The report titled 'Comparative Analysis of Modern Laptop GPUs: NVIDIA RTX 4080, RTX 4050, Intel Arc A570M, and Quadro T500' provides a detailed examination of various modern laptop GPUs. The key focus areas include the specifications, performance characteristics, and benchmarks of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, RTX 4050, Intel Arc A570M, Arc A770M, and the NVIDIA Quadro T500. The report aims to inform users about the capabilities and suitability of each GPU for various applications, ranging from gaming to professional tasks. Key findings highlight that the RTX 4080 excels in high-end gaming, while the RTX 4050 targets 1080p gaming. The Intel Arc GPUs offer a mid-range option with varied performance for multimedia and gaming applications, and the Quadro T500 displays efficiency in compute-heavy professional tasks. Detailed benchmark analyses reveal significant performance differences among the GPUs, allowing users to make informed decisions based on their specific requirements.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU (Codename GN21-X9) is a high-end notebook graphics card introduced in early 2023. It is based on the AD104 chip (Ada Lovelace architecture) and offers up to 7,680 shaders with a 192-bit memory bus and 12 GB of GDDR6 VRAM with effective clock speeds of 16 or 20 Gbps. The TGP (Total Graphics Power) ranges from 60 to 150 watts, with an additional 15 watts from Dynamic Boost (CPU). The GPU clock speeds can vary depending on the TGP settings, ranging from 1350 MHz (Boost at 60 watts) to 2280 MHz (150 watts). The chip is manufactured on TSMC's 5nm process (4N) and contains 35.8 billion transistors with a die size of 379 mm².
The performance of the RTX 4080 Laptop GPU is highly dependent on the TDP setting and cooling capacity of the notebook in which it is used. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 shows superior performance compared to the older RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU, positioning itself just behind the RTX 4090. It supports 4th generation Tensor cores for DLSS 3, including frame generation, and 3rd generation Ray Tracing cores. The GPU is capable of running demanding games such as F1 23 in QHD resolutions with ray tracing enabled. In less demanding games, 4K gameplay is achievable without ray tracing.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU (Codename GN21-X2) is a mid-range notebook graphics card released in early 2023. It is based on the AD107 chip (Ada Lovelace architecture) and features a 96-bit memory bus with 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, clocking at an effective 16 Gbps. The TGP ranges from 35 to 115 watts, with an additional 10-25 watts from Dynamic Boost (CPU). The Boost clock speeds range from 1605 MHz (35 watts) to 2370 MHz (115 watts). The chip is also produced using TSMC's 5nm process (4N).
The performance of the RTX 4050 Laptop GPU is largely determined by the TDP setting. According to benchmarks, it is positioned between the RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU and the RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. This makes it suitable for 1080p gaming at high to maximum settings, depending on the game. The RTX 4050 includes 80 Tensor cores for DLSS 3 support, which can offer a significant performance boost in compatible games. However, it is less capable in ray tracing, with its 20 Ray Tracing cores not being as effective due to the GPU's overall performance limitations.
Comparatively, the RTX 4080 significantly outperforms the RTX 4050 in terms of raw power and feature set. The RTX 4080, with its higher number of shaders, larger memory bus, and greater VRAM capacity, is designed for high-end gaming and professional applications, offering the ability to handle 4K gaming and advanced ray tracing scenarios. Conversely, the RTX 4050 is more suited for 1080p gaming and lighter workloads. The RTX 4080 also has a wider range of TGP settings (60-150 watts) compared to the RTX 4050 (35-115 watts), leading to higher performance variability based on notebook design and cooling solutions.
The Intel Arc A570M is a dedicated mid-range graphics card for notebooks. It is based on the ACM-G12 chip and features 16 Xe-cores (256 ALUs), 16 Ray-Tracing Units, and 8 MB L2-Cache. The GPU clock speeds range from 300 MHz to 2050 MHz in Turbo mode. It has a 128-bit memory interface supporting 8 GB of GDDR6 graphics memory at 14 Gbps. The total graphics power (TGP) varies between 75 and 95 watts, depending on the model. The chip is manufactured by TSMC using the 6nm process (N6 process) and integrates two media engines capable of VP9, AVC, HEVC, AV1 8k60 12-Bit HDR decoding and 8k 10-Bit HDR encoding. The integrated four display pipes support 4x 4k120 HDR, HDMI 2.0B, DP 2.0 10G, and Adaptive Sync.
