Intel Arc A380E vs NVIDIA H20 NVL16 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains no head-to-head benchmark results for these two parts. The winsA and winsB fields are both zero, and no benchmark scores are listed for either device. This makes direct performance comparison impossible from the available data. Both GPUs hold a 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database, but that percentile is not accompanied by any average benchmark score.

Without benchmark measurements, the comparison must rely entirely on architectural specifications and compute capabilities. The Intel Arc A380E delivers 4.096 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA H20 NVL16 delivers 39.54 TFLOPS. That represents a difference of roughly 9.65 times in raw FP32 throughput. In FP16, the gap narrows slightly in relative terms: the Arc A380E provides 8.192 TFLOPS, while the H20 NVL16 provides 79.07 TFLOPS, a ratio of approximately 9.65 as well, since both use 2:1 FP16-to-FP32 ratios.

Memory bandwidth shows a much larger disparity. The Arc A380E has 186.0 GB/s of bandwidth across a 96-bit bus, while the H20 NVL16 has 4.03 TB/s across a 6144-bit bus. That is a factor of roughly 21.7 in favor of the NVIDIA part. Texture rate favors the H20 NVL16 as well: 617.8 GTexel/s versus 128.0 GTexel/s, a 4.8 times advantage. Pixel rate, however, favors the Intel part: 64.00 GPixel/s versus 47.52 GPixel/s, a 1.35 times advantage for the Arc A380E.

The shading unit count strongly favors NVIDIA: 9984 shading units versus 1024. TMUs also favor NVIDIA at 312 versus 64. ROPs are the opposite: the Intel part has 32 ROPs, while the NVIDIA part has only 24. The H20 NVL16 includes 312 tensor cores, while the Arc A380E lists none. The Arc A380E includes 8 ray tracing cores, while the H20 NVL16 lists none.

Clock speeds show the Intel part running at a fixed 2000 MHz for both base and boost, with memory at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective). The NVIDIA part runs at 1830 MHz base and 1980 MHz boost, with memory at 1313 MHz (5.3 Gbps effective). The higher boost clock on the Intel part does not offset the massive differences in compute resources and memory subsystem.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A380E wins in pixel fill rate. At 64.00 GPixel/s versus 47.52 GPixel/s, the Intel part has a 34.7% advantage in this specific metric. This suggests that for workloads heavily dependent on rasterization output, such as certain low-resolution rendering tasks, the Arc A380E has a relative strength. Its 32 ROPs versus 24 ROPs supports this advantage. The Arc A380E also offers display outputs: 4x DisplayPort 2.0, while the H20 NVL16 has no display outputs at all. For any workload requiring direct video output, the Intel part is the only option between the two.

The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 wins in nearly every other measurable category. FP32 compute is 9.65 times higher, FP16 compute is 9.65 times higher, texture rate is 4.8 times higher, and memory bandwidth is 21.7 times higher. The H20 NVL16 also has 9.75 times more shading units, 4.88 times more TMUs, and 312 tensor cores versus none. Memory capacity strongly favors NVIDIA: 96 GB of HBM3 versus 6 GB of GDDR6.

For compute-heavy server workloads, including training and inference tasks that leverage tensor cores, the H20 NVL16 is the clear choice based on the recorded specifications. The Arc A380E, with its display outputs and lower power profile, suits client-side or embedded scenarios where visual output matters and compute demands are modest.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different design philosophies. The Intel Arc A380E uses the DG2-128 chip based on the Xe-HPG architecture, belonging to the Alchemist generation (Arc 3). It is fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC, containing 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 45.9M per mm². The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 uses the GH100 chip based on the Hopper architecture, from the Server Hopper (Hxx) generation. It is fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, containing 80,000 million transistors on an 814 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 98.3M per mm².

The process node difference (6 nm vs 5 nm) and the sheer scale difference are substantial. The H20 NVL16 has 11.1 times more transistors and a die that is 5.18 times larger. The transistor density is 2.14 times higher on the NVIDIA part, indicating a much tighter packing of logic. The H20 NVL16 uses HBM3 memory with a 6144-bit interface, while the Arc A380E uses GDDR6 with a 96-bit interface. These are fundamentally different memory architectures: HBM3 is designed for extreme bandwidth in server environments, while GDDR6 is a conventional graphics memory for client GPUs.

