AMD Instinct MI100 vs NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation and the AMD Instinct MI100 are both high-performance accelerators, but they serve fundamentally different markets. The RTX 4500 is a workstation GPU focused on graphics and professional visualization, while the MI100 is a compute-oriented accelerator designed for data centers and HPC. Despite their divergent purposes, they are compared here based on available benchmark data. The RTX 4500 Ada Generation emerges as the clear winner in the single head-to-head benchmark available, but the story is more complex when considering their respective architectures and specifications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this test, the NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation scores 160786, while the AMD Instinct MI100 scores 139035. This represents a 15.6% advantage for the NVIDIA card, a significant margin in raw compute performance as measured by this workload. The RTX 4500’s score places it in the 97th percentile of all GPUs, while the MI100 sits just behind in the 96th percentile.

Looking at the rival landscape for the RTX 4500, its average benchmark score of 166094 puts it in a tight pack. It is 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A5500 (165217) and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7800 (164894). However, it trails the AMD Radeon Pro W6900X (168574) by 1.5%. The RTX 4500 also beats the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB (162504) by 2.2%, a notable result given the A100’s reputation in compute. These numbers show that the RTX 4500 is not just a graphics card; its compute performance is competitive with dedicated accelerators.

For the AMD Instinct MI100, the average benchmark score is 139035. Its nearest rivals are all NVIDIA data center parts. It is 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB (138063) and 0.9% ahead of the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB (137731). It also outperforms the AMD Radeon PRO V620 (136472) by 1.9% and the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo (135774) by 2.4%. While the MI100 wins these comparisons, the margins are much smaller than the 15.6% gap it faces against the RTX 4500. This suggests that the MI100, while a capable compute part, is of an older generation that has been surpassed by newer architectures.

The data clearly indicates that in the OpenCL test, the RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the superior performer. The 15.6% delta is substantial and not a minor edge. It is a decisive victory that sets the tone for the rest of the analysis. The MI100’s wins against its own rivals are narrow, while the RTX 4500’s wins are more comfortable. This single benchmark suggests that for workloads that rely on OpenCL, the NVIDIA card is the better choice.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation than the AMD Instinct MI100 in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX 4500 scores 160786, which is 15.6% higher than the MI100’s 139035.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation is in the 97th percentile, while the AMD Instinct MI100 is in the 96th percentile.

Q: How does the AMD Instinct MI100 compare to the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB?

A: The MI100 scores 139035, which is 0.7% higher than the Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB’s average score of 138063.

Q: Does the AMD Instinct MI100 support DirectX or OpenGL?

A: No, the API support for the MI100 is listed as N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, indicating it is a compute-only accelerator with no display outputs.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two cards?

A: The AMD Instinct MI100 has a memory bandwidth of 1.23 TB/s, while the NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation has a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock speed?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation has a boost clock of 2580 MHz, while the AMD Instinct MI100 has a boost clock of 1502 MHz.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures, reflecting their different design goals. The NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation uses the AD103 chip based on the Ada Lovelace architecture. This is a 5 nm process from TSMC, allowing for a transistor count of 45,900 million on a die size of 379 mm². This results in a transistor density of 121.1M / mm². The Ada Lovelace architecture is designed for ray tracing, AI, and professional graphics, and it includes dedicated RT cores and tensor cores. The card has 60 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, making it a full-featured workstation part.

In contrast, the AMD Instinct MI100 is built on the Arcturus chip using the older CDNA 1.0 architecture. It is manufactured on a 7 nm process from TSMC, with a transistor count of 25,600 million on a much larger die of 750 mm². This gives it a lower transistor density of 34.1M / mm². The CDNA architecture is compute-focused, and the MI100 has no RT cores or tensor cores listed. It is a pure compute accelerator, lacking the specialized hardware for graphics workloads. The design prioritizes raw floating-point throughput and memory bandwidth over graphics features.

