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Comprehensive Analysis of High-End and Mid-Range Laptop GPUs: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, Intel Arc A570M, and NVIDIA Quadro T500

GOOVER DAILY REPORT July 18, 2024
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Summary
  2. Overview of GPU Architectures
  3. Detailed Specifications and Performance
  4. Comparative Analysis
  5. Use Case Suitability
  6. Conclusion

1. Summary

  • The report titled "Comprehensive Analysis of High-End and Mid-Range Laptop GPUs" provides an in-depth comparison of three notable laptop GPUs: the high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, the mid-range Intel Arc A570M, and the professional-grade NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile GPU. Covering aspects such as their architectures, specifications, performance benchmarks, and practical applications, the report aims to give readers a comprehensive understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, and suitability of each GPU for various tasks. Key findings include the RTX 4080's robust performance in high-end gaming and professional applications, the Arc A570M's balanced performance for mid-range gaming, and the Quadro T500's optimization for professional workloads.

2. Overview of GPU Architectures

  • 2-1. NVIDIA Ada Lovelace Architecture

  • The NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture forms the foundation of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU (Codename GN21-X9), which was introduced in early 2023. The RTX 4080 features the AD104 chip, identical to the one used in the desktop RTX 4070 Ti, providing 7,680 shaders and a 192-bit memory bus with 12 GB GDDR6 graphics memory clocked at an effective speed of 16 or 20 Gbps. The total power draw (TGP) of the RTX 4080 ranges from 60 to 150 watts, with an additional 15 watts for Dynamic Boost from the CPU. Its clock speed varies based on the TGP, ranging from 1350 MHz (Boost at 60 watts) to 2280 MHz (150 watts). In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 significantly outperforms the previous RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU and falls just behind the RTX 4090. Moreover, it supports DLSS 3 technology with 232 fourth-generation Tensor Cores and 58 third-generation Ray Tracing Cores, making it suitable for high-end gaming and professional applications. The AD104 chip, manufactured using TSMC’s 5nm process (4N), comprises 35.8 billion transistors within a die size of 379 mm².

  • 2-2. Intel Xe Architecture

  • The Intel Arc A570M utilizes the Intel Xe architecture, specifically the ACM-G12 chip, designed for mid-range laptops. This GPU, introduced in early 2023, offers 16 Xe cores (256 ALUs), 16 Ray-Tracing Units, and 8 MB L2 cache. The clock speed ranges from 300 MHz to over 2.05 GHz in Turbo mode. The A570M features a 128-bit memory bus supporting 8 GB of GDDR6 graphics memory with an effective speed of 14 Gbps. Depending on the model, the total power draw (TGP) varies between 75 and 95 watts. This architecture delivers a performance level that places it between the AMD Radeon RX 6500M and RX 6600M, making it capable of running demanding games at medium to high detail settings. The ACM-G12 chip is produced using TSMC's 6nm manufacturing process (N6), utilizing a BGA2660 package. Furthermore, it integrates two media engines that support VP9, AVC, HEVC, and AV1 8k60 12-Bit HDR decoding, as well as 8k 10-Bit HDR encoding. It also supports up to four 4k120 HDR displays and HDMI 2.0B and DP 2.0 10G. Through the Deep Link technology, Dynamic Power Share can be utilized with a 12th generation Intel CPU (Alder Lake).

  • 2-3. NVIDIA Turing Architecture

  • The NVIDIA Turing architecture underpins the NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile GPU, a professional graphics card tailored for laptops and based on the TU117 chip. This GPU features 896 CUDA cores and a 64-bit memory bus, with variations offering either 2 GB or 4 GB of GDDR5 or GDDR6 memory. The TDP of the Quadro T500 ranges from 18 to 25 watts, depending on the configuration. The TU117 chip is manufactured using TSMC's 12nm FinFET process. Unlike the faster Quadro RTX series, the T500 does not include Ray Tracing and Tensor cores. However, it supports PCIe 4.0. Turing architecture enhancements include improved CUDA core efficiency, offering concurrent execution of floating-point and integer operations, leading to increased performance in compute-heavy tasks. The caches have been unified and doubled compared to Pascal, yielding up to 50% more instructions per clock and a 40% improvement in power efficiency. The refinements in architecture make the Quadro T500 well-suited for professional applications.

