Intel Arc A380E vs NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The database contains benchmark records for only one of these two GPUs, which shapes the comparison significantly. The Intel Arc A380E has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, while the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation has two recorded scores: a Geekbench OpenCL score of 146593 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 123842. Consequently, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation wins every measured comparison by default, since the A380E lacks any recorded measurements.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation sits at the 95th percentile among all GPUs in the database, indicating that it outperforms roughly 95 percent of all recorded graphics cards. The Intel Arc A380E, by contrast, sits at the 50th percentile, squarely in the middle of the distribution. This percentile gap suggests that while the A380E represents a mid-range performer, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation operates in the upper echelon of recorded hardware.

For workload segmentation, the data indicates that the RTX 4000 Ada Generation excels in compute-heavy tasks. Its OpenCL score of 146593 exceeds its Vulkan score of 123842, implying that general-purpose compute workloads, which OpenCL typically represents, benefit more from this GPU than graphics-oriented workloads, which Vulkan typically represents. The difference between the two scores amounts to roughly 18 percent in favor of OpenCL, suggesting the Ada architecture handles compute tasks particularly well.

The Intel Arc A380E, despite lacking benchmark records, still offers a distinct use-case profile based on its hardware specifications. Its 6 GB memory capacity and 96-bit memory bus position it for lighter workloads, while its 75 W power draw and lack of power connectors indicate a card designed for systems without dedicated power delivery. The A380E targets environments where simplicity and low power consumption take precedence over raw performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural lineages. The Intel Arc A380E uses the DG2-128 chip based on the Xe-HPG architecture, belonging to the Alchemist generation of Arc 3 products. The NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, belonging to the Workstation Ada generation. These names represent fundamentally different design philosophies from two competing manufacturers.

Manufacturing processes differ substantially. The A380E uses a 6 nm process from TSMC, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses a 5 nm process, also from TSMC. The transistor counts reveal a massive scale difference: the A380E packs 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die. The transistor density figures highlight this contrast: the A380E achieves 45.9 million transistors per square millimeter, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation reaches 121.8 million per square millimeter. The newer 5 nm process enables nearly three times the transistor density, which explains how NVIDIA fits over four times as many transistors into less than double the die area.

Core configurations diverge sharply. The A380E offers 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation provides 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The shading unit count difference is particularly notable: the NVIDIA card has exactly six times as many shading units as the Intel card. Ray tracing hardware also differs: the A380E has 8 ray tracing cores, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 48. Tensor cores appear only on the NVIDIA side, with 192 tensor cores present, while the Intel card lists none.

Clock behavior reveals another contrast. The A380E runs at a flat 2000 MHz for both base and boost clocks, meaning it operates at a constant frequency. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation runs at a 1500 MHz base clock that boosts to 2175 MHz, a 45 percent increase under load. This boost behavior allows the NVIDIA card to scale its performance dynamically, while the Intel card maintains a steady state.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Since the head-to-head benchmark table in the database is empty, the only direct numerical comparison available comes from the RTX 4000 Ada Generation's standalone benchmark scores. The A380E has no recorded scores, so no direct performance delta can be calculated between the two cards.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation's average benchmark score across its two recorded tests stands at 135218. This average places it in close competition with several other workstation GPUs. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA A10M, scores 135230, which is essentially identical, differing by zero percent. The AMD Radeon PRO W6800 scores 135396, which is 0.1 percent higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo scores 135774, 0.4 percent higher. The AMD Radeon PRO V620 scores 136472, 0.9 percent higher. These figures show that the RTX 4000 Ada Generation sits at the lower end of a tightly clustered group of workstation cards, all within one percent of each other.

The OpenCL score of 146593 represents the stronger of the two recorded results. This score indicates that when running general-purpose compute workloads through the OpenCL interface, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation performs near the top of its peer group. The Vulkan score of 123842 represents a graphics-oriented workload, and this lower score suggests that the card's graphics rendering performance trails its compute performance relative to its own capabilities.

The Intel Arc A380E's lack of benchmark data means the database cannot confirm its performance level. However, its specifications provide context. The A380E's 4.096 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, 64.00 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 128.0 GTexel/s texture rate represent its theoretical peak capabilities. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation's corresponding figures are 26.73 TFLOPS FP32, 139.2 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 417.6 GTexel/s. The FP32 gap shows the NVIDIA card delivering roughly 6.5 times the single-precision compute throughput. The pixel rate gap shows roughly 2.2 times the pixel throughput, and the texture rate gap shows roughly 3.3 times the texture throughput.

