Intel Arc A310E vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 Comparison

The Intel Arc A310E and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 occupy opposite ends of the performance spectrum, yet both share the same underlying API support and production status. The database records the Arc A310E as a 50th percentile GPU among all tested parts, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 sits at the 25th percentile, a counterintuitive ranking that stems from the benchmark suite weighting. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 carries a single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4334.5, with an average of 4335, placing it within 1% of several older integrated and entry-level parts in that specific test. The Arc A310E has no recorded benchmark scores, meaning all conclusions regarding its performance must draw from its architectural specifications and comparative positioning. The data indicates these are not competing products in the conventional sense; one is a low-power embedded-oriented GPU, the other a mainstream desktop card, but their feature sets and design choices reveal distinct philosophies.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows the RTX 4070 GDDR6 is the clear choice for any workload requiring substantial compute throughput, large memory capacity, or high-bandwidth access. Its FP32 performance of 29.15 TFLOPS, memory bandwidth of 480.0 GB/s, and 12 GB of GDDR6 provide a level of capability that the Arc A310E cannot approach. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also includes 184 tensor cores and 46 ray tracing cores, making it suitable for AI-accelerated tasks and hardware ray tracing. The Arc A310E, by contrast, delivers 3.072 TFLOPS FP32, 124.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 4 GB of memory, with 6 ray tracing units and no tensor cores. For gaming, rendering, or compute workloads, the RTX 4070 GDDR6 is the only viable option.

The Arc A310E serves a different purpose. Its 75 W TDP, single-slot design, and lack of power connectors make it suitable for compact or low-power systems where space and cooling are constrained. The database shows it uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, whereas the RTX 4070 GDDR6 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The Arc A310E also outputs to 4x mini-DisplayPort 2.0, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The Arc A310E supports the same DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 APIs as the RTX 4070 GDDR6, meaning it can run the same modern graphics workloads, just at far lower performance levels. The data does not support any scenario where the Arc A310E outperforms the RTX 4070 GDDR6; instead, it is a question of which constraints matter more: power and size versus performance and memory.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectures and fabrication processes. The Intel Arc A310E uses the Xe-HPG architecture on a 6 nm TSMC process, with a DG2-128 chip containing 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.9 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture on a 5 nm TSMC process, with an AD104 chip containing 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.8 million per square millimeter. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 packs nearly five times the transistors into less than double the die area, reflecting a significantly denser design.

The compute configurations differ dramatically. The Arc A310E has 768 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output pipelines. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also includes 184 tensor cores alongside its 46 RT cores, whereas the Arc A310E has only 6 RT cores and no tensor core count recorded. This means the RTX 4070 GDDR6 can handle matrix operations and AI inference natively, while the Arc A310E relies on standard shader execution for such tasks.

Memory architecture diverges as well. The Arc A310E uses a 64-bit memory bus with 4 GB of GDDR6 at 15.5 Gbps effective, producing 124.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 uses a 192-bit bus with 12 GB of GDDR6 at 20 Gbps effective, producing 480.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock difference is notable: 1937 MHz on the Arc A310E versus 2500 MHz on the RTX 4070 GDDR6. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also features a boost clock of 2475 MHz versus a flat 2000 MHz for the Arc A310E, which has no boost above its base.

The power delivery and physical design reflect their intended markets. The Arc A310E draws 75 W, requires no power connectors, and is single-slot with dimensions of 168 mm by 69 mm by 20 mm. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 draws 200 W, uses a single 16-pin connector, and is dual-slot with dimensions of 240 mm by 110 mm by 40 mm. The suggested power supply is 250 W for the Arc A310E and 550 W for the RTX 4070 GDDR6. These figures indicate that the Arc A310E can run in systems with minimal power headroom, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 demands a more robust platform.

Where Each One Wins

The Arc A310E wins in scenarios defined by physical and electrical constraints. Its 75 W TDP allows installation in systems that cannot supply the 200 W required by the RTX 4070 GDDR6. Its single-slot profile and 168 mm length fit into chassis that would reject the 240 mm dual-slot RTX 4070 GDDR6. The absence of power connectors simplifies installation in pre-built or low-profile systems. The 4x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs support modern display standards, and the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface still offers ample bandwidth for its 124.0 GB/s memory throughput. The Arc A310E also requires a 250 W power supply, far less than the 550 W recommended for the RTX 4070 GDDR6.

The RTX 4070 GDDR6 wins in every performance metric recorded. Its FP32 throughput of 29.15 TFLOPS is roughly 9.5 times that of the Arc A310E's 3.072 TFLOPS. Its pixel rate of 158.4 GPixel/s compares to 32.00 GPixel/s for the Arc A310E, and its texture rate of 455.4 GTexel/s compares to 64.00 GTexel/s. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has three times the memory capacity, nearly four times the bandwidth, and a 192-bit bus versus 64-bit. The 184 tensor cores enable DLSS-style AI upscaling and other neural network workloads, which the Arc A310E cannot accelerate. The 46 RT cores versus 6 provide substantially higher ray tracing throughput. For any application that stresses compute, memory, or graphics, the RTX 4070 GDDR6 is the decisive winner.

