AMD Radeon Pro Vega II vs Intel Arc A770 Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a fascinating split decision. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II and Intel Arc A770 are not direct competitors in the traditional sense, yet their benchmark results place them in a statistical tie in certain workloads. The AMD card wins the Vulkan test by 5.7%, while the Intel card wins the OpenCL test by 9.3%. Each takes one head-to-head benchmark, making a clear overall victor impossible from the recorded measurements.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II is the pick for users prioritizing raw compute in Vulkan-based applications. Its score of 99,621 in that test edges out the Intel card’s 94,284, and its average benchmark score of 109,617 places it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. The Intel Arc A770, meanwhile, delivers a higher OpenCL score of 109,175 versus 99,048, and its overall average of 68,809 puts it in the 90th percentile. The Intel card also offers a dramatically different feature set, including dedicated ray tracing cores, which the AMD card lacks entirely.

For users who need maximum memory capacity for large datasets, the AMD card’s 32 GB of HBM2 is unmatched. For users who need modern API support and ray tracing, the Intel card’s DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 support are decisive. The AMD card is end-of-life with a launch MSRP of 2,199 USD, while the Intel card is also end-of-life with a launch MSRP of 329 USD. The data cannot tell users which is “better,” only which is better for specific tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from completely different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II uses the Vega 20 chip built on GCN 5.1 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Arc A770 uses the DG2-512 chip built on Xe-HPG architecture, fabricated on a 6 nm process, also at TSMC. The AMD card belongs to the Radeon Pro Mac (Vega Series) generation, while the Intel card belongs to the Alchemist (Arc 7) generation.

Transistor counts and die sizes tell a story of different design priorities. The AMD chip packs 13,230 million transistors into a 331 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 40.0M per mm². The Intel chip packs 21,700 million transistors into a 406 mm² die, for a density of 53.4M per mm². The Intel chip is both physically larger and denser, reflecting its more complex feature set.

The most significant architectural difference is the presence of ray tracing hardware. The Intel Arc A770 includes 32 dedicated RT cores, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has none listed. This is a generational gap: the AMD card was released in 2019, the Intel card in 2022. The Intel card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), a newer specification than the AMD card’s DirectX 12 (12_1). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.3 on AMD versus Vulkan 1.1.4 on Intel.

Memory systems are radically different as well. The AMD card uses 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 825.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The Intel card uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s. The AMD card’s memory clock is 806 MHz (1612 Mbps effective), while the Intel card’s memory clock is 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). The AMD card’s bandwidth advantage is substantial, at 61.3% higher than the Intel card.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data reveals a clear workload split. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II wins in Vulkan compute, scoring 99,621 versus the Intel Arc A770’s 94,284, a 5.7% advantage. The Intel Arc A770 wins in OpenCL compute, scoring 109,175 versus the AMD card’s 99,048, a 9.3% advantage. Users working in Vulkan-based applications should favor the AMD card, while users in OpenCL-based applications should favor the Intel card.

The AMD card’s massive 32 GB memory pool and 825.3 GB/s bandwidth suggest it is better suited for large, bandwidth-intensive workloads like high-resolution rendering or complex scientific simulations. Its 4096 shading units and 256 TMUs match the Intel card’s counts, but its 64 ROPs are half the Intel card’s 128. The AMD card’s pixel rate of 110.1 GPixel/s is significantly lower than the Intel card’s 307.2 GPixel/s, indicating the Intel card should excel at fill-rate-bound tasks.

The Intel card’s 32 RT cores make it the only option for ray-traced workloads. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 support mean it is ready for the latest graphics APIs, while the AMD card tops out at DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. The Intel card’s higher boost clock of 2400 MHz versus 1720 MHz, and higher FP32 performance of 19.66 TFLOPS versus 14.09 TFLOPS, indicate it should win in compute-heavy scenarios that are not memory-limited. The Intel card also consumes far less power, with a 225 W TDP versus the AMD card’s 475 W, and requires a 550 W suggested PSU versus the AMD card’s 850 W.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has an average benchmark score of 109,617, placing it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. The Intel Arc A770 has an average benchmark score of 68,809, placing it in the 90th percentile.

Q: Does the Intel Arc A770 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the Intel Arc A770 has 32 dedicated ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has no ray tracing cores listed in the database.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has 825.3 GB/s of bandwidth from its 32 GB HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus. The Intel Arc A770 has 512.0 GB/s from its 16 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has a 475 W TDP and requires a suggested 850 W PSU. The Intel Arc A770 has a 225 W TDP and requires a suggested 550 W PSU.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Arc A770 has a boost clock of 2400 MHz, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has a boost clock of 1720 MHz. The Intel card also has a higher base clock at 2100 MHz versus 1574 MHz.

