Intel Arc B770 vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the two GPUs compared here?

A: The comparison is between the Intel Arc B770, based on the BMG-G31 chip with Xe2-HPG architecture from the Battlemage (Arc 7) generation, and the NVIDIA N1 20SM, based on the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture from the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation.

Q: What are the process nodes and die sizes?

A: Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The Intel Arc B770 has a die size of 368 mm², while the NVIDIA N1 20SM has a slightly larger die at 382 mm².

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The Intel Arc B770 has 4096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 128 render output units. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 24 render output units.

Q: What are the memory configurations?

A: The Intel Arc B770 uses 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What are the boost clock speeds?

A: The Intel Arc B770 boosts up to 2400 MHz from a base of 2100 MHz. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz.

Q: What are the form factors and power requirements?

A: The Intel Arc B770 is a dual-slot card requiring 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors, with a TDP of 225 W and a suggested PSU of 550 W. The NVIDIA N1 20SM is an IGP with no power connectors and no listed TDP or PSU requirement.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits the two GPUs into distinct usage profiles. The Intel Arc B770 dominates in raw throughput metrics, while the NVIDIA N1 20SM wins decisively in memory capacity and integration flexibility.

The Arc B770 delivers substantially higher compute rates across every shading and texturing category. Its FP32 throughput of 19.66 TFLOPS is about 64% higher than the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS. The texture rate of 614.4 GTexel/s dwarfs the rival's 375.4 GTexel/s. Pixel rate tells an even starker story: 307.2 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s, a factor of roughly 5.5. These figures point to the Arc B770 as the clear choice for rendering-heavy workloads where pixel and texture throughput directly impact frame generation.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM counters with a massive 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, eight times the capacity of the Arc B770's 16 GB. This makes it suitable for large dataset workloads, such as in-memory processing or AI inference with very large models, where capacity outweighs raw bandwidth. Although its bandwidth of 273.2 GB/s is lower than the Arc B770's 512.0 GB/s, the sheer capacity enables workflows that would not fit within 16 GB.

The N1 20SM also features 80 tensor cores, a specification the Arc B770 does not list. This gives it a dedicated hardware path for matrix operations, which the data suggests is absent or unspecified on the Intel side. The N1 20SM also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, twice the bus bandwidth of the Arc B770's PCIe 4.0 x16, which could matter for data transfer intensive tasks.

The Arc B770 wins on API support. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM lists N/A for all three APIs, meaning it lacks standard graphics API compatibility in the recorded data. This makes the Arc B770 the only viable option for conventional gaming or graphics applications in this comparison.

Display outputs also differ. The Arc B770 offers 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1, while the N1 20SM has only 1x HDMI. For multi-monitor setups, the Arc B770 provides more flexibility.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different architectural lineages. The Intel Arc B770 uses the Xe2-HPG architecture under the Battlemage (Arc 7) generation, built on the BMG-G31 chip. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture under the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation, built on the GB20B chip.

The Arc B770 is a discrete add-in board with a dual-slot form factor. The N1 20SM is an integrated graphics processor (IGP), meaning it is designed to be embedded or fused into a larger package rather than installed as a separate card. This fundamental difference shapes their respective performance envelopes and use cases.

Ray tracing hardware is present on both, but with different counts. The Arc B770 has 32 ray tracing cores, while the N1 20SM has 20. The Intel part also has a higher boost clock at 2400 MHz versus 2346 MHz. However, the base clock difference is dramatic: 2100 MHz for Arc B770 versus 741 MHz for N1 20SM, indicating a much wider dynamic range on the NVIDIA part.

The tensor core situation is notable. The N1 20SM includes 80 tensor cores, a feature not listed for the Arc B770. This suggests the NVIDIA chip is oriented toward AI and compute tasks that benefit from dedicated matrix multiplication hardware, while the Intel chip focuses on traditional graphics throughput.

FP16 processing reveals another architectural divergence. The Arc B770 delivers 39.32 TFLOPS FP16 at a 2:1 ratio relative to FP32, meaning it doubles its throughput when using reduced precision. The N1 20SM delivers 12.01 TFLOPS FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, showing no such gain. This implies the Intel architecture has dedicated FP16 paths that the NVIDIA chip lacks, or the NVIDIA chip prioritizes tensor operations over general FP16 compute.

The memory types differ fundamentally: GDDR6 on the Arc B770 versus LPDDR5X on the N1 20SM. The Arc B770's memory runs at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed. The N1 20SM's memory runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective speed. The Intel part achieves much higher bandwidth with its faster memory, while the NVIDIA part trades speed for capacity and power efficiency typical of LPDDR memory.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measurable specification. Clock speeds show the Arc B770 running at 2100 MHz base and 2400 MHz boost, while the N1 20SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost. The Intel part has a higher floor and a slightly higher ceiling.

Memory capacity is the largest specification gap: 16 GB GDDR6 for the Arc B770 versus 128 GB LPDDR5X for the N1 20SM. Both use a 256-bit bus, but the Arc B770 achieves 512.0 GB/s bandwidth versus 273.2 GB/s for the N1 20SM.

