Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 vs NVIDIA H20 Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the two GPUs compared in this database?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 (Ponte Vecchio, Generation 12.5) and the NVIDIA H20 (GH100, Hopper architecture).

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and what type of memory does it use?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 has 128 GB of HBM2e memory, while the NVIDIA H20 has 96 GB of HBM3 memory.

Q: What is the difference in boost clock speeds between the two?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 boosts to 1600 MHz, while the NVIDIA H20 boosts to 1980 MHz.

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP16 (half-precision) performance figure?

A: The NVIDIA H20 delivers 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1) in FP16, which is higher than the Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550's 52.43 TFLOPS (1:1).

Q: What are the thermal design power (TDP) ratings for both cards?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 has a TDP of 600 W, while the NVIDIA H20 has a TDP of 500 W.

Q: Which GPU has a larger die size?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 has a die size of 1280 mm², compared to the NVIDIA H20's 814 mm².

Architecture Differences

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 and NVIDIA H20 represent fundamentally different architectural approaches. Intel's Ponte Vecchio chip uses the Generation 12.5 architecture, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process node, with the foundry being Intel itself. The NVIDIA H20 uses the Hopper architecture on TSMC's 5 nm process node. This process difference is significant, as the H20's 5 nm node allows for higher transistor density: 98.3M transistors per mm² versus Intel's 78.1M per mm².

Transistor counts also differ. The Intel part packs 100,000 million transistors across a 1280 mm² die, while the NVIDIA H20 contains 80,000 million transistors on an 814 mm² die. Although Intel's chip has more total transistors, the H20 achieves greater density due to the more advanced process.

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 is built as an OAM Module, while the NVIDIA H20 is an SXM Module. Both use PCIe 5.0 x16 for the bus interface, and neither has display outputs. The Intel card has no ROPs listed, resulting in a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s, whereas the NVIDIA H20 includes 24 ROPs with a pixel rate of 47.52 GPixel/s. The Intel GPU includes 128 ray tracing cores, while the NVIDIA H20's RT core count is not listed, though it does include 312 tensor cores. The Intel card lists no tensor core count in the database.

API support differs markedly. The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6, while the NVIDIA H20 has N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, reflecting its server-oriented positioning. Memory technology also differs: Intel uses HBM2e with a 8192-bit bus width, while NVIDIA uses HBM3 with a 6144-bit bus. The Intel card's memory runs at 1600 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective), and the H20's memory runs at 1313 MHz (5.3 Gbps effective).

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows no wins recorded for either GPU in the head-to-head comparison, as both have zero wins and zero benchmark scores in the database. However, the specification differences indicate distinct strengths that would matter in different workload scenarios.

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 holds advantages in raw memory capacity and memory bus width. With 128 GB of HBM2e and an 8192-bit bus, this GPU is positioned for workloads requiring large memory footprints, such as massive model inference or data-intensive compute tasks. Its shading unit count of 16,384 is substantially higher than the H20's 9,984, and its texture rate of 1,638.4 GTexel/s dwarfs the H20's 617.8 GTexel/s. The Intel card also delivers higher FP32 throughput at 52.43 TFLOPS versus the H20's 39.54 TFLOPS, making it potentially stronger for single-precision compute tasks.

The NVIDIA H20 wins on memory bandwidth despite having less capacity. Its 4.03 TB/s bandwidth exceeds Intel's 3.28 TB/s, which is advantageous for memory-bound workloads. The H20's boost clock of 1980 MHz is also higher, and its FP16 performance of 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1) is notably above Intel's 52.43 TFLOPS (1:1). This indicates the H20 is optimized for half-precision workloads, which are common in AI inference and training. The H20 also has a lower TDP of 500 W versus 600 W, and its 5 nm process node provides higher transistor density, which typically translates to better power efficiency per unit of compute.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 | NVIDIA H20 |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Architecture | Generation 12.5 | Hopper |

| Process Node | 10 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | 100,000 million | 80,000 million |