The performance of the Intel Arc A570M GPU falls into the lower mid-range category for dedicated laptop graphics cards. It is expected to perform between the Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M, capable of running demanding games smoothly at medium to high detail levels. Compared to the slower Arc A550M, the A570M differs primarily due to its higher clock speeds and TDP values. The Deep Link feature allows the Dynamic Power Share function when used with a 12th generation Intel CPU (Alder Lake).
The Intel Arc A770M is a dedicated high-mid-range graphics card for notebooks. It is based on the ACM-G10 chip, featuring 32 Xe-cores (512 ALUs), 32 Ray-Tracing Units, and caches of 6 MB L1 and 16 MB L2. The clock speeds range from 300 MHz to 2050 MHz in Turbo mode. It has a 256-bit memory interface supporting 16 GB of GDDR6 memory at 16 Gbps. The TGP ranges between 120 and 150 watts, depending on the model. The ACM-G10 chip is manufactured at TSMC using the 6nm process (N6), with 21.7 billion transistors and a die size of 406 mm². The chip also integrates two media engines and supports up to four 4k120 HDR displays and Dynamic Power Share when paired with a 12th generation Intel CPU (Alder Lake).
The performance of the Intel Arc A770M GPU is positioned in the upper mid-range of dedicated laptop graphics cards, expected to be slightly below an NVIDIA RTX 3070 in terms of power consumption and performance. The exact performance details are not entirely clear, but the A770M is expected to deliver a robust gaming and multimedia experience, as it features higher clock speeds and more Xe-cores compared to lower-tier models.
When comparing the Intel Arc A570M and A770M, several differences are evident. The A570M, a mid-range offering, has 16 Xe-cores, 16 Ray-Tracing Units, and an 8 GB GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit memory interface, suitable for medium to high gaming settings. On the other hand, the A770M is a higher mid-range card with 32 Xe-cores, 32 Ray-Tracing Units, and a 16 GB GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit memory interface, providing better performance and higher detail levels in gaming and multimedia applications. The A770M also includes higher clock speed options and a wider memory bus, making it more suitable for users requiring intense computational tasks and higher frame rates in games.
The Nvidia Quadro T500 Mobile (formerly known as Quadro T500) for laptops is a professional mobile graphics card based on the Turing architecture (TU117 chip). It shares the same core architecture as the consumer GeForce MX450, featuring 896 cores and a 64-bit memory bus. The T500 is available in versions with 2 or 4 GB of graphics RAM (GDDR5 or GDDR6). It supports PCIe 4.0 and is manufactured using a 12nm FinFET process at TSMC. The TDP (Thermal Design Power) varies between 18 to 25 Watts, depending on the variant.
The Turing architecture in the Quadro T500 introduces several enhancements over previous generations, including the concurrent execution of floating point and integer operations, leading to increased performance in compute-heavy workloads. The caches are reworked, featuring a new unified memory architecture with double the cache capacity compared to the Pascal architecture. This results in up to 50% more instructions per clock and a 40% improvement in power efficiency compared to Pascal. Unlike the higher-end Quadro RTX cards, the T500 does not include raytracing and Tensor cores. It is designed to provide efficient performance for professional applications and compute-intensive tasks typically required by modern games and professional software.
The NVIDIA Quadro T500 has been benchmarked using several industry-standard tests to evaluate its performance. In 3DMark benchmarks (11, Fire Strike, Time Spy), and SPECviewperf (versions 13 and 2020), the T500 shows competitive performance in professional tasks. Cinebench R11.5 and R15 (OpenGL 64 Bit) and GFXBench tests highlight the T500's capabilities in rendering tasks. Game benchmarks suggest varying performance levels, with the T500 being capable of playable settings in many modern games at lower resolutions such as 1280x720 and 1920x1080. Higher resolutions like 4K (3840x2160) and QHD (2560x1440) are challenging for it in ultra settings. It's optimized for applications requiring stable performance and efficiency rather than high-end gaming.
