Intel Arc B390 vs NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents an unusual comparison scenario. The Intel Arc B390 has a single benchmark result in the database: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 scoring 1482 points. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation has no benchmark entries in the database, leaving its measured performance unrecorded. The head-to-head benchmark table is empty, and the win counts stand at zero for both parts.

Given the absence of a direct measurement for the RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation, the only quantitative performance anchor available is the Intel part's percentile placement. The Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs in the database. That percentile figure indicates that roughly 9% of recorded GPUs score lower, meaning the other 91% score higher. The nearest rivals listed for the Intel part are all older, low-end NVIDIA discrete GPUs: the GeForce GT 520MX (average score 1463, delta 1.3%), the GeForce 800M (average score 1460, delta 1.5%), the GeForce GT 625 OEM (average score 1446, delta 2.5%), and the GeForce GT 710 (average score 1443, delta 2.7%). The Arc B390's 1482 score exceeds each of these by small margins, ranging from 1.3% over the GT 520MX to 2.7% over the GT 710.

What the data shows is that the Arc B390's measured score places it in a performance class populated by entry-level GPUs from roughly a decade ago. The deltas are narrow, all under 3%, which indicates the Intel part's score is not dramatically separated from these older products. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 0 in the database, which means no recorded measurement exists to compare directly. The 50th percentile placement for the RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation comes from the database classification, not from a measured benchmark run. This percentile gap, 9th versus 50th, is the only head-to-head signal available. It suggests the NVIDIA part is positioned in the middle of the database distribution while the Intel part sits near the bottom, but without a direct score for the RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation, the magnitude of that gap cannot be quantified from benchmark data.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers, different foundries, and different design generations. The Intel Arc B390 uses the Panther Lake chip built on the Xe3-LPG architecture, part of the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation. It is fabricated on a 3 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, from the Ada-MW generation, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The process node difference, 3 nm versus 5 nm, is one of the clearest architectural separations between the two.

The Intel part's transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database, so no direct comparison can be made on those physical characteristics. The NVIDIA part, however, is fully documented: 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 121.8 million transistors per square millimeter. The absence of die data for the Intel part means the database cannot confirm whether the 3 nm process yields a smaller or larger die.

Compute resources differ substantially. The Arc B390 contains 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 24 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. It has no tensor cores listed. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation contains 5120 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 40 ray tracing cores, and 160 tensor cores. Every compute category is larger on the NVIDIA side: 3.3 times the shading units, 3.3 times the TMUs, 2.7 times the ROPs, and 3.3 times the ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA part also has a dedicated tensor core array, which the Intel part lacks entirely.

Clock behavior also differs. The Arc B390 runs at a 300 MHz base clock and boosts to 2500 MHz. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation runs at a 1110 MHz base clock and boosts to 1545 MHz. The Intel part has a higher boost clock by 955 MHz, yet lower base clock by 810 MHz. This inverted clock profile suggests the Intel part is designed to idle very low and spike high, while the NVIDIA part maintains a higher floor. Memory clocks show a similar split: the Intel part uses system shared memory with no dedicated memory clock, while the NVIDIA part uses 2250 MHz memory with 18 Gbps effective transfer.

Output and throughput rates reflect the compute differences. The Arc B390 delivers 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation delivers 98.88 GPixel/s and 247.2 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA part is 1.65 times faster in pixel fill and 2.06 times faster in texture fill. Floating point performance: the Arc B390 reaches 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS FP16 with a 2:1 ratio. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation reaches 15.82 TFLOPS FP32 and 15.82 TFLOPS FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. The NVIDIA part is roughly 2.06 times stronger in FP32. In FP16, the two are nearly identical on paper: 15.36 TFLOPS versus 15.82 TFLOPS, a difference of 0.46 TFLOPS in favor of NVIDIA.

Memory architecture is a fundamental point of divergence. The Arc B390 relies on system shared memory for both capacity and bandwidth, with bandwidth described as system dependent. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation has 12 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The database does not record a specific bandwidth figure for the Intel part because it depends on the host system's memory configuration.

Power and interface also differ. The Arc B390 is rated at 80 W TDP with no power connectors, consistent with an integrated graphics processor. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation is rated at 100 W TDP, also with no power connectors, and uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface. The Intel part's bus interface is listed as IGP, meaning integrated. Both use the same API support: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Where Each One Wins

The data supports different use-case strengths for each part, though the evidence base is uneven. The Arc B390 has a recorded benchmark score; the RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation does not. That limitation means any use-case analysis for the NVIDIA part relies on its architectural specifications rather than measured scores.

