Intel Arc A380E vs NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Comparison

The Intel Arc A380E and the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super represent two fundamentally different approaches to embedded and edge computing graphics. The recorded data shows the A380E is a discrete graphics card built on Intel’s Xe-HPG architecture, while the Jetson Orin Nano Super is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) within NVIDIA’s Tegra family. Both target compact, power-conscious systems, but their design goals diverge sharply. The A380E emphasizes raw rendering throughput with a 75 W TDP, whereas the Orin Nano Super prioritizes energy efficiency and AI acceleration with a 25 W TDP. This analysis examines the architecture, benchmark implications, and specification differences to determine which device serves which use case.

FAQ

Q: What are the process nodes for these two GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc A380E uses a 6 nm process from TSMC, while the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super uses an 8 nm process from Samsung.

Q: How does memory bandwidth compare?

A: The Arc A380E delivers 186.0 GB/s via 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus, whereas the Orin Nano Super provides 102.4 GB/s via 8 GB of LPDDR5 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 performance?

A: The Arc A380E achieves 4.096 TFLOPS in FP32, nearly double the Orin Nano Super’s 2.089 TFLOPS.

Q: Do both support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, both report DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 in the API data.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The A380E has a TDP of 75 W, while the Orin Nano Super has a TDP of 25 W, a threefold difference.

Q: Which one supports hardware ray tracing?

A: The Arc A380E includes 8 dedicated ray tracing cores, while the Orin Nano Super lists no ray tracing cores in its specifications.

Architecture Differences

The architecture data reveals distinct design philosophies. The Intel Arc A380E is built on the DG2-128 chip using the Xe-HPG architecture, part of the Alchemist generation. This is a discrete GPU with 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.9M per mm². The chip features 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster output units (ROPs). Critically, it integrates 8 ray tracing cores, which the Orin Nano Super lacks entirely. The A380E also has 128 tensor cores listed as null, meaning the data records no tensor core count for Intel’s part.

In contrast, the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super uses the GA10B chip, an Ampere-architecture processor from the Tegra line. Its die size is 200 mm², but the transistor count is recorded as unknown, so density cannot be calculated. It provides 1024 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, which are half the TMUs and ROPs of the A380E. Where the Orin Nano Super compensates is with 32 tensor cores, a feature absent from the Intel part. This suggests NVIDIA’s design targets AI inference workloads, while Intel’s targets traditional graphics rendering.

Another key difference lies in the memory subsystem. The A380E uses 6 GB of GDDR6 with a 96-bit bus, while the Orin Nano Super uses 8 GB of LPDDR5 with a 128-bit bus. Despite the wider bus, the Orin Nano Super’s bandwidth is lower at 102.4 GB/s versus 186.0 GB/s, because LPDDR5 runs at a slower effective speed of 6.4 Gbps compared to GDDR6’s 15.5 Gbps. The A380E also has a higher pixel rate of 64.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 128.0 GTexel/s, versus 16.32 GPixel/s and 32.64 GTexel/s for the NVIDIA part. These figures confirm that Intel’s chip is designed for rasterization throughput, while NVIDIA’s is optimized for tensor operations and low power.

The power envelope further separates them. The A380E draws 75 W and requires a 250 W suggested power supply, while the Orin Nano Super draws just 25 W and has no suggested PSU listed because it is an integrated processor. The A380E is a single-slot card measuring 254 mm by 127 mm by 20 mm, whereas the Orin Nano Super is an IGP with dimensions of 70 mm by 45 mm, making it far smaller for embedded designs. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 4.0 x8 for Intel, PCIe 4.0 x4 for NVIDIA.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data includes no direct benchmark scores for either GPU, and both have an average benchmark score of zero. However, the specification-derived throughput figures provide a clear comparison. In FP32 compute, the A380E delivers 4.096 TFLOPS, which is 96% higher than the Orin Nano Super’s 2.089 TFLOPS. This means the Intel part processes nearly twice as many floating-point operations per second in single precision, a critical metric for graphics shaders and general compute tasks.

For FP16, the A380E achieves 8.192 TFLOPS, again double the Orin Nano Super’s 4.178 TFLOPS. Both use a 2:1 ratio, meaning FP16 throughput is exactly twice FP32. This consistency suggests neither chip has specialized FP16 hardware beyond the standard doubling, though the Orin Nano Super’s tensor cores could theoretically accelerate certain mixed-precision workloads, but the data does not quantify that.

Pixel fill rate shows an even larger gap. The A380E achieves 64.00 GPixel/s, which is 3.9 times the Orin Nano Super’s 16.32 GPixel/s. Texture fill rate follows a similar pattern: 128.0 GTexel/s versus 32.64 GTexel/s, a 3.9x difference. These numbers indicate that the Intel GPU can rasterize and texture scenes at a much higher rate, essential for high-resolution gaming or complex 3D interfaces. The Orin Nano Super’s lower fill rates reflect its embedded positioning, where display output is described as “Portable Device Dependent,” suggesting it is not primarily built for driving high-refresh displays.

Memory bandwidth differences are less extreme but still significant. The A380E’s 186.0 GB/s is 81.6% higher than the Orin Nano Super’s 102.4 GB/s. This bandwidth advantage supports the A380E’s higher fill rates and FP32 throughput, as data can move faster between the GPU and frame buffer. The Orin Nano Super’s wider 128-bit bus partially compensates for slower memory clocks, but the absolute bandwidth remains lower.

Neither GPU has a recorded percentile or rival comparison, as both sit at the 50th percentile in the database, but that percentile is based on an average benchmark score of zero, which indicates no measured workloads exist in the dataset. The winsA and winsB fields are both zero, confirming that no head-to-head benchmark victories are recorded. The analysis must therefore rely on theoretical peak rates and architectural traits rather than empirical scores.

