 MHz, with a game clock of 2350 MHz. Intel's base and boost are both 2500 MHz, with no game clock listed. Memory clocks also differ: AMD runs at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective), Intel at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity and bus width are major differentiators. AMD offers 32 GB on a 256-bit bus, while Intel offers 10 GB on a 160-bit bus. Bandwidth follows: 644.6 GB/s for AMD, 380.0 GB/s for Intel. Shading units, TMUs, and ROPs all favor AMD by roughly 1.8x, 1.8x, and 1.6x respectively. RT cores: AMD has 64, Intel has 18.

Pixel rate and texture rate reflect the core count differences. AMD achieves 373.8 GPixel/s and 747.5 GTexel/s, while Intel reaches 200.0 GPixel/s and 360.0 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 47.84 TFLOPS for AMD versus 11.52 TFLOPS for Intel. FP16 performance is interesting: AMD lists 47.84 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio with FP32), while Intel lists 23.04 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), meaning Intel's FP16 is double its FP32 rate.

Power and connectivity differ substantially. AMD has a 300 W TDP with a 700 W suggested PSU and a single 16-pin connector. Intel has a 150 W TDP with a 450 W suggested PSU and a single 8-pin connector. Both are dual-slot cards. Display outputs are similar: both offer 1x HDMI and 3x DisplayPort, though AMD uses HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 2.1a, while Intel uses HDMI 2.1a and DisplayPort 2.1.

Release dates are about six months apart. Intel launched on 2025-01-15, while AMD launched on 2025-07-22. The predecessor names differ: AMD's predecessor is the Radeon Pro Vega, Intel's is Alchemist.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 wins across nearly all measured categories. It dominates modern DirectX 12 gaming with a 164.5% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad. It also wins every Passmark DirectX test, from DirectX 9 through DirectX 12, with margins ranging from 15.3% to 138.5%. For users running legacy DirectX titles, the R9700 is the clear choice.

Compute workloads strongly favor AMD. The OpenCL score is 41.5% higher, and the Passmark GPU Compute score is 110.1% higher. The R9700 also leads in Passmark G3D by 90.1% and G2D by 87%. These results indicate advantages in general-purpose compute, rendering, and 2D acceleration tasks.

The Intel Arc B570 wins only in Geekbench Vulkan, where it beats the R9700 by 34.4%. This is a meaningful win for Vulkan-based applications, particularly games and compute workloads that use this API. The margin is large enough that Vulkan users may notice real performance benefits on the Intel card, especially in scenarios optimized for Xe2-HPG's ray tracing or compute units.

Power efficiency is another area where Intel has an argument. The Arc B570 draws 150 W versus AMD's 300 W, and its suggested PSU is 450 W versus 700 W. For users with power constraints or smaller PSUs, the Intel card is the more practical option despite its lower performance.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear performance hierarchy. The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 wins 9 of 10 benchmarks and does so by wide margins in most cases. Its 164.5% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad, 138.5% lead in DirectX 10, and 130.5% lead in DirectX 11 are decisive. Users who need maximum performance in DirectX 12 gaming, legacy DirectX titles, or compute-heavy workloads should choose the R9700.

The Intel Arc B570's single Vulkan victory is notable. A 34.4% lead in Geekbench Vulkan suggests that for Vulkan-specific applications, the Intel card can outperform a much more expensive and power-hungry GPU. Users who primarily run Vulkan-based games or Vulkan compute workloads should consider the Arc B570 seriously.

The R9700's 32 GB memory capacity is double-plus the Arc B570's 10 GB, and its 644.6 GB/s bandwidth is substantially higher than 380.0 GB/s. For workloads that require large memory footprints or high bandwidth, such as AI inference, large textures, or multi-tasking, the AMD card has a structural advantage that benchmark scores only partially capture.

The Intel Arc B570 offers a lower power profile at 150 W versus 300 W, and a smaller PSU requirement. For compact builds, office workstations, or systems with limited power delivery, the Arc B570 is the safer choice. Its 5 nm process and 2500 MHz flat clock also indicate a different design philosophy: consistent performance rather than boost-heavy behavior.

In summary, the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 is the stronger GPU in nearly every measurable way, with 9 wins, a 69th percentile ranking, and dominant margins in both gaming and compute. The Intel Arc B570 is a niche pick for Vulkan-focused users, offering a 34.4% advantage in that specific API, plus lower power requirements. The decision should rest on whether the user prioritizes overall performance, which clearly favors AMD, or Vulkan-specific efficiency and lower power draw, which favors Intel.