Intel Arc A310E vs NVIDIA N1X 48SM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for the Intel Arc A310E and the NVIDIA N1X 48SM. The wins counter for each product sits at zero, and the head-to-head benchmark array is empty. This absence of direct comparative measurements means the analysis must rely on the specification sheets and the architectural data available for each part.

The Intel Arc A310E delivers 3.072 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA N1X 48SM reaches 28.83 TFLOPS in the same precision. That is a 9.4x gap in raw shader throughput, a difference that would dominate any compute-heavy workload. The NVIDIA part also holds a massive advantage in texture rate, with 900.9 GTexel/s against the Intel card's 64.00 GTexel/s. Pixel rate follows the same pattern: the N1X 48SM outputs 112.6 GPixel/s, while the A310E manages 32.00 GPixel/s.

Memory bandwidth splits similarly. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM moves 273.2 GB/s over a 256-bit LPDDR5X interface, while the Intel Arc A310E accesses 124.0 GB/s through a 64-bit GDDR6 bus. That 2.2x bandwidth advantage would matter in texture-heavy scenes and any workload that streams large datasets.

The shading unit count tells the story at a glance. The N1X 48SM has 6144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The A310E contains 768 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Every execution resource on the NVIDIA side is larger by a factor of 8 for shaders, 12 for TMUs, and 3 for ROPs. The ray tracing hardware also differs: 48 RT cores on the NVIDIA part versus 6 on the Intel part.

Clock behavior does not compensate. The Arc A310E runs at a fixed 2000 MHz for both base and boost. The N1X 48SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz. While the NVIDIA base clock is far lower, the boost clock exceeds the Intel part by 346 MHz. The FP16 comparison shows a different ratio: the A310E achieves 6.144 TFLOPS with a 2:1 rate, while the N1X 48SM sustains 28.83 TFLOPS at a 1:1 rate. The NVIDIA part does not double its FP16 throughput, but it still delivers 4.7x the FP16 work of the Intel card.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Arc A310E holds advantages in several specific areas. It is a discrete, single-slot card measuring 168 mm in length, 69 mm in height, and 20 mm in width. It requires no external power connectors and carries a 75 W TDP. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM is an integrated graphics processor with no standalone dimensions, no listed TDP, and no power connectors. For systems that need a compact, self-contained graphics solution, the A310E fits that role with a constrained power envelope.

The Arc A310E also offers four mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, while the N1X 48SM provides only a single HDMI connection. Multi-display setups would favor the Intel part. The A310E supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM lists no API support in the database, with all three API fields marked as N/A. For gaming or applications that rely on standard graphics APIs, the Intel card has explicit support where the NVIDIA part has none recorded.

The A310E also has a defined production status of end-of-life, released on 2024-03-31, with a predecessor of Xe Graphics and a successor of Battlemage. The N1X 48SM is active in production, with a release date of 2026-05-31, and no predecessor or successor listed. The process node favors the NVIDIA part: 5 nm versus 6 nm, both from TSMC. The die size tells a different story, with the N1X 48SM at 382 mm² and the A310E at 157 mm². Transistor counts are 7,200 million for the Intel chip, while the NVIDIA chip's transistor count is unknown.

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM wins on nearly every raw performance metric. It has 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory, a 256-bit bus, and 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The Arc A310E has 4 GB of GDDR6, a 64-bit bus, and 124.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA part also uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the Intel card uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The tensor core count is 192 on the N1X 48SM versus none listed on the A310E. The NVIDIA IGP also benefits from a boost clock of 2346 MHz, which is higher than the Intel card's fixed 2000 MHz.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Arc A310E uses the DG2-128 chip built on the Xe-HPG architecture, part of the Alchemist generation under the Arc 3 family. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM uses the GB20B chip based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, within the Blackwell IGP generation. These are different design philosophies: one is a discrete, low-power add-in card, the other an integrated processor.

The process node differs by a single nanometer: 6 nm for Intel, 5 nm for NVIDIA, both fabricated by TSMC. The Intel chip contains 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.9 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip has an unknown transistor count on a 382 mm² die, with no density figure recorded. The larger die on the NVIDIA side corresponds to far more execution units: 6144 shading units versus 768, 384 TMUs versus 32, 48 ROPs versus 16, 48 RT cores versus 6, and 192 tensor cores versus none.

Memory architecture diverges completely. The A310E uses 4 GB of GDDR6 with a 64-bit bus and 124.0 GB/s bandwidth, clocked at 1937 MHz with 15.5 Gbps effective. The N1X 48SM uses 128 GB of LPDDR5X with a 256-bit bus and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth, clocked at 1067 MHz with 8.5 Gbps effective. The NVIDIA part uses a much wider interface and slower clock, but the total bandwidth is still more than double the Intel card.

