Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the architectural generations of these two mobile GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile uses the Xe3-LPG architecture on Intel's 3 nm process, part of the Arc Graphics-M (Panther Lake) generation. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile uses Ada Lovelace on TSMC's 5 nm process, part of the GeForce 40 Mobile series.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile has no dedicated memory; it uses System Shared memory with bandwidth listed as System Dependent. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the shading unit count difference?

A: The Intel part has 512 shading units, while the NVIDIA part has 7424 shading units. This is a 14.5x difference in raw shader count.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Both support ray tracing. The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile has 4 RT cores, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile has 58 RT cores. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

Q: What is the power consumption range for each?

A: The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile is rated at 25 W TDP. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is rated at 110 W TDP, which is 4.4x higher.

Q: What is the release timing for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile was released on 2023-01-02. The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile has a release date of 2026-01-26.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different design philosophies and process technologies. The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile is built on Intel's 3 nm process, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile uses TSMC's 5 nm process. The Intel chip, codenamed Panther Lake, belongs to the Arc Graphics-M generation with the Xe3-LPG architecture. The NVIDIA chip, AD104, uses Ada Lovelace architecture.

The transistor counts and die sizes tell a stark story. The NVIDIA AD104 packs 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². The Intel part's transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database, but the architectural differences are clear from the compute resources.

The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. It also carries 4 RT cores. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile has 7424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores. The NVIDIA part's tensor cores provide dedicated AI acceleration hardware that the Intel part lacks entirely.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The Intel GPU relies on system shared memory, with bandwidth dependent on the host system. The NVIDIA GPU has 12 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus. Clock behavior also differs: the Intel part has a 300 MHz base clock and 2300 MHz boost, while the NVIDIA part runs at 1290 MHz base and 1665 MHz boost. The NVIDIA memory clock is listed at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective.

The bus interface differs as well. The Intel GPU is an IGP with no power connectors, while the NVIDIA GPU uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface and also has no power connectors listed. Both are classified as IGP slot width, meaning they are integrated into the motherboard or mobile platform.

API support is identical: both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Production status for both is Active.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for these two GPUs, and the Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile has no benchmark scores listed. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, however, has a full benchmark suite recorded.

The NVIDIA GPU's geekbench_opencl score is 159575, and its geekbench_vulkan score is 145807. In Passmark testing, it scores 157 in DirectX 10, 244 in DirectX 11, 96 in DirectX 12, and 286 in DirectX 9. Its Passmark G2D score is 929, G3D score is 24926, and GPU compute score is 11191.

The average benchmark score for the NVIDIA part is 38135, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals show tight competition: the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 scores 38299 (-0.4% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile scores 38349 (-0.6% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 scores 37648 (+1.3% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37628 (+1.3% delta).

The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile has an average benchmark score of 0 and sits in the 50th percentile, with no rival data recorded. This absence of benchmark data means the database cannot quantify the Intel part's performance against the NVIDIA part. The wins count is 0 for each GPU in the head-to-head comparison.

What the data does show is the compute capability gap. The NVIDIA part delivers 24.72 TFLOPS FP32 and the same 24.72 TFLOPS FP16 at 1:1 ratio. The Intel part delivers 2.355 TFLOPS FP32 and 4.710 TFLOPS FP16 at 2:1 ratio. That is a 10.5x difference in FP32 throughput. Pixel rate for NVIDIA is 133.2 GPixel/s versus 36.80 GPixel/s for Intel. Texture rate is 386.3 GTexel/s versus 73.60 GTexel/s.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs:

