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Comparative Analysis of Modern Laptop GPUs: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, Intel Arc A570M, and NVIDIA Quadro T500

GOOVER DAILY REPORT July 17, 2024
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Summary
  2. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU
  3. Intel Arc A570M
  4. NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile GPU
  5. Comparison of High-End Laptop GPUs
  6. Conclusion

1. Summary

  • This report delves into the comparative analysis of three notable laptop GPUs: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, Intel Arc A570M, and NVIDIA Quadro T500. The primary focus is on their architectural designs, core specifications, memory configurations, power consumption metrics, and performance benchmarks. The intent is to offer insights into their strengths and weaknesses across various applications such as gaming, professional tasks, and general computing. Key findings highlight the RTX 4080's high-end capabilities in 4K gaming and advanced rendering tasks, the Intel Arc A570M's balanced mid-range performance for gaming and media tasks, and the Quadro T500's efficiency in handling compute-heavy professional workloads.

2. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU

  • 2-1. Ada Lovelace Architecture

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. It utilizes the AD104 chip similar to the desktop RTX 4070 Ti and features 35,800 million transistors on a die size of 379 mm². This architecture employs a 5nm process technology from TSMC.

  • 2-2. 7,680 Shaders

  • The GPU includes a maximum of 7,680 shaders. The shader count contributes significantly to its performance, providing the computational power necessary for high-end graphical tasks and gaming.

  • 2-3. 12 GB GDDR6 Memory

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 video memory on a 192-bit memory bus. The memory operates at effective speeds of either 16 Gbps or 20 Gbps depending on the configuration.

  • 2-4. DirectX 12 Ultimate Support

  • This GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, along with Shader 6.7, OpenGL 4.6, OpenCL 3.0, and Vulkan 1.3. This wide range of API support ensures compatibility with the latest games and applications, as well as optimal performance in various rendering tasks.

  • 2-5. 4K Gaming Performance

  • In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 Laptop GPU outperforms the previous generation's RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU and is second only to the RTX 4090 Mobile. It is capable of running demanding games like F1 23 smoothly in QHD with ray tracing enabled and can handle 4K gaming for less demanding titles or without ray tracing.

  • 2-6. Comparison with RTX 3080 and RTX 4090

  • Compared to the RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, the RTX 4080 provides significantly better performance in both synthetic and real-world gaming benchmarks. However, it falls short of the RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, which leads in performance benchmarks due to higher shader counts and memory bandwidth. The RTX 4080's TGP ranges from 60 to 150 watts, with additional 15 watts possible via Dynamic Boost from the CPU.

3. Intel Arc A570M

  • 3-1. 16 Xe Cores

  • The Intel Arc A570M is built on the ACM-G12 chip and utilizes 16 Xe Cores, which correspond to 256 ALUs. These cores can operate at varying frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 2.05+ GHz in turbo mode. The integration of 16 Ray-Tracing Units and 8 MB of L2 cache enhances its graphics processing capabilities.

  • 3-2. 8 GB GDDR6 Memory

  • The GPU is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which operates at 14 Gbps on a 128-bit wide memory interface. This configuration allows for a balanced performance suitable for various applications within its power consumption range.

  • 3-3. Mid-Range Performance

  • The Intel Arc A570M is a mid-range dedicated graphics card. Its performance is positioned between the Radeon RX 6500M and RX 6600M, making it suitable for handling demanding games at medium to high detail settings. With a TGP range between 75 to 95 watts, the A570M caters well to mainstream gaming and general graphic tasks without excessive power requirements.

  • 3-4. Positioning Between Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M

  • In terms of market positioning, the Intel Arc A570M is strategically placed between the Radeon RX 6500M and RX 6600M. This makes it a competitive option for laptop users looking for mid-tier gaming and graphics performance within this specific segment.

  • 3-5. Comparison with RTX 4050

  • When compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, the Intel Arc A570M holds its ground in several areas. While both GPUs are intended for the mid-range market, the Arc A570M outperforms the RTX 4050 in terms of memory bandwidth and number of Xe Cores. However, the RTX 4050 performs better in synthetic benchmarks and specific gaming scenarios due to its optimized Ada Lovelace architecture and higher performance ray-tracing capabilities.

4. NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile GPU

  • 4-1. Turing Architecture

  • The NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile GPU is based on the Turing architecture (TU117 chip). The Turing generation optimizes core and cache architecture. The CUDA cores can now concurrently execute floating point and integer operations, leading to increased performance in compute-heavy workloads of modern applications.

  • 4-2. 896 Cores

  • The GPU features a total of 896 cores, similar to the consumer GeForce MX450. This core count contributes significantly to its parallel processing capabilities and overall performance.

