Intel Arc A550M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive advantage for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti in the two shared benchmark tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Intel Arc A550M scores 49,894, while the RTX 3080 Ti reaches 170,037, a delta of -70.7% for the Intel part. The gap widens in Geekbench Vulkan, where the Arc A550M posts 49,580 against the RTX 3080 Ti’s 192,697, yielding a -74.3% delta. These are not marginal differences; the NVIDIA part more than triples the Intel GPU’s score in both compute workloads.

Looking at the average benchmark score, the Arc A550M sits at 49,737, while the RTX 3080 Ti averages 41,187. This inversion is notable: the RTX 3080 Ti wins the head-to-head tests but has a lower aggregate average across its full benchmark suite, which includes additional DirectX and Passmark tests. The Arc A550M’s average is bolstered by its two strong Geekbench results, while the RTX 3080 Ti’s average is dragged down by scores like the Passmark DirectX 12 result of 110 and the Passmark DirectX 10 result of 184. For context, the RTX 3080 Ti’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 at 40,870 (0.8% higher) and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 24 GB at 41,707 (1.2% lower), placing its aggregate firmly in the mid-range of recorded GPUs.

The Arc A550M’s percentile rank of 86 versus the RTX 3080 Ti’s 83 indicates that, despite losing the head-to-head, the Intel part sits slightly higher relative to all GPUs in the database. This is a function of the benchmark mix: the Arc A550M has no low-scoring legacy tests, whereas the RTX 3080 Ti’s Passmark DirectX 9 score of 274 and Passmark G2D score of 1,091 pull its percentile down. In pure compute terms, however, the data is unambiguous. The RTX 3080 Ti leads by 70.7% in OpenCL and 74.3% in Vulkan, making it the stronger choice for any workload that scales with raw shader throughput.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different design philosophies. The Intel Arc A550M uses the DG2-512 chip built on the Xe-HPG architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 6 nm process. It packs 21,700 million transistors into a 406 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 53.4 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti uses the GA102 chip on the Ampere architecture, fabricated by Samsung on an 8 nm process. It contains 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, for a density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. The Intel chip is more compact and denser, while the NVIDIA chip is physically larger with more total transistors.

Compute resources diverge sharply. The Arc A550M has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The RTX 3080 Ti has 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The NVIDIA part also carries 80 ray tracing cores and 320 Tensor cores, while the Intel part specifies 16 ray tracing cores and no Tensor core count. This explains the FP32 throughput: the Arc A550M delivers 8.397 TFLOPS, while the RTX 3080 Ti reaches 34.10 TFLOPS, a roughly fourfold difference. FP16 performance follows a similar pattern, with the Intel GPU at 16.79 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) and the NVIDIA GPU at 34.10 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), meaning the RTX 3080 Ti does not lose half its rate when switching to FP16.

Memory architecture is another major split. The Arc A550M uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, with 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth and a memory clock of 1,750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The RTX 3080 Ti uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, with 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth and a memory clock of 1,188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The NVIDIA part has 4x the bus width and 4x the bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and compute workloads that stream large datasets. Pixel rate favors the RTX 3080 Ti at 186.5 GPixel/s versus 131.2 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 532.8 GTexel/s versus 262.4 GTexel/s.

Power and physical design also separate them. The Arc A550M is rated at 60 W TDP and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors specified. The RTX 3080 Ti is rated at 350 W TDP, is a dual-slot card with a single 12-pin power connector, and requires a 750 W suggested PSU. The NVIDIA card measures 285 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. Both use PCIe 4.0 x16, and both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 3080 Ti has fixed display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Arc A550M’s outputs are listed as portable device dependent.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU scores higher in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti scores 192,697, compared to the Intel Arc A550M’s 49,580, a delta of -74.3% for the Intel part.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has 912.4 GB/s over a 384-bit bus, while the Arc A550M has 224.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA part’s bandwidth is roughly four times higher.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The Arc A550M has a density of 53.4 million transistors per mm² on a 6 nm TSMC process, while the RTX 3080 Ti has 45.1 million per mm² on an 8 nm Samsung process.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Arc A550M averages 49,737, while the RTX 3080 Ti averages 41,187. This is despite the RTX 3080 Ti winning both head-to-head Geekbench tests, due to its lower scores in Passmark legacy tests.

