AMD Radeon RX 7900M vs Intel Arc A380E x2 Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the fundamental architectural difference between the AMD Radeon RX 7900M and the Intel Arc A380E x2?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture on a 5 nm TSMC process with the Navi 31 chip, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 uses the Xe-HPG architecture on a 6 nm TSMC process with the DG2-128 chip. The AMD part belongs to the Radeon RX 7000 series and the Navi Mobile (RX 7000M) generation, whereas the Intel part is from the Alchemist (Arc 3) generation.

Q: Which GPU has a larger memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M offers 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Arc A380E x2 provides 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD solution delivers over three times the memory bandwidth.

Q: What are the transistor counts and die sizes of these two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M contains 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 109.1M per mm². The Intel Arc A380E x2 has 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, giving a density of 45.9M per mm². The AMD chip is dramatically larger and denser.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M sits at the 94th percentile against all GPUs in the database, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 ranks at the 50th percentile. The AMD part has an average benchmark score of 97487, whereas the Intel part has an average benchmark score of 0 in the recorded data.

Q: What display outputs does each GPU provide?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M has display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent," since it is an integrated GPU (IGP) with no slot width. The Intel Arc A380E x2 is a single-slot card with 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M has a TDP of 180 W and uses no power connectors because it is integrated. The Intel Arc A380E x2 has a TDP of 130 W and requires a single 6-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 300 W.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon RX 7900M and Intel Arc A380E x2 represent two very different design philosophies and market positions. The data shows that the AMD part is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, specifically the Navi 31 chip with the codename Plum Bonito, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The Intel part uses the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-128 chip, also fabricated at TSMC but on a 6 nm process. The process node difference alone gives AMD a manufacturing advantage in transistor density.

The transistor counts reveal the scale of the disparity. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M packs 57,700 million transistors onto a 529 mm² die, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 contains just 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die. This translates to a transistor density of 109.1M per mm² for AMD versus 45.9M per mm² for Intel. The AMD chip is not merely larger; it is more than twice as dense per square millimeter, which indicates a much more complex design with more functional units packed into each area.

The compute resources differ fundamentally. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M features 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, 192 raster output units, and 72 ray tracing cores. The Intel Arc A380E x2 offers 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores. The AMD part has 4.5 times the shading units, 4.5 times the TMUs, 6 times the ROPs, and 9 times the ray tracing cores. These ratios explain why the performance gap is so substantial.

Clock speeds show an interesting contrast. The Intel Arc A380E x2 has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2000 MHz, meaning it runs at a fixed frequency. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M has a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2090 MHz, allowing dynamic frequency scaling. Despite the Intel part's higher base clock, the AMD part's boost clock exceeds it, and the sheer width of the AMD architecture far outweighs the clock advantage.

Memory architecture also differs substantially. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with memory clocked at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), yielding 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Arc A380E x2 uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus, with memory at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective), yielding 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD part has roughly 3.1 times the memory bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution rendering and data-intensive workloads.

The bus interface differs as well. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The AMD part therefore has twice the PCIe lanes for host communication. Both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

Production status and lifecycle differ notably. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is listed as Active, with a release date of 2023-10-18, and its predecessor is Polaris Mobile. The Intel Arc A380E x2 is End-of-life, released on 2024-03-31, with a predecessor of Xe Graphics and a successor of Battlemage. The Intel part is already superseded in the database, while the AMD part remains in production.

The Verdict

The benchmark data delivers a decisive conclusion. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M achieves an average benchmark score of 97487 and ranks at the 94th percentile among all GPUs. The Intel Arc A380E x2 has no recorded benchmark scores, an average benchmark score of 0, and sits at the 50th percentile. The absence of recorded benchmarks for the Intel part is itself a finding: the database contains no performance measurements for this configuration.

The nearest rivals for the AMD Radeon RX 7900M provide context for its performance. The AMD Radeon Pro VII scores 97131, which is 0.4% lower than the RX 7900M. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 scores 101872, which is 4.3% higher. The AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 scores 92466, which is 5.4% lower. The NVIDIA RTX A4500 scores 91671, which is 6.3% lower. The RX 7900M sits near the top of this group, trailing only the Quadro RTX 6000 by a small margin while beating the other three rivals.