The gaming performance of modern laptop GPUs, particularly the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, RTX 4050, Intel Arc A570M, and Quadro T500, was analyzed using various benchmarks. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 excels in high-end gaming, outperforming its predecessor, the RTX 3080 Ti. It can handle games like F1 23 with raytracing in QHD smoothly and supports 4K gaming without raytracing. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, positioned between the RTX 3050 Ti and RTX 3060, is suitable for 1080p gaming at high to maximum detail settings. The Intel Arc A570M, with its performance between Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M, is capable of playing demanding games at medium to high settings. Finally, the Quadro T500, being a professional GPU, is less focused on gaming but supports lower resolutions and less demanding titles comfortably.
The performance of the GPUs in multimedia applications such as video encoding and decoding was assessed. The Intel Arc A570M integrates two media engines for VP9, AVC, HEVC, and AV1 8k60 12-bit HDR decoding and 8K 10-bit HDR encoding. Similarly, the Quadro T500 supports PCIe 4.0 and offers concurrent execution of floating point and integer operations for enhanced performance in compute-heavy workloads. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 features 232 Tensor cores for DLSS 3 and frame generation, significantly boosting performance in supported applications. The RTX 4050 also supports DLSS 3 but with limited raytracing capabilities due to its lower number of Tensor and Raytracing cores.
Professional workload performance, particularly in applications like 3D rendering and CAD software, varies significantly among the GPUs. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 and Quadro T500 demonstrate excellence in compute-intensive tasks. The Quadro T500, built on the Turing architecture, offers increased performance with up to 50% more instructions per clock and 40% more power-efficient usage compared to the Pascal generation. The Intel Arc A570M and A770M integrate Deep Link technology with 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs for Dynamic Power Share and feature extensive support for professional applications, including 4x 4k120 HDR display outputs and advanced media engines. The broad benchmarks show that while the RTX 4080 is superior in professional workloads, Intel’s Arc GPUs provide a viable mid-range option, and the Quadro T500 remains an efficient solution for professional use.
The comparative analysis of modern laptop GPUs in the report highlights key findings that will aid users in selecting the appropriate GPU based on their needs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 emerges as the top performer for high-end gaming and multimedia tasks. Its advanced specifications and performance characteristics make it suitable for demanding applications, offering outstanding power efficiency. The RTX 4050 provides a viable option for 1080p gaming with effective use of DLSS 3 technology. Intel’s Arc A570M and A770M serve well in the mid-range category, offering varied performance across multimedia and gaming applications. The A770M, with its higher number of Xe-cores and memory capacity, provides better overall performance compared to the A570M. The NVIDIA Quadro T500, designed for professional workloads, delivers efficient performance for render-heavy and compute-intensive tasks, although it lacks the high-end gaming capability of the RTX series. Limitations include the varying TGP settings that can affect overall performance, particularly for the RTX models. Future developments might focus on improved cooling solutions and more efficient power use. The findings are practical for users needing GPUs for specific tasks, from intense gaming to professional applications, enabling them to choose the best-fit GPU for their workload demands.
A high-end laptop GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, offering significant performance for gaming and multimedia applications. It features 7,680 shaders and 12 GB GDDR6 memory, with a TGP ranging from 60 to 150 watts.
A mid-range laptop GPU also based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, focusing on 1080p gaming. It includes 6 GB GDDR6 memory and leverages DLSS 3 for enhanced gaming speed.
A mid-range laptop GPU with 8 GB GDDR6 memory, suitable for multimedia applications. Positioned weakly against AMD’s Radeon RX series, it supports 8K HDR encoding.
A mid-range graphics card with 32 Xe cores, supporting 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a TGP of 120-150 Watts. It offers varied performance influenced by thermal settings.
A professional mobile graphics card based on the Turing architecture, featuring 896 cores and a 64-bit memory bus. It is available with 2 or 4 GB of GDDR5 or GDDR6 graphics RAM.