Intel Arc A770M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Comparison

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Arc A770M is the superior performer in every shared benchmark, delivering generational leaps in compute and graphics workloads. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780, while a capable legacy product, is outclassed by a massive margin in raw throughput and modern API support. The Arc A770M wins 2–0 in head-to-head tests, making it the clear choice for anyone needing modern performance, while the GTX 780 remains relevant only for vintage system builds or basic display output.

The Verdict

Benchmark results dictate a straightforward verdict: pick the Intel Arc A770M for any task involving modern compute, high-resolution textures, or DirectX 12 Ultimate workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 89,494 is 74.5% higher than the GTX 780’s 22,863, and its Vulkan score of 74,422 beats the GTX 780’s 24,514 by 67.1%. The Arc A770M also holds a 62nd percentile rank among all GPUs, slightly below the GTX 780’s 64th, but that rank reflects its mobile-oriented profile and mixed legacy benchmark results, not its actual compute horsepower. For gaming, content creation, or any GPU-accelerated task, the Arc A770M is the definitive winner. The GTX 780 should only be considered for systems requiring its specific 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, or for collectors of the Kepler generation.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent entirely different eras of graphics design. The GTX 780 uses the GK110 chip on NVIDIA’s Kepler architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC, packing 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 12.6 million per mm². In contrast, the Arc A770M uses Intel’s DG2-512 chip on the Xe-HPG architecture, manufactured on a 6 nm process at TSMC, with 21,700 million transistors in a smaller 406 mm² die, yielding a dramatically higher density of 53.4 million per mm². The Intel part is built for efficiency and parallelism, while the NVIDIA part is a product of its 2013-era design.

Core configurations differ massively. The GTX 780 has 2,304 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The Arc A770M more than doubles this with 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. Critically, the Arc A770M includes 32 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the GTX 780. The GTX 780 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the Arc A770M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which is a fundamental generational gap in feature support. Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the Arc A770M supports Vulkan 1.4 versus the GTX 780’s Vulkan 1.2.175.

Memory architecture also diverges sharply. The GTX 780 uses 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Arc A770M uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel part has over five times the memory capacity and nearly double the bandwidth, a decisive advantage for modern textures and large datasets. The GTX 780 also draws 250 W with a dual-slot cooler and requires a 600 W PSU, while the Arc A770M is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) drawing only 120 W with no power connectors or PSU recommendation listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are lopsided. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc A770M scores 89,494 against the GTX 780’s 22,863, a delta of -74.5% from the Intel perspective, meaning the GTX 780 delivers only about a quarter of the Intel part’s performance. This is a massive gap indicative of the Arc A770M’s superior compute capability, driven by its 4.04x higher FP32 throughput (16.79 TFLOPS vs 4.156 TFLOPS) and its 3.03x higher texture fill rate (524.8 GTexel/s vs 173.2 GTexel/s).

In Geekbench Vulkan, the Arc A770M scores 74,422 versus the GTX 780’s 24,514, a delta of -67.1%. This confirms the OpenCL result: the Intel architecture is fundamentally faster at API-level graphics operations. The GTX 780’s pixel rate of 43.30 GPixel/s is dwarfed by the Arc A770M’s 262.4 GPixel/s, a 6.06x advantage. These are not marginal wins; they are category-defining differences. The GTX 780’s closest rivals in the average benchmark score are the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (19,177, delta -0.1%) and Tesla K20m (19,089, delta 0.4%), while the Arc A770M sits near the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18,189, delta 1.1%) and RTX 3060 Mobile (18,159, delta 1.2%). This shows the GTX 780 is competitive with its own era’s high-end parts, but the Arc A770M is competing in a much higher performance class.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The Intel Arc A770M is the clear winner. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 89,494 is 74.5% higher than the GTX 780’s 22,863, and its FP32 throughput of 16.79 TFLOPS is over four times the GTX 780’s 4.156 TFLOPS.

Q: Does the GTX 780 support ray tracing?

A: No. The GTX 780 has no ray tracing cores, while the Arc A770M includes 32 RT cores. This is a fundamental architectural difference that affects support for modern rendering techniques.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The Arc A770M has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 780 has 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel part offers more than five times the capacity and nearly double the bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The Arc A770M is far more efficient. It has a 120 W TDP and is classified as an IGP, whereas the GTX 780 has a 250 W TDP and requires a dual-slot cooler with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors.

Q: What API level does each GPU support?

A: The GTX 780 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Arc A770M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4. Both support OpenGL 4.6, but the Intel part has a significantly newer feature set.

Q: Are there any benchmark results where the GTX 780 wins?

A: No. In the two head-to-head tests (Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan), the Arc A770M wins both. The GTX 780 has no wins in the head-to-head comparison.

Where Each One Wins

The Arc A770M wins decisively in every measured category. Its 16.79 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 33.59 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1) performance make it suitable for compute-heavy applications like machine learning inference, video encoding, and scientific simulations that can leverage OpenCL or Vulkan. Its 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 16 GB capacity are ideal for high-resolution texture streaming, large 3D scenes, and multi-tasking with GPU memory. The 32 RT cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which is a complete non-starter on the GTX 780. The 262.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 524.8 GTexel/s texture rate ensure smooth high-resolution rendering, far outpacing the GTX 780’s 43.30 GPixel/s and 173.2 GTexel/s. For any modern game, creative application, or GPU compute workload, the Arc A770M is the only rational choice.

The GTX 780 wins only in legacy-specific scenarios. Its 2x DVI output is a feature the mobile IGP cannot match, making it useful for connecting older DVI-only monitors. Its 250 W power draw and dual-slot design are also more suited to a desktop tower environment, whereas the Arc A770M is an IGP that depends on the host device’s power and cooling. The GTX 780’s average benchmark score of 19,164 places it within 0.1% of the TITAN Xp, meaning it holds its own among its contemporary peers, but that performance class is roughly half of what the Arc A770M delivers in compute tests. The GTX 780 is a relic of the Kepler era, valuable only for its specific connectivity and historical interest.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification. The GTX 780 uses the GK110 chip on a 28 nm process with 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, while the Arc A770M uses DG2-512 on a 6 nm process with 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die. Transistor density is 12.6M/mm² for NVIDIA versus 53.4M/mm² for Intel. Clock speeds differ significantly: the GTX 780 has a base of 863 MHz and boost of 902 MHz, while the Arc A770M has a base of 1650 MHz and boost of 2050 MHz. Memory clocks are 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA and 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) for Intel. Memory size is 3 GB GDDR5 versus 16 GB GDDR6, with bus widths of 384 bit versus 256 bit and bandwidths of 288.4 GB/s versus 512.0 GB/s. Shading units are 2304 versus 4096, TMUs are 192 versus 256, and ROPs are 48 versus 128. The Arc A770M has 32 RT cores; the GTX 780 has none. Pixel rate is 43.30 GPixel/s versus 262.4 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 173.2 GTexel/s versus 524.8 GTexel/s. FP32 is 4.156 TFLOPS versus 16.79 TFLOPS, and the Arc A770M also lists FP16 at 33.59 TFLOPS (2:1) with no FP16 data for the GTX 780. TDP is 250 W versus 120 W. The GTX 780 is dual-slot with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors and a 600 W suggested PSU; the Arc A770M is an IGP with no power connectors or PSU requirement. Bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 for NVIDIA versus PCIe 4.0 x16 for Intel. Display outputs are 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 for the GTX 780, while the Arc A770M is “Portable Device Dependent.” The GTX 780 has a launch MSRP of 649 USD; the Arc A770M has no listed launch MSRP.