Intel Arc B580 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE Comparison

The Intel Arc B580 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE occupy different tiers of the graphics card market, as reflected by their specifications, memory configurations, and performance metrics. The Arc B580 is a mainstream Battlemage part, while the RTX 5090 SE is a flagship Blackwell offering. The data shows a clear separation in raw compute power, memory bandwidth, and the feature sets each card brings to the table.

FAQ

Q: What is the primary architectural difference between the two cards?

A: The Arc B580 uses Intel's Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation), while the RTX 5090 SE uses NVIDIA's Blackwell 2.0 architecture (GeForce 50 generation). Both are manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC.

Q: How do their memory subsystems compare?

A: The Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5090 SE has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth, which is nearly three times the bandwidth of the Intel card.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor count?

A: The RTX 5090 SE has 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, compared to the Arc B580's 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. The NVIDIA chip also has a higher transistor density at 122.9M / mm² versus 72.1M / mm² for Intel.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Arc B580 has a 190 W TDP and requires a 450 W power supply, using a single 8-pin connector. The RTX 5090 SE has a 500 W TDP, requires a 900 W power supply, and uses a single 16-pin connector.

Q: How do the benchmark scores compare for the Arc B580?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021 across its recorded tests, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, which it outperforms by 0.6%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, which is 0.7% ahead of it.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 SE have any recorded benchmark data?

A: No, the database contains no benchmark entries for the RTX 5090 SE. Its average score is listed as 0, and its percentile is 50, which is a placeholder value rather than a measured performance metric.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on different architectures from different manufacturers. Intel's Arc B580 uses the Xe2-HPG architecture, part of the Battlemage (Arc 5) generation, built on the BMG-G21 chip. NVIDIA's RTX 5090 SE uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, part of the GeForce 50 generation, built on the GB202 chip. Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but the physical scale differs dramatically. The NVIDIA chip contains 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, while the Intel chip contains 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die.

Shader resources differ substantially. The RTX 5090 SE has 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, and 160 ROPs, while the Arc B580 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. Ray tracing resources also differ: the RTX 5090 SE has 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores, whereas the Arc B580 has 20 RT cores and no listed tensor core count. The NVIDIA card supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, while the Intel card uses a 2:1 ratio.

The memory architectures are distinct as well. The Arc B580 uses GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 SE uses newer GDDR7 memory with a 384-bit bus and 1.34 TB/s bandwidth. The bus interface also differs: the Intel card uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the NVIDIA card uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are similar in count but differ in version: Intel offers 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1, while NVIDIA offers 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b.

The Verdict

The data indicates the RTX 5090 SE is the significantly more powerful card on paper, with 66.94 TFLOPS FP32 performance, 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, and 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth. The Arc B580 offers 13.67 TFLOPS FP32, 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 SE also has a much higher TDP at 500 W, a 900 W suggested PSU, and a 16-pin power connector, whereas the Arc B580 runs at 190 W with a 450 W suggested PSU and an 8-pin connector.

The RTX 5090 SE has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, which limits direct performance comparison. The Arc B580, however, has a measured average score of 23021 and sits at the 68th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rivals including the RTX 3080 and RTX 2080. For a user selecting between these two, the RTX 5090 SE is the choice for maximum raw specifications and memory capacity, while the Arc B580 is the choice for a lower-power, smaller-die card with actual benchmark data showing it competes with older high-end NVIDIA cards.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification field. The process node is the same (5 nm TSMC), but transistor count, die size, and density all favor NVIDIA. Clocks differ: the Arc B580 has a base and boost clock of 2670 MHz, while the RTX 5090 SE has a base clock of 1740 MHz and a boost clock of 2377 MHz. The Intel card's memory runs at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective), while NVIDIA's runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

Memory capacity, type, bus width, and bandwidth all differ, as do the shading unit, TMU, and ROP counts. The RTX 5090 SE has 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores; the Arc B580 has 20 RT cores and no tensor core field. Pixel rate is 213.6 GPixel/s for Intel versus 380.3 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rate is 427.2 GTexel/s versus 1,045.9 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS versus 66.94 TFLOPS. FP16 is 27.34 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 66.94 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical specifications differ as well: 190 W TDP versus 500 W, 1x 8-pin versus 1x 16-pin, 450 W versus 900 W suggested PSU. The Arc B580 is 272 mm long, 115 mm tall, and 45 mm wide, while the RTX 5090 SE is 267 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 40 mm wide. Both are dual-slot cards. The Arc B580 was released on 2024-12-12, while the RTX 5090 SE has a release date of 2025-12-31. The Intel card lists a launch MSRP of 249 USD; the NVIDIA card lists a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries between the Arc B580 and the RTX 5090 SE. The RTX 5090 SE has zero recorded benchmark scores, so no direct comparison is possible from measured data.

For the Arc B580, the available benchmark results provide context for its performance tier. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3068. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 92821, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 109672. Passmark results include 76 in DirectX 10, 128 in DirectX 11, 76 in DirectX 12, 183 in DirectX 9, 709 in G2D, 15748 in G3D, and 7729 in GPU Compute. Its average score across all tests is 23021.

The nearest rivals for the Arc B580 show how closely it clusters with other cards. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has an average score of 23061, which is 0.2% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, which is 0.6% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, which is 0.7% higher. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, which is 1% higher. These deltas place the Arc B580 in a tight performance band around these cards.

Where Each One Wins

The Arc B580 wins in the categories where measured data exists. It has a recorded average benchmark score of 23021 and a 68th percentile ranking, placing it above half of all GPUs in the database. It achieves this with a 190 W TDP, a 450 W suggested PSU, and a 272 mm physical length, making it easier to integrate into systems with modest power delivery. Its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth support 1080p and 1440p workloads typical of its performance class, as indicated by its rivalry with the RTX 2080 and RTX 3080.

The RTX 5090 SE wins on raw specification superiority. It has 66.94 TFLOPS FP32, 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, 1.34 TB/s bandwidth, 440 TMUs, 160 ROPs, and 110 RT cores. Its transistor count of 92,200 million and die size of 750 mm² are far above the Intel part. The 1:1 FP16 ratio and 440 tensor cores indicate a card built for compute-heavy and AI-adjacent workloads, though no benchmark data exists to confirm real-world performance.

For use cases, the Arc B580 suits a system where the 68th percentile performance, lower 190 W power draw, and 450 W PSU requirement are the deciding factors. The RTX 5090 SE suits a system where maximum memory bandwidth, 24 GB capacity, and peak compute throughput are the priorities, accepting the 500 W TDP and 900 W PSU requirement. The absence of RTX 5090 SE benchmarks means its wins are based entirely on its specification sheet, not measured results.