Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB vs AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB
Side-by-side local AI comparison: VRAM, memory bandwidth, model compatibility, and estimated tokens per second across 99 open-weight models.
Quick verdict
AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB is faster for local AI inference, but only on memory bandwidth (5.3% more). Both GPUs have 32 GB VRAM and run the exact same 54 models natively; neither fits anything the other can't. Note: Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB uses VULKAN while AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB uses ROCM; software ecosystem matters for your framework.
Analysis
The Intel Arc Pro B70 and AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 both launched as 32GB workstation cards built for local AI inference, seven months apart. The R9700 came first, at $1,299; this card followed in March 2026 at $949, $350 (27%) less. Same VRAM ceiling, different vendor, different price, so the real question is what that $350 actually buys.
Both cards share an identical 32GB of VRAM, so both fit the exact same 54 of this site's 99 tracked models natively at 8k context; capacity, not bandwidth, decides that boundary, and here the two are tied. Bandwidth is where they actually differ: the R9700's 640 GB/s beats this card's 608 GB/s by 5.3%, and this site's calculator shows that gap carrying into decode speed on every model both cards fit. Qwen 3.6 27B at Q6 runs 21.6 tok/s on the Arc Pro B70 versus 22.6 tok/s on the R9700; Llama 3.1 8B at Q4 runs 76.7 tok/s versus 80.1 tok/s, both about 4.5% apart against the 5.3% bandwidth gap. Software is the sharper divide: the R9700 needs ROCm 6.4.1 or newer (7.x recommended), Linux-only for GPU acceleration, validated on a narrow list of distros. The B70's Vulkan backend in llama.cpp works out of the box on both Linux and Windows, with a SYCL backend and an emerging OpenVINO path as alternatives.
Bottom line: At $350 less, the Arc Pro B70 gives up a real but modest 4% to 5% of decode speed for identical model compatibility and a simpler, more portable software stack. Unless ROCm's ecosystem or a specific AMD software dependency already anchors your workflow, the B70's price and driver simplicity make it the easier default at this capacity tier. The R9700's advantage is a small, consistent speed edge, not a wider set of models it can run.
Specs comparison
| Spec | Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB | AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Bandwidth | 608 GB/s | 640 GB/s(+5%) |
| Architecture | Xe2-HPG (Battlemage) | RDNA 4 |
| Backend | VULKAN | ROCM |
| Tier | Workstation | Workstation |
| Released | 2026 | 2025 |
| Models (native) | 54 | 54 |
Estimated tokens per second
Computed from memory bandwidth and model active-parameter weight. Assumes model fits natively in VRAM.
| Model | Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB | AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.3 70B Instruct(70B) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Qwen 3.6 27B(27B) | 21.6 t/s(Q6_K) | 22.6 t/s(Q6_K) | -4% |
| Llama 3.1 8B Instruct(8B) | 29.6 t/s(BF16) | 31 t/s(BF16) | -5% |
| Qwen 2.5 7B Instruct(7.6B) | 32.3 t/s(BF16) | 33.9 t/s(BF16) | -5% |
Delta is Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB relative to AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB, compared at the highest quantization that fits natively on both cards.
Only Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB can run(0)
No exclusive models: AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB can run everything Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB can.
Only AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB can run(0)
No exclusive models: Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB can run everything AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB can.
Both run natively(54)
These models fit in VRAM on both GPUs. Bandwidth determines which runs them faster.
- Mixtral 8x7B Instruct v0.151.6 t/svs53.5 t/s
- Command-R 35B21.1 t/svs22.2 t/s
- Qwen 3.5 35B-A3B (MoE)86.9 t/svs88.6 t/s
- Qwen 3.6 35B-A3B (MoE)86.9 t/svs88.6 t/s
- Ornith 1.5 35B-A3B (MoE)86.9 t/svs88.6 t/s
- Yi 1.5 34B Chat18.8 t/svs19.7 t/s
- Qwen3 32B20 t/svs21 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 32B Instruct19.6 t/svs20.5 t/s
- Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B Instruct19.6 t/svs20.5 t/s
- DeepSeek R1 Distill Qwen 32B19.6 t/svs20.5 t/s
- Nemotron 3 Nano 30B71.1 t/svs72.3 t/s
- Gemma 4 31B18.7 t/svs19.6 t/s
- Qwen3 30B-A3B (MoE)67.8 t/svs69.2 t/s
- Nemotron 3.5 Lightning 30B-A3B69 t/svs70.2 t/s
- Muse Glimmer 30B21.7 t/svs22.7 t/s
- Gemma 2 27B Instruct19.9 t/svs20.9 t/s
- +38 more on both
Which should you choose?
- • You want the newer architecture and longer driver support lifecycle
- • Faster token generation is the priority
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better for local AI, the Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB or AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB?
- For local AI inference, the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB has the edge. It offers 32 GB VRAM (vs 32 GB) and 640 GB/s bandwidth (vs 608 GB/s), letting it run 54 models natively in VRAM vs 54 for its rival.
- How much VRAM does the Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB have vs the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB?
- The Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB has 32 GB of GDDR6 at 608 GB/s. The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB has 32 GB of GDDR6 at 640 GB/s. Both GPUs have the same VRAM amount; bandwidth determines which generates tokens faster.
- Can the Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB run Llama 3.3 70B?
- The Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB can run Llama 3.3 70B with CPU offload at Q4_K_M, but at reduced speed.
- Can the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB run Llama 3.3 70B?
- The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB can run Llama 3.3 70B with CPU offload at Q4_K_M, but at reduced speed.
- What is the difference between the Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB and AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB for AI?
- The key difference for AI inference is VRAM and memory bandwidth. The Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB has 32 GB VRAM at 608 GB/s (VULKAN backend). The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB has 32 GB VRAM at 640 GB/s (ROCM backend). VRAM determines which models fit; bandwidth determines tokens per second. The Intel Arc Pro B70 32GB runs 54 models natively vs 54 for the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 32GB.