Intel Arc B390 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single recorded head-to-head benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, shows the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB ahead by 2.2 percent. The RTX 3050 6 GB scores 1515, while the Intel Arc B390 scores 1482. This is a narrow margin, roughly equivalent to the performance gap between the Arc B390 and its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which trails by 1.3 percent. In practical terms, the RTX 3050 6 GB’s lead is small enough that driver updates or thermal conditions could alter the outcome in a given session, but the recorded data consistently places the NVIDIA part higher in this specific DirectX 12 workload.

The Arc B390’s score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals, in descending order of average score, are the GeForce GT 520MX at 1463, the GeForce 800M at 1460, the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446, and the GeForce GT 710 at 1443. The delta percentages against these rivals are 1.3, 1.5, 2.5, and 2.7 percent respectively. This indicates that the Arc B390, despite its modern architecture and integrated design, is positioned at the very low end of the performance spectrum, competing with decade-old discrete mobile and entry-level desktop parts.

The RTX 3050 6 GB, by contrast, sits at the 15th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 2329, which is substantially higher than the Arc B390’s average of 1482. The RTX 3050 6 GB’s nearest rivals include the GeForce GT 640M at 2335, the Quadro P620 at 2339, the Intel HD Graphics 510 at 2305, and the GeForce GT 550M at 2363, with delta percentages of -0.3, -0.4, 1.0, and -1.4 respectively. This clustering shows that the RTX 3050 6 GB’s average performance is comparable to older mid-range mobile GPUs, but its individual benchmark results vary widely. For instance, the PassMark G3D score is 10738, while the DirectX 9 score is only 124, highlighting significant variation across different API workloads.

The only direct comparison available, however, is the Steel Nomad DX12 test, and there the RTX 3050 6 GB wins by 33 points. The Arc B390 has no other recorded benchmarks, so its average score equals its Steel Nomad result. The RTX 3050 6 GB’s average is dragged up by the PassMark G3D and compute scores, which are not available for the Arc B390. This means the 2.2 percent deficit in the head-to-head test is the only directly comparable metric, and it favors NVIDIA.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Arc B390 uses the Panther Lake chip with the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process at Intel. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB uses the GA107 chip with the Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The process node difference is significant: 3 nm versus 8 nm gives Intel a theoretical density and efficiency advantage, but the Arc B390’s transistor count and die size are unknown, while the RTX 3050 6 GB has 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, yielding a density of 43.5 million transistors per square millimeter.

The Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), with no slot width, no power connectors, and a system-shared memory configuration. Its base clock is 300 MHz, and its boost clock is 2500 MHz. The RTX 3050 6 GB is a discrete dual-slot card with a base clock of 1042 MHz and a boost clock of 1470 MHz. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, providing 168.0 GB/s of bandwidth, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz or 14 Gbps effective. The Arc B390’s memory bandwidth is system dependent, as is its memory type and bus width.

In terms of compute units, the Arc B390 has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 24 raster output units, and 12 ray tracing cores. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 2304 shading units, 72 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 18 RT cores, and 72 tensor cores. The NVIDIA part has 50 percent more shading units, 50 percent more TMUs, 33 percent more ROPs, and 50 percent more RT cores. The Arc B390 has no tensor cores, while the RTX 3050 6 GB has 72. Despite the unit count disadvantage, the Arc B390’s higher boost clock of 2500 MHz versus 1470 MHz allows it to post higher pixel and texture rates: 60.00 GPixel/s and 120.0 GTexel/s versus 47.04 GPixel/s and 105.8 GTexel/s for the RTX 3050 6 GB.

The FP32 throughput tells a similar story. The Arc B390 achieves 7.680 TFLOPS, while the RTX 3050 6 GB achieves 6.774 TFLOPS. For FP16, the Arc B390 reaches 15.36 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the RTX 3050 6 GB stays at 6.774 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. This means the Arc B390 has a clear theoretical compute advantage in both precision formats, despite having fewer shaders, due to its much higher clock speed. The RTX 3050 6 GB compensates with tensor cores, which the Arc B390 lacks entirely, making the NVIDIA part more capable for AI workloads that leverage Tensor Cores.

The bus interface differs fundamentally: the Arc B390 uses an IGP connection, while the RTX 3050 6 GB uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs also differ, with the RTX 3050 6 GB offering 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Arc B390’s outputs are portable device dependent. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API feature parity exists. The RTX 3050 6 GB has a recommended PSU of 250 W, while the Arc B390 has no such requirement due to its integrated nature.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a boost clock of 2500 MHz, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB has a boost clock of 1470 MHz.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 3050 6 GB has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus with 168.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc B390 uses system shared memory, with type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as system dependent.