| Die Size | 1280 mm² | 814 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 78.1M / mm² | 98.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 900 MHz | 1830 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1600 MHz | 1980 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1600 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) | 1313 MHz (5.3 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 128 GB | 96 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM2e | HBM3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 8192 bit | 6144 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 3.28 TB/s | 4.03 TB/s |

| Shading Units | 16384 | 9984 |

| TMUs | 1024 | 312 |

| ROPs | 0 | 24 |

| RT Cores | 128 | N/A |

| Tensor Cores | N/A | 312 |

| Pixel Rate | 0 MPixel/s | 47.52 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 1,638.4 GTexel/s | 617.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 52.43 TFLOPS | 39.54 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 52.43 TFLOPS (1:1) | 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 600 W | 500 W |

| Slot Width | OAM Module | SXM Module |

| Suggested PSU | 1000 W | 900 W |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | N/A |

| OpenGL Support | 4.6 | N/A |

| Production Status | Active | Active |

| Release Date | 2023-01-09 | 2024-01-31 |

| Predecessor | N/A | Server Ada |

| Successor | H3C Graphics | Server Blackwell |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 50 | 50 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records no head-to-head benchmark scores for these two GPUs, and neither has an average benchmark score or wins in the comparison. The percentile vs all GPUs for both is 50, indicating they sit at the midpoint of all recorded GPUs. Without direct benchmark measurements, the analysis relies entirely on the recorded specification data.

The most significant numerical differences appear in compute throughput figures. The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1550 delivers 52.43 TFLOPS in FP32, which is 32.6% higher than the NVIDIA H20's 39.54 TFLOPS. This gap suggests Intel's part holds a clear advantage in single-precision workloads, such as scientific simulations or general-purpose GPU compute. The texture rate difference is even more pronounced, with Intel's 1,638.4 GTexel/s being 2.65 times the H20's 617.8 GTexel/s. This indicates the Intel card has substantially more texture processing capability, which could matter in rendering or texture-heavy compute pipelines.

However, the NVIDIA H20 reverses the advantage in FP16 performance. Its 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1) is 50.8% higher than Intel's 52.43 TFLOPS (1:1). This suggests the H20 is better suited for AI workloads that rely on half-precision arithmetic, such as deep learning training and inference. The H20 also leads in memory bandwidth at 4.03 TB/s versus 3.28 TB/s, a 22.9% advantage. For memory-bound operations, this could be a decisive factor.

Clock speeds also differ substantially. The NVIDIA H20 has a base clock of 1830 MHz, which is double the Intel card's 900 MHz base clock. The boost clocks are closer but still favor NVIDIA: 1980 MHz versus 1600 MHz. This clock advantage, combined with the smaller process node, suggests the H20 has better per-clock efficiency.

The memory configuration presents a trade-off. Intel offers 128 GB of capacity with a wider 8192-bit bus, while NVIDIA offers 96 GB with a narrower 6144-bit bus but higher bandwidth due to HBM3 technology. The Intel card's capacity is 33.3% larger, which could be critical for models that exceed 96 GB. The H20's bandwidth advantage of 22.9% could matter for streaming data at high rates.

Power consumption numbers also differ. The Intel card has a TDP of 600 W with a suggested PSU of 1000 W, while the H20 has a TDP of 500 W with a suggested PSU of 900 W. This means the H20 requires less power infrastructure and generates less heat, which can be a practical advantage in dense server deployments. The release dates show the Intel card came out earlier, on 2023-01-09, while the H20 launched on 2024-01-31. The Intel card's successor is listed as H3C Graphics, and the H20's successor is Server Blackwell, with its predecessor being Server Ada.

Both GPUs are marked as Active in production status, and both have no display outputs, reinforcing their data-center orientation. The Intel card supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6, which the H20 does not, possibly making the Intel part more flexible for applications that still rely on those graphics APIs. The H20, by contrast, has no API support listed, matching its pure compute server role.