Intel Arc A380 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M Comparison

The Intel Arc A380 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M represent two distinct eras of mobile and entry-level desktop graphics. The data shows a decisive performance gap, driven by a generational leap in architecture and specifications. This analysis compares their benchmark results, architectural differences, and the specific strengths each brings to the table.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a dominant performance advantage for the Intel Arc A380. In the two shared tests, the Arc A380 wins decisively, with a 2-0 record in head-to-head comparisons. The most significant margin is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the Intel Arc A380 scores 36,736 points compared to the GTX 950M's 6,525 points. This represents a 463% deltaPct, indicating the Arc A380 is nearly five times faster in this API-specific workload. The sheer scale of this difference suggests that the Arc A380's modern architecture is far better equipped to handle the low-level, multi-threaded nature of Vulkan.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a similar, though slightly less extreme, outcome. The Intel Arc A380 achieves a score of 38,224, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M manages 9,745. The deltaPct here is 292.2%, meaning the Arc A380 is roughly three times faster in general-purpose compute tasks. This substantial lead in raw compute performance is consistent with the massive difference in shading units (1,024 vs. 640) and FP32 throughput (4.198 TFLOPS vs. 1,438.7 GFLOPS) listed in the specifications.

Beyond the shared tests, the Intel Arc A380 has additional benchmark data points that showcase its overall capabilities. Its PassMark G3D score is 6,252, and its PassMark GPU Compute score is 2,762. In contrast, the GTX 950M lacks these specific data points. The Arc A380 also holds a higher average benchmark score of 8,558, compared to the GTX 950M's 8,135. While the GTX 950M is not without merit, its performance ceiling is fundamentally lower. The data indicates that the Arc A380 not only wins in direct comparisons but also possesses a higher overall performance baseline, as reflected in its 44th percentile rank versus the GTX 950M's 42nd.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Arc A380 is the superior performer. For any user prioritizing raw graphics processing power, the choice is clear. The Arc A380's 292% lead in OpenCL and 463% lead in Vulkan are not incremental gains; they represent a generational leap in capability. This makes it the appropriate pick for applications that leverage these APIs, such as modern game engines and compute-heavy workloads.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, however, is not without a role. Its specifications point to a fundamentally different design purpose. As an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) with no power connectors, it is designed for portability and low power consumption within a laptop chassis. The Arc A380, in contrast, is a dual-slot card requiring a 1x 8-pin power connector and a 250 W suggested PSU. For users with a legacy system or a specific need for a low-profile, power-efficient mobile solution, the GTX 950M remains a viable, if dated, option. The data shows it is not a competitor to the Arc A380 in terms of performance, but it serves a different use case entirely.

Benchmark results indicate that the GTX 950M's closest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 M360, with a deltaPct of 0.1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce 945M, with a deltaPct of 0.4%. This places it in a performance tier that is dramatically lower than the Arc A380, whose nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro W5170M and NVIDIA GeForce MX330, both scoring within a 1.2% deltaPct of the Arc A380. This comparison reinforces that the Arc A380 is competing in a different league, one where its performance is roughly on par with newer, more capable entry-level GPUs, while the GTX 950M is anchored to a much older performance class.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc A380 has a higher average benchmark score of 8,558, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M's 8,135.

Q: What is the performance difference in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The Intel Arc A380 scores 36,736, which is 463% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M's score of 6,525.

Q: How much faster is the Intel Arc A380 in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The Arc A380 scores 38,224, a 292.2% improvement over the GTX 950M's 9,745 in the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile rank among all GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc A380 is in the 44th percentile, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M is in the 42nd percentile.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same version of Vulkan?

A: Yes, both the Intel Arc A380 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M support Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Intel Arc A380 has 1,024 shading units, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M has 640.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ significantly across nearly all core specifications. The Intel Arc A380 is built on a 6 nm process node, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M uses a 28 nm process. This leads to a substantial difference in transistor density: the Arc A380 packs 45.9M transistors per mm², compared to the GTX 950M's 12.6M. The Arc A380 also features a larger memory bus and faster memory, with a 96-bit bus for 6 GB of GDDR6, whereas the GTX 950M uses a 128-bit bus for 4 GB of DDR3. The memory bandwidth reflects this, with the Arc A380 offering 186.0 GB/s versus the GTX 950M's 28.80 GB/s.

Clock speeds also differ, with the Intel Arc A380 having a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2050 MHz. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M has a lower base clock of 993 MHz and a boost clock of 1124 MHz. The Arc A380's memory runs at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective), while the GTX 950M's memory is clocked at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). Physically, the Arc A380 is a dual-slot card with dimensions of 222 mm x 114 mm x 42 mm, while the GTX 950M is an IGP with no listed dimensions. The Arc A380 requires a 1x 8-pin power connector, while the GTX 950M uses none. The bus interface also differs, with the Arc A380 using PCIe 4.0 x8 and the GTX 950M using PCIe 3.0 x8. The Arc A380 has a launch MSRP of 149 USD, while the GTX 950M has no listed MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is vast. The Intel Arc A380 is based on the Xe-HPG architecture, specifically the DG2-128 chip, and is part of the Alchemist (Arc 3) generation. It is built on a 6 nm process at TSMC and contains 7,200 million transistors. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M uses the older Maxwell architecture, with the GM107 chip, and is part of the GeForce 900M generation. It is manufactured on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC, but contains only 1,870 million transistors.

This architectural leap is reflected in feature support. The Intel Arc A380 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M supports DirectX 12 (11_0). The Arc A380 also includes 8 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the GTX 950M. In terms of compute capabilities, the Arc A380 offers FP16 performance of 8.397 TFLOPS (2:1), while the GTX 950M has no FP16 support listed. The Intel GPU also has a much higher pixel rate (65.60 GPixel/s) and texture rate (131.2 GTexel/s) compared to the GTX 950M's 17.98 GPixel/s and 44.96 GTexel/s. The Arc A380's display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0, whereas the GTX 950M's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its mobile IGP nature. The Intel Arc A380 also has a successor, Battlemage, while the GTX 950M's successor is GeForce 10 Mobile.