Q: Are these cards still in production?

A: No, both are end-of-life products. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II was released in June 2019, and the Intel Arc A770 was released in October 2022.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head results show a split decision. In the geekbench_opencl test, the Intel Arc A770 scored 109,175 against the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II’s 99,048. This gives the Intel card a 9.3% lead, a substantial margin in compute workloads that favor OpenCL. The Intel card’s higher FP32 throughput of 19.66 TFLOPS versus 14.09 TFLOPS likely contributes to this result, as does its higher clock speed.

In the geekbench_vulkan test, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II scored 99,621 against the Intel Arc A770’s 94,284. The AMD card wins by 5.7%, a narrower margin than the Intel card’s OpenCL victory. The AMD card’s massive memory bandwidth of 825.3 GB/s may explain its Vulkan advantage, as Vulkan workloads often stress memory throughput more than raw shader performance.

The average benchmark scores tell a more complex story. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II’s average of 109,617 is 59.3% higher than the Intel Arc A770’s 68,809. However, this average includes different benchmark suites for each card. The AMD card has three recorded benchmarks (geekbench_metal at 130,183, geekbench_opencl at 99,048, and geekbench_vulkan at 99,621), while the Intel card has three different benchmarks (3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 at 2,969, geekbench_opencl at 109,175, and geekbench_vulkan at 94,284). The 3DMark score is on a different scale, which skews the Intel card’s average downward, as evidenced by its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA CMP 90HX has an average score of 69,000 with a delta of -0.3%, and the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 has 68,562 with a delta of 0.4%.

The AMD card’s nearest rivals also confirm its higher placement. The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 scores 110,725, just 1% above the Vega II. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile scores 113,944, 3.8% above. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo scores 106,750, 2.7% below, and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600X scores 107,342, 2.1% below. These tight margins show the Vega II sits in a competitive compute segment.

The Intel Arc A770’s nearest rivals cluster around its average. The NVIDIA CMP 90HX at 69,000 is 0.3% below, the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 at 68,562 is 0.4% below, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 at 69,870 is 1.5% above, and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 at 69,986 is 1.7% above. This tight grouping around 69,000 suggests the Arc A770 competes with older workstation cards in raw compute, despite its modern architecture and features.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II uses the Vega 20 chip on GCN 5.1 architecture, while the Intel Arc A770 uses the DG2-512 chip on Xe-HPG architecture. The AMD card is built on a 7 nm TSMC process, the Intel card on a 6 nm TSMC process. The AMD card has 13,230 million transistors on a 331 mm² die, while the Intel card has 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die.

Clock speeds favor the Intel card. The AMD card has a base clock of 1574 MHz and a boost clock of 1720 MHz. The Intel card has a base clock of 2100 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Memory clocks also differ: the AMD card runs at 806 MHz (1612 Mbps effective), while the Intel card runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective).

Memory configuration is a major differentiator. The AMD card has 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus with 825.3 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel card has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. Both have 4096 shading units and 256 TMUs, but the AMD card has 64 ROPs versus the Intel card’s 128. The AMD card has no RT cores; the Intel card has 32.

Performance rates favor the Intel card in most metrics. The AMD card delivers 110.1 GPixel/s and 440.3 GTexel/s, while the Intel card delivers 307.2 GPixel/s and 614.4 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 14.09 TFLOPS on AMD versus 19.66 TFLOPS on Intel. FP16 performance is 28.18 TFLOPS (2:1) on AMD versus 39.32 TFLOPS (2:1) on Intel.

Power and physical specifications differ substantially. The AMD card has a 475 W TDP, is quad-slot, and uses Apple MPX bus interface. The Intel card has a 225 W TDP, is dual-slot, uses PCIe 4.0 x16, and has 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors. The AMD card has no listed power connectors and requires an 850 W suggested PSU, while the Intel card requires a 550 W suggested PSU.

Display outputs and API support also differ. The AMD card has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 4x Thunderbolt outputs. The Intel card has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0 outputs. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Intel card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Release dates are June 2019 for AMD and October 2022 for Intel. Both are end-of-life, but the Intel card has a listed predecessor (Xe Graphics) and successor (Battlemage), while the AMD card has neither.