Intel Arc A380M vs Intel Arc G3 Extreme Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents two Intel Arc mobile graphics solutions with fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Arc A380M is a discrete MXM module built on the Alchemist architecture, while the Intel Arc G3 Extreme is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) within the Panther Lake platform. Benchmark results indicate that the G3 Extreme holds a decisive advantage in raw compute throughput, delivering 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance compared to 4.096 TFLOPS for the A380M. This positions the G3 Extreme approximately 87.5% ahead in FP32 compute, a substantial margin for any workload reliant on shader processing. However, the A380M counters with a superior 186.0 GB/s memory bandwidth from its dedicated GDDR6 memory, whereas the G3 Extreme relies on system shared memory with bandwidth that is system dependent. The data shows that users requiring sustained, bandwidth-heavy rendering workloads may find the A380M's dedicated memory subsystem advantageous, while those prioritizing raw shader compute and architectural efficiency should look to the G3 Extreme. The A380M operates at a lower 35 W TDP, making it suitable for constrained thermal envelopes, while the G3 Extreme draws 80 W, indicating a higher performance ceiling at the cost of power consumption.

Architecture Differences

The two processors embody distinct architectural generations and manufacturing approaches. The Intel Arc A380M uses the DG2-128 chip built on the Xe-HPG architecture, fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC. It contains 7,200 million transistors within a 157 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.9M per mm². This chip belongs to the Alchemist generation, specifically the Arc 3 Mobile segment. In contrast, the Intel Arc G3 Extreme uses the Panther Lake chip based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. Its transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database, and it belongs to the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation.

Architecturally, the G3 Extreme features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 24 render output units, and 12 ray tracing cores. The A380M provides 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores. This represents a 50% increase in shading units for the G3 Extreme, but the A380M holds a 33.3% advantage in TMUs and a 33.3% advantage in ROPs. The G3 Extreme compensates with a higher boost clock of 2500 MHz versus 2000 MHz, while its base clock is substantially lower at 300 MHz compared to 1550 MHz. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API feature parity is complete. The G3 Extreme is an IGP with no power connectors, while the A380M is an MXM module using the MXM-A (3.1) bus interface. Both use portable device dependent display outputs. The G3 Extreme's memory is system shared, meaning its bandwidth is system dependent, while the A380M uses 6 GB of GDDR6 over a 96 bit bus.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Since the head-to-head benchmark array is empty, the comparison relies on the recorded specification-level performance metrics. The most significant divergence appears in FP32 compute. The G3 Extreme delivers 7.680 TFLOPS, which is 87.5% higher than the A380M's 4.096 TFLOPS. This is the largest measurable performance gap between the two. FP16 performance follows the same pattern: the G3 Extreme reaches 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1) for the A380M, again an 87.5% advantage.

Texture and pixel throughput tell a different story. The A380M achieves a texture rate of 128.0 GTexel/s, which is 6.7% higher than the G3 Extreme's 120.0 GTexel/s. Pixel rate also favors the A380M, with 64.00 GPixel/s versus 60.00 GPixel/s, a 6.7% advantage. These margins are modest but consistent, indicating that the A380M's higher TMU and ROP counts partially offset its lower shader count. Clock behavior reinforces this split: the A380M's base clock of 1550 MHz is more than five times the G3 Extreme's 300 MHz base clock, while the G3 Extreme's 2500 MHz boost clock is 25% higher than the A380M's 2000 MHz boost. The G3 Extreme's low base clock suggests power management that ramps aggressively under load, whereas the A380M maintains a higher floor.

Memory bandwidth is another clear differentiator. The A380M provides 186.0 GB/s from its GDDR6 memory clocked at 1937 MHz, with 15.5 Gbps effective data rate. The G3 Extreme's bandwidth is system dependent, so no fixed figure can be assigned. For workloads that saturate memory bandwidth, the A380M's dedicated allocation provides a predictable advantage, while the G3 Extreme's performance will vary based on the host system's memory configuration.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every specification category. The A380M uses the DG2-128 chip on TSMC's 6 nm process, while the G3 Extreme uses the Panther Lake chip on Intel's 3 nm process. Transistor count is 7,200 million for the A380M, with an unknown value for the G3 Extreme. Die size is 157 mm² for the A380M, unknown for the G3 Extreme. Transistor density is 45.9M per mm² for the A380M, with no recorded value for the G3 Extreme.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The A380M has a base clock of 1550 MHz and a boost clock of 2000 MHz, while the G3 Extreme has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Memory configuration is entirely different: the A380M uses 6 GB GDDR6 with a 96 bit bus and 186.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the G3 Extreme uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth. The A380M's memory clock is 1937 MHz with 15.5 Gbps effective, whereas the G3 Extreme has no dedicated memory clock.

Core counts differ in all three categories. The A380M has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The G3 Extreme has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Ray tracing cores number 8 for the A380M and 12 for the G3 Extreme. Pixel rate is 64.00 GPixel/s for the A380M versus 60.00 GPixel/s for the G3 Extreme. Texture rate is 128.0 GTexel/s versus 120.0 GTexel/s. FP32 is 4.096 TFLOPS versus 7.680 TFLOPS. FP16 is 8.192 TFLOPS versus 15.36 TFLOPS, both at 2:1 ratio.

Power and physical specifications also diverge. The A380M has a TDP of 35 W and uses an MXM Module slot width with an MXM-A (3.1) bus interface. The G3 Extreme has a TDP of 80 W, uses an IGP slot width, and has no power connectors. Both have portable device dependent display outputs. The A380M was released on January 23, 2023, while the G3 Extreme has a release date of May 31, 2026. Both are listed as Active in production status. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP. Both processors sit at the 50th percentile versus all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 0.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The Intel Arc G3 Extreme delivers 7.680 TFLOPS FP32, which is 87.5% higher than the Intel Arc A380M's 4.096 TFLOPS.

Q: How does memory bandwidth compare between the two?

A: The A380M uses 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96 bit bus, providing 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The G3 Extreme uses system shared memory, so its bandwidth is system dependent and cannot be expressed as a fixed number.

Q: What are the TDP differences?

A: The A380M has a 35 W TDP, while the G3 Extreme has an 80 W TDP.

Q: Which processor has more shading units?

A: The G3 Extreme has 1536 shading units, which is 50% more than the A380M's 1024 shading units.

Q: Do both processors support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What are the manufacturing process nodes?

A: The A380M uses TSMC's 6 nm process with the DG2-128 chip, while the G3 Extreme uses Intel's 3 nm process with the Panther Lake chip.