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The Arc A550M is rated at 60 W, while the RTX 3080 Ti is rated at 350 W. The RTX 3080 Ti also requires a 750 W suggested PSU and uses a single 12-pin power connector.

Q: Do both support the same DirectX version?

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

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. Process node: 6 nm (TSMC) for Intel versus 8 nm (Samsung) for NVIDIA. Transistors: 21,700 million versus 28,300 million. Die size: 406 mm² versus 628 mm². Base clock: 900 MHz versus 1,365 MHz. Boost clock: 2,050 MHz versus 1,665 MHz. Memory clock: 1,750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) versus 1,188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). Memory size: 8 GB GDDR6 versus 12 GB GDDR6X. Bus width: 128-bit versus 384-bit. Bandwidth: 224.0 GB/s versus 912.4 GB/s. Shading units: 2,048 versus 10,240. TMUs: 128 versus 320. ROPs: 64 versus 112. RT cores: 16 versus 80. Tensor cores: none specified versus 320. Pixel rate: 131.2 GPixel/s versus 186.5 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 262.4 GTexel/s versus 532.8 GTexel/s. FP32: 8.397 TFLOPS versus 34.10 TFLOPS. FP16: 16.79 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 34.10 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP: 60 W versus 350 W. Slot width: IGP versus dual-slot. Power connectors: none versus 1x 12-pin. Suggested PSU: none versus 750 W. Display outputs: portable device dependent versus 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Dimensions: not specified versus 285 mm length, 112 mm height, 40 mm width. Release date: not specified versus May 30, 2021. The RTX 3080 Ti also lists a predecessor (GeForce 20) and successor (GeForce 40), while the Arc A550M has neither.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 Ti wins decisively in raw compute and graphics throughput. Its FP32 of 34.10 TFLOPS is over four times the Arc A550M’s 8.397 TFLOPS. It leads in pixel rate (186.5 versus 131.2 GPixel/s), texture rate (532.8 versus 262.4 GTexel/s), and memory bandwidth (912.4 versus 224.0 GB/s). It also has more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, RT cores, and Tensor cores, plus 12 GB of memory versus 8 GB. For any workload that stresses the GPU, such as high-resolution gaming, ray tracing, or compute-heavy tasks, the data points squarely to the NVIDIA part.

The Arc A550M wins on efficiency and integration. Its 60 W TDP is drastically lower than 350 W, and it is an IGP, meaning it can be embedded in a portable device without discrete power connectors. Its transistor density of 53.4M per mm² is higher, and its average benchmark score of 49,737 exceeds the RTX 3080 Ti’s 41,187, driven by consistent Geekbench results. The Arc A550M also has a higher percentile rank (86 versus 83), indicating it performs better relative to the broader GPU landscape when all recorded tests are considered. For scenarios where power draw is the limiting factor, such as thin-and-light laptops, the Intel part is the only viable option between the two.

The Verdict

The data separates these two GPUs along clear lines. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the performance king, winning both head-to-head benchmarks by margins of 70.7% and 74.3%, and offering overwhelming advantages in raw specifications: 10,240 shading units, 80 RT cores, 320 Tensor cores, 34.10 TFLOPS FP32, and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth. It is the choice for anyone who needs maximum compute or rendering power and has the power budget to feed a 350 W card with a 750 W PSU. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 384-bit bus make it suitable for large textures and high-resolution workloads. The launch MSRP of the RTX 3080 Ti is 1,199 USD.

The Intel Arc A550M is the efficiency pick. At 60 W, it consumes a fraction of the power, and its IGP form factor allows deployment in portable devices. Its average benchmark score of 49,737 is higher than the RTX 3080 Ti’s 41,187, and its percentile rank of 86 versus 83 shows it holds its own in the broader database. It loses every head-to-head test, but it wins on density (53.4M versus 45.1M transistors per mm²) and compactness (406 mm² versus 628 mm² die). For a user who prioritizes battery life, thermal footprint, or integration into a small chassis, the Arc A550M is the sensible option. For a user who prioritizes raw performance and can accommodate the size and power requirements, the RTX 3080 Ti is the clear winner. There is no middle ground: the recorded data forces a binary choice between efficiency and performance.