Shading resources heavily favor the Arc B770: 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs versus 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The ROP difference is particularly striking, with the Arc B770 having more than five times the pixel output capability.

Ray tracing cores: 32 for the Arc B770, 20 for the N1 20SM. Tensor cores: 80 for the N1 20SM, unspecified for the Arc B770.

Pixel rate: 307.2 GPixel/s for Arc B770, 56.30 GPixel/s for N1 20SM. Texture rate: 614.4 GTexel/s versus 375.4 GTexel/s. FP32: 19.66 TFLOPS versus 12.01 TFLOPS. FP16: 39.32 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 12.01 TFLOPS (1:1).

The Arc B770 has a TDP of 225 W and requires 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors with a 550 W suggested PSU. The N1 20SM has no listed TDP, no power connectors, and no PSU suggestion, consistent with its IGP status.

Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 x16 for the Arc B770, PCIe 5.0 x16 for the N1 20SM. Display outputs: the Arc B770 has 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1, while the N1 20SM has only 1x HDMI.

API support: the Arc B770 lists DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM lists N/A for all three.

Release dates: the Arc B770 has a release date of December 31, 2025, while the N1 20SM has a release date of May 31, 2026. The N1 20SM has a production status of "Active," while the Arc B770 has no listed production status.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows no recorded head-to-head benchmark results, but the specification-derived performance deltas are substantial and directional.

The FP32 compute gap is the clearest differentiator. The Arc B770 delivers 19.66 TFLOPS, which is 64% higher than the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS. For any workload that scales with general-purpose shader compute, the Intel part holds a decisive lead. This advantage extends to FP16, where the Arc B770's 39.32 TFLOPS is more than three times the N1 20SM's 12.01 TFLOPS. The 2:1 ratio on the Intel side versus 1:1 on the NVIDIA side means the Arc B770 effectively doubles its FP16 throughput without any architectural compromise.

Pixel throughput is where the gap becomes extreme. The Arc B770's 307.2 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s represents a 5.5x advantage. For fill-rate bound scenarios, such as high-resolution rendering with heavy overdraw, the Intel card will complete work vastly faster. The 128 ROPs versus 24 ROPs explains this: the Arc B770 has more than five times the pixel processing units.

Texture throughput also favors the Arc B770, though less dramatically. At 614.4 GTexel/s versus 375.4 GTexel/s, the Intel part is about 64% faster. This aligns with the TMU count difference of 256 versus 160.

Memory bandwidth gives the Arc B770 another win: 512.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s, an 87% advantage. For bandwidth-sensitive workloads like texture streaming or large buffer operations, the Intel card has substantially more headroom.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM wins on memory capacity by a factor of eight: 128 GB versus 16 GB. This is the single largest numerical advantage in either direction. For workloads that require holding very large datasets on the GPU, the N1 20SM is the only viable option in this comparison.

The tensor core count of 80 on the N1 20SM is a qualitative advantage for AI workloads, though no benchmark numbers exist to quantify the impact. The Arc B770 lists no tensor cores, suggesting it lacks this dedicated hardware.

The N1 20SM's PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides twice the bus bandwidth of the Arc B770's PCIe 4.0 x16. This could reduce data transfer bottlenecks for workloads that stream large amounts of data between CPU and GPU, though the actual system impact depends on the platform.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture of two specialized tools rather than direct competitors. The Intel Arc B770 is a traditional discrete graphics card optimized for rasterization and general compute throughput. The NVIDIA N1 20SM is an integrated processor optimized for memory capacity and tensor operations.

The Arc B770 should be the choice for graphics-focused workloads. Its 19.66 TFLOPS FP32, 307.2 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 614.4 GTexel/s texture rate place it far ahead in any rendering scenario. Its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 makes it the only option for standard graphics APIs in this comparison. The 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high-resolution textures and complex scenes. The 32 ray tracing cores provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects, a feature the N1 20SM has in lesser quantity with 20 cores.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM should be the choice for memory-capacity-bound workloads. Its 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory is eight times the Arc B770's capacity, enabling in-memory datasets that would not fit on the Intel card. The 80 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for matrix operations, which the Arc B770 lacks entirely. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface offers modern bus connectivity. Its IGP form factor with no power connectors and no TDP makes it suitable for integrated, power-constrained environments where a discrete card is not feasible.

For gaming and conventional graphics applications, the Arc B770 is the only viable option given the N1 20SM's N/A API status. For AI inference with large models, the N1 20SM's tensor cores and massive memory capacity give it a structural advantage. The Arc B770's FP16 capability at 39.32 TFLOPS may partially offset the lack of tensor cores, but the 128 GB capacity is a qualitative difference that cannot be bridged by compute speed.

The release timeline shows the N1 20SM arriving later, in 2026, versus the Arc B770's 2025 release. The N1 20SM's active production status indicates ongoing availability, while the Arc B770 has no listed production status. Neither GPU has a recorded launch MSRP, benchmark scores, or nearest rival data in the database, so performance positioning relative to other GPUs cannot be assessed from the recorded information. The data supports a functional split: the Arc B770 for graphics and compute throughput, the N1 20SM for capacity and tensor-heavy workloads.