Intel Arc A580 vs NVIDIA N1 20SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Arc A580 and NVIDIA N1 20SM occupy different positions in the benchmark database, and the recorded data reflects that gap clearly. The Arc A580 holds an average benchmark score of 57,756 across its tested workloads, while the N1 20SM has no recorded benchmark entries, giving it an average score of 0. This is not a close contest in terms of measured performance; the Arc A580 delivers a substantial advantage in every category where data exists.

Looking at the specific benchmark results, the Arc A580 produces a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,229. The N1 20SM has no corresponding score in the database. In Geekbench OpenCL, the Arc A580 records 91,657 points, and in Geekbench Vulkan it reaches 79,381 points. The N1 20SM again has no entries for either test. The absence of benchmark data for the N1 20SM means the database cannot confirm any performance parity or superiority, and the Arc A580 stands as the only unit with measurable results.

The percentile ranking reinforces this divide. The Arc A580 sits at the 87th percentile among all GPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of recorded graphics hardware. The N1 20SM sits at the 50th percentile, which is the median position, but this ranking is assigned despite having no benchmark scores. A percentile without underlying test data should be interpreted cautiously; it does not reflect measured performance.

The nearest rivals for the Arc A580 provide context for its standing. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM averages 58,085 points, which is 0.6% higher than the Arc A580. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE averages 57,367 points, 0.7% lower. The Intel Arc A570M averages 58,239 points, 0.8% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT averages 58,392 points, 1.1% higher. These deltas are small, clustering within roughly one percentage point of the Arc A580, which indicates that the Arc A580 performs in line with a well-established group of mid-range and upper-mid-range graphics solutions. The N1 20SM has no nearest rivals listed, again pointing to the lack of measurable data.

The head-to-head benchmark list between the two products is empty, and the win counts are zero for both sides. This is consistent with the N1 20SM having no recorded tests. The data shows that the Arc A580 is the only one of the two with verified performance metrics, and any comparison must rely solely on its results.

FAQ

Q: Does the NVIDIA N1 20SM outperform the Intel Arc A580 in any benchmark?

A: No. The database contains no benchmark entries for the N1 20SM, so there are no recorded scores for comparison. The Arc A580 has three benchmark results: 2,229 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 91,657 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 79,381 in Geekbench Vulkan.

Q: How does the Intel Arc A580 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc A580 averages 57,756 points. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM is 0.6% higher at 58,085, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is 0.7% lower at 57,367, the Intel Arc A570M is 0.8% higher at 58,239, and the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT is 1.1% higher at 58,392.

Q: What is the performance percentile of each product?

A: The Intel Arc A580 is at the 87th percentile among all GPUs in the database. The NVIDIA N1 20SM is at the 50th percentile, but this is assigned without any underlying benchmark scores.

Q: Which product has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc A580 has an average benchmark score of 57,756. The NVIDIA N1 20SM has an average benchmark score of 0 due to having no recorded tests.

Q: Are there any head-to-head benchmark results between these two products?

A: No. The head-to-head benchmark list is empty, and neither product has a recorded win count in direct comparison.

Q: What does the lack of benchmark data for the N1 20SM indicate?

A: The database shows no measured performance for the N1 20SM. Its 50th percentile ranking should not be read as a performance claim, since it is not supported by any test scores.

Architecture Differences

The two products come from different architectural lineages. The Intel Arc A580 uses the DG2-512 chip built on the Xe-HPG architecture, part of the Alchemist generation in the Arc 5 family. The NVIDIA N1 20SM uses the GB20B chip built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, part of the Blackwell IGP generation in the N1x series. Both chips are fabricated by TSMC, but at different nodes: the Arc A580 uses a 6 nm process, while the N1 20SM uses a 5 nm process.

The transistor counts differ substantially. The Arc A580 integrates 21,700 million transistors on a 406 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 53.4 million per square millimeter. The N1 20SM has an unknown transistor count on a 382 mm² die, and its transistor density is not recorded. The die sizes are close, but the Arc A580 packs a known and much larger number of transistors into a slightly larger area.

The memory subsystems have different capacities and types. The Arc A580 comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256 bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM comes with 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on a 256 bit bus, delivering 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM has far more memory capacity, sixteen times more, but the Arc A580 has nearly double the bandwidth, 512.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s. The memory clocks reflect this: the Arc A580 runs at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed, while the N1 20SM runs at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective speed.

The compute configurations differ in scale. The Arc A580 has 3,072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, 96 render output units, and 24 ray tracing cores. The N1 20SM has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, 24 render output units, and 20 ray tracing cores. The Arc A580 leads in shading units, TMUs, ROPs, and RT cores. The N1 20SM has 80 tensor cores, while the Arc A580 has no recorded tensor core count.

The rendered output rates show the impact of these differences. The Arc A580 reaches 192.0 GPixel/s in pixel rate and 384.0 GTexel/s in texture rate. The N1 20SM reaches 56.30 GPixel/s and 375.4 GTexel/s. The pixel rate gap is large, but the texture rate is close, with the Arc A580 only slightly ahead.

