AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU vs Intel Arc A380E x2 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU and Intel Arc A380E x2 occupy very different positions in the hardware landscape. The data shows the AMD part is built for a compact, low-power, high-throughput role, while the Intel part is designed for a more traditional, higher-power add-in card scenario. Neither part has recorded benchmark scores or wins in the database, so the split is defined by their architectural specifications and physical design.

The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU wins on compute density and power efficiency. It delivers 8.294 TFLOPS of FP32 performance from a 30 W TDP, which is more than double the FP32 throughput of the Intel Arc A380E x2 at 4.096 TFLOPS. The AMD part also has a much higher transistor density at 142.6 million transistors per mm² compared to Intel's 45.9 million per mm². This makes the AMD GPU the clear choice for applications where raw compute per watt matters most, such as embedded systems, handheld consoles, or fanless designs.

The Intel Arc A380E x2 wins on memory bandwidth and interface flexibility. It has 186.0 GB/s of bandwidth versus AMD's 51.20 GB/s, a gap of roughly 3.6 times. This gives Intel a decisive advantage in memory-bound workloads like high-resolution texture streaming, multi-display output, or large data set processing. The Intel card also uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the AMD part has no bus interface listed, and it provides eight mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs versus a single USB Type-C on the AMD side. For multi-monitor or industrial display setups, the Intel part is the only one with the physical outputs to support that use case.

The Intel part also wins on raw shading unit count and texture mapping units. It has 1024 shading units and 64 TMUs, compared to 768 shading units and 48 TMUs on the AMD part. However, the AMD GPU still achieves a higher texture rate at 129.6 GTexel/s versus 128.0 GTexel/s, meaning its higher clock speed compensates for the lower unit count. The AMD part also has more ray tracing cores at 12 versus 8, and a higher pixel rate at 86.40 GPixel/s versus 64.00 GPixel/s.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural families. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU uses the Phoenix chip built on RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Intel Arc A380E x2 uses the DG2-128 chip based on Xe-HPG architecture, part of the Alchemist (Arc 3) generation, fabricated on a 6 nm process also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 4 nm versus 6 nm, which partly explains the transistor density disparity.

The AMD chip integrates 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die, resulting in a density of 142.6 million transistors per mm². The Intel chip integrates 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, giving a density of 45.9 million per mm². This means AMD packs more than three times as many transistors per area, enabling higher compute throughput in a smaller physical footprint.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The AMD part uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 64-bit bus, with memory clocked at 800 MHz and 6.4 Gbps effective. The Intel part uses 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, with memory clocked at 1937 MHz and 15.5 Gbps effective. The Intel part's GDDR6 memory is faster per pin, but the AMD part has more than double the capacity.

Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The AMD GPU is classified as a Console GPU generation, while the Intel part is in the Alchemist (Arc 3) generation. The Intel part has a predecessor (Xe Graphics) and successor (Battlemage), while the AMD part has neither listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded head-to-head benchmark results for these two GPUs. Both have zero wins in the win counter, and the nearest rivals lists are empty for both parts. The average benchmark score for each is zero, and both sit at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Without direct measurement data, the comparison must rely entirely on the specification sheet.

The FP32 compute gap is the most striking difference. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU delivers 8.294 TFLOPS, which is 102.5% higher than the Intel Arc A380E x2's 4.096 TFLOPS. In practical terms, this means the AMD part can process roughly twice as many floating-point operations per second, which directly impacts shader-heavy workloads, physics simulations, and compute shaders.

The FP16 performance tells a similar story. The AMD part reaches 16.59 TFLOPS (2:1), while the Intel part reaches 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1). Again, AMD is just over double the throughput. However, the memory bandwidth reverses the picture. The Intel part's 186.0 GB/s is 263.3% higher than AMD's 51.20 GB/s. This means that in scenarios where the GPU is waiting on memory rather than computing, the Intel part has a substantial advantage.

The pixel rate favors AMD at 86.40 GPixel/s versus 64.00 GPixel/s, a 35% lead. The texture rate is nearly identical: 129.6 GTexel/s for AMD versus 128.0 GTexel/s for Intel, a difference of only 1.25%. This suggests that texture-heavy workloads would perform similarly on both, while fill-rate-bound tasks would favor AMD.

