Intel Arc A380E x2 vs NVIDIA H100 CNX Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data positions the Intel Arc A380E x2 and NVIDIA H100 CNX at the same 50th percentile among all GPUs, yet the two parts could not be more different in design intent. The Arc A380E x2 is a single-slot, 130 W embedded/edge card built around the DG2-128 chip with 1024 shading units, 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus, and 4.096 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The H100 CNX is a dual-slot, 350 W server accelerator built around the GH100 chip with 14,592 shading units, 80 GB of HBM2e on a 5120-bit bus, and 53.84 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. Since no benchmark scores or head-to-head wins are present in the database, the verdict must rest on architectural and specification differences alone. The data indicates that the Arc A380E x2 suits workloads requiring multiple display outputs and compact physical integration, while the H100 CNX suits compute-heavy server environments where raw throughput and massive memory bandwidth dominate. Neither part has a benchmark edge in the recorded data, so the selection depends entirely on the target workload's demands for graphics output, memory capacity, compute throughput, and power envelope.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Arc A380E x2 uses the DG2-128 chip built on TSMC's 6 nm process, with 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.9 million transistors per square millimeter. Its architecture is Xe-HPG, part of the Alchemist generation within the Arc 3 family. The NVIDIA H100 CNX uses the GH100 chip built on TSMC's 5 nm process, with 80,000 million transistors on an 814 mm² die, yielding 98.3 million transistors per square millimeter. Its architecture is Hopper, part of the Server Hopper generation. The H100 CNX packs more than 11 times the transistor count and more than 5 times the die area, while the Arc A380E x2 operates at a much higher base clock of 2000 MHz compared to the H100 CNX's 690 MHz base, though the H100 CNX boosts to 1845 MHz versus the Arc's fixed 2000 MHz boost.

Memory architecture separates the two decisively. The Arc A380E x2 uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s of bandwidth and memory clocked at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective). The H100 CNX uses 80 GB of HBM2e on a 5120-bit bus with 2.04 TB/s of bandwidth and memory clocked at 1593 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective). The H100 CNX delivers roughly 11 times the memory bandwidth and more than 13 times the memory capacity. The compute resource counts reflect the same divide: the H100 CNX has 14,592 shading units, 456 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 456 tensor cores, while the Arc A380E x2 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores. The H100 CNX lists no RT cores but adds tensor cores, which the Arc does not list.

The Arc A380E x2 exposes 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, whereas the H100 CNX has no display outputs at all. The Arc supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the H100 CNX lists no graphics API support in the database. The H100 CNX uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the Arc A380E x2 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The H100 CNX requires a dual-slot chassis and an 8-pin EPS power connector with a suggested 750 W PSU, while the Arc A380E x2 fits a single slot, uses a 1x 6-pin connector, and suggests a 300 W PSU. The H100 CNX measures 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the Arc A380E x2 measures 265 mm in length, 127 mm in height, and 20 mm in width.

Where Each One Wins

The Arc A380E x2 wins in scenarios requiring display connectivity. Its 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs allow direct attachment to multiple monitors or signage panels, while the H100 CNX provides no outputs. The Arc also wins on pixel throughput, delivering 64.00 GPixel/s against the H100 CNX's 44.28 GPixel/s, despite having far fewer shading units. Its single-slot profile and 130 W TDP make it suitable for dense installations with modest power budgets, and its 2000 MHz base and boost clocks run far higher than the H100 CNX's 690 MHz base.

The H100 CNX wins decisively on raw compute and memory. Its FP32 throughput of 53.84 TFLOPS is more than 13 times the Arc's 4.096 TFLOPS. Its FP16 throughput of 215.4 TFLOPS (4:1) dwarfs the Arc's 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1) by a factor of roughly 26. Texture rate favors the H100 CNX at 841.3 GTexel/s versus 128.0 GTexel/s, a 6.6 times advantage. Memory bandwidth favors the H100 CNX at 2.04 TB/s versus 186.0 GB/s, an 11 times advantage. The H100 CNX also carries 456 tensor cores, which the Arc does not list, and supports PCIe 5.0 x16 versus the Arc's PCIe 4.0 x8. The H100 CNX is marked as Active in production status, while the Arc A380E x2 is End-of-life, with its successor listed as Battlemage; the H100 CNX's successor is Server Blackwell.

The H100 CNX also leads in shading unit count and transistor density. Its 14,592 shading units compare to 1,024, and its 98.3M transistors per mm² compare to 45.9M. The H100 CNX uses 80 GB of HBM2e, which suits large models or datasets that would exceed the Arc's 6 GB GDDR6 capacity.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA H100 CNX delivers 53.84 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the Intel Arc A380E x2 delivers 4.096 TFLOPS. The H100 CNX is approximately 13 times faster in this metric.

Q: Does the Intel Arc A380E x2 support display outputs?

A: Yes, the Arc A380E x2 provides 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs. The NVIDIA H100 CNX lists no display outputs.

