GPU Comparison

# NVIDIA Quadro GP100 vs Intel Arc A770

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 and Intel Arc A770 represent two very different generations of GPU design, separated by six years of architectural evolution. The Quadro GP100, built on the Pascal architecture and released in late 2016, was a professional workstation card aimed at compute-heavy tasks, while the Intel Arc A770, based on the Xe-HPG architecture and launched in late 2022, targets the consumer desktop market with modern feature support. Benchmark data shows a single head-to-head comparison in Geekbench OpenCL, where the Intel card wins decisively, but the two cards occupy different performance tiers according to their average benchmark scores and nearest rival positions.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A770 wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark available, scoring 109,175 in Geekbench OpenCL against the Quadro GP100's 87,445. That is a 19.9% advantage for Intel in this compute-oriented test. The margin is substantial, suggesting that the Arc A770's newer architecture and higher raw throughput translate into measurable gains in OpenCL workloads. The Arc A770 also benefits from a much higher average benchmark score across all tests in its profile, though this figure includes a wider range of benchmarks beyond just OpenCL.

However, the Quadro GP100 cannot be dismissed outright. Its percentile rank among all GPUs is 93, which is higher than the Arc A770's 90th percentile. This indicates that while the Arc A770 wins the specific OpenCL comparison, the Quadro GP100 sits in a slightly stronger overall position relative to the entire GPU landscape. The Quadro's average benchmark score of 87,445 is also notably higher than the Arc A770's 68,809 average, though this difference is skewed by the fact that the Arc's average includes multiple benchmarks with varying scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of just 2,969.

In terms of architectural strengths, the Quadro GP100 offers a 4096-bit memory bus with HBM2 memory, delivering 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth, whereas the Arc A770 uses a 256-bit GDDR6 bus with 512.0 GB/s. The Quadro's memory bandwidth advantage could favor bandwidth-sensitive workloads, even if its overall compute throughput is lower. The Quadro also has a lower transistor density (25.1M per mm²) but a larger die size (610 mm²), whereas the Arc A770 packs 53.4M transistors per mm² into a 406 mm² die, reflecting the denser 6 nm process.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for most users: the Intel Arc A770 is the stronger performer in the single measurable comparison, and its modern feature set, including 32 ray tracing cores, support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, and Vulkan 1.4, makes it the more future-proof option. The Arc A770 also carries a launch MSRP of 329 USD, which places it in a different market segment than the Quadro GP100, though pricing details beyond that are not available in the data.

For users prioritizing raw compute in OpenCL workloads, the Arc A770's 19.9% lead is decisive. The Quadro GP100, however, maintains a higher percentile rank (93 vs. 90) and a higher average benchmark score (87,445 vs. 68,809), suggesting that in a broader suite of tests, the Quadro may hold its own or even outperform the Arc A770 in certain scenarios. The Quadro's memory bandwidth advantage (732.2 GB/s vs. 512.0 GB/s) and its professional positioning as part of the Quadro Pascal generation could make it preferable for specific workstation tasks that leverage high-bandwidth memory.

Given that the Quadro GP100 is end-of-life and was released in September 2016, while the Arc A770 is also end-of-life but from 2022, the Arc A770 offers newer technology across the board: a smaller process node (6 nm vs. 16 nm), higher clock speeds (2400 MHz boost vs. 1443 MHz boost), and double the FP32 throughput (19.66 TFLOPS vs. 10.34 TFLOPS). For most buyers, the Arc A770 is the rational pick based on performance data alone. The Quadro GP100 remains relevant only for niche professional uses where its memory subsystem or driver certification matters more than raw compute scores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole head-to-head benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are unambiguous. The Intel Arc A770 scores 109,175, while the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445, giving Intel a 19.9% advantage. This is a significant margin in a compute benchmark that exercises general-purpose GPU capabilities, memory bandwidth, and shading throughput.

