Intel Arc A380 vs NVIDIA Tesla M10 Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla M10 has an average benchmark score of 9724, while the Intel Arc A380 has an average benchmark score of 8558. The Tesla M10 sits at the 47th percentile of all GPUs, whereas the Arc A380 is at the 44th percentile.

Q: How large is the gap in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The Intel Arc A380 scores 38224 in Geekbench OpenCL, compared to the Tesla M10's 10318. That represents a 73% deficit for the Tesla M10 relative to the Arc A380.

Q: What is the difference in transistor count and process node?

A: The Tesla M10 uses a 28 nm process with 1,870 million transistors on a 148 mm² die. The Arc A380 uses a 6 nm process with 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.9M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm² for the Tesla M10.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing hardware?

A: The Intel Arc A380 includes 8 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA Tesla M10 has no ray tracing cores listed in the database.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The Tesla M10 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 83.20 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc A380 has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The Arc A380 achieves 65.60 GPixel/s, while the Tesla M10 achieves 20.90 GPixel/s. The Arc A380 also leads in texture rate with 131.2 GTexel/s versus 52.24 GTexel/s.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent fundamentally different design eras and philosophies. The NVIDIA Tesla M10 is built on the Maxwell architecture, using the GM107 chip fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. Its transistor count is 1,870 million spread across a 148 mm² die, giving a density of 12.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The Intel Arc A380 uses the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-128 chip, built on a 6 nm process, also at TSMC. It packs 7,200 million transistors into a slightly larger 157 mm² die, achieving 45.9 million transistors per square millimeter, roughly 3.6 times the density of the Tesla part.

The compute resources differ substantially. The Tesla M10 has 640 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. The Arc A380 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Additionally, the Arc A380 features 8 dedicated ray tracing cores, which the Tesla M10 lacks entirely. The Tesla M10's FP32 throughput is 1.672 TFLOPS, while the Arc A380 reaches 4.198 TFLOPS, more than double. The Arc A380 also supports FP16 at 8.397 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio, a capability not listed for the Tesla M10.

Memory architecture diverges significantly. The Tesla M10 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit interface, yielding 83.20 GB/s of bandwidth. The Arc A380 uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a narrower 96-bit bus but achieves 186.0 GB/s due to faster effective memory speed (15.5 Gbps versus 5.2 Gbps). The Arc A380's memory clock runs at 1937 MHz, while the Tesla M10's memory clock is 1300 MHz.

The bus interfaces also differ: the Tesla M10 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the Arc A380 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. API support shows the Arc A380 with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), whereas the Tesla M10 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla M10 has no display outputs, while the Arc A380 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0. Power requirements are starkly different: the Tesla M10 has a 225 W TDP with a suggested 550 W PSU, while the Arc A380 has a 75 W TDP and a suggested 250 W PSU.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct benchmark comparisons between these GPUs, and the Intel Arc A380 wins both decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc A380 scores 38224 against the Tesla M10's 10318. The delta is 73% in favor of the Arc A380, meaning the Tesla M10 delivers only about a quarter of the OpenCL performance. This is a substantial margin that reflects the underlying architectural advantages: more shading units, higher clocks, and nearly double the FP32 throughput.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap is even wider in percentage terms. The Arc A380 scores 36736, while the Tesla M10 scores 9130. The delta is 75.1% in favor of the Arc A380. The Tesla M10's Vulkan result is less than a third of the Arc A380's. This pattern suggests that the Arc A380's newer architecture and higher compute throughput translate directly into better performance in both compute and graphics API workloads.

The win count is 2 for the Intel Arc A380 and 0 for the NVIDIA Tesla M10 in these head-to-head tests. The average benchmark scores tell a similar but slightly different story: the Tesla M10's average of 9724 is actually higher than the Arc A380's 8558, because the Tesla M10 is evaluated only on its two Geekbench tests, while the Arc A380's average includes additional tests like Passmark DirectX 10, 11, 12, and 9, plus Passmark G2D, G3D, and GPU compute results, which pull its average down.

Looking at the Arc A380's broader benchmark profile, its Passmark G3D score of 6252 and GPU compute score of 2762 show moderate performance, while its DirectX 9 score of 73 is notably higher than its DirectX 10 (37), DirectX 11 (38), and DirectX 12 (35) scores. This indicates that the Arc A380's architecture may be more efficient in older DirectX 9 workloads relative to its newer API performance, which is unusual and worth noting for compatibility considerations.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. The process node is 28 nm for the Tesla M10 versus 6 nm for the Arc A380. Transistor count is 1,870 million versus 7,200 million. Die size is 148 mm² versus 157 mm². Transistor density is 12.6M per mm² versus 45.9M per mm².

