Intel Arc B570 vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

The Verdict

The Intel Arc B570 and NVIDIA N1X 40SM occupy fundamentally different positions in the hardware landscape. The Arc B570 is a discrete, actively sold graphics card with a full benchmark record, while the N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no recorded benchmark scores in the database. The data shows the Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556 across ten tests, placing it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The N1X 40SM has an average score of 0, no benchmark entries, and sits at the 50th percentile by default. The Arc B570 is the only one of the two with measurable performance data, so any comparison of actual compute capability is limited to the Intel product's specifications and the architectural parameters of the NVIDIA part.

The Arc B570 is a complete package for desktop use: it has a launch MSRP of 219 USD, a dual-slot cooler, a 150 W TDP, a 450 W suggested PSU, and a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. The N1X 40SM is an IGP with no power connector, no slot width, and no TDP listed, indicating it is designed to be integrated into a system rather than installed as a separate component. The recorded data shows the Arc B570 is the only viable choice for anyone seeking discrete graphics performance with documented benchmark results. The N1X 40SM, despite its higher theoretical specifications in several areas, cannot be evaluated on performance because the database contains no measurements for it.

Architecture Differences

The two processors use different architectures, process nodes, and memory configurations. The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, specifically the BMG-G21 chip, and belongs to the Battlemage generation (Arc 5). It uses a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 72.1 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, built on the GB20B chip, and belongs to the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. It also uses a 5 nm process from TSMC, but its transistor count is listed as unknown, and its die size is 382 mm², which is larger than the Arc B570's die.

Core configuration differs significantly. The Arc B570 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units (TMUs), 80 raster operations units (ROPs), and 18 ray tracing cores. The N1X 40SM has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 ray tracing cores, and 160 tensor cores. The Arc B570 has no tensor cores listed, while the N1X 40SM includes them, which indicates a design focus on AI and compute workloads for the NVIDIA part. The N1X 40SM's FP32 throughput is 24.02 TFLOPS, substantially higher than the Arc B570's 11.52 TFLOPS. FP16 performance is identical to FP32 on the N1X 40SM at 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the Arc B570 doubles its FP32 rate for FP16 at 23.04 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio).

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. The Arc B570 uses 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, producing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus, producing 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA part has more than twelve times the memory capacity but lower bandwidth. Clock speeds also differ: the Arc B570 runs at a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, while the N1X 40SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The memory clock on the Arc B570 is 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective), while the N1X 40SM memory runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

The interface and connectivity reflect their different roles. The Arc B570 uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and provides 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1 outputs. The N1X 40SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and provides only 1x HDMI output. The Arc B570 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1X 40SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, which means the database does not confirm API support for the NVIDIA part.

Where Each One Wins

The Arc B570 wins in every category where recorded data exists. Its benchmark results span ten tests, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 2,649, Geekbench OpenCL at 83,514, Geekbench Vulkan at 96,844, and Passmark G3D at 14,195. The N1X 40SM has zero benchmark entries, so there are no wins to attribute to it based on measurements.

Architecturally, the N1X 40SM has theoretical advantages that the data confirms at the specification level. Its shading unit count is 5,120 versus 2,304 for the Arc B570, which is more than double. Its FP32 compute of 24.02 TFLOPS exceeds the Arc B570's 11.52 TFLOPS by a wide margin. Its texture rate of 750.7 GTexel/s is more than double the Arc B570's 360.0 GTexel/s. Its 128 GB memory capacity is unmatched by any discrete card in the database. These are specification-level wins, not benchmark wins, but they indicate the N1X 40SM is designed for different workloads, likely compute-heavy or AI-accelerated tasks given the tensor cores.

The Arc B570 wins on pixel rate, with 200.0 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s for the N1X 40SM. It also wins on memory bandwidth, with 380.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s. The Arc B570's ROP count of 80 versus 40 for the N1X 40SM suggests stronger traditional rasterization throughput, which aligns with its higher pixel rate. For gaming and graphics rendering, the Arc B570 is the better choice based on the data. For compute and AI tasks, the N1X 40SM's higher FP32 throughput and tensor core presence point to a different strength, but without benchmark scores, this remains a specification-level inference.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556 across ten recorded tests. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has no recorded benchmarks and an average score of 0.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The Arc B570 uses 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth. The N1X 40SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc B570 has higher bandwidth, while the N1X 40SM has much larger capacity.

Q: What are the FP32 compute capabilities?

A: The Arc B570 delivers 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The N1X 40SM delivers 24.02 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is more than double the Intel part's throughput.

