Intel Arc A380 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Comparison

The Verdict

The data decisively favors the Intel Arc A380 in nearly every measurable category. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti, a Fermi 2.0-era card from 2011, is completely outclassed by the Arc A380 in raw compute, memory capacity, and modern API support. The single head-to-head benchmark in the database, Geekbench OpenCL, shows the Arc A380 scoring 38,224 versus the GTX 560 Ti's 10,690, a 72% deficit for the older NVIDIA card. The Arc A380 wins the only direct comparison recorded.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, the Arc A380 is the only sensible choice for anyone running modern workloads. It delivers 4.198 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory, and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and ray tracing via 8 dedicated RT cores. The GTX 560 Ti offers just 1,263.4 GFLOPS, 1 GB of GDDR5, and caps out at DirectX 12 (11_0) with no Vulkan support listed. The older card does have a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs (49th versus 44th), but that ranking is based on a single OpenCL score that is dwarfed by the Intel part.

The GTX 560 Ti is only relevant for legacy compatibility or specific use cases where its older driver stack or 256-bit memory bus matters. Its 128.3 GB/s bandwidth is lower than the Arc's 186.0 GB/s, and its 13.17 GPixel/s pixel rate is a fraction of the Arc's 65.60 GPixel/s. The verdict is unambiguous: the Arc A380 is the superior product on every benchmark metric recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc A380 has an average benchmark score of 8,558 across multiple tests, while the GeForce GTX 560 Ti has an average score of 10,690 from a single OpenCL test. However, the Arc's average is dragged down by low Passmark scores in DirectX 9 through 12 tests (ranging from 35 to 73), while its OpenCL score of 38,224 is far higher.

Q: How do the two cards compare in memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: The Intel Arc A380 has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti has 1 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 128.3 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc has six times the capacity and roughly 45% more bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports modern graphics APIs?

A: The Intel Arc A380 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan version listed. The Arc also includes 8 ray tracing cores, which the GTX 560 Ti lacks entirely.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GeForce GTX 560 Ti has a TDP of 170 W with a suggested PSU of 450 W and requires two 6-pin power connectors. The Intel Arc A380 has a TDP of 75 W with a suggested PSU of 250 W and uses a single 8-pin connector. The Arc draws less than half the power.

Q: How does the single direct benchmark comparison turn out?

A: In the only head-to-head test recorded, Geekbench OpenCL, the Intel Arc A380 scores 38,224 versus the GeForce GTX 560 Ti's 10,690. The delta is -72% for the GTX 560 Ti, meaning the Arc is roughly 3.6 times faster in this test.

Q: Which card has the higher transistor density?

A: The Intel Arc A380, built on a 6 nm process, has 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, yielding 45.9 million transistors per mm². The GeForce GTX 560 Ti, on a 40 nm process, has 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die, yielding 5.9 million per mm². The Arc is nearly eight times denser.

Architecture Differences

The GeForce GTX 560 Ti uses the GF114 chip based on Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a 40 nm TSMC process. It contains 1,950 million transistors on a 332 mm² die with a transistor density of 5.9 million per mm². The Intel Arc A380 uses the DG2-128 chip based on Xe-HPG architecture, built on a 6 nm TSMC process. It contains 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die with a density of 45.9 million per mm².

The GTX 560 Ti has 384 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. It has no ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The Arc A380 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, plus 8 dedicated ray tracing cores. The Arc's FP32 compute is rated at 4.198 TFLOPS, while the GTX 560 Ti manages 1,263.4 GFLOPS. The Arc also lists FP16 performance at 8.397 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), a feature absent from the older card.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The GTX 560 Ti uses 1 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 128.3 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc A380 uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc's memory clocks at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective), while the GTX 560 Ti's memory runs at 1002 MHz (4 Gbps effective). The Arc's higher bandwidth comes despite a narrower bus, demonstrating the efficiency of newer memory technology.

