AMD Radeon Instinct MI308X vs Intel Arc A380E x2 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Instinct MI308X and the Intel Arc A380E x2 occupy opposite extremes of the GPU market, and the recorded data confirms that no meaningful contest exists between them. The MI308X is a data center compute module built around the CDNA 3.0 architecture, while the A380E x2 is a compact embedded graphics card based on Xe-HPG. The benchmark results are empty, the win counts are zero for both sides, and both products sit at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database. This analysis compares their recorded specifications, architectural choices, and practical use cases based solely on the database entries.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for these two products. The wins field shows 0 for both the MI308X and the A380E x2, and the head-to-head benchmark array is empty. Consequently, this comparison must rely on the recorded specification data rather than measured performance scores.

The raw compute figures reveal a massive gap. The MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the A380E x2 provides 4.096 TFLOPS. This means the MI308X is roughly 20 times faster in single-precision floating-point work. In FP16, the MI308X reaches 653.7 TFLOPS using an 8:1 ratio, whereas the A380E x2 achieves 8.192 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio. The MI308X exceeds the A380E x2 by about 80 times in half-precision throughput when accounting for their respective ratios.

Memory bandwidth follows the same pattern. The MI308X has 10.3 TB/s of bandwidth from its HBM3 memory, while the A380E x2 has 186.0 GB/s from GDDR6. The MI308X delivers over 55 times the memory bandwidth. The memory capacity difference is even starker: 192 GB versus 6 GB, a 32-fold margin. The A380E x2 does hold advantages in certain output-focused metrics. Its pixel rate is 64.00 GPixel/s, while the MI308X records 0 MPixel/s because it has no ROPs and no display outputs. The A380E x2 also has 8 ray tracing cores, while the MI308X lists no ray tracing cores at all.

The A380E x2 wins on pixel throughput and ray tracing capability. The MI308X wins decisively on compute throughput, memory capacity, memory bandwidth, texture rate, and FP16 performance. The texture rates are 2,553.6 GTexel/s for the MI308X versus 128.0 GTexel/s for the A380E x2, a 20-fold difference that mirrors the FP32 gap.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more FP32 compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Instinct MI308X records 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 records 4.096 TFLOPS. The MI308X provides approximately 20 times the single-precision throughput.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: The MI308X uses 192 GB of HBM3 memory on an 8192-bit bus with 10.3 TB/s bandwidth. The A380E x2 uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The MI308X has 32 times the capacity and over 55 times the bandwidth.

Q: Does the Intel Arc A380E x2 have any performance advantages?

A: Yes. The A380E x2 has a pixel rate of 64.00 GPixel/s and 8 ray tracing cores, whereas the MI308X records 0 MPixel/s and no ray tracing cores. The A380E x2 also has 32 ROPs, while the MI308X lists 0 ROPs.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The MI308X has a TDP of 750 W and requires a suggested power supply of 1150 W. The A380E x2 has a TDP of 130 W and requires a suggested power supply of 300 W.

Q: What form factors do these GPUs use?

A: The MI308X is an OAM Module with no power connectors and no display outputs. The A380E x2 is a Single-slot card with 1x 6-pin power connector, 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, and dimensions of 265 mm by 127 mm by 20 mm.

Q: Which GPU has a newer release date?

A: The MI308X was released on 2023-12-05, and the A380E x2 was released on 2024-03-31. The A380E x2 is the newer product and is marked as end-of-life, with Battlemage listed as its successor.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Instinct MI308X wins in every category related to raw compute and data throughput. Its 81.72 TFLOPS FP32 and 653.7 TFLOPS FP16 make it suitable for large-scale floating-point workloads such as scientific simulation, AI training, and high-performance computing. The 192 GB HBM3 memory with 10.3 TB/s bandwidth supports massive datasets that would not fit in the 6 GB frame buffer of the A380E x2. The 2,553.6 GTexel/s texture rate indicates strong fill-rate performance for texture-heavy compute tasks. The 5 nm process node and 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die also point to a design optimized for maximum compute density rather than efficiency or output.