3. Detailed Specifications and Performance

  • 3-1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Specifications and Performance

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU (Codename GN21-X9) is a high-end notebook graphics card introduced at the beginning of 2023. It is based on the AD104 chip (Ada Lovelace architecture) similar to the desktop RTX 4070 Ti and offers up to 7,680 shaders, a 192-bit memory bus with 12 GB GDDR6 memory, clocked at an effective 16 or 20 Gbps. The total graphics power (TGP) can range from 60 to 150 watts, plus an additional 15 watts Dynamic Boost from the CPU. Performance-wise, it is slightly below a desktop RTX 4070 Ti but surpasses the older RTX 3080 Laptop GPU significantly. The GPU clock varies depending on the TGP settings, ranging from 1350 MHz (boost at 60 watts) to 2280 MHz (150 watts), making the RTX 4080's performance highly dependent on the notebook's cooling and TDP settings. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 significantly outperformed the RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU and is second only to the RTX 4090. This makes demanding games like F1 23 with ray tracing in QHD resolutions playable smoothly, and less demanding games can run in 4K resolutions.

  • 3-2. Intel Arc A570M Specifications and Performance

  • The Intel Arc A570M (Device ID 5696) is a mid-range dedicated graphics card for notebooks. It is built on the ACM-G12 chip and features 16 Xe cores (256 ALUs), 16 ray-tracing units, and 8 MB L2 cache. The cores' clock speed ranges from 300 MHz to 2.05+ GHz (Turbo) with a memory interface width of 128 bits supporting 8 GB GDDR6 memory at 14 Gbps. The total graphics power (TGP) is between 75 and 95 watts, depending on the model. In terms of performance, the A570M falls in the lower mid-range of dedicated laptop GPUs, positioned between AMD's Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M, capable of running demanding games with medium to high detail settings smoothly. The ACM-G12 chip is manufactured by TSMC on a 6 nm process (N6) and uses a BGA2660 package. It includes two media engines for VP9, AVC, HEVC, AV1 8k60 12-bit HDR decoding, and 8k 10-bit HDR encoding. The integrated four display pipes can support up to 4x 4k120 HDR, HDMI 2.0B, DP 2.0 10G, and Adaptive Sync.

  • 3-3. NVIDIA Quadro T500 Specifications and Benchmarks

  • The NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile, previously known as the Quadro T500, is a professional-grade mobile GPU based on the Turing architecture (TU117 chip). It is comparable to the consumer-grade GeForce MX450, featuring 896 cores and a 64-bit memory interface with either 2 or 4 GB of GDDR5 or GDDR6 graphics RAM. Depending on the variant, its total graphics power (TGP) ranges from 18 to 25 watts. Manufactured using a 12 nm FinFET process at TSMC, the T500 supports PCIe 4.0. The Turing architecture introduced ray tracing and optimized cores and caches, offering up to 50% more instructions per clock and a 40% more power-efficient usage compared to the previous Pascal generation. However, unlike the faster Quadro RTX cards, the T500 does not include ray-tracing or Tensor cores. The T500 is optimized for compute-heavy workloads, thanks to its ability to concurrently execute floating-point and integer operations. It has a maximum boost frequency of 1695 MHz and supports DirectX 12_1 and OpenGL 4.6.

4. Comparative Analysis

  • 4-1. RTX 4080 vs Arc A570M

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, introduced in early 2023, is a high-end GPU featuring the AD104 chip. It offers up to 7,680 shaders and a 192-bit memory bus with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. The GPU's power consumption ranges from 60 to 150 watts, with additional 15 watts for Dynamic Boost. The performance varies based on the laptop used, with clock speeds ranging from 1350 MHz (boost) at 60 watts to 2280 MHz at 150 watts. Key features include 232 Tensor Cores for DLSS 3 and 58 Ray Tracing Cores of the 3rd generation. This GPU can handle demanding games like F1 23 with ray tracing in QHD smoothly and less demanding games in 4K. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 outperforms the older RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU and trails only behind the RTX 4090. On the other hand, the Intel Arc A570M is a mid-range GPU based on the ACM-G12 chip, featuring 16 Xe Cores, 16 Ray Tracing Units, and 8 MB of L2 Cache. It supports 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit interface. The power consumption is between 75 and 95 watts, depending on the model. The A570M's performance falls in the lower mid-range segment, comparable to the Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M. It can handle demanding games at medium to high settings smoothly. The ACM-G12 chip is made by TSMC using a 6nm process, integrates two media engines, and supports up to four 4k120 HDR displays with HDMI 2.0b and DP 2.0 10G interfaces.