Clock speeds: the Tesla M10 has a base clock of 1033 MHz and a boost of 1306 MHz, while the Arc A380 has a base of 2000 MHz and a boost of 2050 MHz. Memory clock is 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) for the Tesla M10 and 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) for the Arc A380.

Memory: 8 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 83.20 GB/s bandwidth versus 6 GB GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. Compute units: 640 shading units, 40 TMUs, 16 ROPs versus 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores.

Fill rates: pixel rate 20.90 GPixel/s versus 65.60 GPixel/s; texture rate 52.24 GTexel/s versus 131.2 GTexel/s. FP32: 1.672 TFLOPS versus 4.198 TFLOPS. FP16: not listed versus 8.397 TFLOPS (2:1).

Power: TDP 225 W versus 75 W. Suggested PSU: 550 W versus 250 W. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs: none versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0. DirectX support: 12 (11_0) versus 12 Ultimate (12_2). Physical dimensions: the Tesla M10 is 267 mm long (10.5 inches), while the Arc A380 is 222 mm long (8.7 inches), 114 mm high (4.5 inches), and 42 mm wide (1.7 inches). Release dates: the Tesla M10 launched in 2016, the Arc A380 in 2022. The Arc A380 has a launch MSRP of 149 USD.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A380 wins in every direct benchmark comparison recorded: both Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan by margins of 73% and 75.1% respectively. It also leads in raw compute specifications: FP32 throughput is 2.5 times higher, texture rate is 2.5 times higher, and pixel rate is over 3 times higher. Its memory bandwidth is more than double the Tesla M10's, despite having a narrower bus, because of the faster GDDR6 memory. The Arc A380 adds ray tracing support, which the Tesla M10 cannot offer at all. It also has display outputs, making it usable as a graphics card for visual output, whereas the Tesla M10 is a compute-only accelerator with no display connectors. The Arc A380's power efficiency is far better: 75 W TDP versus 225 W TDP, with a suggested PSU of 250 W versus 550 W.

The NVIDIA Tesla M10's advantages are narrower. It has a higher average benchmark score (9724 versus 8558), which is driven by the fact that its benchmark set is limited to two Geekbench tests where it scores well relative to its peer group. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (delta of -0.6%) and the NVIDIA Quadro P4000 (delta of 0.6%), placing it in a performance class around the GTX 1070 and Quadro P4000. The Tesla M10 also has 8 GB of memory versus 6 GB, which could be an advantage for workloads that need more capacity rather than more bandwidth. Its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface provides a wider bus, though older generation, which may be relevant for systems with limited PCIe 4.0 support. It also has a longer physical footprint at 267 mm, which may fit differently in server chassis designed for older Tesla cards.

The Verdict

The data points decisively toward the Intel Arc A380 for anyone comparing these two cards on performance. In the only two direct benchmarks available, the Arc A380 wins by 73% in OpenCL and 75.1% in Vulkan. Its compute specifications are uniformly superior: double the shading units, double the texture rate, triple the pixel rate, and 2.5 times the FP32 throughput. It supports newer APIs including DirectX 12 Ultimate and ray tracing, which the Tesla M10 lacks entirely. It also consumes a third of the power (75 W versus 225 W) and provides display outputs, making it a functional graphics card rather than a headless compute accelerator.

The Tesla M10's case rests on its higher average benchmark score, which is a statistical artifact of its limited benchmark set, and its larger 8 GB memory pool. For workloads that require more than 6 GB of memory capacity, the Tesla M10 could be the better fit, though its bandwidth is less than half the Arc A380's. The Tesla M10 also sits closer to its nearest rivals in the database: its average score of 9724 puts it within 0.7% of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 and within 1.2% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070. The Arc A380's average of 8558 places it near the AMD FirePro W5170M (delta -0.4%) and AMD Radeon HD 8870M (delta 1.1%), a lower performance tier overall.

Given the benchmark results, the Arc A380 is the clear choice for general compute, graphics, and any workload that benefits from modern API support or ray tracing. The Tesla M10 is only preferable when memory capacity above 6 GB is a hard requirement, or when the system environment is built around older PCIe 3.0 infrastructure and Maxwell-era compute characteristics. For all other use cases, the recorded data shows the Arc A380 as the superior performer by substantial margins.