Intel Arc A380M vs NVIDIA N1X 48SM Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data paints a clear picture of two very different hardware designs with almost no overlap in intended use. The Intel Arc A380M is a discrete mobile GPU built around the DG2-128 chip on TSMC's 6 nm process, featuring 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. It operates at a base clock of 1550 MHz and a boost clock of 2000 MHz, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus delivering 186.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its FP32 throughput sits at 4.096 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 8.192 TFLOPS using a 2:1 ratio. This is a low-power part, rated at 35 W TDP, and it ships as an MXM module with an MXM-A (3.1) bus interface. The A380M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and its production status is Active with a release date of 2023-01-23.

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM, in contrast, is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the GB20B chip and Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It uses TSMC's 5 nm process and features a much larger die at 382 mm², though the transistor count is listed as unknown. The N1X 48SM has 6,144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 192 tensor cores. Its base clock is 741 MHz, boosting to 2346 MHz. Memory is a standout: 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, yielding 273.2 GB/s of bandwidth. FP32 performance is 28.83 TFLOPS, and FP16 is also 28.83 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. The memory clock is 1067 MHz, translating to 8.5 Gbps effective. The N1X interfaces via PCIe 5.0 x16, has no power connectors, and its TDP is listed as unknown. It is an IGP with a single HDMI output and a release date of 2026-05-31.

The benchmark wins column shows zero wins for each side in the head-to-head benchmark data, which means no synthetic scores were recorded for direct comparison. However, the specification differences alone indicate where each design would excel. The A380M wins on software compatibility and API support, as it exposes DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the N1X 48SM lists N/A for all three APIs. The N1X 48SM wins decisively on raw compute throughput, memory capacity, memory bandwidth, TMU count, ROP count, RT core count, and tensor core count. The A380M wins on clock speed in boost (2000 MHz vs 2346 MHz for the N1X, though the A380M's base is higher at 1550 MHz vs 741 MHz). The A380M also has a known TDP of 35 W, whereas the N1X's TDP is unknown, and the A380M uses a 6 nm node versus the N1X's 5 nm node.

For use-case segmentation, the A380M is clearly aimed at portable devices requiring a discrete GPU in an MXM form factor, with full modern graphics API support. The N1X 48SM, being an IGP with massive memory capacity and compute resources, is suited for workloads that prioritize memory bandwidth and parallel throughput over API compatibility. The data shows no overlap in form factor, memory type, or API exposure.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the NVIDIA N1X 48SM is the superior hardware in nearly every measurable performance category. It delivers 28.83 TFLOPS of FP32, which is 7.04 times the A380M's 4.096 TFLOPS. Its texture rate is 900.9 GTexel/s against the A380M's 128.0 GTexel/s, a 7.04x advantage. Pixel rate is 112.6 GPixel/s versus 64.00 GPixel/s, a 1.76x lead. The N1X has 128 GB of memory versus 6 GB, a 21.3x capacity increase, and 273.2 GB/s bandwidth versus 186.0 GB/s, a 1.47x bandwidth advantage. The N1X also has 6,144 shading units versus 1,024, 384 TMUs versus 64, 48 ROPs versus 32, 48 RT cores versus 8, and 192 tensor cores versus none.

However, the N1X 48SM has no API support for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan, all listed as N/A. The A380M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. For any workload requiring those APIs, the A380M is the only viable choice from this data. The N1X also lacks a known TDP, power connector information is listed as "None," and it is an IGP, meaning it is integrated into a platform rather than a standalone module. The A380M is an MXM module with a 35 W TDP and active production status.

The verdict falls cleanly along usage lines. The N1X 48SM is for compute-heavy, memory-hungry tasks where API support is irrelevant. The A380M is for portable devices running standard graphics workloads that need DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, or Vulkan 1.4. The N1X's 5 nm process and larger die (382 mm² vs 157 mm²) suggest a more complex part, but the unknown transistor count prevents deeper analysis. The A380M's 7,200 million transistors on 157 mm² yields a density of 45.9M per mm². Neither part has recorded benchmark scores, so the percentile for both is 50, placing them at the median of all GPUs in the database, though this is based on no actual measurements.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

No head-to-head benchmark scores are recorded in the database for these two parts. The winsA and winsB fields are both zero, and the headToHeadBenchmarks array is empty. This means any comparison must rely on the specification data provided. The most significant gaps favor the N1X 48SM. FP32 throughput is 28.83 TFLOPS versus 4.096 TFLOPS, a difference of 24.734 TFLOPS, making the N1X 7.04 times faster in raw single-precision compute. FP16 performance is identical to FP32 on the N1X at 28.83 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), while the A380M achieves 8.192 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, so the N1X leads FP16 by 20.638 TFLOPS, or 3.52 times.

Texture rate is 900.9 GTexel/s for the N1X versus 128.0 GTexel/s for the A380M. Pixel rate is 112.6 GPixel/s versus 64.00 GPixel/s. Memory bandwidth is 273.2 GB/s versus 186.0 GB/s. The N1X's 128 GB memory capacity dwarfs the A380M's 6 GB. The N1X has 48 RT cores versus 8, and 192 tensor cores versus none on the A380M. The N1X's boost clock of 2346 MHz is higher than the A380M's 2000 MHz, but the A380M's base clock of 1550 MHz is more than double the N1X's 741 MHz base.

