Intel Arc A530M vs NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data positions the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile as the clear performance leader in this comparison. It wins both recorded head-to-head tests, with an average benchmark score of 70140 against Intel's 46614. That is a 50.4% advantage in the averaged metric. The RTX A3000 Mobile also sits at the 91st percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Intel Arc A530M sits at the 85th percentile. For workloads that rely on compute throughput, the NVIDIA part is the obvious choice.

The Intel Arc A530M is not without merit. It is an active product with a newer release date, and it offers a larger memory pool of 8 GB. The data shows it trades raw compute performance for capacity and a more recent production status. Users who prioritize memory size over compute speed may find it suitable, but the recorded benchmarks do not show a single test where it comes out ahead.

The verdict is straightforward: the RTX A3000 Mobile is for users who need maximum performance in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. The Arc A530M is for those who need more memory and a product that is still in active production. Neither product has a launch MSRP recorded in the database, so no pricing comparison is possible.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages. The NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile uses the GA104 chip built on the Ampere architecture. It is fabricated by Samsung on an 8 nm process node. The die size is 392 mm², and it packs 17,400 million transistors. The transistor density works out to 44.4 million transistors per square millimeter.

The Intel Arc A530M uses the DG2-256 chip based on the Xe-HPG architecture. It is fabricated by TSMC on a 6 nm process node. The die is 269 mm², containing 11,500 million transistors. The density is 42.8 million transistors per square millimeter. The Intel chip is smaller in both die area and transistor count, and it uses a more advanced process node.

The NVIDIA chip has 4096 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output pipelines. It also includes 32 ray tracing cores and 128 tensor cores. The Intel chip has 1536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. It includes 12 ray tracing cores but has no tensor core count listed in the database. This is a significant architectural difference: NVIDIA's Ampere design includes dedicated tensor hardware, while Intel's Arc A530M does not report any tensor core count.

The FP16 and FP32 throughput ratios also differ. The RTX A3000 Mobile delivers 10.08 TFLOPS for both FP16 and FP32, a 1:1 ratio. The Arc A530M delivers 3.994 TFLOPS for FP32 but 7.987 TFLOPS for FP16, a 2:1 ratio. This means the Intel part has a different execution model for lower-precision workloads, but its absolute numbers are still lower than NVIDIA's.

The memory clocks differ as well. The NVIDIA part runs memory at 1375 MHz with 11 Gbps effective speed. The Intel part runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed. Despite the higher clock, the Intel part has lower total bandwidth because of its narrower bus.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct comparisons between these GPUs, and the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile wins both.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX A3000 Mobile scores 79091, while the Intel Arc A530M scores 49735. The delta is 59% in favor of NVIDIA. This is a dominant margin. The OpenCL workload exercises general compute capabilities, and the NVIDIA part's higher shading unit count and FP32 throughput (10.08 TFLOPS versus 3.994 TFLOPS) align with this result.

In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the RTX A3000 Mobile scores 61189, and the Intel Arc A530M scores 43492. The delta is 40.7% in favor of NVIDIA. The margin narrows compared to OpenCL, which suggests the Intel architecture handles Vulkan relatively better than it handles OpenCL. Still, it is not enough to close the gap.

The average benchmark score reinforces the pattern: 70140 for NVIDIA versus 46614 for Intel. The RTX A3000 Mobile's nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 at 69986 (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 at 69870 (0.4% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE at 70829 (1% ahead). The Intel Arc A530M's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 5600M at 46601 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6550M at 46702 (0.2% ahead), and the NVIDIA RTX A2000 at 46043 (1.2% behind). The two GPUs are not just different from each other; they also compete in entirely different performance tiers according to the database.

The wins tally is 2 for the RTX A3000 Mobile and 0 for the Arc A530M. There is no recorded test where the Intel part outperforms the NVIDIA part.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field in the database.

Process and Foundry: The RTX A3000 Mobile uses an 8 nm Samsung process. The Arc A530M uses a 6 nm TSMC process.

Chip and Die: The NVIDIA chip is GA104 with a 392 mm² die and 17,400 million transistors. The Intel chip is DG2-256 with a 269 mm² die and 11,500 million transistors.

Clock Speeds: The RTX A3000 Mobile has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 1230 MHz. The Arc A530M has a base clock of 900 MHz and a boost clock of 1300 MHz. The Intel part runs at higher clocks, but the NVIDIA part still wins on performance.

Memory: The RTX A3000 Mobile has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 264.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc A530M has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA part has higher bandwidth; the Intel part has more capacity.

Memory Clock: NVIDIA runs at 1375 MHz (11 Gbps effective). Intel runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

Compute Units: The RTX A3000 Mobile has 4096 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The Arc A530M has 1536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs.

Ray Tracing and Tensor Cores: The NVIDIA part has 32 RT cores and 128 tensor cores. The Intel part has 12 RT cores and no tensor core count recorded.

Pixel and Texture Rates: The RTX A3000 Mobile reaches 78.72 GPixel/s and 157.4 GTexel/s. The Arc A530M reaches 62.40 GPixel/s and 124.8 GTexel/s.

FP32 and FP16: The NVIDIA part delivers 10.08 TFLOPS for both. The Intel part delivers 3.994 TFLOPS FP32 and 7.987 TFLOPS FP16.

TDP: The RTX A3000 Mobile is rated at 70 W. The Arc A530M is rated at 65 W.

Bus Interface: The NVIDIA part uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The Intel part uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

Slot Width: The NVIDIA part has no slot width recorded. The Intel part is listed as IGP.

Power Connectors: The NVIDIA part has "None". The Intel part has no recorded value.

Production Status and Release Date: The RTX A3000 Mobile is end-of-life and was released on 2021-04-11. The Arc A530M is active and was released on 2023-07-31.

Predecessor and Successor: The RTX A3000 Mobile has a predecessor listed as Quadro Turing-M and a successor listed as Ada-MW. The Intel part has neither.

API Support: Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. There is no difference in the recorded API versions.

Display Outputs: Both are listed as "Portable Device Dependent".

Transistor Density: The NVIDIA part has 44.4 million transistors per mm². The Intel part has 42.8 million transistors per mm².

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 70140, while the Intel Arc A530M has an average score of 46614.

Q: How much faster is the RTX A3000 Mobile in OpenCL?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX A3000 Mobile scores 79091 against 49735 for the Arc A530M, a 59% advantage.

Q: Does the Intel Arc A530M win any benchmark?

A: No. The database records two head-to-head tests, and the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile wins both. The wins tally is 2 for NVIDIA and 0 for Intel.

Q: Which GPU has more memory?

A: The Intel Arc A530M has 8 GB of GDDR6, while the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile has 6 GB of GDDR6.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile has 264.0 GB/s bandwidth on a 192-bit bus, while the Intel Arc A530M has 224.0 GB/s on a 128-bit bus.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile is end-of-life and was released on 2021-04-11. The Intel Arc A530M is active and was released on 2023-07-31.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile has 4096 shading units, while the Intel Arc A530M has 1536 shading units.

Q: Does the Intel Arc A530M have tensor cores?

A: The database does not record a tensor core count for the Intel Arc A530M. The NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile has 128 tensor cores.