Q: What is the transistor count and die size for each?

A: The RTX 3050 6 GB has 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die. The Arc B390’s transistor count and die size are unknown.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 3050 6 GB has 2304 shading units, while the Arc B390 has 1536 shading units.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), along with OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the TDP difference?

A: The Arc B390 has a TDP of 80 W, while the RTX 3050 6 GB has a TDP of 70 W.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the Intel Arc B390 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB:

• Chip: Panther Lake versus GA107
• Architecture: Xe3-LPG versus Ampere
• Generation: Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) versus GeForce 30
• Process node: 3 nm versus 8 nm
• Foundry: Intel versus Samsung
• Transistors: unknown versus 8,700 million
• Die size: unknown versus 200 mm²
• Transistor density: null versus 43.5M / mm²
• Base clock: 300 MHz versus 1042 MHz
• Boost clock: 2500 MHz versus 1470 MHz
• Memory clock: System Shared versus 1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective
• Memory size: System Shared versus 6 GB
• Memory type: System Shared versus GDDR6
• Memory bus width: System Shared versus 96 bit
• Memory bandwidth: System Dependent versus 168.0 GB/s
• Shading units: 1536 versus 2304
• TMUs: 48 versus 72
• ROPs: 24 versus 32
• RT cores: 12 versus 18
• Tensor cores: null versus 72
• Pixel rate: 60.00 GPixel/s versus 47.04 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 120.0 GTexel/s versus 105.8 GTexel/s
• FP32: 7.680 TFLOPS versus 6.774 TFLOPS
• FP16: 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 6.774 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 80 W versus 70 W
• Slot width: IGP versus Dual-slot
• Power connectors: None versus None (same)
• Suggested PSU: null versus 250 W
• Bus interface: IGP versus PCIe 4.0 x8
• Display outputs: Portable Device Dependent versus 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
• Dimensions: null versus 242 mm length, 112 mm height
• Production status: Active versus End-of-life
• Release date: 2026-01-26 versus 2024-02-01
• Predecessor: null versus GeForce 20
• Successor: null versus GeForce 40
• Launch MSRP: null versus 179 USD
• Benchmarks: 1 test versus 8 tests
• Percentile: 9 versus 15
• Average benchmark score: 1482 versus 2329

The Verdict

The recorded data shows the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB winning the only direct head-to-head test, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, by 2.2 percent. Its score of 1515 against the Arc B390’s 1482 is a modest but consistent advantage. The RTX 3050 6 GB also holds a higher percentile ranking, 15th versus 9th, and a much higher average benchmark score of 2329 versus 1482, though that average includes additional tests not run on the Arc B390. For users who prioritize raw DirectX 12 gaming performance in this specific workload, the RTX 3050 6 GB is the safer choice based on the available measurements.

The Intel Arc B390, however, offers theoretical advantages that the Steel Nomad test does not capture. Its FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS exceeds the RTX 3050 6 GB’s 6.774 TFLOPS, and its FP16 output of 15.36 TFLOPS is more than double the NVIDIA part’s 6.774 TFLOPS. Its pixel and texture rates are also higher, at 60.00 GPixel/s and 120.0 GTexel/s versus 47.04 GPixel/s and 105.8 GTexel/s. These figures suggest that in compute-heavy or FP16-optimized workloads, the Arc B390 could outperform the RTX 3050 6 GB, despite losing the single recorded gaming benchmark.

Architecturally, the two parts target different use cases. The Arc B390 is an integrated processor on a 3 nm node, consuming 80 W, with no power connectors and system-shared memory. It is designed for portable devices, as indicated by its display outputs being portable device dependent. The RTX 3050 6 GB is a discrete dual-slot card on an 8 nm node, consuming 70 W, with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory and a 250 W recommended PSU. It offers tensor cores for AI acceleration, which the Arc B390 lacks entirely, and it has more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, and RT cores.

The RTX 3050 6 GB is end-of-life, with a predecessor in the GeForce 20 series and a successor in the GeForce 40 series. Its launch MSRP was 179 USD. The Arc B390 is active, released later, and has no recorded predecessor or successor. For users seeking a discrete GPU with dedicated memory, established driver support, and tensor core functionality, the RTX 3050 6 GB aligns with the benchmark evidence. For users with a Panther Lake platform who need an integrated GPU with high compute rates and no additional power connectors, the Arc B390 is the only option in this comparison, but its performance percentile and head-to-head loss indicate it is not a competitive replacement for the NVIDIA part in gaming workloads. The data supports the RTX 3050 6 GB as the stronger overall performer in the measured DirectX 12 scenario, while the Arc B390’s theoretical compute advantages remain unverified in the recorded benchmarks.