Intel Arc A380M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two mobile GPUs into clearly different roles. The Intel Arc A380M is a low-power, compact MXM module built for portability and efficiency, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 is a significantly larger and more capable part for heavier workloads.

The Intel Arc A380M operates at a 35 W TDP, uses a 6 nm process, and delivers 4.096 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, yielding 186.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This configuration suits lighter gaming, media playback, and tasks where power draw is a hard constraint. Its MXM-A (3.1) bus interface and portable-device-dependent display outputs indicate a design intended for thin, modular laptops rather than desktop replacement machines.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 consumes 115 W, uses a 5 nm process, and delivers 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. With 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, 48 ROPs, 24 RT cores, and 96 tensor cores, this part is built for ray tracing, DLSS-style features, and sustained high frame rates. It uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface and includes a 12-pin power connector, with a suggested 300 W power supply.

The benchmark wins are zero for both in the head-to-head section, but the specification gap tells the story. The NVIDIA part leads in every performance metric: FP32 is 3.69 times higher, pixel rate is nearly double, and texture rate is 1.85 times higher. The Intel part wins only in power consumption (35 W vs 115 W) and physical footprint (MXM module vs dual-slot). For users who need maximum performance in a laptop, the RTX 4060 AD106 is the clear choice. For users who need a low-power, modular GPU for a compact chassis, the Arc A380M holds the advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU delivers higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 delivers 15.11 TFLOPS FP32, which is 3.69 times higher than the Intel Arc A380M's 4.096 TFLOPS. The NVIDIA part also has 3072 shading units versus 1024, and 96 tensor cores versus none on the Intel part.

Q: How do memory configurations compare?

A: The NVIDIA GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel GPU has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA part offers 46% more memory bandwidth and 2 GB more capacity.

Q: Which GPU consumes less power?

A: The Intel Arc A380M uses 35 W TDP, which is 80 W lower than the NVIDIA RTX 4060 AD106's 115 W TDP. This makes the Intel part suitable for thinner, lower-power systems.

Q: What are the interface and form factor differences?

A: The Intel Arc A380M uses an MXM-A (3.1) bus interface and is an MXM Module. The NVIDIA RTX 4060 AD106 uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and is a dual-slot card. The Intel part's display outputs are portable-device dependent, while the NVIDIA part offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: Which GPU has better ray tracing and tensor capabilities?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 4060 AD106 has 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores. The Intel Arc A380M has 8 RT cores and no tensor cores. The NVIDIA part also delivers FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (15.11 TFLOPS), while the Intel part achieves FP16 at 2:1 ratio (8.192 TFLOPS).

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The Intel Arc A380M is listed as Active, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 is listed as End-of-life. The NVIDIA part has a successor in the GeForce 50 series, while the Intel part has no listed successor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, so no direct frame-rate comparisons exist in the database. However, the specification data provides clear deltas across all compute metrics.

The most significant gap is in FP32 performance. The NVIDIA RTX 4060 AD106 delivers 15.11 TFLOPS compared to the Intel Arc A380M's 4.096 TFLOPS. That is a 3.69x advantage for NVIDIA. In practical terms, this means the NVIDIA part can process roughly four times as many floating-point operations per second, directly impacting shader-heavy workloads and modern game rendering.

Memory bandwidth also shows a major split. The NVIDIA part's 272.0 GB/s is 46% higher than the Intel part's 186.0 GB/s. This affects texture streaming, high-resolution assets, and any workload that saturates memory. The wider 128-bit bus (versus 96-bit) and higher effective memory speed (17 Gbps versus 15.5 Gbps) both contribute.

Pixel fill rate favors NVIDIA at 118.1 GPixel/s versus 64.00 GPixel/s, a 1.85x difference. Texture fill rate is 236.2 GTexel/s versus 128.0 GTexel/s, a 1.85x difference as well. These numbers matter for resolution scaling and anisotropic filtering scenarios.

The RT core count is 24 versus 8, a 3x difference. The tensor core count is 96 versus zero, meaning the NVIDIA part can run DLSS and other AI-accelerated features while the Intel part cannot. FP16 compute is 15.11 TFLOPS on NVIDIA versus 8.192 TFLOPS on Intel, though the ratio differs (1:1 versus 2:1).