In the other direction, the A380M wins on API support, with DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 all present, while the N1X lists N/A for each. The A380M also has a defined TDP of 35 W, making it suitable for constrained power environments, whereas the N1X's TDP is unknown. The A380M uses GDDR6 memory, which is standard for discrete GPUs, while the N1X uses LPDDR5X, a lower-power memory typically found in integrated designs. The A380M has a 96-bit memory bus versus the N1X's 256-bit bus, a difference that directly contributes to the bandwidth gap.

The N1X's pixel rate advantage (112.6 vs 64.00 GPixel/s) indicates it can drive more pixels per second, which matters for high-resolution rendering, while the A380M's lower ROP count (32 vs 48) limits its fill rate. The N1X's TMU count of 384 versus 64 explains the massive texture rate gap. The N1X's 6,144 shading units versus 1,024 is a 6x difference, matching the FP32 scaling. The N1X's 5 nm process node versus the A380M's 6 nm node suggests better transistor density, though the N1X's transistor count is unknown.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM delivers 28.83 TFLOPS of FP32, which is 7.04 times the Intel Arc A380M's 4.096 TFLOPS.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The Intel Arc A380M has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus (186.0 GB/s bandwidth). The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus (273.2 GB/s bandwidth).

Q: Does the NVIDIA N1X 48SM support DirectX or Vulkan?

A: No. The N1X 48SM lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A. The Intel Arc A380M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What are the clock speeds for both parts?

A: The Intel Arc A380M has a base clock of 1550 MHz and a boost clock of 2000 MHz. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has a base clock of 741 MHz and a boost clock of 2346 MHz.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and tensor cores?

A: The NVIDIA N1X 48SM has 6,144 shading units and 192 tensor cores. The Intel Arc A380M has 1,024 shading units and no tensor cores.

Q: What are the form factors of these GPUs?

A: The Intel Arc A380M is an MXM Module with an MXM-A (3.1) bus interface, rated at 35 W TDP. The NVIDIA N1X 48SM is an IGP with a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface and no power connectors.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Arc A380M uses the DG2-128 chip based on Xe-HPG architecture, belonging to the Alchemist generation (Arc 3 Mobile). It is fabricated on TSMC's 6 nm process with 7,200 million transistors on a 157 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 45.9M per mm². The A380M includes 8 RT cores for hardware ray tracing and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Its FP16 performance is 8.192 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio relative to FP32, meaning it processes half-precision at twice the rate of single-precision. The A380M uses GDDR6 memory at 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective).

The NVIDIA N1X 48SM is built on the GB20B chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, part of the Blackwell IGP (N1x) generation. It uses TSMC's 5 nm process with a die size of 382 mm², though the transistor count is unknown. The N1X has 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, indicating dedicated hardware for ray tracing and tensor operations. Its FP16 performance equals its FP32 at 28.83 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, meaning it does not gain any throughput advantage from half-precision. The N1X uses LPDDR5X memory at 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). Critically, the N1X lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A, suggesting it does not expose standard graphics APIs, which is unusual for a GPU and may indicate a compute-focused or proprietary interface design.

The A380M's 6 nm node versus the N1X's 5 nm node means the N1X uses a more advanced process, but without the N1X's transistor count, density comparisons are impossible. The A380M's 8 RT cores are fewer than the N1X's 48, and the A380M lacks tensor cores entirely. The N1X's 1:1 FP16/FP32 ratio versus the A380M's 2:1 ratio indicates different compute priorities: the N1X treats FP16 as equal to FP32, while the A380M doubles its throughput on FP16. The A380M's Xe-HPG architecture is designed for graphics workloads with API support, while the N1X's Blackwell 2.0 architecture appears oriented toward raw compute with no API exposure listed.

Specification Differences

The two parts differ across nearly every specification field. Process node: A380M is 6 nm, N1X is 5 nm (both TSMC). Die size: A380M is 157 mm², N1X is 382 mm². Transistors: A380M has 7,200 million, N1X is unknown. Transistor density: A380M is 45.9M per mm², N1X has no value. Base clock: A380M is 1550 MHz, N1X is 741 MHz. Boost clock: A380M is 2000 MHz, N1X is 2346 MHz. Memory clock: A380M is 1937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective), N1X is 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective). Memory size: A380M is 6 GB, N1X is 128 GB. Memory type: A380M is GDDR6, N1X is LPDDR5X. Memory bus: A380M is 96-bit, N1X is 256-bit. Memory bandwidth: A380M is 186.0 GB/s, N1X is 273.2 GB/s. Shading units: A380M has 1,024, N1X has 6,144. TMUs: A380M has 64, N1X has 384. ROPs: A380M has 32, N1X has 48. RT cores: A380M has 8, N1X has 48. Tensor cores: A380M has none, N1X has 192. Pixel rate: A380M is 64.00 GPixel/s, N1X is 112.6 GPixel/s. Texture rate: A380M is 128.0 GTexel/s, N1X is 900.9 GTexel/s. FP32: A380M is 4.096 TFLOPS, N1X is 28.83 TFLOPS. FP16: A380M is 8.192 TFLOPS (2:1), N1X is 28.83 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP: A380M is 35 W, N1X is unknown. Slot width: A380M is MXM Module, N1X is IGP. Power connectors: A380M has none listed, N1X has "None". Bus interface: A380M is MXM-A (3.1), N1X is PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs: A380M is "Portable Device Dependent," N1X is 1x HDMI. APIs: A380M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4; N1X lists N/A for all. Release date: A380M is 2023-01-23, N1X is 2026-05-31. Production status: both are Active. Neither has a launch MSRP listed.