The Verdict

The data indicates that the Intel Arc A380E is the stronger choice for graphics-heavy tasks. Its FP32 performance at 4.096 TFLOPS, pixel rate of 64.00 GPixel/s, and texture rate of 128.0 GTexel/s place it far ahead of the Orin Nano Super in traditional rendering workloads. The inclusion of 8 ray tracing cores gives it capabilities the NVIDIA part lacks entirely. For systems that require high-resolution display output, complex 3D visualization, or real-time ray tracing, the A380E’s specification sheet clearly favors it.

The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super, conversely, is positioned for a different domain. Its 25 W TDP makes it suitable for battery-powered or passively cooled devices, and its 32 tensor cores indicate a focus on AI inference. The 8 GB of LPDDR5 memory exceeds the A380E’s 6 GB, which could benefit neural network models that require larger working sets. The smaller physical footprint, 70 mm by 45 mm versus 254 mm by 127 mm, allows integration into compact carrier boards. The launch MSRP of 249 USD, while not a performance metric, establishes a price point for the module.

The production status reinforces this split. The A380E is end-of-life, with a successor in the Battlemage generation, while the Orin Nano Super is active. The release dates show the A380E came first on March 31, 2024, and the Orin Nano Super followed on December 16, 2024. This timeline suggests NVIDIA’s part is newer and actively supported, whereas Intel’s part is being phased out.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs, per the recorded data:

• Process Node: 6 nm (TSMC) for A380E; 8 nm (Samsung) for Orin Nano Super
• Transistors: 7,200 million for A380E; unknown for Orin Nano Super
• Die Size: 157 mm² for A380E; 200 mm² for Orin Nano Super
• Transistor Density: 45.9M / mm² for A380E; null for Orin Nano Super
• Memory Size: 6 GB GDDR6 for A380E; 8 GB LPDDR5 for Orin Nano Super
• Memory Bus Width: 96 bit for A380E; 128 bit for Orin Nano Super
• Memory Clock: 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective) for A380E; 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective) for Orin Nano Super
• Memory Bandwidth: 186.0 GB/s for A380E; 102.4 GB/s for Orin Nano Super
• TMUs: 64 for A380E; 32 for Orin Nano Super
• ROPs: 32 for A380E; 16 for Orin Nano Super
• Ray Tracing Cores: 8 for A380E; none for Orin Nano Super
• Tensor Cores: none for A380E; 32 for Orin Nano Super
• Pixel Rate: 64.00 GPixel/s for A380E; 16.32 GPixel/s for Orin Nano Super
• Texture Rate: 128.0 GTexel/s for A380E; 32.64 GTexel/s for Orin Nano Super
• FP32 Performance: 4.096 TFLOPS for A380E; 2.089 TFLOPS for Orin Nano Super
• FP16 Performance: 8.192 TFLOPS for A380E; 4.178 TFLOPS for Orin Nano Super
• TDP: 75 W for A380E; 25 W for Orin Nano Super
• Slot Width: Single-slot for A380E; IGP for Orin Nano Super
• Power Connectors: None for A380E; null for Orin Nano Super
• Suggested PSU: 250 W for A380E; null for Orin Nano Super
• Bus Interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 for A380E; PCIe 4.0 x4 for Orin Nano Super
• Display Outputs: 4x DisplayPort 2.0 for A380E; Portable Device Dependent for Orin Nano Super
• Dimensions: 254 mm x 127 mm x 20 mm for A380E; 70 mm x 45 mm (width null) for Orin Nano Super
• Production Status: End-of-life for A380E; Active for Orin Nano Super
• Release Date: March 31, 2024 for A380E; December 16, 2024 for Orin Nano Super
• Predecessor: Xe Graphics for A380E; null for Orin Nano Super
• Successor: Battlemage for A380E; null for Orin Nano Super
• Launch MSRP: null for A380E; 249 USD for Orin Nano Super

Fields that match include shading units (1024 each), API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4), and the 2:1 FP16 ratio.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded specifications, the Intel Arc A380E wins in every pure graphics throughput metric. Its FP32 and FP16 compute are both 1.96x higher, pixel rate is 3.92x higher, texture rate is 3.92x higher, and memory bandwidth is 1.82x higher. The 8 ray tracing cores provide hardware support for effects like shadows and reflections, which the Orin Nano Super cannot accelerate. The A380E’s 4x DisplayPort 2.0 outputs make it suitable for multi-monitor setups or high-resolution displays, while the Orin Nano Super’s display output is described as device-dependent, implying no fixed multi-display capability.

The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super wins on power and integration. Its 25 W TDP is one-third of the A380E’s 75 W, making it viable for fanless or battery-powered designs. The 32 tensor cores offer a hardware path for AI inference, a feature completely absent from the Intel part. The 8 GB memory capacity is 33% larger than the A380E’s 6 GB, which can accommodate larger neural network models or datasets in RAM. The physical size, 70 mm by 45 mm, is dramatically smaller than the A380E’s 254 mm card, enabling deployment in drones, robotics, or edge boxes where space is constrained. The active production status and December 2024 release date also indicate ongoing availability.

The use-case split is clear from the data. The A380E serves workloads that demand high frame rates, complex shading, or ray-traced visuals, such as digital signage, medical imaging, or ruggedized gaming machines. The Orin Nano Super serves workloads that require low power, compact size, and AI acceleration, such as autonomous machines, smart cameras, or inference at the network edge. Neither device outperforms the other across all metrics; the choice depends on whether the priority is rendering horsepower or efficiency and tensor compute. The absence of benchmark scores in the database means these conclusions rest on architectural and specification analysis, but the recorded numbers provide a consistent picture of two divergent products.