Clock speeds also differ. The NVIDIA part boosts to 2460 MHz versus 2000 MHz on Intel, with base clocks of 1830 MHz versus 1550 MHz. The transistor count is 22,900 million versus 7,200 million, a 3.18x difference, though die size is closer at 188 mm² versus 157 mm². Transistor density is 121.8M per mm² on NVIDIA versus 45.9M per mm² on Intel, reflecting the 5 nm versus 6 nm process advantage.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Arc A380M | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | DG2-128 | AD106 |

| Architecture | Xe-HPG | Ada Lovelace |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 7,200 million | 22,900 million |

| Die Size | 157 mm² | 188 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1550 MHz | 1830 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2000 MHz | 2460 MHz |

| Memory Size | 6 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus | 96 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 186.0 GB/s | 272.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1024 | 3072 |

| TMUs | 64 | 96 |

| ROPs | 32 | 48 |

| RT Cores | 8 | 24 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 96 |

| FP32 | 4.096 TFLOPS | 15.11 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1) | 15.11 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 35 W | 115 W |

| Slot Width | MXM Module | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 12-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 300 W |

| Bus Interface | MXM-A (3.1) | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2023-01-23 | 2024-03-31 |

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Arc A380M uses the Xe-HPG architecture on the DG2-128 chip, built on a 6 nm TSMC process. This is a first-generation Alchemist mobile design, part of the Arc 3 Mobile generation. It uses 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, with a density of 45.9M transistors per mm². The architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. It has 8 RT cores but no tensor cores, and its FP16 compute runs at a 2:1 ratio, indicating a consumer-oriented design that prioritizes efficiency over raw AI throughput.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm TSMC process. This is a GeForce 40-series part, released later, and it is already marked end-of-life with a GeForce 50 successor. It packs 22,900 million transistors onto a 188 mm² die, achieving a density of 121.8M transistors per mm². This density advantage comes from the smaller process node and a more mature architecture. The Ada Lovelace design includes 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features like DLSS. Its FP16 runs at a 1:1 ratio, meaning it maintains full throughput for half-precision workloads, which is important for neural network inferencing.

Memory architecture also differs. The Intel part uses a 96-bit bus with 6 GB GDDR6, while the NVIDIA part uses a 128-bit bus with 8 GB GDDR6. The NVIDIA part's memory clock is 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) versus 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) on Intel. This combination of wider bus and faster memory gives NVIDIA a 46% bandwidth advantage.

Power delivery distinguishes the two as well. The Intel part uses no external power connector and relies on the MXM slot's power delivery, consistent with its 35 W TDP. The NVIDIA part requires a 12-pin connector and recommends a 300 W power supply, fitting its 115 W TDP and dual-slot cooler.

The bus interfaces also reflect different target platforms. The Intel Arc A380M uses MXM-A (3.1), a modular standard for laptops. The NVIDIA part uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which is more common in gaming laptops but also allows desktop adapter usage. Display outputs further separate them: the Intel part's outputs are portable-device dependent, while the NVIDIA part provides fixed HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4a connectors.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct user profiles. The Intel Arc A380M serves systems where power budget and physical size are the primary constraints. Its 35 W TDP, MXM form factor, and lack of external power connectors make it a drop-in solution for thin, modular laptops. It delivers adequate performance for light gaming and general GPU acceleration, with 6 GB of memory and 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. Its active production status and 2023 release date indicate a current product aimed at a niche market.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 AD106 serves users who demand high frame rates, ray tracing, and AI-accelerated features. Its 15.11 TFLOPS FP32, 24 RT cores, and 96 tensor cores put it in a completely different performance class. The 8 GB memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth handle modern game assets without stuttering. Its dual-slot design, 12-pin power connector, and 300 W suggested PSU indicate a more serious power requirement, but the performance return is substantial. The end-of-life status and 2024 release date suggest this is a mature, well-understood product nearing the end of its cycle.

Benchmark results from the database show no direct head-to-head wins for either part, but the specification deltas are decisive. For a desktop-replacement laptop or a system where performance is the sole priority, the RTX 4060 AD106 is the only rational choice. For an ultraportable or a system where every watt counts, the Arc A380M is the appropriate fit. There is no overlap in their intended use cases.