The bus interface differs as well: the Arc A380E uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the H20 NVL16 uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The NVIDIA part has no display outputs, no DirectX support, no OpenGL support, and no Vulkan support, as indicated by the "N/A" entries. The Intel part supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The H20 NVL16 is an SXM module, while the Arc A380E is a single-slot card with no power connectors and a 250 W suggested PSU. The NVIDIA part has a 400 W TDP and an 800 W suggested PSU.

The ray tracing cores present in the Arc A380E (8 cores) have no counterpart in the H20 NVL16. The tensor cores present in the H20 NVL16 (312 cores) have no counterpart in the Arc A380E. These are different compute accelerators designed for different purposes.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 delivers 39.54 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which is approximately 9.65 times higher than the Intel Arc A380E's 4.096 TFLOPS.

Q: Does the Intel Arc A380E support display output?

A: Yes, the Arc A380E includes 4x DisplayPort 2.0 outputs. The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 has no display outputs.

Q: What are the memory capacities and types?

A: The Intel Arc A380E has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 96-bit bus and 186.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 has 96 GB of HBM3 memory with a 6144-bit bus and 4.03 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has tensor cores?

A: The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 has 312 tensor cores. The Intel Arc A380E lists no tensor cores.

Q: What is the power requirement for each GPU?

A: The Intel Arc A380E has a 75 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 250 W. The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 has a 400 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 800 W.

Q: Which GPU has ray tracing cores?

A: The Intel Arc A380E has 8 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 lists no ray tracing cores.

The Verdict

The data clearly separates these two parts into different application domains. The NVIDIA H20 NVL16 dominates in compute throughput, memory bandwidth, memory capacity, and tensor core availability. It is a server-grade accelerator built for large-scale compute workloads. The Intel Arc A380E dominates in pixel fill rate, display output capability, and API support, making it a client-oriented graphics solution.

For workloads that require FP32 or FP16 compute at scale, the H20 NVL16 is the only rational choice. Its 39.54 TFLOPS FP32 and 79.07 TFLOPS FP16 dwarf the Arc A380E's 4.096 and 8.192 TFLOPS respectively. The 96 GB HBM3 memory with 4.03 TB/s bandwidth provides a memory subsystem suited for large models and datasets, while the 312 tensor cores enable accelerated matrix operations.

For workloads that require rasterization output, the Arc A380E has a measurable advantage with its 64.00 GPixel/s pixel rate versus 47.52 GPixel/s. The 4x DisplayPort 2.0 outputs make it functional as a display adapter, something the H20 NVL16 cannot do at all. The Arc A380E also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the H20 NVL16 reports no graphics API support.

The production status differs: the Arc A380E is end-of-life, while the H20 NVL16 is active. The release dates are also different, with the Arc A380E released in March 2024 and the H20 NVL16 released in September 2025. The Arc A380E has a predecessor of Xe Graphics and a successor of Battlemage, while the H20 NVL16 has a predecessor of Server Ada and a successor of Server Blackwell.

A buyer choosing between these two parts would select the H20 NVL16 for any server-side compute deployment, given its massive compute and memory advantages. A buyer would select the Arc A380E for any scenario requiring display output, graphics API support, or lower power consumption, given its 75 W TDP versus 400 W TDP. The two parts do not compete in the same market segment.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Arc A380E | NVIDIA H20 NVL16 |

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

| Chip | DG2-128 | GH100 |

| Architecture | Xe-HPG | Hopper |

| Generation | Alchemist (Arc 3) | Server Hopper (Hxx) |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 7,200 million | 80,000 million |

| Die Size | 157 mm² | 814 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 45.9M / mm² | 98.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 2000 MHz | 1830 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2000 MHz | 1980 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1937 MHz 15.5 Gbps effective | 1313 MHz 5.3 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 6 GB | 96 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | HBM3 |

| Memory Bus Width | 96 bit | 6144 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 186.0 GB/s | 4.03 TB/s |

| Shading Units | 1024 | 9984 |

| TMUs | 64 | 312 |

| ROPs | 32 | 24 |

| RT Cores | 8 | None |

| Tensor Cores | None | 312 |

| Pixel Rate | 64.00 GPixel/s | 47.52 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 128.0 GTexel/s | 617.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.096 TFLOPS | 39.54 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1) | 79.07 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 75 W | 400 W |

| Slot Width | Single-slot | SXM Module |

| Power Connectors | None | Not specified |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | 800 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 2.0 | No outputs |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | N/A |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | N/A |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | N/A |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2024-03-31 | 2025-09-01 |

| Predecessor | Xe Graphics | Server Ada |

| Successor | Battlemage | Server Blackwell |