AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile vs Intel Arc A310 Comparison

The Intel Arc A310 and AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile represent two very different approaches to mobile graphics: a dedicated entry-level discrete GPU versus an integrated graphics processor. The benchmark data shows a stark performance gulf, with the Arc A310 winning both shared head-to-head tests by massive margins. However, the context of their designs—one as a 30 W add-in card and the other as a power-sipping IGP—defines where each makes sense. This analysis breaks down the numbers to show what the Arc A310’s 300%+ leads mean, and where the Vega 8’s integration still holds relevance.

Where Each One Wins

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Arc A310 wins every single benchmark category where both parts have scores. In the two available head-to-head tests—Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan—the Arc A310 dominates with deltas of 311.7% and 315.6%, respectively. This is not a marginal victory; it is a multi-generational leap in raw compute throughput.

For the Arc A310, the wins extend across its entire benchmark suite. Its strongest showing is in Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 30607, which is nearly 4.1x higher than the Vega 8 Mobile’s 7435 in the same test. The Vulkan result mirrors this, with the Arc hitting 28964 versus 6970 for AMD. In DirectX tests, the Arc posts scores of 69 in DX9, 33 in DX11, 31 in DX10, and 29 in DX12, along with a Passmark G3D score of 5433 and a GPU compute score of 2157. These numbers place the Arc A310 at the 40th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 7550.

The Vega 8 Mobile, by contrast, has no winning category. Its only two benchmark entries—Geekbench OpenCL at 7435 and Vulkan at 6970—are both far below the Arc’s figures. Its percentile ranking of 39 is nearly identical to the Arc’s 40, but that similarity is misleading because the Vega 8’s average score of 7203 is dragged down by its lack of additional test results. The Vega 8’s wins are not in performance but in integration: it is an IGP with a 25 W TDP, meaning it occupies no slot, requires no power connector, and shares system memory. For a portable device, that is the entire point.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and process technologies. The Intel Arc A310 uses the Xe-HPG architecture (Alchemist generation) on a 6 nm TSMC process, packing 7,200 million transistors into a 157 mm² die. That yields a transistor density of 45.9M per mm². The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses the older GCN 5.0 architecture (Vega IGP, Raven Ridge-M) on a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process, with 4,940 million transistors on a larger 210 mm² die, giving a lower density of 23.5M per mm².

The core configurations differ significantly. The Arc A310 has 768 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 6 dedicated ray tracing cores. The Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, but only 8 ROPs and no ray tracing cores. Clock speeds tell a similar story: the Arc runs at a fixed 1750 MHz base and boost, while the Vega 8 has a 300 MHz base that boosts to 1101 MHz. This clock advantage, combined with more shading units, propels the Arc’s pixel rate to 28.00 GPixel/s versus 8.808 GPixel/s for the Vega 8, and texture rates of 56.00 GTexel/s versus 35.23 GTexel/s.

Memory is where the designs diverge most sharply. The Arc A310 has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 124.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile has no dedicated memory; it uses System Shared memory with a bus width and bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means the Vega 8’s performance is bottlenecked by the laptop’s main memory speed, while the Arc has its own high-speed pool. The Arc also supports PCIe 4.0 x8, whereas the Vega 8 is an IGP with no bus interface beyond the integrated connection.

API support follows the hardware. The Arc A310 hits DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Vega 8 Mobile is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Arc’s ray tracing cores and newer API tier give it feature-level advantages, though the Vega 8’s lack of RT cores is expected for an integrated part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two shared benchmarks paint a clear picture of compute superiority for the Intel part. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc A310 scores 30607 against the Vega 8’s 7435, a delta of 311.7%. This test stresses raw parallel computation, and the Arc’s 768 shading units at 1750 MHz, combined with dedicated GDDR6, simply overwhelm the Vega 8’s 512 units at a much lower boost clock.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows an even larger gap. The Arc A310 hits 28964, while the Vega 8 manages 6970, a delta of 315.6%. Vulkan’s low-level API exposes hardware capabilities directly, and the results indicate the Arc’s newer architecture and memory subsystem provide a roughly 4.2x advantage in this workload.

Beyond those two tests, the Arc A310 has additional data that contextualizes its standing. Its Passmark G3D score of 5433 places it in the same performance neighborhood as the AMD Radeon R7 250 (7557 avg, -0.1% delta), AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 (7580 avg, -0.4% delta), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (7472 avg, +1% delta), and AMD Radeon HD 8850M (7447 avg, +1.4% delta). The Arc’s average benchmark score of 7550 sits right at that cluster, meaning it trades blows with those older discrete parts. The Vega 8 Mobile’s average of 7203, by contrast, aligns it with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 (7222 avg, -0.3% delta), GTX 560 SE (7171 avg, +0.4% delta), Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 (7170 avg, +0.5% delta), and GTX 970 (7157 avg, +0.6% delta).

These rival clusters confirm the hierarchy: the Arc A310 is roughly 4.7% faster than the Vega 8 in average benchmark score (7550 vs 7203), but the head-to-head tests show the gap is far larger in compute-heavy tasks. The Vega 8’s closest rivals are older discrete cards like the GTX 750, which it nearly matches, while the Arc A310 competes with much newer and more capable parts like the GTX 1650.

The Verdict

The data supports a simple conclusion: for any workload that requires raw GPU compute, the Intel Arc A310 is the clear choice. Its 311.7% lead in OpenCL and 315.6% lead in Vulkan are not subtle—they represent a fundamental difference in capability. The Arc’s dedicated 4 GB GDDR6 memory, 768 shading units, and ray tracing support make it suitable for gaming, content creation, and compute tasks. Its 40th percentile ranking and average score of 7550, which rivals the GTX 1650, confirm it is a legitimate entry-level discrete GPU.

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile, however, is not without a purpose. As an IGP with a 25 W TDP, it requires no power connector, no slot, and uses system memory. Its 39th percentile ranking and average score of 7203, which sits near the GTX 750, show it is capable of light gaming and general desktop acceleration. The Vega 8’s 0.4% delta over the GTX 560 SE and 0.5% over the Iris Pro P580 indicate it holds its own against older discrete parts.

The choice comes down to the system. If you are building or buying a device with a free PCIe 4.0 x8 slot and can accommodate a single-slot, 30 W card with a 200 W suggested PSU, the Arc A310 is overwhelmingly faster. If you need an ultra-portable solution where power draw, space, and memory sharing are non-negotiable, the Vega 8 Mobile is the only option. The Arc A310 wins the performance war; the Vega 8 Mobile wins the integration war.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the Intel Arc A310 than the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile in Vulkan?

A: The Arc A310 scores 28964 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the Vega 8 Mobile scores 6970, giving the Intel part a delta of 315.6% over the AMD IGP.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile have ray tracing cores?

A: No, the Vega 8 Mobile has no ray tracing cores. The Intel Arc A310, by contrast, includes 6 dedicated RT cores, which is part of its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference between the two GPUs?

A: The Arc A310 has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus with 124.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile uses System Shared memory with a bus width and bandwidth that are "System Dependent."

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: The Intel Arc A310 has a pixel rate of 28.00 GPixel/s, which is over three times higher than the Vega 8 Mobile’s 8.808 GPixel/s.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Arc A310’s average score of 7550 is 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (7472). The Vega 8 Mobile’s average of 7203 is 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 SE (7171).

Q: What is the process node and die size for each chip?

A: The Arc A310 is built on TSMC’s 6 nm process with a 157 mm² die and 7,200 million transistors. The Vega 8 Mobile uses GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process with a 210 mm² die and 4,940 million transistors.