For integrated graphics duty, the Arc B390 appears purpose-built. It is an IGP with a 300 MHz base clock, an 80 W TDP, and system shared memory. Its 9th percentile placement among all GPUs indicates it is not a high-end performer, but its low idle clock and integrated nature suggest power-conscious operation in a mobile or compact platform. The 2:1 FP16 ratio (15.36 TFLOPS) shows the Intel part can double its FP32 throughput in half-precision workloads, which can benefit certain compute tasks that tolerate reduced precision.

The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation wins on raw compute capacity across nearly every metric. Its 5120 shading units and 15.82 TFLOPS FP32 place it in a different performance tier. The 160 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for AI inference and related workloads, something the Intel part cannot offer. The 40 ray tracing cores give it more ray tracing hardware than the Intel part's 12. The dedicated 12 GB GDDR6 pool with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth avoids the system dependency that limits the Arc B390's memory performance. The 50th percentile placement, while not tied to a specific score, positions the NVIDIA part in the middle of the database distribution rather than near the bottom.

Pixel and texture throughput favor the NVIDIA part by wide margins: 98.88 GPixel/s versus 60.00 GPixel/s, and 247.2 GTexel/s versus 120.0 GTexel/s. For workloads that are fill-rate bound, such as high-resolution rendering with heavy overdraw, the NVIDIA part has a clear advantage. The FP32 gap of 2.06 times also matters for general-purpose GPU compute.

The Arc B390's wins are narrower. It has the higher boost clock at 2500 MHz versus 1545 MHz. It also reaches 15.36 TFLOPS FP16, close to the NVIDIA part's 15.82 TFLOPS, meaning half-precision workloads see near-parity. The 3 nm process node gives Intel a fabrication advantage in transistor density potential, though die size data is unknown. The 80 W TDP is 20 W lower than the NVIDIA part's 100 W, suggesting lower peak power draw.

The Verdict

The database records exactly one benchmark score for these two GPUs: the Intel Arc B390's 1482 points in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation has no recorded scores. Selection between the two must therefore weigh a measured entry-level result against an unmeasured mid-tier specification set.

The Arc B390's 9th percentile placement and its nearest rival deltas of 1.3% to 2.7% over decade-old NVIDIA parts indicate its measured performance is modest. A user whose workload is represented by that 3DMark test would see performance comparable to a GeForce GT 710 or GT 520MX. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation, by specification, offers 3.3 times the shading units, 2.06 times the FP32 throughput, dedicated tensor cores, and dedicated GDDR6 memory. The 50th percentile classification suggests the database ranks it in the middle of all GPUs, a position consistent with a mid-range mobile discrete part.

The data implies the RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation is the stronger compute device on paper. The absence of a benchmark score, however, prevents confirmation of that expectation. The Arc B390, despite its low percentile, has the advantage of a verified measurement. Systems requiring integrated graphics with low power draw and a 3 nm process would use the Arc B390. Systems requiring dedicated memory, tensor acceleration, and higher fill rates would use the RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation.

FAQ

Q: What is the only recorded benchmark score for these two GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 points. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation has no benchmark scores recorded in the database.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The Arc B390 uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and ray tracing cores?

A: The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation has 5120 shading units and 40 ray tracing cores. The Arc B390 has 1536 shading units and 12 ray tracing cores.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

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

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each GPU?

A: The Arc B390 is rated at 80 W. The RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation is rated at 100 W.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Arc B390 | NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation |

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

| Architecture | Xe3-LPG | Ada Lovelace |

| Process node | 3 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | unknown | 35,800 million |

| Die size | unknown | 294 mm² |

| Base clock | 300 MHz | 1110 MHz |

| Boost clock | 2500 MHz | 1545 MHz |

| Memory size | System Shared | 12 GB |

| Memory type | System Shared | GDDR6 |

| Memory bus width | System Shared | 192 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | System Dependent | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 1536 | 5120 |

| TMUs | 48 | 160 |

| ROPs | 24 | 64 |

| Ray tracing cores | 12 | 40 |

| Tensor cores | null | 160 |

| Pixel rate | 60.00 GPixel/s | 98.88 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 120.0 GTexel/s | 247.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 7.680 TFLOPS | 15.82 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1) | 15.82 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 80 W | 100 W |

| Bus interface | IGP | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Release date | 2026-01-26 | 2023-03-20 |

| Percentile vs all GPUs | 9 | 50 |

| Average benchmark score | 1482 | 0 |