GPU Comparison

The Intel Arc A770 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 represent two entirely different approaches to GPU design, with a massive gap in both price and performance. The data shows the RTX 4090 dominates every single benchmark in this comparison, but the Arc A770 offers a unique feature set and a much lower launch MSRP. This analysis breaks down where each card wins, answers common questions, and provides a detailed specification and architecture comparison based strictly on the available data.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 wins in every single head-to-head test. The data shows the RTX 4090 takes all three benchmark wins, leaving the Intel Arc A770 with zero victories. This is not a close contest; the performance delta is massive across the board.

The Arc A770's only claim to fame is its pricing and specific feature support. With a launch MSRP of 329 USD, it is positioned as a mainstream card, while the RTX 4090's launch MSRP is 1,599 USD. The Arc A770 also supports DisplayPort 2.0, whereas the RTX 4090 is limited to DisplayPort 1.4a. For users with cutting-edge monitors, this could be a deciding factor, but for raw performance, the RTX 4090 is the clear winner.

The RTX 4090's wins are not marginal. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 9223 compared to the Arc A770's 2969, a 67.8% advantage. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 255416 versus 109175, a 57.3% lead. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 271631 versus 94284, a 65.3% lead. These are decisive victories that place the RTX 4090 in a completely different performance tier.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc A770 has a higher average benchmark score of 68809, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090's 60347. This is surprising given the head-to-head results, but it reflects the different benchmark suites used in the average calculation.

Q: What is the performance difference in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RTX 4090 scores 9223, which is 67.8% higher than the Arc A770's score of 2969. The RTX 4090 wins this test decisively.

Q: How do the cards compare in memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4090 offers 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus. The Arc A770 offers 512.0 GB/s with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 4090 has a transistor density of 125.3M / mm², while the Arc A770 has a density of 53.4M / mm². This reflects the RTX 4090's much newer and denser 5 nm process node.

Q: What are the power connector requirements?

A: The Arc A770 uses a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin configuration, while the RTX 4090 requires a single 16-pin connector. The suggested PSU for the Arc A770 is 550 W, while the RTX 4090 requires an 850 W PSU.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. They are fully modern in their API support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a clean sweep for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The largest margin is in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 4090 scores 9223 against the Arc A770's 2969. This represents a 67.8% lead for the NVIDIA card, demonstrating its dominance in modern DirectX 12 workloads.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4090 scores 271631, which is 65.3% higher than the Arc A770's 94284. This test shows the RTX 4090's strength in Vulkan-based applications, which are common in both gaming and professional workloads.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a similar story, with the RTX 4090 scoring 255416 versus the Arc A770's 109175. This 57.3% lead is the smallest of the three, but still a massive gap. OpenCL performance is critical for compute tasks, and the RTX 4090 clearly excels here.

These benchmark results are consistent with the cards' specifications. The RTX 4090 has 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, compared to the Arc A770's 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The RTX 4090 also has 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, while the Arc A770 has 32 RT cores and no listed tensor cores. The raw compute power is simply in a different league.

Specification Differences

The specification differences between these two cards are substantial and explain the performance gap. The RTX 4090 uses a 5 nm process node, while the Arc A770 uses a 6 nm node, both from TSMC. The RTX 4090 packs 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, while the Arc A770 has 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die. This gives the RTX 4090 a transistor density of 125.3M / mm², more than double the Arc A770's 53.4M / mm².

Memory is another major differentiator. The RTX 4090 comes with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, while the Arc A770 has 16 GB of GDDR6. The RTX 4090's memory runs at 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective speed, while the Arc A770's memory runs at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective. This translates to 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth for the RTX 4090 versus 512.0 GB/s for the Arc A770.

The RTX 4090 also has a higher clock speed, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, compared to the Arc A770's base of 2100 MHz and boost of 2400 MHz. The RTX 4090's FP32 performance is 82.58 TFLOPS, over four times the Arc A770's 19.66 TFLOPS. The RTX 4090 also has a much higher texture rate of 1,290.2 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s, versus the Arc A770's 614.4 GTexel/s and 307.2 GPixel/s.

Power consumption is also vastly different. The RTX 4090 has a TDP of 450 W and requires a triple-slot cooler, while the Arc A770 has a TDP of 225 W and is a dual-slot card. The RTX 4090 measures 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 61 mm in width, while the Arc A770's dimensions are not listed. The RTX 4090 uses a single 16-pin power connector, while the Arc A770 uses a 6-pin and 8-pin combination.

Architecture Differences

The architectural differences between these cards are fundamental. The Intel Arc A770 is built on the Xe-HPG architecture, codenamed DG2-512, and belongs to the Alchemist generation (Arc 7). It uses TSMC's 6 nm process. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, codenamed AD102, and belongs to the GeForce 40 series. It uses TSMC's 5 nm process.

The RTX 4090 features 512 tensor cores, which are critical for AI and machine learning workloads, while the Arc A770 has no listed tensor cores. The RTX 4090 also has 128 RT cores, compared to the Arc A770's 32 RT cores. This gives the RTX 4090 a massive advantage in ray tracing performance, assuming software support is equal.

The FP16 performance is also telling. The RTX 4090 delivers 82.58 TFLOPS of FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio, meaning it can sustain full throughput for both FP32 and FP16. The Arc A770 delivers 39.32 TFLOPS of FP16 at a 2:1 ratio, meaning FP16 is only half the throughput of FP32. This makes the RTX 4090 far more versatile for mixed-precision compute tasks.

Display output differences are notable. The Arc A770 supports DisplayPort 2.0, which is newer and supports higher bandwidths than the RTX 4090's DisplayPort 1.4a. Both cards support HDMI 2.1. The Arc A770 also has a larger number of display outputs listed as "1x HDMI 2.1" and "3x DisplayPort 2.0", while the RTX 4090 has "1x HDMI 2.1" and "3x DisplayPort 1.4a".

The Verdict

The data is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the overwhelmingly faster card. It wins every head-to-head benchmark, with leads ranging from 57.3% to 67.8%. Its specifications are superior in nearly every metric, including shading units, memory bandwidth, FP32 performance, and power consumption. If you need maximum performance and have the budget for a 1,599 USD launch MSRP card, the RTX 4090 is the only choice.

The Intel Arc A770, with its 329 USD launch MSRP, is a completely different product. It is end-of-life, while the RTX 4090 is also listed as end-of-life. The Arc A770 does have a higher average benchmark score of 68809, but this is likely due to the specific benchmark mix, as it loses all head-to-head tests. Its advantage lies in its DisplayPort 2.0 support and lower power requirements, with a 225 W TDP versus the RTX 4090's 450 W.

The RTX 4090's nearest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, both with average scores within 0.3% of the RTX 4090. The Arc A770's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA CMP 90HX and AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200, all within 1.7% of its average score. This shows that while the RTX 4090 wins head-to-head, its average score is pulled down by other benchmarks not included in this comparison.

In summary, choose the RTX 4090 for raw performance, ray tracing, and compute power. Choose the Arc A770 if you need DisplayPort 2.0, want a lower power draw, and are working with a much smaller budget. The performance gap is enormous, but the price gap is even larger relative to the performance difference.