  • 4-2. RTX 4080 vs Quadro T500

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, introduced in early 2023, is designed for high-end applications. It uses the AD104 chip and provides up to 7,680 shaders with a 192-bit memory bus and 12 GB GDDR6. Its total graphics power ranges from 60 to 150 watts, plus 15 watts for Dynamic Boost, with clock speeds varying between 1350 MHz and 2280 MHz depending on the power settings and cooling of the laptop. Key features include 232 Tensor Cores for DLSS 3 and 58 Ray Tracing Cores of the 3rd generation. It excels in demanding applications and games, offering excellent performance in QHD and even 4K for less demanding tasks. In contrast, the NVIDIA Quadro T500 (formerly known as the T500 Mobile) targets professional and less demanding workloads. Based on the Turing architecture and TU117 chip, it features 896 cores and a 64-bit memory bus with 2 or 4 GB of GDDR5 or GDDR6. The TDP ranges between 18 to 25 watts. Unlike the RTX series, the T500 does not support ray tracing and Tensor Cores but is optimized for professional use with efficient CUDA cores. This improves performance in compute-heavy workloads, making it 40% more power-efficient than the previous Pascal generation.

  • 4-3. Quadro T500 vs Arc A570M

  • The Nvidia Quadro T500 is a professional mobile GPU based on the Turing architecture (TU117 chip). It includes 896 cores and a 64-bit memory bus with up to 4 GB of GDDR5 or GDDR6 memory, with TDPs ranging from 18 to 25 watts. The T500 also supports PCIe 4.0 and is manufactured using a 12nm FinFET process at TSMC. While the T500 does not include ray tracing and Tensor Cores like its RTX counterparts, it has optimized CUDA cores for concurrent execution of floating point and integer operations. This optimization improves performance in compute-heavy tasks, making it highly efficient for professional applications despite lacking the advanced features found in higher-end GPUs. The Intel Arc A570M, also a mid-range GPU, features 16 Xe Cores, 16 Ray Tracing Units, and an 8 MB L2 Cache, with a power consumption of 75 to 95 watts. It supports 8 GB GDDR6 with a 128-bit interface. The A570M's performance comes in the lower mid-range and is estimated to be between the Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M, capable of running demanding games at medium to high settings. The Arc A570M is built using a 6nm process by TSMC and includes two media engines for high-efficiency video decoding and encoding.

5. Use Case Suitability

  • 5-1. Gaming Performance

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, is a high-end graphics card introduced in early 2023. It offers 7,680 shaders, a 192-bit memory bus, and up to 16 or 20 Gbps memory speed. With a total graphics power (TGP) ranging from 60 to 150 watts (plus 15 watts for dynamic boost), the GPU demonstrates significant performance gains over its predecessor, the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, and is second only to the RTX 4090. In benchmarks, it efficiently handles demanding games like F1 23 with ray tracing enabled at QHD resolution and can also run less demanding games in 4K smoothly. The Intel Arc A570M, a mid-range dedicated graphics card for laptops, leverages the ACM-G12 chip with 16 Xe-cores, 16 ray-tracing units, and operates at clock speeds from 300 MHz up to 2.05 GHz (Turbo). Its performance is competitive within the lower mid-range segment, comfortably running demanding games at medium to high settings. The power consumption varies between 75 to 95 watts, supporting 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA Quadro T500, a professional GPU built on the Turing architecture (TU117 chip), integrates 896 cores with a 64-bit memory bus, available with 2 to 4 GB GDDR5 or GDDR6 memory. Its TGP ranges between 18 to 25 watts, making it highly energy-efficient. Although it lacks ray tracing and tensor cores, unlike higher-end Quadro RTX models, its design heavily focuses on professional work rather than gaming.