FP16 performance tells a different architectural story. The A380E delivers 8.192 TFLOPS of FP16, which is a 2:1 ratio relative to its FP32 throughput, meaning it processes half-precision at twice the rate of single-precision. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers 26.73 TFLOPS of FP16, a 1:1 ratio, meaning it processes both precisions at the same rate. This difference indicates that the Intel architecture accelerates FP16 workloads specifically, while the NVIDIA architecture treats both precisions equally.

The Verdict

The recorded data presents a clear hierarchy. The NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation occupies the 95th percentile among all GPUs, while the Intel Arc A380E occupies the 50th percentile. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation delivers substantially higher compute throughput, pixel throughput, and texture throughput in every measurable category. Its 20 GB memory capacity, 160-bit bus width, and 360.0 GB/s bandwidth dwarf the A380E's 6 GB capacity, 96-bit bus width, and 186.0 GB/s bandwidth.

For users selecting between these two cards, the data points toward the RTX 4000 Ada Generation for any workload that demands significant compute performance. The 95th percentile ranking, combined with the 146593 OpenCL score, indicates strong suitability for compute-intensive applications. The 20 GB memory capacity provides ample room for large datasets, and the 192 tensor cores suggest capability for AI-accelerated workloads.

The Intel Arc A380E targets a different segment entirely. Its 75 W power draw, lack of power connectors, and 250 W suggested power supply indicate a card designed for systems with limited power delivery. Its 6 GB memory capacity and 186.0 GB/s bandwidth suit lighter workloads. The 50th percentile ranking places it as a mid-tier performer, adequate for mainstream tasks but not competitive with the RTX 4000 Ada Generation's upper-tier performance.

The production status reinforces this distinction. The A380E is listed as end-of-life, with a release date of March 2024 and a successor named Battlemage. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation remains active, released in August 2023, with a successor named Blackwell PRO W. The A380E represents a product at the end of its lifecycle, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation remains a current product.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has better benchmark scores?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation has recorded scores of 146593 in Geekbench OpenCL and 123842 in Geekbench Vulkan, with an average score of 135218. The Intel Arc A380E has no recorded benchmark scores in the database.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 360.0 GB/s bandwidth. The A380E has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The A380E has a 75 W power draw, uses no power connectors, and suggests a 250 W power supply. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a 130 W power draw, uses one 16-pin power connector, and suggests a 300 W power supply.

Q: Which GPU has more compute cores?

A: The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, 48 ray tracing cores, and 192 tensor cores. The A380E has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, 32 render output units, and 8 ray tracing cores, with no tensor cores.

Q: How does the RTX 4000 Ada Generation compare to its nearest rivals?

A: Its average score of 135218 is essentially tied with the NVIDIA A10M at 135230, trails the AMD Radeon PRO W6800 at 135396 by 0.1 percent, trails the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo at 135774 by 0.4 percent, and trails the AMD Radeon PRO V620 at 136472 by 0.9 percent.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The A380E is end-of-life with a release date of March 2024 and a successor named Battlemage. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation is active with a release date of August 2023 and a successor named Blackwell PRO W.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The A380E uses the DG2-128 chip with Xe-HPG architecture from the Alchemist generation, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture. The process nodes differ at 6 nm versus 5 nm, both from TSMC. Transistor counts differ at 7,200 million versus 35,800 million, and die sizes differ at 157 mm² versus 294 mm². Transistor density differs at 45.9 million per square millimeter versus 121.8 million per square millimeter.

Clock speeds differ, with the A380E running at 2000 MHz base and boost, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation runs at 1500 MHz base and 2175 MHz boost. Memory clocks differ at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) versus 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). Memory size differs at 6 GB versus 20 GB, bus width at 96-bit versus 160-bit, and bandwidth at 186.0 GB/s versus 360.0 GB/s.

Core counts differ across all categories. Shading units number 1,024 versus 6,144. Texture mapping units number 64 versus 192. Render output units number 32 versus 64. Ray tracing cores number 8 versus 48. Tensor cores are absent on the A380E but number 192 on the RTX 4000 Ada Generation.

Theoretical throughput rates differ. Pixel rate is 64.00 GPixel/s versus 139.2 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 128.0 GTexel/s versus 417.6 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 4.096 TFLOPS versus 26.73 TFLOPS. FP16 compute is 8.192 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio versus 26.73 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio.

Power characteristics differ, with the A380E drawing 75 W versus 130 W, using no power connectors versus one 16-pin connector, and suggesting a 250 W power supply versus 300 W. The bus interface differs at PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs differ at 4x DisplayPort 2.0 versus 4x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Physical dimensions differ, with the A380E measuring 254 mm in length, 127 mm in height, and 20 mm in width, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation measures 245 mm in length and 112 mm in height, with no recorded width. Production status differs at end-of-life versus active. Release dates differ at March 2024 versus August 2023. Predecessors differ at Xe Graphics versus Workstation Ampere, and successors differ at Battlemage versus Blackwell PRO W.