GPU Comparison

Intel Arc A730M and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti sit at the same 85th percentile of all GPUs, yet their average benchmark scores diverge by only 1.5% (45,592 vs 44,900). This statistical near-tie masks a dramatic performance gulf in individual tests, where the RTX 4070 Ti leads by roughly 65% in every head-to-head benchmark. The data presents a curious paradox: two GPUs with nearly identical aggregate standings, but with the Intel part relying on a different mix of strengths to reach that tier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are unambiguous. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 4070 Ti scores 5,024 against the Arc A730M’s 1,732, a delta of -65.5% for the Intel part. This is not a narrow margin; it is a decisive victory for NVIDIA in a modern DirectX 12 workload. The pattern repeats in compute-oriented tests. Geekbench OpenCL shows the RTX 4070 Ti at 205,028 versus 70,352 for the Arc A730M, a -65.7% difference. Geekbench Vulkan follows suit: 186,784 for NVIDIA, 64,693 for Intel, a -65.4% gap.

What makes these numbers striking is that the RTX 4070 Ti wins all three head-to-head tests, yet its average benchmark score across a broader suite is actually lower than the Arc A730M’s. The Intel GPU’s average of 45,592 is buoyed by its performance in other tests not included in the head-to-head set. The RTX 4070 Ti’s average of 44,900 is pulled down by low scores in legacy PassMark tests, such as 116 in DirectX 12 and 187 in DirectX 10. In the specific tests where they are directly compared, the RTX 4070 Ti is consistently about 2.9x faster. The delta percentages are nearly identical across all three workloads, suggesting a fixed performance ratio rather than workload-specific advantages. This consistency implies the RTX 4070 Ti’s raw execution resources are simply far larger, and the Arc A730M cannot compensate in these particular scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The underlying architectures explain the benchmark chasm. The RTX 4070 Ti uses the AD104 chip on TSMC’s 5 nm process, packing 35,800 million transistors into a 294 mm² die. The Arc A730M uses Intel’s DG2-512 on TSMC’s 6 nm node, with 21,700 million transistors spread across a larger 406 mm² die. The transistor density tells the story: NVIDIA achieves 121.8M transistors per mm², while Intel manages 53.4M per mm². That is a 2.3x density advantage for NVIDIA, enabling far more compute units in a smaller area.

The execution resources differ enormously. The RTX 4070 Ti has 7,680 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, while the Arc A730M has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. NVIDIA’s part has 2.5x the shaders and 1.25x the texture units, though Intel has 1.2x the ROPs. Ray tracing hardware follows the same trend: 60 RT cores on NVIDIA versus 24 on Intel. The RTX 4070 Ti also includes 240 tensor cores, while the Arc A730M lists none. These architectural gaps translate directly to throughput: the RTX 4070 Ti delivers 40.09 TFLOPS FP32 and 626.4 GTexel/s, versus 12.60 TFLOPS and 393.6 GTexel/s for the Arc A730M. The NVIDIA part is 3.2x faster in FP32 and 1.6x faster in texturing.

Memory subsystems also diverge. Both use a 192-bit bus and 12 GB capacity, but the RTX 4070 Ti pairs it with GDDR6X at 21 Gbps effective, yielding 504.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc A730M uses GDDR6 at 14 Gbps effective, for 336.0 GB/s. That is a 1.5x bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA, which is critical for feeding the larger shader array. The RTX 4070 Ti also boosts higher: 2610 MHz versus 2050 MHz for Intel, though the base clocks are closer (2310 MHz vs 1100 MHz). Power consumption reflects the performance disparity, the RTX 4070 Ti is rated at 285 W TDP, while the Arc A730M draws only 80 W. The NVIDIA part is a dual-slot desktop card requiring a 600 W PSU and a 16-pin connector; the Intel part is an integrated GPU (IGP) with no power connector, designed for portable devices.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc A730M has a slightly higher average score of 45,592, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti’s 44,900, a 1.5% difference in Intel’s favor.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4070 Ti in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti scores 5,024 versus 1,732 for the Arc A730M, making it 65.5% faster in that specific test.

Q: Do the two GPUs have the same memory capacity?

