Intel Arc A380 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960: real performance and FPS — which is better? Full comparison
Detailed gaming performance comparison
Reference CPU: Intel Core i5-13400
We compare the Intel Arc A380 and the GTX 960 with real FPS across the most popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, plus specs, launch price and AI upscaling support (DLSS/FSR/XeSS). See at a glance which is better for your resolution and budget.
The Intel Arc A380 is ~15% faster than the GTX 960 on average at 1080p. On top of that, the Intel Arc A380 is 30% cheaper (launch price).
Intel Arc A380
- Index (1080p)
- 14/100
- VRAM
- 6 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $139 · ≈ €128
- $/FPS (value)
- $9.27 · ≈ €8.53
- Upscaling
- XeSS
GTX 960
- Index (1080p)
- 12/100
- VRAM
- 2 GB
- Price (MSRP)
- $199 · ≈ €183
- $/FPS (value)
- $15.31 · ≈ €14.08
- Upscaling
- FSR
Average FPS by resolution
Estimated average FPS for each graphics card across the most popular games. The gap usually shows at 1080p and 1440p; at 4K both lose smoothness and upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps.
| Resolution | Intel Arc A380 | GTX 960 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p | 15 | 13 | +15% |
| 1440p | 8 | 7 | +14% |
| 4K | 5 | 5 | = |
Which one for your resolution?
Intel Arc A380 (+15%)
Intel Arc A380 (+14%)
Tie
Specifications
Side-by-side specs of the Intel Arc A380 and GTX 960: VRAM, power draw (TDP), performance index and launch price. The better value in each row is highlighted in blue.
| Spec | Intel Arc A380 | GTX 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Intel | NVIDIA |
| VRAM | 6 GB | 2 GB |
| TDP | 75W | 120W |
| Tier | Entry-level | Entry-level |
| Score 1080p | 14 | 12 |
| Score 1440p | 9 | 8 |
| Score 4K | 4 | 3 |
| Price (MSRP) | $139 | $199 |
| Architecture | Alchemist | Maxwell |
| Process Node | TSMC 6nm | TSMC 28nm |
| Shading Units (CUDA/Stream) | 1024 | 1024 |
| RT Cores | 8 | — |
| Texture Units (TMUs) | 64 | 64 |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| Base Clock | 2000 MHz | 1127 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2450 MHz | 1178 MHz |
| FP32 Performance (Teraflops) | 4.2 TFLOPS | 2.41 TFLOPS |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Clock | 15500 MHz | 7000 MHz |
| Memory Bus | 96-bit | 128-bit |
| Memory Bandwidth | 186 GB/s | 112 GB/s |
| PCIe Version | PCIe 4.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Transistor Count | 7.2B | 2.9B |
| Release Date | 2022-06-15 | 2015-01-22 |
Power & efficiency
TDP doesn't tell the whole story: here's how much each GPU delivers per watt it draws.
Intel Arc A380
- TDP
- 75W
- FPS/W
- 0.20
GTX 960
- TDP
- 120W
- FPS/W
- 0.11
The Intel Arc A380 is more efficient: it draws 45W less and delivers more per watt, though the Intel Arc A380 is still the faster card overall.
What FPS do these GPUs get in your game?
Pick the GPU and the game, and we'll take you straight to its real FPS.
Pick the GPU
Gaming Performance
Per-game FPS detail at 1080p Ultra. The graphics card that wins each title is highlighted in blue.
| Game | Intel Arc A380 | GTX 960 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 16 | 14 | Intel Arc A380 |
 | 15 | 13 | Intel Arc A380 |
 | 12 | 10 | Intel Arc A380 |
 | 13 | 11 | Intel Arc A380 |
 | 13 | 11 | Intel Arc A380 |
| 13 | 11 | Intel Arc A380 | |
 | 16 | 13 | Intel Arc A380 |
 | 16 | 14 | Intel Arc A380 |
 | 18 | 16 | Intel Arc A380 |
 | 15 | 12 | Intel Arc A380 |
Verdict
Intel Arc A380 wins in 10 out of 10 games
At CheckFPS we measured both cards across 10 popular games at 1080p, 1440p and 4K on a reference CPU. The Intel Arc A380 comes out ahead by around 15% more FPS on average, and that lead holds up as resolution climbs. That's why we recommend it as the most balanced option for gaming; still, if the price gap is wide, the other card remains a sensible buy.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions when comparing the Intel Arc A380 with the GTX 960.
Which is better, the Intel Arc A380 or the GTX 960?
On average at 1080p, the Intel Arc A380 is 15% faster than the GTX 960. The best one for you depends on your resolution, budget and whether you prioritise ray tracing or price.
Which is better at 4K?
At 4K Ultra, the Intel Arc A380 averages 5 FPS and the GTX 960 5 FPS across the most popular games. For smooth 4K, enabling upscaling (DLSS/FSR) helps on both.
Is it worth paying more for the faster one?
At 1080p or 1440p the FPS gap may not justify the extra cost; at 4K or with ray tracing the faster card matters more. Check the by-resolution table to decide.
Which has better ray tracing and upscaling?
AI upscaling (DLSS on NVIDIA, FSR on AMD, XeSS on Intel) raises FPS on both; for ray tracing, GeForce RTX cards usually lead. See each card’s support above.
How big is the FPS difference between them?
On average across top games, the gap is around 15% at 1080p. At higher resolutions (1440p and 4K) the relative difference usually stays similar.
Intel Arc A380 vs 960: what's the real difference?
In performance, the Intel Arc A380 beats the GTX 960 by around 15% more FPS on average at 1080p — the gap shifts a bit by resolution, as shown in the table above. If you're torn between the Intel Arc A380 and the 960 on price, the price and $/FPS section above can help you decide.