Clock speeds also differ significantly. The AMD part has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2700 MHz, a range that allows it to scale up aggressively under load. The Intel part has a fixed clock of 2000 MHz for both base and boost, meaning it runs at a constant speed. The AMD part's boost clock is 35% higher than the Intel part's fixed clock.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measured specification. The process node differs: 4 nm for AMD versus 6 nm for Intel. Transistor count differs: 25,390 million for AMD versus 7,200 million for Intel. Die size differs: 178 mm² for AMD versus 157 mm² for Intel. Transistor density differs: 142.6M per mm² for AMD versus 45.9M per mm² for Intel.

Memory configuration differs: AMD uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 on a 64-bit bus with 51.20 GB/s bandwidth, while Intel uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. Memory clock differs: 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective for AMD versus 1937 MHz with 15.5 Gbps effective for Intel.

Compute resources differ: AMD has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 RT cores, while Intel has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 8 RT cores. The shading unit and TMU counts favor Intel, while the RT core count favors AMD.

Power and cooling differ substantially. The AMD part has a 30 W TDP and no power connectors, while the Intel part has a 130 W TDP and requires a single 6-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 300 W. The AMD part is designed to run without any external power, while the Intel part needs a dedicated supply.

Physical dimensions differ slightly. The AMD part is 280 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 21 mm wide. The Intel part is 265 mm long, 127 mm tall, and 20 mm wide. The Intel part is a single-slot card, while the AMD part has no slot width listed. Display outputs differ: AMD has one USB Type-C, while Intel has eight mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs.

Production status differs: AMD is listed as Active, while Intel is End-of-life. Release dates differ: AMD launched on 2023-06-12, while Intel launched on 2024-03-31. The AMD part has a launch MSRP of 699 USD, while the Intel part has no launch MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher compute throughput?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU delivers 8.294 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is more than double the Intel Arc A380E x2's 4.096 TFLOPS. The AMD part also leads in FP16 with 16.59 TFLOPS versus 8.192 TFLOPS.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Arc A380E x2 has 186.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is 263.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU's 51.20 GB/s. The Intel part uses GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, while the AMD part uses LPDDR5 on a 64-bit bus.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU has a 30 W TDP and requires no power connectors. The Intel Arc A380E x2 has a 130 W TDP and requires a single 6-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 300 W.

Q: Which GPU supports more display outputs?

A: The Intel Arc A380E x2 has eight mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, while the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU has a single USB Type-C output. This makes the Intel part suitable for multi-monitor configurations.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU has 12 ray tracing cores, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 has 8. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has more memory capacity?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory. The AMD part offers more than double the capacity, though with lower bandwidth.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct purchasing decisions. The AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme GPU is the choice for compute-focused applications where power is limited. Its 30 W TDP, 8.294 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, and 12 RT cores make it a compact powerhouse that needs no external power connector. The 16 GB memory capacity and 25,390 million transistors on a 4 nm process give it a long-term capability advantage in memory-heavy workloads that require capacity over speed. Its Active production status and 699 USD launch MSRP position it as a current, available product.

The Intel Arc A380E x2 is the choice for memory-bandwidth-sensitive and multi-display applications. Its 186.0 GB/s bandwidth, 1024 shading units, and eight mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs make it suited for industrial visualization, digital signage, or any setup requiring many concurrent display outputs. However, its End-of-life production status and 130 W TDP mean it is a legacy product with higher power demands. The 6 GB memory capacity is a limitation for large datasets, and the fixed 2000 MHz clock means no boost headroom.

For a system builder prioritizing raw compute per watt, the AMD part is the only reasonable option. For a system needing maximum memory throughput and display connectivity, the Intel part is the only one with the physical and bandwidth resources. The two GPUs do not compete directly; they serve different use cases. The AMD part is effectively a compute engine on a chip, while the Intel part is a traditional graphics card with a specific multi-output role. Neither has recorded benchmark data to validate real-world performance, so the specification sheet is the only guide.