Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data paints a clear picture of two very different mobile graphics solutions. The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile is an integrated graphics processor built for efficiency and basic visual tasks, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is a dedicated mobile GPU aimed at serious gaming and compute workloads.

For the Intel part, there are no benchmark scores recorded in the database, meaning its performance profile is defined entirely by its specifications. It wins in efficiency-focused metrics: a 3 nm process node versus 8 nm, a 25 W TDP versus 45 W, and a boost clock of 2500 MHz versus 1343 MHz. These figures indicate a design that prioritizes low power draw and high clock efficiency over raw throughput.

The NVIDIA part wins decisively in every raw performance category. It has 1792 shading units versus 256, 56 texture mapping units versus 16, 32 raster output pipelines versus 8, and 14 ray tracing cores versus 2. Its FP32 compute of 4.813 TFLOPS is roughly 3.8 times the Intel part's 1,280 GFLOPS. Memory bandwidth stands at 192.0 GB/s against the Intel part's system-dependent shared memory, and the NVIDIA card has its own dedicated 4 GB of GDDR6 memory.

The benchmark data confirms this split. The RTX 3050 A Mobile posts a Passmark G3D score of 11664, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 52998, and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 4419. Intel has no corresponding scores, so the database shows zero wins for Intel and zero wins for NVIDIA in head-to-head testing, but the specification gap is substantial enough to define the use cases clearly.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from completely different design philosophies. Intel's chip, codenamed Wildcat Lake, uses the Xe3-LPG architecture and is manufactured on a 3 nm process at Intel's own foundry. It is an integrated graphics processor, meaning it shares system memory and has no dedicated VRAM. Its memory configuration is listed as "System Shared" for size, type, and bus width, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

NVIDIA's chip, GA106, uses the Ampere architecture and is manufactured on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It is a discrete mobile GPU with 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 43.5M per mm². It has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. Intel's transistor count and die size are listed as unknown, so direct density comparisons are impossible, but the process node difference is stark: 3 nm versus 8 nm.

The shading architecture differs fundamentally. Intel has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. NVIDIA has 1792 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Ray tracing hardware also differs: Intel has 2 RT cores, NVIDIA has 14. NVIDIA additionally has 56 tensor cores for AI workloads, while Intel lists no tensor core count.

Clock behavior shows another divergence. Intel runs a base clock of 300 MHz and boosts to 2500 MHz, a very wide range typical of integrated graphics that scale down heavily when idle. NVIDIA runs a base of 1065 MHz and boosts to 1343 MHz, a much narrower range, reflecting a design that stays near its operating frequency under load.

Memory clocks differ as well. Intel uses system shared memory with no dedicated clock, while NVIDIA runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective data rate. The bus interface also separates them: Intel is IGP (integrated graphics processor) while NVIDIA uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both have no power connectors and use IGP slot width. Display outputs are portable device dependent for both.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion. The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile serves systems where power efficiency and integration matter more than raw graphics performance. Its 25 W TDP, 3 nm process, and system-shared memory make it suitable for thin-and-light laptops or basic productivity machines. The 2500 MHz boost clock shows it can ramp up quickly when needed, but the 256 shading units and 1,280 GFLOPS FP32 limit its ceiling.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the pick for gaming and compute. Its 4.813 TFLOPS FP32, 14 RT cores, and 56 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for ray tracing and AI workloads. The 192.0 GB/s bandwidth from dedicated GDDR6 memory eliminates the bottleneck of shared system memory. Its Passmark G3D score of 11664 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 52998 demonstrate real-world capability, placing it at the 44th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

The Intel part sits at the 50th percentile in the database, but that percentile is based on its specification profile rather than measured benchmarks, since no scores exist for it. The RTX 3050 A Mobile, by contrast, has eight recorded benchmark scores averaging 8746.

For users who need dedicated graphics performance, the choice is clear. For users who need an efficient integrated solution, the Intel part offers a modern architecture on a leading-edge process node. The 45 W versus 25 W TDP gap also matters for battery life and thermal design.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA RTX 3050 A Mobile in raw compute?