The Intel Arc A380E x2 wins in areas tied to display output and graphics rasterization. It provides 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, making it a functional graphics card for driving multiple monitors. Its 64.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 32 ROPs enable actual rasterization work, while the MI308X has no ROPs and no pixel rate. The 8 ray tracing cores give the A380E x2 hardware acceleration for ray-traced rendering, a feature entirely absent from the MI308X. The smaller 157 mm² die, 6 nm process, and 130 W TDP make it a more practical choice for embedded systems, digital signage, and multi-display configurations where power and physical space are constrained. The A380E x2 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the MI308X lists no API support in the database.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every recorded specification. The MI308X uses a 5 nm process, while the A380E x2 uses 6 nm. Transistor counts are 153,000 million for the MI308X and 7,200 million for the A380E x2. Die sizes are 1017 mm² and 157 mm² respectively. The MI308X has 19,456 shading units, 1,216 TMUs, and 0 ROPs. The A380E x2 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The MI308X lists no ray tracing cores, while the A380E x2 has 8.

Clock speeds differ significantly. The MI308X has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 2100 MHz. The A380E x2 has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2000 MHz. The A380E x2 actually runs at a higher base clock, but the MI308X reaches a higher boost clock. Memory clocks are 2525 MHz with 10.1 Gbps effective for the MI308X, and 1937 MHz with 15.5 Gbps effective for the A380E x2.

Memory type and bus width are completely different. The MI308X uses HBM3 with an 8192-bit bus and 192 GB capacity. The A380E x2 uses GDDR6 with a 96-bit bus and 6 GB capacity. TDP is 750 W for the MI308X and 130 W for the A380E x2. The suggested PSU is 1150 W for the MI308X and 300 W for the A380E x2. The MI308X is an OAM Module with no power connectors and no display outputs. The A380E x2 is a single-slot card with a 1x 6-pin connector and 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs. The bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 for the MI308X and PCIe 4.0 x8 for the A380E x2. The A380E x2 has physical dimensions of 265 mm length, 127 mm height, and 20 mm width, while the MI308X has no recorded dimensions.

Architecture Differences

The MI308X uses the CDNA 3.0 architecture with the Aqua Vanjaram chip, which is specialized for data center compute. The A380E x2 uses the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-128 chip from the Alchemist generation. CDNA 3.0 is designed around massive parallel compute with HBM3 memory, while Xe-HPG targets graphics workloads with GDDR6 memory and ray tracing hardware.

The process nodes differ: 5 nm for the MI308X and 6 nm for the A380E x2, both from TSMC. Transistor density reflects the architectural priorities. The MI308X has 150.4 million transistors per square millimeter, while the A380E x2 has 45.9 million per square millimeter. The MI308X packs far more transistors per area, consistent with a compute-focused design. The A380E x2 includes 8 ray tracing cores and 32 ROPs, which are graphics-specific features. The MI308X has no ROPs, no ray tracing cores, and no display outputs, confirming that it is not intended for rendering or display purposes.

The FP16 ratio also reveals architectural intent. The MI308X lists FP16 at 653.7 TFLOPS with an 8:1 ratio, meaning it sacrifices FP32 throughput for FP16 density, a common design choice for AI and machine learning workloads. The A380E x2 lists FP16 at 8.192 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, a more balanced approach suited to graphics and general-purpose compute. The pre-release status of the A380E x2 is recorded as end-of-life, with Battlemage as its successor, while the MI308X lists FirePro Data Center as its predecessor. The MI308X was released earlier on 2023-12-05, and the A380E x2 followed on 2024-03-31.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a straightforward conclusion: these GPUs are built for different tasks and should not be compared as alternatives. The AMD Radeon Instinct MI308X is a compute module with 81.72 TFLOPS FP32, 653.7 TFLOPS FP16, 192 GB of HBM3, and 10.3 TB/s bandwidth. It has no display outputs, no ROPs, and no ray tracing cores. Its 750 W TDP and OAM Module form factor place it in server racks for data center workloads.

The Intel Arc A380E x2 is a compact graphics card with 4.096 TFLOPS FP32, 8.192 TFLOPS FP16, 6 GB of GDDR6, and 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. It has 8 display outputs, 8 ray tracing cores, 32 ROPs, and a 64.00 GPixel/s pixel rate. Its 130 W TDP and single-slot design make it appropriate for embedded systems and multi-display setups.

Users requiring massive memory capacity, extreme compute throughput, or high-bandwidth data movement should select the MI308X. Users needing display outputs, ray tracing, or a low-power graphics solution should select the A380E x2. The MI308X offers 20 times the FP32 performance, 80 times the FP16 performance, 32 times the memory capacity, and over 55 times the memory bandwidth. The A380E x2 offers the only pixel rate, the only ray tracing cores, the only display outputs, and a much lower power draw. Neither product is a substitute for the other, and the database records no benchmark results to suggest otherwise.