Intel Arc B580 vs NVIDIA N1X 40SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a direct comparison is limited by the absence of shared benchmark tests. The Intel Arc B580 has a full suite of recorded measurements, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM has no benchmark entries in the database. This makes a conventional head-to-head score comparison impossible. The Intel Arc B580 posts an average benchmark score of 23021 across its ten tests. Its percentile versus all GPUs stands at 68, placing it above the median. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM, with no recorded scores, holds a percentile of 50 and an average score of 0.

The Intel Arc B580's strongest recorded results are in compute and modern API workloads. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 109672 is its highest single-test figure. The Geekbench OpenCL result of 92821 follows closely. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the card scores 3068. Passmark G3D delivers 15748, while Passmark GPU Compute reaches 7729. These figures indicate a GPU that performs well in both gaming and general compute tasks.

The nearest rivals for the Intel Arc B580 provide context for its scores. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has an average score of 23061, which is 0.2% higher than the Arc B580. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 averages 22895, a 0.6% deficit. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 averages 23172, putting it 0.7% ahead. The NVIDIA P106-100 averages 23249, a 1% lead. The deltas are small, indicating the Arc B580 sits in a tight performance band with these older and mid-range parts.

The Passmark sub-tests for the Arc B580 show varied results. DirectX 9 scores 183, DirectX 11 scores 128, and both DirectX 10 and DirectX 12 score 76. The Passmark G2D score is 709. These lower API-specific scores contrast with the higher overall G3D figure, suggesting the card's strength is in aggregate performance rather than legacy API efficiency.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers and target different segments. The Intel Arc B580 uses the BMG-G21 chip with the Xe2-HPG architecture, part of the Battlemage generation labeled Arc 5. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses the GB20B chip with the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, from the Blackwell IGP generation designated N1x.

Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The Intel chip has 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 72.1 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip's transistor count is listed as unknown, but its die size is larger at 382 mm². No density figure exists for the NVIDIA part.

Memory configurations diverge sharply. The Intel Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, but its bandwidth is lower at 273.2 GB/s. This indicates the NVIDIA part is designed for capacity over speed, typical of an integrated graphics processor handling large datasets.

Clock speeds differ by a wide margin. The Intel card runs at a fixed 2670 MHz for both base and boost. The NVIDIA part has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost of 2346 MHz. The Intel card's memory runs at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective), while the NVIDIA memory runs at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective).

Shader and texture resources favor the NVIDIA part in raw counts. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 40 ROPs. The Intel Arc B580 has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The NVIDIA part has 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, while the Intel card has 20 RT cores and no listed tensor cores. Despite the NVIDIA chip's higher shader count, its pixel rate is lower at 93.84 GPixel/s versus the Intel card's 213.6 GPixel/s, due to the NVIDIA part's much lower ROP count and clock. The texture rate favors NVIDIA at 750.7 GTexel/s versus 427.2 GTexel/s.

FP32 throughput is higher on the NVIDIA part at 24.02 TFLOPS versus 13.67 TFLOPS on the Intel card. FP16 rates are comparable at 24.02 TFLOPS for NVIDIA (1:1) and 27.34 TFLOPS for Intel (2:1).

Power and physical characteristics differ. The Intel Arc B580 has a TDP of 190 W, uses a dual-slot cooler, and requires a single 8-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 450 W. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is an IGP with unknown TDP, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The Intel card measures 272 mm in length, 115 mm in height, and 45 mm in width. The NVIDIA part has no listed dimensions.

Bus interfaces differ. The Intel card uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the NVIDIA part uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs also differ: the Intel card has 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1, while the NVIDIA part has only 1x HDMI. API support is present on the Intel card (DirectX 12 Ultimate 12_2, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4), while the NVIDIA part lists N/A for all APIs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has no recorded benchmark scores, so its average is 0.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, which is significantly larger.

Q: How do the memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The Intel Arc B580 delivers 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM delivers 273.2 GB/s. The Intel card has higher bandwidth despite the smaller bus width.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has 5120 shading units. The Intel Arc B580 has 2560 shading units, exactly half the count.

Q: What are the release dates for both GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc B580 was released on 2024-12-12. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM has a release date of 2026-05-31.

Q: Do both GPUs use the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The Intel die size is 272 mm², while the NVIDIA die size is 382 mm².

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The Intel Arc B580 uses the Xe2-HPG architecture on the BMG-G21 chip, while the NVIDIA N1X 40SM uses Blackwell 2.0 on the GB20B chip. Their generations are Battlemage (Arc 5) versus Blackwell IGP (N1x).

