AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 vs Intel Arc A580 Comparison

Intel Arc A580 and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 represent two very different eras of GPU design, with the former built on a modern 6 nm process and the latter on a 14 nm node from 2017. The benchmark data shows a clear overall winner, but the specific strengths and weaknesses of each card tell a more nuanced story. The Intel Arc A580 wins all three head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 holds a slight edge in raw shading power on paper, though this does not translate to real-world performance wins.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A580 is the definitive winner across every benchmark category recorded in the data. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc A580 scores 2229 points against the Vega 64’s 1669, a commanding 33.6% advantage. This DX12 result is particularly telling, as it reflects modern API efficiency where Intel’s Xe-HPG architecture excels. The gap widens further in Geekbench OpenCL, where the Arc A580 posts 91657 points versus 62552 for the Vega 64, a 46.5% lead. Even in Geekbench Vulkan, a test where the older GCN architecture might be expected to hold its own, the Arc A580 still wins by 18.4% (79381 vs 67032).

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 wins no head-to-head tests, but it does have a theoretical edge in a few compute-oriented specifications. It features 4096 shading units compared to the Arc A580’s 3072, and its FP32 throughput of 12.66 TFLOPS slightly exceeds the Intel card’s 12.29 TFLOPS. However, these advantages do not materialize into any benchmark victory. The Vega 64’s single recorded win category is in its Geekbench Metal score of 68750, which is a test exclusive to Apple platforms and not directly comparable to the Arc A580’s results. For any user running DX12, OpenCL, or Vulkan workloads, the data consistently favors the Intel Arc A580.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial, reflecting a five-generation gap in design philosophy. The Intel Arc A580 uses the DG2-512 chip built on TSMC’s 6 nm process, packing 21,700 million transistors into a 406 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 53.4 million per mm². The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, by contrast, uses the Vega 10 chip fabricated on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process, with 12,500 million transistors spread across a larger 495 mm² die, giving a density of just 25.3 million per mm². The Intel chip achieves over twice the transistor density, which explains how it delivers higher performance despite fewer raw compute units.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally as well. The Arc A580 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 64 uses 8 GB of HBM2 on a massive 2048-bit bus, yielding 483.8 GB/s. While the Vega 64’s HBM2 offers a wider interface, the Arc A580 still manages higher effective bandwidth. Clock speeds tell a similar story: the Arc A580 runs at a 1700 MHz base and 2000 MHz boost, while the Vega 64 operates at just 1247 MHz base and 1546 MHz boost. The Intel card’s higher clocks, enabled by the smaller process node, more than compensate for the Vega 64’s higher shading unit count.

Feature support also diverges sharply. The Arc A580 includes 24 ray tracing cores, whereas the Vega 64 has none. The Intel card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD card is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Display outputs differ too: the Arc A580 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0, while the Vega 64 provides 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. These differences matter for modern workloads and display connectivity.

The Verdict

The data points to a single conclusion: the Intel Arc A580 outperforms the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 across every comparable benchmark. With three wins out of three head-to-head tests, the Arc A580 delivers a 33.6% lead in DX12, a 46.5% lead in OpenCL, and an 18.4% lead in Vulkan. The average benchmark score reinforces this, with the Arc A580 at 57756 compared to the Vega 64’s 50001, a difference of over 15%. The percentile rankings are close (87th for Intel vs 86th for AMD), but the actual scores show a meaningful performance gap.

For users choosing between these two, the Arc A580 is the clear pick for any modern workload. Its ray tracing capability, newer API support, and higher memory bandwidth make it more future-proof. The Vega 64 retains one advantage: its Geekbench Metal score of 68750, which is irrelevant for most users but matters for those in Apple ecosystems. Additionally, the Vega 64 has a launch MSRP of 499 USD, though the Arc A580 has no listed launch MSRP. The Vega 64 is also end-of-life, while the Arc A580 remains active in production. For anyone building a system today, the Intel card is the data-backed choice.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw FP32 compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has a slight edge with 12.66 TFLOPS, compared to the Intel Arc A580’s 12.29 TFLOPS. However, this does not translate into benchmark wins for the Vega 64.

Q: Does the Intel Arc A580 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the Arc A580 includes 24 ray tracing cores, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has no ray tracing cores at all.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The Intel Arc A580 provides 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 provides 483.8 GB/s. Both cards have 8 GB of memory, but the Vega 64 uses HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, while the Arc A580 uses GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The Intel Arc A580 has a 175 W TDP with a suggested 450 W PSU, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has a 295 W TDP with a suggested 600 W PSU. The Arc A580 consumes significantly less power.

Q: Are these cards comparable in DirectX 12 performance?

A: No. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Intel Arc A580 scores 2229, which is 33.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64’s 1669.

Q: Which GPU has better Vulkan performance?

A: The Intel Arc A580 wins in Geekbench Vulkan with a score of 79381, compared to the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64’s 67032, a lead of 18.4%.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single victory for the Intel Arc A580 comes in Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 91657 against the Vega 64’s 62552. This 46.5% delta is the most decisive result in the dataset and highlights the Arc A580’s compute advantage in general-purpose workloads. The Vega 64’s higher shading unit count and FP32 throughput were expected to help here, but the data shows they did not. This result suggests that architecture efficiency, clock speed, and memory bandwidth matter more than raw unit counts.

The second-largest win for the Arc A580 is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, with a score of 2229 versus 1669, a 33.6% delta. This is a modern DX12 benchmark that stresses current rendering techniques, and the Arc A580’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) gives it a clear edge. The Vega 64’s older DirectX 12 (12_1) implementation cannot keep pace, despite its higher theoretical pixel rate of 98.94 GPixel/s compared to the Arc A580’s 192.0 GPixel/s. The Arc A580’s pixel rate is nearly double, which explains its dominance in rasterization-heavy workloads.

The closest contest is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the Arc A580 wins 79381 to 67032, an 18.4% delta. This narrower margin suggests that the Vega 64’s GCN architecture retains some competitiveness in Vulkan, but it is still not enough to overcome the Intel card’s advantages. Across all three tests, the pattern is consistent: the Arc A580 wins by double digits, with margins ranging from 18.4% to 46.5%. The Vega 64’s single benchmark victory is in Geekbench Metal, a platform-specific test where it scores 68750, but no comparable Arc A580 result exists in the data.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification. The Intel Arc A580 uses a DG2-512 chip on a 6 nm TSMC process, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 uses a Vega 10 chip on a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process. Transistor counts are 21,700 million versus 12,500 million, and die sizes are 406 mm² versus 495 mm². Clock speeds favor Intel: 1700 MHz base and 2000 MHz boost, versus 1247 MHz base and 1546 MHz boost for AMD. Memory is GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus for Intel, versus HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus for AMD, with bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s versus 483.8 GB/s.

Compute unit counts favor AMD in some areas: 4096 shading units versus 3072, and 256 TMUs versus 192. However, Intel leads in ROPs (96 versus 64) and adds 24 ray tracing cores where AMD has none. Pixel rate is 192.0 GPixel/s for Intel versus 98.94 GPixel/s for AMD, while texture rates are close at 384.0 GTexel/s versus 395.8 GTexel/s. Power consumption differs dramatically: 175 W TDP for Intel versus 295 W for AMD. The Intel card uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Vega 64 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are also newer on the Intel card, with HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.0 versus HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a. The Vega 64 is end-of-life with a launch MSRP of 499 USD, while the Arc A580 remains active in production.