The memory clock comparison reveals an interesting trade-off. The Intel GDDR6 runs at 1937 MHz, while the NVIDIA LPDDR5X runs at 1067 MHz. The effective data rates are 15.5 Gbps versus 8.5 Gbps. The narrower Intel bus at a higher clock cannot overcome the wider NVIDIA bus at a lower clock. The power situation also differs: the A310E has a 75 W TDP and a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the N1X 48SM has no TDP listed and no suggested PSU.

The bus interface differs as well. The Intel card uses PCIe 4.0 x8, the NVIDIA IGP uses PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs show a clear split: four mini-DisplayPort 2.0 connectors on the A310E, one HDMI on the N1X 48SM. The API support is recorded only for the Intel part, with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA part lists N/A for all three.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS of FP32, while the Intel Arc A310E provides 3.072 TFLOPS. The NVIDIA part is approximately 9.4x faster in this metric.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Intel Arc A310E has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 124.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA part offers 2.2x the bandwidth and 32x the memory capacity.

Q: Which GPU supports more display outputs?

A: The Intel Arc A310E supports four mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM supports a single HDMI output. The Intel card is the clear choice for multi-monitor configurations.

Q: What are the ray tracing capabilities of each part?

A: The Intel Arc A310E has 6 RT cores. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has 48 RT cores. The NVIDIA part has 8x the ray tracing hardware count.

Q: Are there API differences between the two?

A: The Intel Arc A310E supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has no API support listed in the database, with all API fields marked as N/A.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The Intel Arc A310E is end-of-life, released on 2024-03-31. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM is active in production, released on 2026-05-31.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in every major specification field. The Intel Arc A310E uses the DG2-128 chip on Xe-HPG architecture, while the NVIDIA N1X 48SM uses the GB20B chip on Blackwell 2.0. Process nodes are 6 nm for Intel and 5 nm for NVIDIA, both from TSMC. Transistor count for the Intel chip is 7,200 million on a 157 mm² die; the NVIDIA transistor count is unknown on a 382 mm² die.

Clock speeds: the A310E runs at 2000 MHz base and 2000 MHz boost, with memory at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective). The N1X 48SM runs at 741 MHz base and 2346 MHz boost, with memory at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). Memory capacity is 4 GB GDDR6 for Intel versus 128 GB LPDDR5X for NVIDIA. Bus width is 64 bit versus 256 bit. Bandwidth is 124.0 GB/s versus 273.2 GB/s.

Execution resources: 768 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, 6 RT cores, and no tensor cores for the A310E. The N1X 48SM has 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. Pixel rate is 32.00 GPixel/s versus 112.6 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 64.00 GTexel/s versus 900.9 GTexel/s. FP32 is 3.072 TFLOPS versus 28.83 TFLOPS. FP16 is 6.144 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 28.83 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical: the A310E has a 75 W TDP, is single-slot, measures 168 mm by 69 mm by 20 mm, and has no power connectors. The N1X 48SM has no TDP listed, is an IGP with no dimensions, and no power connectors. Bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs are four mini-DisplayPort 2.0 versus one HDMI. API support is fully listed for Intel (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4) and N/A for NVIDIA.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear performance hierarchy. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM dominates every raw compute metric: FP32, FP16, pixel rate, texture rate, memory bandwidth, and execution unit counts. It has 8x the shading units, 12x the TMUs, 3x the ROPs, and 8x the RT cores of the Intel Arc A310E. Its 28.83 TFLOPS of FP32 puts it in a different class entirely from the A310E's 3.072 TFLOPS. For any workload that stresses shader throughput, ray tracing, or texture processing, the N1X 48SM is the stronger part.

The Intel Arc A310E wins on form factor and connectivity. It is a discrete card that fits in a single slot, draws only 75 W with a suggested 250 W PSU, and does not require external power. It provides four mini-DisplayPort 2.0 outputs, which supports multi-display setups that the single HDMI port on the N1X 48SM cannot match. It also has explicit DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support, while the NVIDIA part has no API support recorded.

The choice depends on the use case. Systems that need a low-power, compact discrete GPU with multi-monitor output and standard graphics API compatibility would select the Intel Arc A310E. Systems that prioritize raw compute throughput, memory capacity, and bandwidth would select the NVIDIA N1X 48SM. The 128 GB of LPDDR5X memory on the NVIDIA part is a unique advantage, as is its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. The Intel part has a defined successor in Battlemage, while the NVIDIA part is an active product with no successor listed. The recorded data does not include direct benchmark scores for either GPU, so the performance conclusions here derive entirely from the specification sheet comparisons.