AMD Radeon VII vs Intel Arc A570M Comparison

Launched in February 2019, the AMD Radeon VII is a desktop behemoth built on the 7nm Vega 20 die, while the Intel Arc A570M, released in July 2023, is a mobile-first solution on the 6nm DG2-256 chip. The data shows a clear overall winner: the Radeon VII holds a commanding lead in the only shared benchmark, but the Arc A570M counters with a significantly newer feature set and far lower power demands. This analysis breaks down where each card excels strictly from the benchmark and specification data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive. The AMD Radeon VII scores 91,947, while the Intel Arc A570M scores 58,239. This translates to a 57.9% performance advantage for the Radeon VII, a massive gap in raw compute throughput.

This OpenCL result aligns with the cards' broader performance profiles. The Radeon VII's average benchmark score across all tests is 66,004, placing it in the 90th percentile of all GPUs. The Arc A570M, with its sole benchmark result, averages 58,239, landing in the 88th percentile. While both are high-performing parts, the Radeon VII’s 13.4% higher average score confirms it is the stronger overall compute performer.

Looking at the Radeon VII’s other results, it scores 77,975 in Geekbench Metal and 91,788 in Geekbench Vulkan, showing consistent strength across different APIs. The Arc A570M lacks comparable data in these tests, so its OpenCL score of 58,239 stands as its only quantified benchmark result.

The Radeon VII’s nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Tesla T4, which scores 66,733 (1.1% higher than the Radeon VII's average), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100, which scores 64,212 (2.8% lower). The Arc A570M’s closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT, which scores 58,392 (0.3% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM, scoring 58,085 (0.3% lower). This indicates that despite the Radeon VII's clear win over the A570M, the Intel part is still competitive within its own performance tier, trading blows with desktop cards like the RX 5600 OEM.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon VII wins in raw, unbridled compute performance. Its 57.9% lead in OpenCL is the headline, but its architecture supports this across the board. With an FP32 throughput of 13.44 TFLOPS versus the Arc A570M's 5.325 TFLOPS, the Radeon VII has more than double the single-precision compute power. This makes it the clear choice for any workload that heavily utilizes general-purpose compute, such as OpenCL-based rendering, scientific simulation, or data processing.

The Intel Arc A570M wins in efficiency and portability. Its TDP is 75 W, a fraction of the Radeon VII's 295 W. This allows it to be an integrated graphics processor (IGP) in a laptop, whereas the Radeon VII is a dual-slot, 280 mm long desktop card requiring a 600 W power supply. The Arc A570M also supports the latest graphics APIs, including DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, compared to the Radeon VII's DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. This means the Intel part is future-proofed for the newest game titles that leverage DirectX 12 Ultimate features like ray tracing and mesh shaders.

The Radeon VII wins on memory bandwidth by a staggering margin. Its HBM2 memory offers 1.02 TB/s of bandwidth over a 4096-bit bus, dwarfing the Arc A570M's 224.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. For memory-bound tasks, this difference is critical. However, the Arc A570M has a higher transistor density at 42.8M / mm², indicating a more modern, efficient design compared to the Radeon VII's 40.0M / mm².

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures. The Radeon VII uses AMD's Graphics Core Next 5.1 (GCN 5.1) architecture, a mature design from the Vega generation. In contrast, the Arc A570M uses Intel's Xe-HPG architecture, the foundation of the Alchemist generation for mobile parts.

The process technology also differs. The Radeon VII is fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC, while the Arc A570M uses a newer 6 nm process, also at TSMC. This contributes to the Arc's superior efficiency. The Radeon VII packs 13,230 million transistors on a 331 mm² die, while the Arc A570M contains 11,500 million transistors on a smaller 269 mm² die.

Memory configurations are vastly different. The Radeon VII uses 16 GB of HBM2 with a 4096-bit bus and 1.02 TB/s bandwidth. The Arc A570M uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon VII has 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The Arc A570M has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Critically, the Arc A570M includes 16 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature completely absent from the Radeon VII.

The bus interface differs as well: the Radeon VII uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Arc A570M uses the newer PCIe 4.0 x8 standard. The Radeon VII supports up to 3x DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x HDMI 2.0b outputs, while the Arc A570M's display outputs are dependent on the portable device it is integrated into.

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal: the AMD Radeon VII is the far more powerful GPU in raw compute, delivering a 57.9% higher OpenCL score and more than double the FP32 throughput of the Intel Arc A570M. It also offers double the memory capacity (16 GB vs 8 GB) and over four times the memory bandwidth. For anyone building a desktop workstation or a high-end gaming PC where maximum compute performance and massive memory bandwidth are paramount, the Radeon VII is the clear, data-backed choice. Its 90th percentile ranking versus the Arc's 88th reinforces this.

However, the Intel Arc A570M is not without its merits. It is the only option here for a mobile or ultra-compact system, given its IGP form factor and 75 W TDP. Its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 gives it a modern feature set that the Radeon VII cannot match. It also has a higher transistor density, indicating a more refined design. For a user who prioritizes portability, power efficiency, and access to the latest rendering features like ray tracing, the Arc A570M is the logical choice, even if it sacrifices significant compute performance.

The verdict depends entirely on the use case. For static, high-performance compute, choose the Radeon VII. For a modern, efficient, and portable solution, choose the Arc A570M.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon VII is significantly faster, scoring 91,947 compared to the Intel Arc A570M's 58,239, a 57.9% difference.

Q: Which graphics card supports ray tracing?

A: The Intel Arc A570M supports ray tracing, as it has 16 dedicated ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon VII does not have any ray tracing cores.

Q: How much memory do these GPUs have?

A: The AMD Radeon VII has 16 GB of HBM2 memory, while the Intel Arc A570M has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: Which card has a higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon VII has a much higher memory bandwidth of 1.02 TB/s, compared to the Intel Arc A570M's 224.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The AMD Radeon VII has a TDP of 295 W, while the Intel Arc A570M has a TDP of 75 W.

Q: Which GPU supports the newer DirectX version?

A: The Intel Arc A570M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which is newer than the DirectX 12 (12_1) supported by the AMD Radeon VII.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon VII | Intel Arc A570M |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | GCN 5.1 | Xe-HPG |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 6 nm |

| Transistors | 13,230 million | 11,500 million |

| Die Size | 331 mm² | 269 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1400 MHz | 900 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1750 MHz | 1300 MHz |

| Memory | 16 GB HBM2 | 8 GB GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 4096 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 1.02 TB/s | 224.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3840 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 240 | 128 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | None | 16 |

| FP32 Performance | 13.44 TFLOPS | 5.325 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 295 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | None |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| API Support | DirectX 12 (12_1), Vulkan 1.3 | DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4 |