The floating point throughput is similar. The Arc A580 delivers 12.29 TFLOPS in FP32 and 24.58 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 2:1 ratio. The N1 20SM delivers 12.01 TFLOPS in FP32 and 12.01 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. The FP32 figures are nearly identical, but the Arc A580 doubles its FP16 output while the N1 20SM does not.

API support also separates them. The Arc A580 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The N1 20SM lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. This suggests the N1 20SM is not positioned as a general purpose discrete graphics product in the same way as the Arc A580.

Specification Differences

The two products differ across nearly every recorded specification. The process node is 6 nm for the Arc A580 and 5 nm for the N1 20SM. The Arc A580 has a transistor count of 21,700 million, while the N1 20SM has an unknown count. The die size is 406 mm² for the Arc A580 and 382 mm² for the N1 20SM. Transistor density is 53.4M per mm² for the Arc A580 and not recorded for the N1 20SM.

Clock speeds diverge. The Arc A580 has a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 2000 MHz. The N1 20SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. The N1 20SM boosts higher, but its base clock is less than half of the Arc A580's base clock.

Memory configuration differs in size, type, and bandwidth. The Arc A580 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 with 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The N1 20SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X with 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Both use a 256 bit bus.

The compute unit counts differ. The Arc A580 has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 24 RT cores. The N1 20SM has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and 20 RT cores. The N1 20SM has 80 tensor cores; the Arc A580 has none recorded.

Pixel rate is 192.0 GPixel/s for the Arc A580 and 56.30 GPixel/s for the N1 20SM. Texture rate is 384.0 GTexel/s for the Arc A580 and 375.4 GTexel/s for the N1 20SM. FP32 throughput is 12.29 TFLOPS for the Arc A580 and 12.01 TFLOPS for the N1 20SM. FP16 throughput is 24.58 TFLOPS for the Arc A580 and 12.01 TFLOPS for the N1 20SM.

The power and physical profiles are very different. The Arc A580 has a TDP of 175 W, uses a dual-slot cooler, requires 2x 8-pin power connectors, and suggests a 450 W power supply. The N1 20SM has an unknown TDP, is an IGP form factor, uses no power connectors, and has no suggested PSU.

The bus interfaces differ. The Arc A580 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the N1 20SM uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.0 for the Arc A580, and 1x HDMI for the N1 20SM.

Release dates and generations also differ. The Arc A580 was released in 2023 and belongs to the Alchemist generation. The N1 20SM is dated 2026 and belongs to the Blackwell IGP generation. The Arc A580 lists a predecessor, Xe Graphics, and a successor, Battlemage. The N1 20SM lists no predecessor or successor.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A580 wins in every category where the database has recorded performance. Its average benchmark score of 57,756 versus 0 for the N1 20SM is the clearest indicator. The Arc A580 has three verified benchmark results, while the N1 20SM has none. The Arc A580 also holds a much higher percentile rank, 87th versus 50th.

The Arc A580 wins on raw throughput metrics. It has higher pixel rate, 192.0 GPixel/s versus 56.30 GPixel/s, and higher texture rate, 384.0 GTexel/s versus 375.4 GTexel/s. Its FP16 output is double that of the N1 20SM, 24.58 TFLOPS versus 12.01 TFLOPS, and its FP32 output is slightly higher at 12.29 TFLOPS versus 12.01 TFLOPS. The Arc A580 also has more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, and RT cores.

The Arc A580 wins on memory bandwidth. Its 512.0 GB/s is nearly double the 273.2 GB/s of the N1 20SM. The Arc A580 also supports a full API stack with DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1 20SM has no API support recorded. For gaming and general graphics workloads, the Arc A580 is the only one of the two with measurable capability.

The NVIDIA N1 20SM wins on memory capacity and certain physical characteristics. It has 128 GB of memory versus 8 GB, which is a decisive advantage for workloads that need large memory pools. It uses a 5 nm process node compared to 6 nm, and it has a higher boost clock at 2346 MHz versus 2000 MHz. It includes 80 tensor cores, which the Arc A580 does not have. It also uses PCIe 5.0 x16, a newer bus interface, and draws no external power connectors as an IGP.

The N1 20SM also has a lower base clock, 741 MHz versus 1700 MHz, which may indicate lower idle power behavior, but the database does not record TDP for the N1 20SM, so power consumption cannot be confirmed.

In practical terms, the Arc A580 is positioned as a discrete graphics card with strong measured performance and broad API support. The N1 20SM is positioned as an integrated graphics processor with massive memory capacity but no recorded graphics benchmarks. The data supports using the Arc A580 for any application where tested graphics performance matters. The N1 20SM is more of a specialty part, where its 128 GB memory pool could matter more than raw graphics throughput.

The database does not show any scenario where the N1 20SM outperforms the Arc A580 in measured graphics performance. Its advantages are limited to memory size, tensor core count, process node, and bus generation. None of these translate into a benchmark win in the recorded data.