Intel Arc A580 vs NVIDIA Quadro GP100 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisive: the Intel Arc A580 wins with a score of 91657 against the NVIDIA Quadro GP100's 87445. That is a 4.6% advantage for the Intel card. While a single benchmark does not define a complete picture, the margin is consistent and measurable.

Looking at the broader database context, the Quadro GP100's OpenCL score of 87445 places it in the 93rd percentile of all GPUs, which is a strong showing for a professional workstation part from 2016. The Arc A580, by contrast, sits in the 87th percentile with its average benchmark score, though that average is pulled down by the inclusion of its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 2229 and its Geekbench Vulkan score of 79381. The Arc A580's OpenCL score is actually its best recorded result, and it edges out the Quadro in that specific workload.

The delta between the two in OpenCL is small but real. The Quadro GP100's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA RTX A4500 at 91671 (4.6% higher) and the RTX A4500 Mobile at 91134 (4% higher), while the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 sits just 0.4% lower at 87108. The Arc A580's OpenCL score of 91657 puts it almost exactly at the level of the RTX A4500, which is notable because the RTX A4500 is a much more recent professional GPU. Meanwhile, the Arc A580's nearest rivals by average score include the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT at 58392 (1.1% higher) and the Intel Arc A570M at 58239 (0.8% higher), but those averages include multiple test types and are not directly comparable to the single OpenCL result.

In raw compute terms, the Arc A580 delivers higher peak numbers: 12.29 TFLOPS FP32 versus 10.34 TFLOPS for the Quadro GP100, and 24.58 TFLOPS FP16 versus 20.69 TFLOPS. The Intel card also has a higher pixel rate at 192.0 GPixel/s versus 138.5 GPixel/s, and a higher texture rate at 384.0 GTexel/s versus 323.2 GTexel/s. These figures align with the OpenCL result: the Arc A580 is simply the faster compute part in this pairing.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A580 wins the only head-to-head benchmark recorded, and it also wins on peak throughput metrics. Its FP32 throughput of 12.29 TFLOPS is about 19% higher than the Quadro GP100's 10.34 TFLOPS, and its FP16 throughput of 24.58 TFLOPS is about 19% higher as well. The texture rate advantage is roughly 19%, and the pixel rate advantage is about 39%. For workloads that scale with raw shading power, such as OpenCL compute tasks, the Arc A580 is the clear choice based on the data.

The Quadro GP100 does retain advantages in certain areas. Its memory subsystem is more robust: 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus delivers 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the Arc A580's 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus at 512.0 GB/s. That is a 43% bandwidth advantage for the NVIDIA card. For memory-bound workloads, especially those that need large framebuffers or massive datasets, the Quadro GP100's capacity and bandwidth are significant assets. The Quadro also has a higher shading unit count at 3584 versus 3072, and more texture mapping units at 224 versus 192, though the Arc A580's higher clocks (2000 MHz boost versus 1443 MHz boost) compensate in throughput terms.

The Arc A580 counters with dedicated ray tracing hardware: 24 RT cores are present on the Intel card, while the Quadro GP100 has no RT cores at all. The Arc A580 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Quadro GP100 maxes out at DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. For modern gaming or rendering workloads that leverage ray tracing or the latest API features, the Arc A580 is the only one of the two that can participate.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from completely different architectural lineages. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 is built on the Pascal architecture using TSMC's 16 nm process, with 15,300 million transistors on a 610 mm² die. The Intel Arc A580 uses the Xe-HPG architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a much newer 6 nm process, packing 21,700 million transistors into a 406 mm² die. The density difference is stark: the Intel chip achieves 53.4 million transistors per mm², while the Pascal chip manages 25.1 million per mm². This is a direct reflection of the process generation gap between 2016 and 2023.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The Quadro GP100 uses HBM2 with a 4096-bit bus, which explains its enormous bandwidth figure of 732.2 GB/s. The Arc A580 uses GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA card's memory runs at 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective), while the Intel card's memory runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). The Quadro's memory is slower per pin but far wider, resulting in higher aggregate bandwidth.