Transistor counts differ: the Intel chip has 19,600 million transistors, while the NVIDIA chip's count is unknown. The die sizes are 272 mm² for Intel and 382 mm² for NVIDIA. Transistor density is 72.1M / mm² for Intel, with no figure for NVIDIA.

Clock speeds show a split. The Intel base and boost are both 2670 MHz. The NVIDIA base is 741 MHz and boost is 2346 MHz. Memory clocks are 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective) for Intel and 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA.

Memory specifications differ in size, type, and bus width. Intel uses 12 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. NVIDIA uses 128 GB LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus. Bandwidth is 456.0 GB/s for Intel and 273.2 GB/s for NVIDIA.

Core counts diverge. Intel has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 80 ROPs, and 20 RT cores. NVIDIA has 5120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 40 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. Intel has no listed tensor cores.

Rates differ. Intel's pixel rate is 213.6 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 427.2 GTexel/s. NVIDIA's pixel rate is 93.84 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 750.7 GTexel/s. FP32 is 13.67 TFLOPS for Intel and 24.02 TFLOPS for NVIDIA. FP16 is 27.34 TFLOPS (2:1) for Intel and 24.02 TFLOPS (1:1) for NVIDIA.

Power and physical specs differ. Intel has a TDP of 190 W, is dual-slot, uses a 1x 8-pin connector, and suggests a 450 W PSU. NVIDIA has unknown TDP, is an IGP, uses no connectors, and has no suggested PSU. Intel's dimensions are 272 mm x 115 mm x 45 mm; NVIDIA has none listed.

Other differences include bus interface (PCIe 4.0 x8 for Intel, PCIe 5.0 x16 for NVIDIA), display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1 for Intel, 1x HDMI for NVIDIA), and API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4 for Intel; N/A for NVIDIA). The Intel card has a launch MSRP of 249 USD. The NVIDIA part has no launch MSRP. Release dates are 2024-12-12 for Intel and 2026-05-31 for NVIDIA. Production status is Active for both.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split in intended use cases. The Intel Arc B580 is a discrete, active GPU with a full benchmark profile, a 68th percentile ranking, and an average score of 23021. It is designed for standard desktop graphics workloads, as indicated by its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, dual-slot cooler, and power connector requirements. Its higher bandwidth (456.0 GB/s) and pixel rate (213.6 GPixel/s) point toward rasterization-focused performance.

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is an integrated graphics processor with no recorded benchmarks and a 50th percentile. Its 128 GB LPDDR5X memory and PCIe 5.0 x16 interface suggest a compute or AI-oriented design rather than a gaming part. The lack of API support entries (DirectX, OpenGL, Vulkan all listed as N/A) reinforces this interpretation. The unknown TDP and IGP form factor mean it integrates into a system without discrete power requirements.

For users seeking a tested, active discrete GPU with established benchmark results, the Intel Arc B580 is the only option with data. Its nearest rivals are all within 1% of its average score, indicating it competes directly with the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and NVIDIA P106-100. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM, by contrast, has no comparative data and cannot be assessed on performance metrics.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc B580 wins in every category where measurements exist. It has a higher average benchmark score (23021 versus 0), a higher percentile (68 versus 50), higher memory bandwidth (456.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s), higher pixel rate (213.6 GPixel/s versus 93.84 GPixel/s), higher base and boost clocks (2670 MHz versus 741 MHz and 2346 MHz), and a higher FP16 rate (27.34 TFLOPS versus 24.02 TFLOPS). It also has more ROPs (80 versus 40) and a higher transistor density (72.1M / mm² versus none listed).

The NVIDIA N1X 40SM wins in raw resource counts and capacity. It has more shading units (5120 versus 2560), more TMUs (320 versus 160), more RT cores (40 versus 20), and 160 tensor cores where the Intel card has none. It has a larger memory size (128 GB versus 12 GB), a wider bus (256-bit versus 192-bit), higher FP32 throughput (24.02 TFLOPS versus 13.67 TFLOPS), a higher texture rate (750.7 GTexel/s versus 427.2 GTexel/s), a newer bus interface (PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8), and a larger die (382 mm² versus 272 mm²).

The use-case split follows these strengths. The Intel Arc B580 is suited for gaming and general graphics where bandwidth, pixel throughput, and API support matter. The NVIDIA N1X 40SM is suited for workloads that require massive memory capacity and high shader counts, such as data processing or machine learning inference, where its lack of benchmark data does not preclude function. The Intel card's launch MSRP of 249 USD and active production status make it a market-available product. The NVIDIA part, with no MSRP and a later release date, remains a future or niche offering. The recorded data shows no head-to-head tests, so direct performance comparison is not possible; each GPU wins by the metrics it was designed to maximize.