For users choosing between these two GPUs, the data points clearly to the AMD Radeon RX 7900M for any performance-sensitive workload. The 16 GB memory capacity, 576.0 GB/s bandwidth, 4608 shading units, and 72 ray tracing cores provide a fundamentally higher ceiling for gaming, rendering, and compute tasks. The Intel Arc A380E x2, with its 6 GB memory, 186.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 1024 shading units, occupies a different performance class entirely.

The Intel part does have its advantages in specific contexts. It is a single-slot card with 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, which suits multi-display professional setups. Its 130 W TDP is lower than the AMD part's 180 W, and it has a fixed 2000 MHz clock. The 265 mm length, 127 mm height, and 20 mm width make it a compact option. But for raw performance, the AMD Radeon RX 7900M wins every measurable category.

The production status reinforces the verdict. The AMD part is Active, meaning it is still available in the market. The Intel part is End-of-life, with a successor named Battlemage already recorded. Choosing an end-of-life product with no benchmark scores and a 50th percentile ranking requires a specific use case, not a general performance expectation.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs based on the recorded data:

• Architecture: AMD Radeon RX 7900M uses RDNA 3.0; Intel Arc A380E x2 uses Xe-HPG.
• Chip: AMD uses Navi 31; Intel uses DG2-128.
• Codename: AMD has Plum Bonito; Intel has no codename recorded.
• Generation: AMD is Navi Mobile (RX 7000M); Intel is Alchemist (Arc 3).
• Process node: AMD is 5 nm; Intel is 6 nm.
• Transistors: AMD has 57,700 million; Intel has 7,200 million.
• Die size: AMD is 529 mm²; Intel is 157 mm².
• Transistor density: AMD is 109.1M per mm²; Intel is 45.9M per mm².
• Base clock: AMD is 1825 MHz; Intel is 2000 MHz.
• Boost clock: AMD is 2090 MHz; Intel is 2000 MHz.
• Memory clock: AMD is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective); Intel is 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective).
• Memory size: AMD is 16 GB; Intel is 6 GB.
• Memory bus width: AMD is 256 bit; Intel is 96 bit.
• Memory bandwidth: AMD is 576.0 GB/s; Intel is 186.0 GB/s.
• Shading units: AMD has 4608; Intel has 1024.
• TMUs: AMD has 288; Intel has 64.
• ROPs: AMD has 192; Intel has 32.
• Ray tracing cores: AMD has 72; Intel has 8.
• Pixel rate: AMD is 401.3 GPixel/s; Intel is 64.00 GPixel/s.
• Texture rate: AMD is 601.9 GTexel/s; Intel is 128.0 GTexel/s.
• FP32 performance: AMD is 38.52 TFLOPS; Intel is 4.096 TFLOPS.
• FP16 performance: AMD is 77.05 TFLOPS (2:1); Intel is 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1).
• TDP: AMD is 180 W; Intel is 130 W.
• Slot width: AMD is IGP; Intel is single-slot.
• Power connectors: AMD has none; Intel has 1x 6-pin.
• Suggested PSU: AMD has none recorded; Intel is 300 W.
• Bus interface: AMD is PCIe 4.0 x16; Intel is PCIe 4.0 x8.
• Display outputs: AMD is Portable Device Dependent; Intel is 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0.
• Dimensions: AMD has none recorded; Intel is 265 mm length, 127 mm height, 20 mm width.
• Production status: AMD is Active; Intel is End-of-life.
• Release date: AMD is 2023-10-18; Intel is 2024-03-31.
• Predecessor: AMD is Polaris Mobile; Intel is Xe Graphics.
• Successor: AMD has none; Intel is Battlemage.
• Percentile: AMD is 94; Intel is 50.
• Average benchmark score: AMD is 97487; Intel is 0.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark table in the database is empty, and the wins count is 0 for both GPUs. This means there are no direct comparative measurements recorded between the AMD Radeon RX 7900M and the Intel Arc A380E x2. However, the individual benchmark data for the AMD part provides concrete performance figures.