Clock behavior also differs. The Quadro GP100 has a base clock of 1304 MHz and a boost of 1443 MHz, modest figures by modern standards. The Arc A580 starts at 1700 MHz and boosts to 2000 MHz, a substantial clock advantage that helps close the gap in raw throughput despite fewer shading units. Power draw favors the Intel card as well: 175 W TDP versus 235 W for the Quadro, and the suggested PSU rating is 450 W versus 550 W. The Quadro uses a single 8-pin power connector, while the Arc A580 requires two 8-pin connectors.

API support and connectivity also reflect their different eras. The Arc A580 supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Quadro GP100 is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the Quadro offers 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Arc A580 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0. The Quadro is end-of-life, with the Quadro Volta as its successor, while the Arc A580 is active production with Battlemage listed as its successor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher OpenCL score?

A: The Intel Arc A580 scores 91657 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 4.6% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro GP100's score of 87445.

Q: Does the Quadro GP100 support ray tracing?

A: No. The Quadro GP100 has no RT cores listed in the database. The Intel Arc A580 has 24 RT cores.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro GP100, with 732.2 GB/s from 16 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus. The Intel Arc A580 has 512.0 GB/s from 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What is the process node difference between the two?

A: The Quadro GP100 uses a 16 nm process from TSMC, while the Arc A580 uses a 6 nm process from TSMC. The Arc A580 packs 21,700 million transistors into a 406 mm² die, versus 15,300 million transistors in a 610 mm² die for the Quadro.

Q: Which GPU supports newer DirectX features?

A: The Intel Arc A580 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The Quadro GP100 has a 235 W TDP and suggests a 550 W PSU, using one 8-pin connector. The Arc A580 has a 175 W TDP and suggests a 450 W PSU, using two 8-pin connectors.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Quadro GP100 | Intel Arc A580 |

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

| Architecture | Pascal | Xe-HPG |

| Process node | 16 nm | 6 nm |

| Transistors | 15,300 million | 21,700 million |

| Die size | 610 mm² | 406 mm² |

| Transistor density | 25.1M / mm² | 53.4M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1304 MHz | 1700 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1443 MHz | 2000 MHz |

| Memory clock | 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective) | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) |

| Memory size | 16 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory type | HBM2 | GDDR6 |

| Memory bus | 4096 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 732.2 GB/s | 512.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 3584 | 3072 |

| TMUs | 224 | 192 |

| ROPs | 96 | 96 |

| RT cores | None | 24 |

| Pixel rate | 138.5 GPixel/s | 192.0 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 323.2 GTexel/s | 384.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 10.34 TFLOPS | 12.29 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1) | 24.58 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 235 W | 175 W |

| Power connectors | 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 450 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | 1x DVI, 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 2.0 |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Production status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release date | 2016-09-30 | 2023-10-09 |

| Predecessor | Quadro Maxwell | Xe Graphics |

| Successor | Quadro Volta | Battlemage |

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Arc A580 for most users. It wins the only recorded head-to-head benchmark, delivers higher FP32 and FP16 throughput, has a higher pixel rate and texture rate, supports ray tracing, and runs on a more modern architecture with better API support. Its 175 W TDP is lower than the Quadro GP100's 235 W, and its suggested PSU requirement is 450 W versus 550 W. The Arc A580 is also an active product, while the Quadro GP100 is end-of-life.

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 remains the better choice for specific memory-bound scenarios. Its 16 GB of HBM2 with 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth dwarfs the Arc A580's 8 GB at 512.0 GB/s. If a workload requires a large framebuffer or extremely high memory throughput, the Quadro GP100 has a clear advantage that no amount of compute throughput on the Intel card can overcome. Its 4096-bit bus is unique in this comparison and remains competitive even against newer hardware.

For general compute, rendering, or any workload that can use modern API features, the Arc A580 is the recommended pick. The 4.6% OpenCL lead, the 19% FP32 lead, and the 39% pixel rate lead are all recorded in the database. The Quadro GP100 is a capable professional card from its era, but the recorded data shows the Intel Arc A580 is the faster and more feature-complete GPU in this pairing.