Intel Arc B570 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 and the Intel Arc B570 is heavily one-sided. Out of ten recorded tests, the RTX 3080 claims nine victories, leaving the Arc B570 with a single win. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, but the margins vary dramatically depending on the workload.

The RTX 3080 delivers its most dominant result in the Passmark DirectX 10 test, scoring 170 against the Arc B570's 65, a difference of 161.5%. This is the largest percentage gap in the entire comparison. The Passmark GPU Compute test tells a similar story, with the RTX 3080 at 14397 versus 7281, a 97.7% advantage. In practical terms, the RTX 3080 nearly doubles the Arc B570's compute output in this specific benchmark.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which represents modern gaming workloads, shows the RTX 3080 scoring 4407 against 2649, a 66.4% lead. The Geekbench OpenCL result is even more pronounced: 152423 versus 83514, an 82.5% gap. This suggests the RTX 3080 holds a substantial edge in general-purpose GPU compute as measured by that suite.

The Passmark DirectX 11 test shows a 75.4% advantage for the RTX 3080, with scores of 207 versus 118. The DirectX 12 Passmark test is closer, at 100 versus 72, a 38.9% lead, but the RTX 3080 still wins comfortably. Even the legacy DirectX 9 test favors the older architecture: 258 versus 164, a 57.3% margin.

The 2D graphics test, Passmark G2D, shows the RTX 3080 at 1054 against 661, a 59.5% lead. The overall Passmark G3D score, which aggregates 3D performance, puts the RTX 3080 at 25086 and the Arc B570 at 14195, a 76.7% gap.

The single bright spot for Intel comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here the Arc B570 scores 96844 against the RTX 3080's 33620, a 65.3% advantage for Intel. This is a remarkable reversal, and it indicates that the Arc B570's Vulkan driver stack and architecture can outperform the RTX 3080 significantly in this specific API workload. It is notably Vulkan is a low-level API commonly used in modern games, so this result cannot be dismissed as irrelevant.

When looking at aggregate scores, the RTX 3080's average benchmark score is 23172, while the Arc B570 averages 20556. The RTX 3080 sits at the 68th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Arc B570 is at the 65th percentile. The nearest rivals for the RTX 3080 include the NVIDIA P106-100 at 23249 (0.3% above), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 at 23250 (0.3% above), the AMD Radeon RX 6600M at 23273 (0.4% above), and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X at 23276 (0.4% above). For the Arc B570, the closest competitors are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (0.1% below), the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (0.1% above), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M at 20480 (0.4% below), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X at 20662 (0.5% above).

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing processes. The RTX 3080 uses the GA102 chip built on Samsung's 8 nm process, while the Arc B570 uses the BMG-G21 chip on TSMC's 5 nm node. The die sizes reflect this difference: the GA102 measures 628 mm² with 28,300 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 45.1 million per square millimeter. The BMG-G21 is considerably smaller at 272 mm² but packs 19,600 million transistors, achieving a density of 72.1 million per square millimeter. The newer process node allows Intel to fit more transistors per area despite the smaller die.

The shader configurations diverge sharply. The RTX 3080 has 8704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation pipelines. The Arc B570 has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. This explains the RTX 3080's raw throughput advantage in most tests. The RTX 3080 also carries 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, whereas the Arc B570 has 18 RT cores and no tensor cores listed in the database. The FP32 compute figures reflect this: the RTX 3080 delivers 29.77 TFLOPS, while the Arc B570 delivers 11.52 TFLOPS. Interestingly, the FP16 numbers tell a different story: the RTX 3080 matches its FP32 at 29.77 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the Arc B570 reaches 23.04 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). The Arc B570's FP16 throughput is much closer to the RTX 3080's, suggesting Intel prioritized shader-heavy workloads differently.

Memory configurations are notable for their similarities and differences. Both cards have 10 GB of VRAM, but the RTX 3080 uses GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, yielding 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The Arc B570 uses GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, yielding 380.0 GB/s, exactly half the bandwidth. Both run memory at 19 Gbps effective, but the narrower bus on the Intel card halves throughput.

Clock speeds show the Arc B570 running at a fixed 2500 MHz for both base and boost, while the RTX 3080 has a 1440 MHz base and 1710 MHz boost. The higher clocks on the Intel part partially compensate for its smaller shader count, but not enough to close the gap in most tests. Pixel and texture rates reinforce this: the RTX 3080 achieves 164.2 GPixel/s and 465.1 GTexel/s, while the Arc B570 achieves 200.0 GPixel/s and 360.0 GTexel/s. The Intel card actually wins on pixel throughput, but the RTX 3080 dominates texture fill.

Power and interface specifications differ as well. The RTX 3080 has a 320 W TDP with a 1x 12-pin connector and a 700 W suggested PSU. The Arc B570 draws 150 W with a 1x 8-pin connector and a 450 W suggested PSU. The RTX 3080 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Arc B570 uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which could matter for bandwidth-sensitive workloads. Both are dual-slot cards, but the RTX 3080 is longer at 285 mm versus 272 mm. Display outputs differ: the RTX 3080 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Arc B570 offers 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1, giving Intel the newer DisplayPort standard.