The Quadro GP100's nearest rivals in the data set are the AMD Radeon PRO W7600 (87,108, just 0.4% behind), the NVIDIA CMP 40HX (85,637, 2.1% behind), and the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile (91,134, 4% ahead). The Arc A770's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA CMP 90HX (69,000, 0.3% behind), the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 (68,562, 0.4% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 (69,870, 1.5% ahead). These rival positions show that the Arc A770's average score sits in a lower tier than the Quadro GP100's, despite winning the OpenCL test.

The delta between the two cards in OpenCL is 19.9%, which is larger than the differences seen among the Quadro's nearest rivals (ranging from 0.4% to 4.6%). This suggests that the Arc A770's advantage in OpenCL is not marginal but represents a genuine architectural leap in compute efficiency. The Arc A770's FP16 performance of 39.32 TFLOPS (2:1) is also nearly double the Quadro's 20.69 TFLOPS (2:1), which likely contributes to its OpenCL showing.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The Intel Arc A770 scores 109,175, which is 19.9% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro GP100's 87,445.

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

A: The Quadro GP100 has 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth from HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus, while the Arc A770 has 512.0 GB/s from GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which card has a higher percentile rank among all GPUs?

A: The Quadro GP100 ranks in the 93rd percentile, while the Arc A770 ranks in the 90th percentile.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The Arc A770 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Quadro GP100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1).

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The Quadro GP100 has an average benchmark score of 87,445, while the Arc A770 has an average of 68,809 across its benchmark suite.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The Intel Arc A770 has 4,096 shading units, compared to 3,584 on the Quadro GP100.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 uses the GP100 chip built on the Pascal architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 16 nm process. It packs 15,300 million transistors into a 610 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.1 million per mm². The Intel Arc A770 uses the DG2-512 chip based on the Xe-HPG architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a 6 nm process. It contains 21,700 million transistors in a 406 mm² die, achieving a much higher density of 53.4 million per mm².

The Quadro GP100 belongs to the Quadro Pascal generation, with its predecessor being Quadro Maxwell and successor Quadro Volta. The Arc A770 belongs to the Alchemist generation (Arc 7), with its predecessor being Xe Graphics and successor Battlemage. This generational gap is reflected in feature support: the Arc A770 includes 32 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, whereas the Quadro GP100 has no dedicated ray tracing cores and only supports DirectX 12 (12_1). The Arc A770 also supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Quadro supports Vulkan 1.3.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The Quadro GP100 uses HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus with a memory clock of 715 MHz (1430 Mbps effective), while the Arc A770 uses GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with a 2000 MHz clock (16 Gbps effective). The Quadro's wider bus provides higher bandwidth despite slower clock speeds. The Arc A770 has higher pixel rate (307.2 GPixel/s vs. 138.5 GPixel/s) and texture rate (614.4 GTexel/s vs. 323.2 GTexel/s), reflecting its higher shading unit count and clock speeds.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every core specification. The Quadro GP100 has a base clock of 1304 MHz and boost clock of 1443 MHz, while the Arc A770 runs at 2100 MHz base and 2400 MHz boost. The Quadro has 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs; the Arc A770 has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. FP32 throughput is 10.34 TFLOPS for the Quadro and 19.66 TFLOPS for the Arc A770, with FP16 at 20.69 TFLOPS and 39.32 TFLOPS respectively.

Power consumption is similar, with the Quadro rated at 235 W and the Arc A770 at 225 W, both requiring a 550 W suggested PSU. The Quadro uses a single 8-pin power connector, while the Arc A770 uses a 6-pin plus 8-pin configuration. The Quadro is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height, while the Arc A770's dimensions are not specified in the data.

Display outputs differ: the Quadro offers 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Arc A770 provides 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0. The bus interface also differs, with the Quadro using PCIe 3.0 x16 and the Arc A770 using PCIe 4.0 x16. Both cards are end-of-life, with the Quadro released on September 30, 2016, and the Arc A770 on October 11, 2022. The Arc A770 has a launch MSRP of 329 USD, while the Quadro GP100 has no launch MSRP listed.