The AMD Radeon RX 7900M records three benchmark scores. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 4201. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 129499. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 158760. These three results feed into its average benchmark score of 97487 and its 94th percentile ranking.

The Intel Arc A380E x2 has no benchmark scores recorded in the database. Its average benchmark score is 0, and its percentile ranking is 50. The absence of data means no direct comparison can be made from recorded measurements, but the percentile gap is informative: 94 versus 50 places the AMD part far above the midpoint of all GPUs, while the Intel part sits exactly at the median.

The nearest rivals for the AMD Radeon RX 7900M give a sense of its standing. The AMD Radeon Pro VII is 0.4% behind with an average score of 97131. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 is 4.3% ahead with 101872. The AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 is 5.4% behind with 92466. The NVIDIA RTX A4500 is 6.3% behind with 91671. These deltas place the RX 7900M in a tight competitive cluster, within 6.3% of four other professional-grade GPUs.

The compute throughput numbers underline the gap. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M delivers 38.52 TFLOPS FP32 and 77.05 TFLOPS FP16, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 delivers 4.096 TFLOPS FP32 and 8.192 TFLOPS FP16. The AMD part is approximately 9.4 times faster in FP32 and FP16 throughput. Similarly, the pixel rate of 401.3 GPixel/s for AMD versus 64.00 GPixel/s for Intel represents a 6.3 times advantage, and the texture rate of 601.9 GTexel/s versus 128.0 GTexel/s is a 4.7 times advantage.

Memory bandwidth follows the same pattern. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M moves 576.0 GB/s, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 moves 186.0 GB/s, a difference of roughly 3.1 times. This bandwidth disparity directly impacts performance in high-resolution textures, large datasets, and multi-tasking scenarios.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 7900M wins in every performance-oriented category recorded in the database. Its 94th percentile ranking versus the Intel part's 50th percentile establishes the overall hierarchy. The AMD part also wins on memory capacity (16 GB versus 6 GB), memory bandwidth (576.0 GB/s versus 186.0 GB/s), shading units (4608 versus 1024), ray tracing cores (72 versus 8), pixel rate (401.3 GPixel/s versus 64.00 GPixel/s), texture rate (601.9 GTexel/s versus 128.0 GTexel/s), FP32 performance (38.52 TFLOPS versus 4.096 TFLOPS), and FP16 performance (77.05 TFLOPS versus 8.192 TFLOPS). For gaming, rendering, compute, or any GPU-accelerated workload, the data supports the AMD part.

The Intel Arc A380E x2 wins in specific hardware attributes that suit particular deployment scenarios. It has a higher base clock of 2000 MHz versus 1825 MHz, though the AMD boost clock of 2090 MHz exceeds it. The Intel part has a lower TDP of 130 W versus 180 W, making it more power-efficient on paper. It is a single-slot card with defined dimensions of 265 mm length, 127 mm height, and 20 mm width, whereas the AMD part is an integrated GPU with no physical card dimensions. The Intel part provides 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, which is a unique feature for multi-display configurations. It uses a single 6-pin power connector and suggests a 300 W PSU, both of which are simpler than a discrete high-power card requirement. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is narrower than the AMD part's PCIe 4.0 x16, but it is sufficient for the Intel part's lower bandwidth needs.

The production status favors the AMD part for longevity. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is Active, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 is End-of-life with a successor named Battlemage already recorded. For any new deployment, the Active status of the AMD part avoids the risk of discontinued support.

The use-case split is therefore clear. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is the choice for performance-critical applications where the 16 GB memory, high bandwidth, and massive compute resources matter. The Intel Arc A380E x2 suits niche scenarios requiring many display outputs, a compact single-slot form factor, and lower power draw, provided the workload fits within its 6 GB memory and 4.096 TFLOPS FP32 limit. The recorded data offers no benchmark scores for the Intel part, so its actual performance remains unmeasured in the database, while the AMD part has three verified scores and a strong percentile ranking.