Q: Does the N1X 40SM support DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan?

A: The database lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan on the N1X 40SM. The Arc B570 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The N1X 40SM has 40 ray tracing cores, while the Arc B570 has 18 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA part has more than double the ray tracing core count.

Q: What is the thermal design power of each GPU?

A: The Arc B570 has a TDP of 150 W and requires a 450 W suggested PSU. The N1X 40SM has an unknown TDP and no suggested PSU, consistent with its IGP classification.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for the Arc B570 versus the N1X 40SM. The headToHeadBenchmarks array is empty, and the win counts are zero for both parts. The comparison therefore rests on the Arc B570's individual benchmark results and the specification-level data for both products.

The Arc B570's strongest recorded results are in compute and API-specific tests. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 96,844 exceeds its OpenCL score of 83,514, indicating strong Vulkan performance relative to OpenCL. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test produced a score of 2,649, which is a modern DirectX 12 workload. Passmark tests show a G3D score of 14,195, a GPU compute score of 7,281, and a G2D score of 661. DirectX-specific results include 65 for DX10, 118 for DX11, 72 for DX12, and 164 for DX9. The higher DX11 score relative to DX12 suggests the Arc B570 performs better in legacy DirectX workloads, while the DX9 score of 164 is the highest among the DirectX tests.

The N1X 40SM has no benchmark scores, so its performance cannot be quantified. Its specification sheet indicates a 24.02 TFLOPS FP32 rate, 750.7 GTexel/s texture rate, and 93.84 GPixel/s pixel rate. The Arc B570's texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s is lower, but its pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s is higher. The N1X 40SM's 160 tensor cores are a feature the Arc B570 lacks entirely, which suggests the NVIDIA part is oriented toward AI inference and compute tasks where tensor operations are common.

The nearest rivals for the Arc B570 provide context for its average score. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile has an average score of 20,534, which is 0.1% behind the Arc B570. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20,582, which is 0.1% ahead of the Arc B570. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20,480, which is 0.4% behind, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20,662, which is 0.5% ahead. These deltas are all within one percentage point, meaning the Arc B570 sits in a tightly grouped cluster of comparable performers. Its 65th percentile ranking confirms it is above the median GPU in the database.

The Arc B570's release date of 2025-01-15 places it in the current generation, and its production status is active. The N1X 40SM has a release date of 2026-05-31, which is later, and its production status is also active. The N1X 40SM has no predecessor or successor listed, while the Arc B570's predecessor is Alchemist. The Arc B570 has no successor listed. The N1X 40SM's dimensions are unknown, while the Arc B570 measures 272 mm in length and 115 mm in height.

The power requirements reinforce their different design targets. The Arc B570 uses a single 8-pin power connector and has a 150 W TDP. The N1X 40SM has no power connectors and an unknown TDP, which is typical for an integrated processor that draws power from the motherboard socket. The Arc B570 is dual-slot, while the N1X 40SM is classified as IGP, meaning it occupies no expansion slot.

The display outputs also differ: the Arc B570 provides one HDMI 2.1a and three DisplayPort 2.1 connectors, supporting multi-monitor setups. The N1X 40SM provides a single HDMI output. The bus interface difference is notable: PCIe 4.0 x8 for the Arc B570 versus PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1X 40SM, which gives the NVIDIA part twice the lane count and a newer PCIe generation at the specification level.

The Arc B570's transistor density of 72.1 million per square millimeter is a derived figure from its 19,600 million transistors and 272 mm² die. The N1X 40SM's transistor count is unknown, so no density can be calculated. Its die size of 382 mm² is larger than the Arc B570's, but without transistor data, the comparison of manufacturing complexity is incomplete.

The memory clock of the Arc B570 is listed at 2375 MHz with 19 Gbps effective data rate, while the N1X 40SM's memory runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective. These figures align with the bandwidth results: the Arc B570's 380.0 GB/s exceeds the N1X 40SM's 273.2 GB/s despite the NVIDIA part having a wider 256-bit bus. The LPDDR5X memory type on the N1X 40SM operates at lower speeds than the GDDR6 on the Arc B570, which is consistent with integrated memory controllers.

Given the absence of benchmark data for the N1X 40SM, the recorded measurements only support performance claims for the Arc B570. Its average score of 20,556, percentile of 65, and ten individual test results form the complete empirical picture. The N1X 40SM's specifications suggest a high-compute, high-memory-capacity part, but the database does not yet contain any measurements to confirm its real-world behavior.