A: Yes, both feature 12 GB of memory on a 192-bit bus, but the RTX 4070 Ti uses GDDR6X with 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Arc A730M uses GDDR6 with 336.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti has a density of 121.8 million transistors per mm², more than double the Arc A730M’s 53.4 million per mm².

Q: Are both GPUs end-of-life products?

A: Yes, both the Intel Arc A730M and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti have a production status of "End-of-life."

Q: Does the Intel GPU have any benchmark wins over NVIDIA?

A: No, in the head-to-head benchmarks, the RTX 4070 Ti wins all three tests (Steel Nomad, OpenCL, Vulkan), with the Arc A730M recording zero wins.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The process node differs: 6 nm for Intel versus 5 nm for NVIDIA. Transistor count is 21,700 million for Intel versus 35,800 million for NVIDIA, while die size is 406 mm² for Intel versus 294 mm² for NVIDIA. Clock speeds differ substantially: base 1100 MHz vs 2310 MHz, boost 2050 MHz vs 2610 MHz. Memory type is GDDR6 for Intel and GDDR6X for NVIDIA, with effective speeds of 14 Gbps versus 21 Gbps, and bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s versus 504.2 GB/s.

Compute resources diverge sharply: shading units are 3,072 vs 7,680, TMUs are 192 vs 240, and ROPs are 96 vs 80. RT cores are 24 vs 60, and NVIDIA has 240 tensor cores while Intel has none. Pixel rate is 196.8 GPixel/s for Intel versus 208.8 GPixel/s for NVIDIA; texture rate is 393.6 GTexel/s versus 626.4 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 12.60 TFLOPS versus 40.09 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 25.19 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 40.09 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP is 80 W for Intel versus 285 W for NVIDIA. Slot width is IGP for Intel versus dual-slot for NVIDIA; power connectors are null for Intel versus 1x 16-pin for NVIDIA; suggested PSU is null versus 600 W. Display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" for Intel versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for NVIDIA. Dimensions show NVIDIA at 285 mm length, 112 mm height, and 42 mm width, while Intel lists none. The RTX 4070 Ti has a release date of January 2, 2023, while Intel’s is null. NVIDIA’s launch MSRP is 799 USD; Intel has none.

The Verdict

The data points to two different design philosophies. The RTX 4070 Ti is an uncompromising performance part, with 3.2x the FP32 throughput and 1.5x the memory bandwidth of the Arc A730M. Its 285 W TDP and dual-slot form factor are the cost of that performance. The Arc A730M, conversely, delivers its 85th-percentile standing at just 80 W, with an IGP form factor that requires no power connector. The benchmark results indicate that if raw performance in DX12 and compute workloads is the sole criterion, the RTX 4070 Ti is the clear choice, it wins every head-to-head test by roughly 65%. However, the average score data complicates this picture, as the Intel part actually has a higher aggregate score, suggesting it performs relatively better in other, unlisted benchmark categories. The RTX 4070 Ti’s lower average is dragged down by weak PassMark legacy DirectX scores (e.g., 116 in DX12, 187 in DX10), which may not reflect modern gaming or compute workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4070 Ti wins decisively in every measurable head-to-head comparison. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it is 65.5% faster, indicating superior modern game rendering performance. In Geekbench OpenCL, it is 65.7% faster, showing a massive advantage in general-purpose compute. In Geekbench Vulkan, it is 65.4% faster, confirming the lead extends to cross-platform graphics APIs. The RTX 4070 Ti also has a higher pixel rate (208.8 vs 196.8 GPixel/s) and a much higher texture rate (626.4 vs 393.6 GTexel/s), so it should excel in resolution-heavy and texture-heavy scenes.

The Arc A730M’s wins are less direct. It has a higher average benchmark score (45,592 vs 44,900), meaning that across a wider set of tests, it edges out the NVIDIA part. It also has more ROPs (96 vs 80), which could aid in fill-rate-limited scenarios. Its 80 W TDP and IGP form factor make it the only viable option for thin-and-light portable devices, where the RTX 4070 Ti’s dual-slot design and 600 W PSU requirement are non-starters. The Arc A730M also uses less power by a factor of 3.6x, which may be relevant for battery-constrained environments. Ultimately, the RTX 4070 Ti is the performance winner for desktop systems with adequate power and cooling, while the Arc A730M is the efficiency winner for mobile platforms where power draw and physical footprint are the primary constraints.