  • 5-2. Professional Workloads

  • The NVIDIA Quadro T500 serves professional applications with optimized CUDA cores for compute-heavy tasks, benefitting from concurrent execution of floating point and integer operations introduced in the Turing generation. With a power-efficient design (TGP 18-25 watts), it excels in tasks requiring sustained compute performance, such as CAD, DCC (Digital Content Creation), and other professional animations. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, while primarily aimed at high-end gaming, also performs well in professional workloads. It includes 232 fourth-generation tensor cores and 58 third-generation ray tracing cores, supporting DLSS 3 and enabling efficient execution of demanding computational tasks and rendering jobs. The Intel Arc A570M, though targeting gaming, features 16 ray-tracing units and supports media engines for diverse codecs (VP9, AVC, HEVC, AV1), making it versatile for video editing and other media-intensive workloads. Its 16 Xe-cores with dynamic power share technology further enhance its utility in professional environments, particularly when paired with Intel's 12th generation CPUs.

  • 5-3. Power Consumption and Efficiency

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU offers a flexible power consumption range from 60 to 150 watts, including an additional 15 watts for dynamic boost from the CPU. The power efficiency is highly contingent on the laptop’s thermal design and cooling capabilities. Despite its high power, it remains comparably efficient to the previous RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, yet delivering a much-improved performance. The Intel Arc A570M operates with a TGP between 75 and 95 watts, sufficient for its mid-range performance class. The 6nm manufacturing process contributes to a more compact and efficient chip design, further assisted by Deep Link dynamic power sharing with Intel’s 12th generation processors, which optimizes overall power usage between CPU and GPU. The NVIDIA Quadro T500 boasts a modest TDP range of 18-25 watts, resulting in exceptional energy efficiency ideal for mobile workstations that need to balance performance and battery life. This efficiency does not compromise its ability to handle professional workloads, owing to the Turing architecture's improvements over the Pascal generation, such as increased instructions per clock and more efficient power usage.

6. Conclusion

  • The report reveals significant insights into the performance and application suitability of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, Intel Arc A570M, and NVIDIA Quadro T500 GPU models. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 emerges as a powerful contender, excelling in high-end gaming and professional environments due to its advanced Ada Lovelace architecture and superior specifications. The Intel Arc A570M provides balanced performance suitable for mid-range gaming, bolstered by its efficient Xe architecture. The NVIDIA Quadro T500, utilizing the Turing architecture, is particularly effective for professional workloads that require compute-heavy task execution but lacks ray tracing and tensor cores. The report highlights the importance of these GPUs in their respective domains and emphasizes their practical applicability. However, it notes that the RTX 4080's performance is highly dependent on the laptop's cooling and TDP settings. Future developments may see increased power efficiency and enhanced features across these GPU segments, making them more adaptable for varied user needs. Practical suggestions for consumers and professionals include evaluating workload requirements to choose an appropriate GPU, taking into account both performance capabilities and power consumption.

7. Glossary

  • 7-1. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU [Product]

  • A high-end notebook graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 7,680 Shader cores, 192-bit memory bus, 12 GB GDDR6 memory, and a TGP of 60-150 Watts. It excels in QHD gaming and supports DLSS 3 and Raytracing.

  • 7-2. Intel Arc A570M [Product]

  • A mid-range dedicated graphics card for laptops featuring 16 Xe cores, 8 GB GDDR6 memory, and a TGP of 75-95 Watts. It offers a performance suitable for medium to high-detail gaming.

  • 7-3. NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile GPU [Product]

  • A professional mobile graphics card based on the Turing architecture with 2 or 4 GB graphics RAM, 896 cores, and a 64-bit memory bus. Its TDP ranges from 18-25 Watts, optimized for compute-heavy workloads but lacks raytracing or Tensor cores.

  • 7-4. Ada Lovelace Architecture [Technology]

  • The underlying architecture for NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4080, offering advanced features like DLSS 3 and Raytracing for high-performance gaming and professional applications.

  • 7-5. Xe Architecture [Technology]

  • The architecture used in Intel's Arc series, including the A570M, designed for efficient performance across gaming and professional workloads with its Xe cores.

  • 7-6. Turing Architecture [Technology]

  • The architecture for NVIDIA's Quadro T500, optimized for compute-heavy workloads with CUDA cores but lacking Tensor and Raytracing cores found in higher-end models.

8. Source Documents