Intel Arc A380E vs Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Arc A380E and Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 occupy opposite ends of Intel's GPU spectrum. The Arc A380E is a compact, low-power graphics card from the Alchemist generation, built on the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-128 chip. The Data Center GPU Max 1550 is a massive accelerator built on the Ponte Vecchio chip, using Generation 12.5 architecture, designed for compute-heavy workloads rather than traditional display output. The data shows the Max 1550 delivers 12.8 times the FP32 throughput (52.43 TFLOPS versus 4.096 TFLOPS), 17.6 times the memory bandwidth (3.28 TB/s versus 186.0 GB/s), and 21.3 times the memory capacity (128 GB versus 6 GB). These are not competing products in any meaningful sense. The A380E serves embedded or low-profile graphics needs with a 75 W TDP and four DisplayPort 2.0 outputs. The Max 1550 has no display outputs, consumes 600 W, and targets data center compute. Users seeking a display-capable, low-power GPU should choose the A380E. Users needing massive memory bandwidth and compute throughput should choose the Max 1550, provided they can accommodate its OAM Module form factor and 1000 W suggested PSU.

Where Each One Wins

The Arc A380E wins in every category related to display output and power efficiency. It has four DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, while the Max 1550 has no outputs at all. The A380E draws 75 W TDP, one-eighth of the Max 1550's 600 W TDP. The A380E's suggested PSU is 250 W, versus 1000 W for the Max 1550. The A380E is single-slot and fits in a 254 mm length, 127 mm height, and 20 mm width envelope. The Max 1550 uses the OAM Module form factor, which requires specialized mounting and power infrastructure. The A380E also supports a broader API set: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Max 1550 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6 but has no Vulkan support listed.

The Max 1550 wins decisively in raw compute and memory metrics. Its FP32 throughput of 52.43 TFLOPS dwarfs the A380E's 4.096 TFLOPS. Its FP16 performance is 52.43 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, while the A380E delivers 8.192 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio. The Max 1550's texture rate is 1,638.4 GTexel/s, versus 128.0 GTexel/s for the A380E. It has 16,384 shading units, 1,024 TMUs, and 128 RT cores. The A380E has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 8 RT cores. The Max 1550 has 128 GB of HBM2e memory on an 8192-bit bus, providing 3.28 TB/s bandwidth. The A380E has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus, providing 186.0 GB/s. The Max 1550 also has a higher transistor density at 78.1M per mm², versus 45.9M per mm² for the A380E.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design lineages. The Arc A380E uses the DG2-128 chip, built on the Xe-HPG architecture, and belongs to the Alchemist generation (Arc 3). It is fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The chip contains 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die. The Data Center GPU Max 1550 uses the Ponte Vecchio chip, built on Generation 12.5 architecture, and belongs to the Data Center GPU generation. It is fabricated on a 10 nm process at Intel. The chip contains 100,000 million transistors on a 1,280 mm² die, making it dramatically larger and more complex.

The memory subsystems are completely different. The A380E uses 6 GB of GDDR6 with a 96-bit bus, clocked at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective), yielding 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Max 1550 uses 128 GB of HBM2e with an 8192-bit bus, clocked at 1600 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective), yielding 3.28 TB/s bandwidth. The bus width difference is 85 times in favor of the Max 1550.

The clock behavior also differs. The A380E runs at a flat 2000 MHz base and boost clock. The Max 1550 has a 900 MHz base clock and a 1600 MHz boost clock, indicating a design that scales frequency dynamically under load. The A380E has a pixel rate of 64.00 GPixel/s, while the Max 1550 reports 0 MPixel/s, because it has no raster output pipeline or display hardware. The ROP count for the Max 1550 is listed as 0, further confirming its compute-only orientation.

The bus interface differs as well. The A380E uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the Max 1550 uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The Max 1550 has a higher interface bandwidth potential, though the A380E's x8 link is adequate for its lower throughput. The Max 1550 has no power connectors listed, which is characteristic of OAM modules that receive power through the module connector. The A380E has no power connectors either, drawing its 75 W entirely from the PCIe slot.

The release timeline shows the Max 1550 launched on 2023-01-09, while the A380E launched later on 2024-03-31. The A380E is marked as end-of-life, with its successor listed as Battlemage. The Max 1550 is marked as active, with its successor listed as H3C Graphics. The A380E's predecessor is Xe Graphics. The Max 1550 has no predecessor listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The Data Center GPU Max 1550 delivers 52.43 TFLOPS FP32, which is 12.8 times the Arc A380E's 4.096 TFLOPS.

Q: Can the Data Center GPU Max 1550 connect to displays?