A key architectural difference is the memory type. The MI100 uses HBM2 with a massive 4096-bit bus, which provides 1.23 TB/s of bandwidth. This is critical for compute workloads that are memory-bound. The RTX 4500 uses GDDR6 with a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s. While the RTX 4500’s bandwidth is lower, it is still substantial for a workstation card. This difference in memory architecture highlights their intended uses: massive data throughput for the MI100 versus balanced performance for the RTX 4500.

The RTX 4500 supports modern graphics APIs, including DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI100 has no APIS listed, reinforcing its role as a compute-only device. The RTX 4500 also has four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the MI100 has no display outputs at all. These differences are not minor; they define the product categories. The RTX 4500 is a graphics card that can also compute, while the MI100 is a compute card that cannot do graphics.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ significantly across nearly every specification, reflecting their different market positions.

| Specification | NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation | AMD Instinct MI100 |

|:---|:---|:---|

| Process Node | 5 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | 45,900 million | 25,600 million |

| Die Size | 379 mm² | 750 mm² |

| Base Clock | 2070 MHz | 1000 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2580 MHz | 1502 MHz |

| Memory Size | 24 GB | 32 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | HBM2 |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 4096 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 432.0 GB/s | 1.23 TB/s |

| TMUs | 240 | 480 |

| ROPs | 80 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 206.4 GPixel/s | 96.13 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 619.2 GTexel/s | 721.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 39.63 TFLOPS | 23.07 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 39.63 TFLOPS (1:1) | 46.14 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 210 W | 300 W |

| Power Connectors | None | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 700 W |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | No outputs |

| Release Date | 2023-08-08 | 2020-11-15 |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

The RTX 4500 has a clear advantage in clock speeds, with a boost clock of 2580 MHz versus the MI100’s 1502 MHz. This contributes to its higher FP32 performance of 39.63 TFLOPS versus 23.07 TFLOPS. The MI100, however, has a higher FP16 performance at 46.14 TFLOPS (2:1) compared to the RTX 4500’s 39.63 TFLOPS (1:1). The MI100 also has more TMUs (480 vs 240) and a higher texture rate, but the RTX 4500 has more ROPs and a higher pixel rate. The MI100 draws more power at 300 W versus 210 W, requiring a 700 W PSU compared to 550 W, and has a higher TDP. The RTX 4500 has a significant price-to-performance advantage implied by its lower power draw and newer process node, though no pricing is available. The MI100 is also end-of-life, while the RTX 4500 is active, further indicating a generational gap.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is clear: the NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the faster card in the Geekbench OpenCL test, beating the AMD Instinct MI100 by 15.6%. For any user or workload that relies on this benchmark, the RTX 4500 is the superior choice. Its higher FP32 performance, faster clock speeds, and more modern architecture give it a decisive edge in general compute tasks.

However, the choice is not simply about one benchmark. The AMD Instinct MI100 is built for a different purpose. Its massive 32 GB of HBM2 memory and 1.23 TB/s of bandwidth are designed for memory-intensive HPC workloads, such as large-scale simulations and scientific computing, where memory capacity and bandwidth are more important than raw clock speed. Its higher FP16 performance (46.14 TFLOPS vs 39.63 TFLOPS) is also a boon for AI and machine learning applications that utilize mixed-precision training. The MI100’s lack of display outputs and APIs means it is not a workstation card; it is a server accelerator.

The RTX 4500 Ada Generation, in contrast, is a professional workstation GPU. It offers the full package: graphics capabilities, AI acceleration with tensor cores, and ray tracing hardware. It is a versatile card for professionals who need both visualization and compute power. Its lower power draw of 210 W and lack of power connectors make it easier to integrate into a workstation. The RTX 4500 is also newer, active, and built on a more advanced 5 nm process, giving it a longer useful life.

In the end, the data suggests that the RTX 4500 Ada Generation is the better choice for most users. It wins the only direct benchmark, has a higher percentile ranking, and offers a more balanced feature set. The MI100 is a specialized tool for a specific niche. If the workload requires massive memory bandwidth and FP16 throughput, the MI100 is the relevant product. Otherwise, the RTX 4500 is the recommended pick based on its superior OpenCL performance and modern architecture. The verdict is not close: the NVIDIA card is the overall winner in this comparison.