• Process node: Intel uses 3 nm; NVIDIA uses 5 nm
• Foundry: Intel vs TSMC
• Transistors: Unknown for Intel; 35,800 million for NVIDIA
• Die size: Unknown for Intel; 294 mm² for NVIDIA
• Transistor density: Not listed for Intel; 121.8M / mm² for NVIDIA
• Base clock: 300 MHz vs 1290 MHz
• Boost clock: 2300 MHz vs 1665 MHz
• Memory clock: System Shared vs 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective)
• Memory size: System Shared vs 12 GB
• Memory type: System Shared vs GDDR6
• Memory bus width: System Shared vs 192 bit
• Memory bandwidth: System Dependent vs 432.0 GB/s
• Shading units: 512 vs 7424
• TMUs: 32 vs 232
• ROPs: 16 vs 80
• RT cores: 4 vs 58
• Tensor cores: None vs 232
• Pixel rate: 36.80 GPixel/s vs 133.2 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 73.60 GTexel/s vs 386.3 GTexel/s
• FP32: 2.355 TFLOPS vs 24.72 TFLOPS
• FP16: 4.710 TFLOPS (2:1) vs 24.72 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 25 W vs 110 W
• Bus interface: IGP vs PCIe 4.0 x16
• Release date: 2026-01-26 vs 2023-01-02
• Predecessor: None vs GeForce 30 Mobile
• Successor: None vs GeForce 50 Mobile
• Series: None vs GeForce 40-series
• Chip: Panther Lake vs AD104

The TDP difference is notable: 25 W versus 110 W means the NVIDIA part draws 4.4x more power. This directly relates to the performance gap and has implications for laptop cooling and battery life.

The clock speed relationship is inverted. Intel runs a lower base clock (300 MHz) but higher boost (2300 MHz), while NVIDIA runs a higher base (1290 MHz) but lower boost (1665 MHz). The NVIDIA part's boost is closer to its base, suggesting sustained operation near maximum, while the Intel part has a wider clock range.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile wins in every measurable performance category in the database. Its FP32 throughput is 24.72 TFLOPS versus 2.355 TFLOPS, a 10.5x advantage. The pixel rate advantage is 133.2 GPixel/s versus 36.80 GPixel/s, a 3.6x gap. The texture rate advantage is 386.3 GTexel/s versus 73.60 GTexel/s, a 5.2x gap.

The NVIDIA part's 12 GB dedicated GDDR6 memory with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth provides a foundation for high-resolution textures and compute workloads. The Intel part's system shared memory has no fixed bandwidth figure, making its memory performance system-dependent and variable across different laptops.

The NVIDIA part's 232 tensor cores add AI acceleration capabilities that the Intel part lacks. This affects workloads involving DLSS, AI-based features, and machine learning inference. The 58 RT cores versus 4 RT cores gives the NVIDIA part a substantial ray tracing advantage.

The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile's advantage lies in its 25 W TDP, which is 85 W lower than the NVIDIA part. For thin-and-light laptops where power draw is the primary constraint, the Intel GPU fits into a completely different power envelope. Its 3 nm process node suggests efficiency as a design priority, though the database does not record efficiency metrics directly.

The Intel part also has a later release date of 2026-01-26 versus 2023-01-02 for NVIDIA, indicating it is a newer design. However, the database shows no benchmark scores for the Intel GPU, so its real-world performance cannot be verified from recorded data.

The Verdict

The data clearly separates these two GPUs into different market segments. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is a high-performance mobile GPU with 7424 shading units, 12 GB of GDDR6, 58 RT cores, and 24.72 TFLOPS FP32. It sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 38135. Its nearest rivals are all within 1.3% of its average score, indicating strong competition at the top of the mobile GPU market.

The Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile, with 512 shading units, 4 RT cores, and 2.355 TFLOPS FP32, is positioned for integrated graphics duties in portable devices. Its 25 W TDP and system shared memory confirm this role. The 50th percentile ranking and absence of benchmark scores suggest the database does not yet have sufficient data to evaluate its real performance.

For gaming, ray tracing, AI workloads, and compute-heavy tasks, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is the clear choice based on recorded specifications. The 10.5x FP32 advantage, 14.5x shading unit count, and dedicated VRAM make it suitable for demanding applications. The 110 W TDP indicates it belongs in larger laptops with robust cooling solutions.

For ultra-portable devices where 25 W power draw is the maximum available, the Intel Arc Graphics 4 Xe Mobile is the only viable option between the two. Its 3 nm process node and system shared memory design fit the constraints of thin-and-light notebooks. The database shows no performance data for this part, so expectations should be tempered until benchmark results are recorded.

The NVIDIA part's placement between the RTX 5080 Mobile (-0.6% delta) and the RTX 4070 (+1.3% delta) in the rival list shows it sits in a competitive performance band. The Intel part has no recorded rivals, making its comparative standing unknown. Users seeking maximum graphics performance should select the NVIDIA GPU. Users prioritizing minimal power consumption in an integrated form factor should select the Intel GPU.