A: No. The Max 1550 has no display outputs. The Arc A380E has four DisplayPort 2.0 outputs.

Q: What are the memory capacities and types?

A: The Arc A380E has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus. The Max 1550 has 128 GB of HBM2e on an 8192-bit bus.

Q: What API support does each GPU offer?

A: The A380E supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Max 1550 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6, but Vulkan is not listed.

Q: How do the power requirements compare?

A: The A380E has a 75 W TDP with a 250 W suggested PSU. The Max 1550 has a 600 W TDP with a 1000 W suggested PSU.

Q: What are the form factors?

A: The A380E is a single-slot card measuring 254 mm in length, 127 mm in height, and 20 mm in width. The Max 1550 is an OAM Module with no listed dimensions.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no direct benchmark scores for either GPU, and the nearest rivals lists are empty. However, the raw specification data provides clear differentials. The most significant gap is in FP32 throughput. The Max 1550's 52.43 TFLOPS is 12.8 times the A380E's 4.096 TFLOPS. This means that for any FP32 compute workload, the Max 1550 can process roughly 12.8 times as many floating-point operations per second.

Memory bandwidth shows an even larger gap. The Max 1550's 3.28 TB/s is 17.6 times the A380E's 186.0 GB/s. This is driven by the HBM2e memory type, the 8192-bit bus width, and the 128 GB capacity. The A380E's GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus cannot approach this throughput. For memory-bound workloads, the Max 1550 has a decisive advantage.

Texture rate also favors the Max 1550 significantly. Its 1,638.4 GTexel/s is 12.8 times the A380E's 128.0 GTexel/s. The shading unit count follows the same ratio: 16,384 versus 1,024. The RT core count is 128 versus 8, a 16 times difference. The TMU count is 1,024 versus 64, also a 16 times difference.

Pixel rate is the one metric where the A380E has a nonzero value. It delivers 64.00 GPixel/s, while the Max 1550 reports 0 MPixel/s. This confirms the Max 1550 lacks a display pipeline entirely. The A380E's pixel rate is useful for traditional rasterization workloads, but the Max 1550 is not designed for such tasks.

FP16 performance shows a different ratio. The Max 1550 delivers 52.43 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, meaning it does not double its FP16 throughput. The A380E delivers 8.192 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, meaning it can process FP16 at twice its FP32 rate. In absolute terms, the Max 1550 still dominates, but the A380E's FP16 efficiency advantage is notable for its class.

Clock speeds also differ. The A380E runs at a constant 2000 MHz for both base and boost. The Max 1550 starts at 900 MHz base and boosts to 1600 MHz. The Max 1550's lower base clock is offset by its massive parallel hardware. The A380E's higher clocks do not compensate for its smaller chip.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The chip designations are DG2-128 for the A380E and Ponte Vecchio for the Max 1550. The architectures are Xe-HPG for the A380E and Generation 12.5 for the Max 1550. The process nodes are 6 nm at TSMC for the A380E and 10 nm at Intel for the Max 1550. The transistor counts are 7,200 million versus 100,000 million. The die sizes are 157 mm² versus 1,280 mm². Transistor densities are 45.9M per mm² versus 78.1M per mm².

Base clocks are 2000 MHz versus 900 MHz. Boost clocks are 2000 MHz versus 1600 MHz. Memory clocks are 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) versus 1600 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective). Memory sizes are 6 GB versus 128 GB. Memory types are GDDR6 versus HBM2e. Bus widths are 96 bit versus 8192 bit. Bandwidth is 186.0 GB/s versus 3.28 TB/s.

Shading units are 1,024 versus 16,384. TMUs are 64 versus 1,024. ROPs are 32 versus 0. RT cores are 8 versus 128. Pixel rates are 64.00 GPixel/s versus 0 MPixel/s. Texture rates are 128.0 GTexel/s versus 1,638.4 GTexel/s. FP32 is 4.096 TFLOPS versus 52.43 TFLOPS. FP16 is 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 52.43 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP is 75 W versus 600 W. Slot widths are single-slot versus OAM Module. Suggested PSU is 250 W versus 1000 W. Bus interfaces are PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 2.0 versus no outputs.

The API support differs. The A380E supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Max 1550 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan listed. The A380E has dimensions of 254 mm length, 127 mm height, and 20 mm width. The Max 1550 has no listed dimensions. The A380E is end-of-life with a successor of Battlemage. The Max 1550 is active with a successor of H3C Graphics. The A380E's predecessor is Xe Graphics. The Max 1550 has no predecessor listed. The A380E's release date is 2024-03-31. The Max 1550's release date is 2023-01-09.