Intel Arc Pro A30M vs NVIDIA Tesla P4 Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear, though not overwhelming, victory for the NVIDIA Tesla P4 in raw compute performance. In the sole head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database, Geekbench OpenCL, the Tesla P4 scores 34947 points against the Intel Arc Pro A30M's 31894 points, a 9.6% advantage. The Tesla P4 also holds a higher position in the overall GPU percentile ranking, sitting at the 81st percentile versus the Intel's 76th. For tasks that rely heavily on raw, general-purpose compute, the Tesla P4 is the stronger choice based on the recorded measurements.

However, the Intel Arc Pro A30M is not without its own merits. It is a significantly newer design, leveraging a more advanced process node and a newer architecture. While it trails in the single compute benchmark, its architectural features, such as dedicated ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, indicate capabilities that the Tesla P4 simply cannot offer. The choice between these two depends entirely on the user's priorities: maximum raw compute in a specific legacy workload versus access to modern graphics features and much higher power efficiency. The Tesla P4 is for those who need pure computational throughput; the Arc Pro A30M is for those who need modern feature support in a low-power mobile form factor.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial, representing different eras and design philosophies. The NVIDIA Tesla P4, built on the Pascal architecture, uses the GP104 chip fabricated on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 22.9 million per mm². In contrast, the Intel Arc Pro A30M utilizes the Xe-HPG architecture with the DG2-128 chip, manufactured on a more advanced 6 nm process, also at TSMC. Although it has the same 7,200 million transistors, they are packed into a much smaller 157 mm² die, yielding a significantly higher transistor density of 45.9 million per mm².

Core configurations differ markedly. The Tesla P4 features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The Arc Pro A30M has a smaller core count with 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. However, the Intel GPU includes 8 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the older Pascal design. This reflects the Arc's focus on modern rendering techniques. The memory subsystems also tell a story of different priorities. The Tesla P4 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 192.3 GB/s. The Arc Pro A30M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, which yields a lower bandwidth of 128.0 GB/s. The Tesla P4's larger memory pool and wider bus are geared towards data-heavy compute tasks, while the Arc's smaller, faster memory is more typical of a mobile-oriented design.

Clock speeds show a significant difference. The Tesla P4 operates at a base clock of 886 MHz and a boost clock of 1114 MHz, while the Arc Pro A30M runs much faster at a 1500 MHz base and 2000 MHz boost. This higher clock speed helps the Intel part compensate for its lower core count. The Tesla P4 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the Arc Pro A30M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), indicating the latter's readiness for the latest graphics APIs. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The Tesla P4 is a single-slot, 75 W card with no display outputs, designed purely for server-side compute. The Arc Pro A30M is a mobile part with a 50 W TDP and display outputs that are dependent on the portable device it is integrated into. The Tesla P4 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the Arc uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct comparison between these two GPUs: the Geekbench OpenCL test. This benchmark measures general-purpose compute performance, which is the primary function of the Tesla P4. In this test, the Tesla P4 scores 34947 points, while the Intel Arc Pro A30M scores 31894 points. This results in a 9.6% performance delta in favor of the NVIDIA part.

To contextualize this win, it is helpful to look at where each GPU sits relative to its nearest rivals in the database. The Tesla P4's average benchmark score is 37628, placing it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, which scores 37648. It is also 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507) and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37157). This places the Tesla P4 in a performance class that spans some very capable desktop graphics cards.

The Intel Arc Pro A30M, with an average score of 31894, is 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA TITAN RTX (31676) and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (31532). However, it is 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 570X (32176) and 1.5% behind the AMD FirePro S10000 (32388). This shows that while the Arc Pro A30M is a competent compute performer, its 9.6% deficit against the Tesla P4 is its defining characteristic in this comparison. The Tesla P4's victory in this single test is the entire basis for its higher win count of 1 versus 0 for the Intel part.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher raw compute performance based on the benchmark data?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla P4 is faster. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 34947 points compared to the Intel Arc Pro A30M's 31894 points, a 9.6% lead.

Q: Does the Intel Arc Pro A30M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, it has 8 dedicated ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA Tesla P4, based on the older Pascal architecture, does not have any ray tracing cores.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla P4 has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the Intel Arc Pro A30M has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The Intel Arc Pro A30M has a lower TDP of 50 W, compared to the 75 W TDP of the NVIDIA Tesla P4. The Intel part also uses a more advanced 6 nm manufacturing process.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla P4 is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, while the Intel Arc Pro A30M is in the 76th percentile.

Q: Which GPU is designed for use in a mobile form factor?

A: The Intel Arc Pro A30M is from the Alchemist Pro-Series Mobile generation and has a 50 W TDP, indicating it is designed for laptops. The Tesla P4 is a single-slot card with no display outputs, intended for server installations.

Where Each One Wins

NVIDIA Tesla P4: This GPU wins in the domain of pure, raw computational throughput. Its 9.6% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark demonstrates superior general-purpose processing power. The larger 8 GB memory pool and 256-bit bus provide a significant advantage for workloads that require large datasets to be held in video memory. Its 81st percentile ranking versus the Intel's 76th further confirms its stronger position in the overall performance hierarchy. The Tesla P4 is the better choice for compute-intensive tasks where maximum raw FP32 performance (5.704 TFLOPS) and memory capacity are critical, and where modern graphics features like ray tracing are irrelevant. It is a server-oriented accelerator designed to process data without needing to display an image.

Intel Arc Pro A30M: The Intel GPU wins in the categories of modern features and power efficiency. Its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and the inclusion of 8 ray tracing cores give it a clear architectural advantage for contemporary graphics workloads. While its FP32 performance is lower at 4.096 TFLOPS, it has a massive advantage in FP16 performance, delivering 8.192 TFLOPS versus the Tesla P4's 89.12 GFLOPS. This makes the Arc Pro A30M far more capable for workloads that can utilize reduced precision, such as certain AI and machine learning inference tasks. Its lower 50 W TDP, smaller die size, and higher clock speeds (2000 MHz boost) indicate a design focused on efficiency within a mobile power envelope. For users who need a modern feature set, low power consumption, and the ability to drive displays in a portable device, the Arc Pro A30M is the clear winner.