The RTX 3080 is end-of-life, released on 2020-08-31, with the GeForce 40 series as its successor. The Arc B570 is active, released on 2025-01-15, succeeding the Alchemist generation. The RTX 3080 launched with an MSRP of 699 USD, and the Arc B570 with 219 USD.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 is the clear winner for DirectX-based workloads across every version tested. The Passmark DirectX 10, 11, and 12 results all favor NVIDIA, with margins ranging from 38.9% to 161.5%. This makes the RTX 3080 the safer choice for applications that rely on Microsoft's graphics API, including many PC games and productivity tools. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result reinforces this pattern with a 66.4% lead.

Compute workloads also belong to the RTX 3080. The Passmark GPU Compute test shows a 97.7% advantage, and Geekbench OpenCL shows an 82.5% lead. Users who run GPGPU tasks such as rendering, simulation, or machine learning inference will find the RTX 3080 far more capable, despite its age. The presence of 272 tensor cores gives the RTX 3080 additional acceleration options for AI workloads, while the Arc B570 has no tensor cores listed.

The Arc B570's only win is in Geekbench Vulkan, where it beats the RTX 3080 by 65.3%. This is a significant result for users who primarily play Vulkan-based games or run Vulkan compute applications. The newer Xe2-HPG architecture appears to handle this low-level API more efficiently than NVIDIA's Ampere design. The Arc B570 also wins on pixel fill rate, at 200.0 GPixel/s versus 164.2 GPixel/s, though this does not translate into a benchmark victory outside of the Vulkan test. Its higher boost clock of 2500 MHz versus 1710 MHz likely contributes to this specific strength.

The Arc B570 also offers the advantage of a much lower TDP at 150 W versus 320 W, and a smaller die at 272 mm² versus 628 mm². For systems with power or space constraints, the Intel card is easier to integrate. The DisplayPort 2.1 outputs on the Arc B570 are also a forward-looking feature, supporting newer monitors with higher bandwidth requirements.

The Verdict

The recorded data presents a straightforward conclusion for raw performance: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the faster GPU in nearly every benchmark category. It wins nine of ten tests, with leads ranging from 38.9% in Passmark DirectX 12 to 161.5% in Passmark DirectX 10. The average benchmark score of 23172 versus 20556 puts the RTX 3080 roughly 12.7% ahead overall.

The single Vulkan win for the Arc B570 is notable but isolated. In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the Intel card scores 96844 versus 33620, a 65.3% advantage. This indicates that for Vulkan-specific workloads, the Arc B570 is not merely competitive but substantially faster. Users building a system exclusively for Vulkan applications might find the Intel card compelling.

The RTX 3080's advantages extend beyond raw scores. Its 760.3 GB/s memory bandwidth is double the Arc B570's 380.0 GB/s, and its 272 tensor cores provide dedicated AI acceleration hardware. The RTX 3080 also has a wider 320-bit memory bus versus 160-bit, and more shading units, TMUs, and ROPs across the board.

However, the Arc B570 is not without merit. Its 5 nm process node delivers higher transistor density at 72.1 million per square millimeter versus 45.1 million, and its 150 W TDP makes it far more power-efficient. The card is also active and current, while the RTX 3080 is end-of-life. For users prioritizing power consumption, system integration ease, or Vulkan performance, the Arc B570 represents a modern alternative.

The verdict depends on the use case. For maximum performance in DirectX gaming, compute, and OpenCL workloads, the RTX 3080 is the clear choice based on the data. For Vulkan-centric workloads, lower power draw, or a current-generation product with newer display outputs, the Arc B570 has specific advantages that the benchmark results support.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172, while the Intel Arc B570 averages 20556, a difference of about 12.7% in favor of the RTX 3080.

Q: In which test does the Intel Arc B570 outperform the RTX 3080?

A: The Arc B570 wins the Geekbench Vulkan test with a score of 96844 versus the RTX 3080's 33620, a 65.3% advantage for Intel.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3080 has 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth using GDDR6X on a 320-bit bus, while the Arc B570 has 380.0 GB/s using GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus. Both have 10 GB of VRAM.

Q: What are the process nodes and die sizes of these GPUs?

A: The RTX 3080 uses Samsung's 8 nm process with a 628 mm² die and 28,300 million transistors. The Arc B570 uses TSMC's 5 nm process with a 272 mm² die and 19,600 million transistors.

Q: Does the RTX 3080 have tensor cores?

A: Yes, the RTX 3080 has 272 tensor cores. The Arc B570 does not have tensor cores listed in the database.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The RTX 3080 has a TDP of 320 W with a suggested PSU of 700 W, while the Arc B570 has a TDP of 150 W with a suggested PSU of 450 W.