A: The NVIDIA part delivers 4.813 TFLOPS FP32, which is approximately 3.8 times the Intel part's 1,280 GFLOPS. Its FP16 performance is 4.813 TFLOPS at 1:1 ratio, while Intel offers 2.560 TFLOPS at 2:1 ratio.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing capability?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 3050 A Mobile has 14 ray tracing cores, while the Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile has 2. This represents a substantial difference in hardware-accelerated ray tracing throughput.

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The NVIDIA part has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel part uses system shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, and its bandwidth is system dependent.

Q: Which GPU is more power efficient?

A: The Intel part has a 25 W TDP versus the NVIDIA part's 45 W TDP. The Intel part also uses a 3 nm process node compared to NVIDIA's 8 nm, which further supports efficiency.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What production status does each GPU have?

A: The Intel Arc Graphics 2 Xe Mobile is listed as Active, with a release date of April 2026. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is End-of-life, with a release date of December 2023.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records no shared head-to-head benchmark results between these two GPUs, so direct score comparisons rely on the NVIDIA part's recorded benchmarks and the Intel part's specification-derived estimates. The RTX 3050 A Mobile's Passmark G3D score of 11664 places it above the Passmark G2D score of 526, indicating strong 3D throughput relative to 2D operations. Its Passmark DX11 score of 94 versus DX12 score of 55 shows the older API performing better on this hardware.

The biggest wins for NVIDIA come in memory and compute. The 192.0 GB/s dedicated bandwidth dwarfs any system-shared configuration, and the 4.813 TFLOPS FP32 is the dominant compute figure. The 56 texture mapping units versus 16 and 32 ROPs versus 8 give NVIDIA a 3.5x and 4x advantage respectively in texture and pixel throughput. Pixel rate of 42.98 GPixel/s versus 20.00 GPixel/s, and texture rate of 75.21 GTexel/s versus 40.00 GTexel/s, confirm NVIDIA's lead in fill-rate-bound workloads.

Intel's biggest wins are clock speed and process technology. The 2500 MHz boost clock versus 1343 MHz represents an 86% higher peak frequency. The 3 nm process versus 8 nm enables this clock advantage while maintaining a lower 25 W TDP. These factors matter for bursty workloads and power-constrained designs, but they do not translate into benchmark wins in the recorded data.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile's nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 at 8743 average score (0% delta), the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 at 8686 (0.7% faster), the AMD Radeon R9 M265X at 8851 (1.2% slower), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 at 8863 (1.3% slower). This places the RTX 3050 A Mobile squarely in a crowded performance tier, with its 8746 average score sitting within 1.3% of all four nearest rivals.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The Intel part uses a 3 nm process at Intel's foundry, while NVIDIA uses an 8 nm process at Samsung. Intel's transistor count and die size are unknown; NVIDIA has 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die.

Clocks: Intel runs 300 MHz base and 2500 MHz boost. NVIDIA runs 1065 MHz base and 1343 MHz boost. Memory clocks: Intel uses system shared memory with no dedicated clock; NVIDIA uses 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective.

Memory: Intel has system shared size, type, and bus width, with system dependent bandwidth. NVIDIA has 4 GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus, and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute units: Intel has 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, 8 ROPs, and 2 RT cores, with no tensor core count. NVIDIA has 1792 shading units, 56 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 14 RT cores, and 56 tensor cores.

Performance rates: Intel delivers 20.00 GPixel/s pixel rate, 40.00 GTexel/s texture rate, 1,280.0 GFLOPS FP32, and 2.560 TFLOPS FP16 at 2:1 ratio. NVIDIA delivers 42.98 GPixel/s, 75.21 GTexel/s, 4.813 TFLOPS FP32, and 4.813 TFLOPS FP16 at 1:1 ratio.

Power and interface: Intel has 25 W TDP, NVIDIA has 45 W TDP. Both use IGP slot width with no power connectors. Intel uses an IGP bus interface; NVIDIA uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

Release and status: Intel released in April 2026 and is Active. NVIDIA released in December 2023 and is End-of-life. Intel's predecessor is HD Graphics-M; NVIDIA's predecessor is GeForce 20 Mobile. Neither has a successor listed.

The APIs are identical: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 for both. Display outputs are portable device dependent for both.