Intel Arc B580 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Comparison

The GeForce GTX 780 Ti and the Intel Arc B580 represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by more than a decade of architectural evolution. The data shows a clear generational shift: the Arc B580 wins all head-to-head benchmark comparisons, but the GTX 780 Ti still holds its own in specific legacy scenarios. This analysis breaks down where each card excels, how their architectures differ, and what the benchmark numbers mean for potential users.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc B580 is the dominant performer in modern, compute-heavy workloads. In the two head-to-head benchmarks available, it wins both outright. The most significant victory comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the Arc B580 scores 109,672 against the GTX 780 Ti's 27,238 — a margin of 75.2%. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a four-fold increase in raw API performance. Similarly, in Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc B580 nearly quadruples the older card's score, achieving 92,821 versus 27,326.

The GTX 780 Ti's strengths are more historical than practical. Its average benchmark score of 24,236 places it in the 70th percentile of all GPUs, which is actually 2 percentage points higher than the Arc B580's 68th percentile. This suggests that while the Arc B580 is faster in the newest tests, the GTX 780 Ti remains competitive in a broader set of older or less demanding benchmarks. The data also shows the GTX 780 Ti's nearest rival is the GeForce GTX 1630, with a delta of only -0.2%, meaning the 2013 card performs nearly identically to a much more recent entry-level card. For users running DirectX 11 or OpenGL titles from the mid-2010s, the GTX 780 Ti can still deliver acceptable frame rates, but it lacks the modern feature set required for current games.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is vast. The GTX 780 Ti uses the GK110B chip built on Kepler architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It contains 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. This is a large, power-hungry chip by modern standards, with a TDP of 250 W and a dual-slot cooler requiring both a 6-pin and an 8-pin power connector. Its memory subsystem consists of 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, providing 336.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

In contrast, the Intel Arc B580 uses the BMG-G21 chip based on Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation), built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 19,600 million transistors into a much smaller 272 mm² die, giving it a density of 72.1 million per square millimeter — over 5.7 times denser than the Kepler chip. Despite having more transistors, the Arc B580 has a lower TDP of 190 W and requires only a single 8-pin connector. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, but with a significantly higher bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. The Arc B580 also includes 20 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Kepler architecture. The Intel card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 780 Ti is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

The compute capabilities differ substantially as well. The GTX 780 Ti has 2,880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The Arc B580 has fewer shading units (2,560) and TMUs (160), but more ROPs (80). However, the Intel card's FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS versus the GTX 780 Ti's 5.345 TFLOPS, and it adds FP16 capability at 27.34 TFLOPS. The pixel rate tells a similar story: 213.6 GPixel/s for the Arc B580 versus 55.68 GPixel/s for the GTX 780 Ti. Even the texture rate favors Intel, at 427.2 GTexel/s versus 222.7 GTexel/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two direct comparisons in the data set are decisive. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc B580 scores 92,821 against the GTX 780 Ti's 27,326. The delta percentage is -70.6% from the perspective of the GTX 780 Ti, meaning it trails by more than two-thirds. This test stresses general-purpose compute, and the results reflect the architectural advantages of the newer card: more transistors, higher clock speeds (2,670 MHz base and boost versus 875 MHz base and 928 MHz boost), and support for modern instructions.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows an even wider gap. The Arc B580 achieves 109,672, while the GTX 780 Ti manages 27,238, a delta of -75.2%. Vulkan is a low-overhead API that benefits from modern driver optimization and hardware design. The GTX 780 Ti's Vulkan support is limited to version 1.2.175, and its Kepler architecture was designed well before Vulkan existed. The Arc B580, with Vulkan 1.4 support and dedicated ray tracing hardware, is clearly better suited to contemporary API workloads.

It is worth remembering the GTX 780 Ti has no wins in the head-to-head data. However, its average benchmark score of 24,236 is higher than the Arc B580's 23,021. This discrepancy implies that in tests not covered by the head-to-head set — likely older DirectX or OpenGL benchmarks — the GTX 780 Ti may outperform the Arc B580. The Arc B580's PassMark scores are mixed, with DirectX 9 at 183 and DirectX 11 at 128, but DirectX 10 and 12 both at 76. These numbers suggest inconsistent performance across legacy APIs, whereas the GTX 780 Ti's driver maturity likely provides more stable results in older software.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Arc B580 offers 456.0 GB/s, compared to the GTX 780 Ti's 336.6 GB/s. The Intel card also has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory versus 3 GB of GDDR5.

Q: Does the GTX 780 Ti support ray tracing?

A: No. The GTX 780 Ti has no ray tracing cores, while the Intel Arc B580 includes 20 dedicated RT cores.

Q: What is the performance difference in Vulkan workloads?

A: The Arc B580 scores 109,672 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 75.2% higher than the GTX 780 Ti's 27,238.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has a density of 72.1 million transistors per mm², versus 12.6 million per mm² for the GTX 780 Ti.

Q: How does the GTX 780 Ti compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GTX 780 Ti's average benchmark score of 24,236 is nearly identical to the GeForce GTX 1630's 24,277, with a delta of -0.2%.

Q: Is the Arc B580 more power-efficient?

A: The data shows the Arc B580 has a TDP of 190 W and requires a 450 W PSU, while the GTX 780 Ti has a 250 W TDP and needs a 600 W PSU. The Intel card delivers far higher performance with lower power consumption.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every specification category. The GTX 780 Ti uses a 28 nm process; the Arc B580 uses 5 nm. Transistor counts are 7,080 million versus 19,600 million, and die sizes are 561 mm² versus 272 mm². Clock speeds are starkly different: the GTX 780 Ti runs at 875 MHz base and 928 MHz boost, while the Arc B580 runs at 2,670 MHz for both base and boost. Memory configurations are 3 GB GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus versus 12 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. Bandwidth favors Intel at 456.0 GB/s versus 336.6 GB/s. Shading units are 2,880 versus 2,560, TMUs are 240 versus 160, and ROPs are 48 versus 80. The Arc B580 has 20 RT cores; the GTX 780 Ti has none. FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS versus 5.345 TFLOPS. The GTX 780 Ti has a 250 W TDP and needs dual power connectors; the Arc B580 has a 190 W TDP and a single 8-pin. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs are 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2 versus 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1. The GTX 780 Ti is end-of-life, released in 2013, while the Arc B580 is active, released in 2024. The launch MSRP for the GTX 780 Ti was 699 USD; the Arc B580's launch MSRP was 249 USD.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Arc B580 is the superior card for any modern workload. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks by margins of 70.6% and 75.2%, offers four times the memory, and supports ray tracing and the latest APIs. Its lower TDP and single power connector also make it easier to integrate into a system. The GTX 780 Ti, despite its higher percentile ranking and comparable average score to the GTX 1630, is a legacy product with outdated architecture and no path forward for new features. Users building a new system or upgrading from a decade-old GPU should choose the Arc B580. The only scenario where the GTX 780 Ti makes sense is for someone running very old software that predates modern APIs and requires legacy driver support — but even then, its 3 GB memory limit and 250 W power draw are significant drawbacks. For everyone else, the Arc B580 is the clear choice based on every measurable benchmark.