API support separates the two generations sharply. The GTX 560 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan listed. The Arc A380 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Arc's DirectX 12 Ultimate includes hardware ray tracing, a feature entirely absent from the Fermi architecture.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every specification field. Process node: 40 nm versus 6 nm. Transistors: 1,950 million versus 7,200 million. Die size: 332 mm² versus 157 mm². Transistor density: 5.9M/mm² versus 45.9M/mm². Base clock: none listed for the GTX 560 Ti, versus 2000 MHz for the Arc. Boost clock: none listed versus 2050 MHz. Memory clock: 1002 MHz versus 1937 MHz. Memory size: 1024 MB versus 6 GB. Memory type: GDDR5 versus GDDR6. Bus width: 256 bit versus 96 bit. Bandwidth: 128.3 GB/s versus 186.0 GB/s.

Shading units: 384 versus 1,024. TMUs: 64 for both. ROPs: 32 for both. RT cores: none versus 8. Pixel rate: 13.17 GPixel/s versus 65.60 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 52.67 GTexel/s versus 131.2 GTexel/s. FP32: 1,263.4 GFLOPS versus 4.198 TFLOPS. FP16: none versus 8.397 TFLOPS. TDP: 170 W versus 75 W. Power connectors: 2x 6-pin versus 1x 8-pin. Suggested PSU: 450 W versus 250 W. Bus interface: PCIe 2.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8.

Display outputs: 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0. Dimensions: 229 mm length versus 222 mm length, 114 mm height, 42 mm width. Release date: 2011-01-24 versus 2022-06-13. Predecessor: GeForce 400 versus Xe Graphics. Successor: GeForce 600 versus Battlemage. Launch MSRP: 249 USD versus 149 USD. Both are dual-slot, end-of-life products.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single direct comparison: Geekbench OpenCL. The Intel Arc A380 scores 38,224, while the GeForce GTX 560 Ti scores 10,690. The delta percentage is -72% for the GTX 560 Ti, meaning the Arc outperforms it by a factor of approximately 3.6. This is the only head-to-head test, so it carries the full weight of the direct comparison.

Beyond the head-to-head, the Arc A380 has a broader benchmark suite. Its Passmark scores are modest: 37 in DirectX 10, 38 in DirectX 11, 35 in DirectX 12, 73 in DirectX 9, 610 in G2D, 6,252 in G3D, and 2,762 in GPU Compute. The GTX 560 Ti has no equivalent scores in the database, so the Arc's superior OpenCL result is the primary quantitative evidence.

The Arc also has a Vulkan score of 36,736, a test the GTX 560 Ti cannot run due to lack of Vulkan support. The Arc's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 808 further demonstrates modern workload capability. The GTX 560 Ti's single 10,690 OpenCL score places it in the 49th percentile of all GPUs, while the Arc's average of 8,558 across all tests places it in the 44th percentile. However, the Arc's OpenCL score alone (38,224) would rank far higher if isolated.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A380 wins in every recorded category. It dominates in raw compute: 4.198 TFLOPS versus 1,263.4 GFLOPS FP32, and 8.397 TFLOPS FP16 versus none. It wins in memory: 6 GB versus 1 GB capacity, 186.0 GB/s versus 128.3 GB/s bandwidth. It wins in pixel rate (65.60 versus 13.17 GPixel/s) and texture rate (131.2 versus 52.67 GTexel/s). It wins in modern API support with Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 Ultimate. It wins in power efficiency with a 75 W TDP versus 170 W. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 72%.

The GeForce GTX 560 Ti has no benchmark wins in the database. Its only advantages are structural: a wider 256-bit memory bus (though lower bandwidth), a higher percentile ranking (49th versus 44th), and a longer physical length (229 mm versus 222 mm). The GTX 560 Ti also has a higher launch MSRP of 249 USD versus 149 USD, but that reflects its 2011 positioning, not current capability. For any workload involving OpenCL compute, modern DirectX 12 features, or ray tracing, the Arc A380 is the only viable option. The GTX 560 Ti's role is limited to legacy systems that require its specific display outputs (2x DVI, mini-HDMI 1.3a) or its PCIe 2.0 interface.