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

A: The H100 CNX has 80 GB of HBM2e on a 5120-bit bus with 2.04 TB/s bandwidth. The Arc A380E x2 has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The H100 CNX offers roughly 11 times the bandwidth and over 13 times the capacity.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Arc A380E x2 has a 130 W TDP, uses a 1x 6-pin power connector, and suggests a 300 W PSU. The H100 CNX has a 350 W TDP, uses an 8-pin EPS connector, and suggests a 750 W PSU.

Q: Which GPU has tensor cores?

A: The NVIDIA H100 CNX lists 456 tensor cores. The Intel Arc A380E x2 does not list tensor cores, but it does list 8 ray tracing cores, which the H100 CNX does not list.

Q: What are the production statuses of the two GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc A380E x2 is marked End-of-life with a successor of Battlemage. The NVIDIA H100 CNX is marked Active with a successor of Server Blackwell.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded head-to-head benchmark scores for the Intel Arc A380E x2 versus the NVIDIA H100 CNX. Both parts show an average benchmark score of 0 and a percentile rank of 50 among all GPUs. There are no wins recorded for either side, and no nearest rivals are listed. Therefore, the analysis relies entirely on the specification data.

The largest numerical win for the H100 CNX appears in FP16 throughput. The H100 CNX delivers 215.4 TFLOPS (4:1), while the Arc A380E x2 delivers 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1), a ratio of about 26.3 to 1. FP32 follows with 53.84 TFLOPS versus 4.096 TFLOPS, a ratio of about 13.1 to 1. Texture rate favors the H100 CNX at 841.3 GTexel/s versus 128.0 GTexel/s, a ratio of about 6.6 to 1. Memory bandwidth favors the H100 CNX at 2.04 TB/s versus 186.0 GB/s, a ratio of about 11 to 1. Shading units favor the H100 CNX at 14,592 versus 1,024, a ratio of about 14.3 to 1. Tensor cores exist only on the H100 CNX at 456.

The Arc A380E x2 holds wins in pixel rate, clock speed, and ROP count. Its pixel rate of 64.00 GPixel/s exceeds the H100 CNX's 44.28 GPixel/s by about 45%. Its base and boost clocks of 2000 MHz exceed the H100 CNX's 690 MHz base and 1845 MHz boost. Its ROP count of 32 exceeds the H100 CNX's 24. The Arc also wins on physical integration: single-slot versus dual-slot, and 8 display outputs versus none.

The H100 CNX wins on process node and transistor density. Its 5 nm process is smaller than the Arc's 6 nm. Its 98.3M transistors per mm² compares to 45.9M for the Arc. The H100 CNX also leads in memory bus width (5120 bit versus 96 bit), memory type (HBM2e versus GDDR6), and bus interface (PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8).

The Arc A380E x2 wins on graphics API support. It lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the H100 CNX lists no APIs. The Arc also has a smaller die (157 mm² versus 814 mm²) and lower transistor count (7,200 million versus 80,000 million), which aligns with its lower power draw.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across every major specification category in the database.

Process and die: The Arc A380E x2 uses TSMC 6 nm with 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die at 45.9M transistors per mm². The H100 CNX uses TSMC 5 nm with 80,000 million transistors on an 814 mm² die at 98.3M transistors per mm².

Clocks: The Arc A380E x2 runs at 2000 MHz base and 2000 MHz boost. The H100 CNX runs at 690 MHz base and 1845 MHz boost. Memory clocks are 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) for the Arc and 1593 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) for the H100 CNX.

Memory: The Arc A380E x2 has 6 GB GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The H100 CNX has 80 GB HBM2e on a 5120-bit bus with 2.04 TB/s bandwidth.

Compute units: The Arc A380E x2 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 8 RT cores. The H100 CNX has 14,592 shading units, 456 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 456 tensor cores.

Rates: The Arc A380E x2 achieves 64.00 GPixel/s, 128.0 GTexel/s, 4.096 TFLOPS FP32, and 8.192 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1). The H100 CNX achieves 44.28 GPixel/s, 841.3 GTexel/s, 53.84 TFLOPS FP32, and 215.4 TFLOPS FP16 (4:1).

Power and physical: The Arc A380E x2 has a 130 W TDP, is single-slot, uses a 1x 6-pin connector, and suggests a 300 W PSU. It measures 265 mm in length, 127 mm in height, and 20 mm in width. The H100 CNX has a 350 W TDP, is dual-slot, uses an 8-pin EPS connector, and suggests a 750 W PSU. It measures 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height, with no width listed.

Interface and outputs: The Arc A380E x2 uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and has 8x mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs. The H100 CNX uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and has no display outputs.

API support: The Arc A380E x2 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The H100 CNX lists no DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan support.

Status and release: The Arc A380E x2 is End-of-life, released on 2024-03-31, with predecessor Xe Graphics and successor Battlemage. The H100 CNX is Active, released on 2023-03-20, with predecessor Server Ada and successor Server Blackwell.