The FP16 performance also differs. The Arc A310E delivers 6.144 TFLOPS FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, meaning it halves its rate for FP16 versus FP32. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 delivers 29.15 TFLOPS FP16 with a 1:1 ratio, meaning it maintains full throughput for FP16. This gives the RTX 4070 GDDR6 a 4.7x advantage in FP16 compute, which matters for workloads like image processing or scientific simulation that use reduced precision.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 4070 GDDR6 delivers 29.15 TFLOPS FP32, compared to 3.072 TFLOPS for the Arc A310E. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also sustains 29.15 TFLOPS FP16, while the Arc A310E provides 6.144 TFLOPS FP16.

Q: How do their memory systems compare?

A: The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 480.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc A310E has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 124.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also runs its memory at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective), versus 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) for the Arc A310E.

Q: What are the power requirements for each?

A: The Arc A310E has a 75 W TDP and needs no power connectors, with a suggested 250 W power supply. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has a 200 W TDP, uses a single 16-pin connector, and requires a suggested 550 W power supply.

Q: Do both support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. However, the RTX 4070 GDDR6 includes 184 tensor cores, which the Arc A310E lacks, enabling AI-accelerated features on the NVIDIA card.

Q: Which card is physically smaller?

A: The Arc A310E is 168 mm long, 69 mm tall, and 20 mm wide, occupying a single slot. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 is 240 mm long, 110 mm tall, and 40 mm wide, occupying two slots.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the RTX 4070 GDDR6?

A: The launch MSRP is 599 USD. The Arc A310E has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains only one benchmark entry for the RTX 4070 GDDR6: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4334.5, with an average of 4335. The Arc A310E has no benchmark entries, so direct numerical comparison is impossible. However, the RTX 4070 GDDR6's nearest rivals in that test provide context. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 scored 4360, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 4070 GDDR6, while the AMD FirePro W2100 scored 4295, 0.9% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce 930M scored 4388, 1.2% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M scored 4282, 1.2% lower. These deltas place the RTX 4070 GDDR6 within a tight cluster of very old, low-end GPUs in this specific workload, which suggests that the Steel Nomad test may not be representative of the RTX 4070 GDDR6's overall capabilities. The recorded percentile of 25 for the RTX 4070 GDDR6, despite its high specifications, indicates that the benchmark suite heavily weights other tests or that the Steel Nomad result is an outlier.

The Arc A310E's 50th percentile ranking, higher than the RTX 4070 GDDR6's 25th percentile, further confirms that the percentile field does not correlate with raw performance in this case. The Arc A310E's lack of benchmarks means its percentile likely derives from its specifications relative to the full GPU pool, not from measured scores. The RTX 4070 GDDR6's single score, while low in absolute terms, does not diminish its clear architectural advantages in FP32 throughput, memory bandwidth, and tensor core count.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. The Arc A310E uses a 6 nm process, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 uses 5 nm. The Arc A310E has 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 35,800 million on 294 mm². Transistor density is 45.9M per mm² for the Arc A310E and 121.8M per mm² for the RTX 4070 GDDR6.

Clock speeds differ in both GPU and memory. The Arc A310E runs at a flat 2000 MHz base and boost, with memory at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective). The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has a 1920 MHz base and 2475 MHz boost, with memory at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective).

Compute units: The Arc A310E has 768 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, plus 6 RT cores. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, plus 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. Pixel rate is 32.00 GPixel/s versus 158.4 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 64.00 GTexel/s versus 455.4 GTexel/s. FP32 is 3.072 TFLOPS versus 29.15 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 6.144 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 29.15 TFLOPS (1:1).

Memory: The Arc A310E has 4 GB GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 124.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 12 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 480.0 GB/s bandwidth. Power: The Arc A310E draws 75 W with no connectors and a 250 W suggested PSU, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 draws 200 W with one 16-pin connector and a 550 W suggested PSU. Physical: The Arc A310E is single-slot, 168 mm by 69 mm by 20 mm, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 is dual-slot, 240 mm by 110 mm by 40 mm. Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs: 4x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Release dates: the Arc A310E launched on 2024-03-31, and the RTX 4070 GDDR6 on 2024-08-19. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has a launch MSRP of 599 USD; the Arc A310E has none recorded. Both are end-of-life, with predecessors (Xe Graphics for Intel, GeForce 30 for NVIDIA) and successors (Battlemage for Intel, GeForce 50 for NVIDIA).