  • 4-3. 64 Bit Memory Bus

  • The Quadro T500 employs a 64-bit memory bus, which is a common architecture for maintaining a balanced performance-to-efficiency ratio in professional graphics applications.

  • 4-4. 2 or 4 GB Graphics RAM

  • This GPU comes with either 2 GB or 4 GB of GDDR5 or GDDR6 graphics RAM, providing options for different performance and budget requirements. The choice of memory type and size can impact the performance in various workloads.

  • 4-5. Power Efficiency

  • The TDP (Thermal Design Power) of the T500 ranges between 18 to 25 watts based on the variant. This makes it a power-efficient option for mobile workstations without significantly compromising on performance.

  • 4-6. PCIe 4.0 Support

  • The NVIDIA Quadro T500 supports PCIe 4.0, allowing for faster data transfer rates between the GPU and the rest of the system, enhancing performance in data-intensive tasks.

  • 4-7. Performance in Compute-Heavy Workloads

  • The Turing architecture optimizations, including concurrent execution of floating point and integer operations and an improved unified memory architecture with twice the cache compared to Pascal, enable the Quadro T500 to deliver up to 50% more instructions per clock and a 40% more power-efficient usage. This makes it particularly effective in compute-heavy workloads. However, it does not include the raytracing and Tensor cores present in the higher-end Quadro RTX cards.

5. Comparison of High-End Laptop GPUs

  • 5-1. Architecture and Process Technology

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and AD104 chip, is fabricated using TSMC's 4N 5nm process and contains 35.8 billion transistors. It integrates 7,680 shaders, 232 tensor cores, and 58 ray-tracing cores. In contrast, the Intel Arc A570M, utilizing the ACM-G10 chip and built on TSMC's 6nm N6 process, includes 21.7 billion transistors and offers 512 ALUs, 32 Xe-Cores, and 32 ray-tracing units.

  • 5-2. Core Count and Memory Configurations

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 comes with 12GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit memory bus, clocked at either 16 or 20 Gbps, and ranges from 1350 MHz to 2280 MHz depending on TGP settings. The Intel Arc A570M features 16GB of GDDR6 memory with a 256-bit interface and variable clock rates between 300 MHz and 2050 MHz. These configurations contribute to differing performance profiles suitable for various computing tasks.

  • 5-3. Power Consumption

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080's power consumption (TGP) ranges from 60 to 150 watts, with an additional 15 watts possible through Dynamic Boost. The Intel Arc A570M displays a TGP range between 120 and 150 watts. These values illustrate the power demands of each GPU, influencing their use in different laptop environments.

  • 5-4. Performance Benchmarks

  • Benchmark tests show that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 significantly surpasses the older RTX 3080 Ti in synthetic benchmarks and demanding gaming environments. The Intel Arc A570M, positioned as a mid-range performer, aligns closely with the performance of other mid-tier GPUs. These comparisons underscore their capabilities in rendering, gaming, and professional tasks.

  • 5-5. Use Cases in Gaming and Content Creation

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 can handle 4K gaming with high performance, particularly excelling in games utilizing ray tracing, which is further supported by DLSS 3 technology. Conversely, the Intel Arc A570M provides efficient power use for mid-range gaming and content creation tasks. It offers robust media engine capabilities for high-res video encoding and decoding, making it suitable for mixed-use scenarios.

6. Conclusion

  • The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU emerges as a powerful option, excelling in 4K gaming and high-end content creation due to its Ada Lovelace architecture and robust memory support. The Intel Arc A570M provides a competitive mid-range performance, suited for mid-tier gaming and mixed-use applications, and stands out in power efficiency and media processing. The NVIDIA Quadro T500 Mobile GPU is tailored for professional scenarios requiring efficient handling of compute-intensive tasks, thanks to its Turing architecture. Despite its lack of ray tracing and Tensor cores, the Quadro T500 manages to deliver a significant performance boost for professional workloads. However, the report acknowledges limitations such as varying power consumption and specific needs of different user segments. Future prospects include continued architectural advancements and more efficient power handling. Real-world applicability suggests that users should select GPUs based on their specific needs, balancing performance, efficiency, and feature sets to optimize their computing experience.

7. Glossary

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

  • A high-end notebook GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 7,680 shaders, 12 GB GDDR6 memory, and DirectX 12 Ultimate support. It excels in 4K gaming and offers significant performance improvements over older models like the RTX 3080.

  • 7-2. Intel Arc A570M [Technology]

  • A mid-range GPU for notebooks featuring 16 Xe cores and 8 GB GDDR6 memory. It is positioned between the Radeon RX 6500M and 6600M and offers lower performance compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050.

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

  • A professional mobile graphics card based on the Turing architecture with 896 cores and a 64-bit memory bus. It is designed for efficient performance in compute-heavy workloads and does not feature ray tracing and Tensor cores.

8. Source Documents