GPU Comparison

The benchmark data places the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell and AMD Instinct MI100 in different performance tiers, with the NVIDIA card leading by a substantial margin in the only directly comparable test. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is a current-generation workstation GPU built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, while the MI100 is an end-of-life compute accelerator based on the older CDNA 1.0 architecture. The data shows a decisive victory for NVIDIA, but the AMD card still holds relevance in specific compute scenarios due to its HBM2 memory and high FP16 throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark between the two cards is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are lopsided. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell scores 254,116 points, while the AMD Instinct MI100 scores 139,035 points. This translates to an 82.8% advantage for the NVIDIA card. That is not a marginal win; it is a near-doubling of raw compute output in a general-purpose GPU compute workload. For context, the MI100’s average benchmark score of 139,035 places it just 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB and 0.9% ahead of the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, meanwhile, sits in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the MI100’s 96th percentile.

The Geekbench OpenCL result reflects the NVIDIA card’s massive architectural and specification advantages. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell delivers 66.94 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, nearly three times the MI100’s 23.07 TFLOPS. Its FP16 output is listed as 66.94 TFLOPS (1:1), while the MI100 reaches 46.14 TFLOPS (2:1). Even accounting for the MI100’s faster FP16 ratio, the NVIDIA card remains ahead. The pixel rate tells a similar story: 380.3 GPixel/s versus 96.13 GPixel/s, a 4x gap. Texture rate is also higher on the NVIDIA card at 1,045.9 GTexel/s versus 721.0 GTexel/s.

The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell also wins on memory bandwidth. Its GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.34 TB/s, slightly edging out the MI100’s HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus at 1.23 TB/s. This is notable because HBM2 is traditionally associated with high-bandwidth compute, yet the newer GDDR7 implementation on the NVIDIA card matches and exceeds it. The MI100 does have double the memory bus width (4096-bit vs 384-bit), but the higher effective clock speed of the NVIDIA memory (28 Gbps vs 2.4 Gbps) overcomes that deficit.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell wins in every measurable category from the data. It is faster in raw compute, memory bandwidth, pixel fill, and texture fill. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 282,631 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 9,579.5 further demonstrate its strength in graphics and modern API workloads. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the MI100 lists N/A for all three APIs, confirming it is a compute-only accelerator with no display outputs.

The AMD Instinct MI100 does have one theoretical advantage: its FP16 performance ratio. At 46.14 TFLOPS (2:1), it delivers twice its FP32 rate, which can be beneficial for AI inference workloads that rely on half-precision math. However, the NVIDIA card’s FP16 output is 66.94 TFLOPS (1:1), meaning it still outperforms the MI100 in absolute FP16 throughput. The MI100’s HBM2 memory, while slightly lower in bandwidth, does offer a 4096-bit bus, which can be advantageous for certain memory-latency-sensitive workloads. Still, the data shows no benchmark win for the AMD card.

For users specifically needing display outputs, the MI100 is disqualified entirely. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell offers 4x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the MI100 has no outputs. The NVIDIA card also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, doubling the interface bandwidth of the MI100’s PCIe 4.0 x16.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell uses the GB202 chip on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Instinct MI100 uses the Arcturus chip on the CDNA 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 5 nm allows for much higher transistor density, which is evident in the specifications. The NVIDIA chip packs 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, yielding a density of 122.9M transistors per mm². The AMD chip has 25,600 million transistors on the same 750 mm² die size, yielding just 34.1M transistors per mm².

This density advantage translates directly into more compute resources. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell features 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, and 160 ROPs. It also includes 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores, providing dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI tensor operations. The MI100 has 7,680 shading units, 480 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, but it lists no RT cores and no tensor cores. It relies on its general-purpose shaders for compute, which is a significant architectural limitation for modern AI and graphics workloads.

The memory architectures also differ fundamentally. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell uses 48 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus, while the MI100 uses 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus. The NVIDIA card’s memory runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective), while the AMD card’s memory runs at 1200 MHz (2.4 Gbps effective). The NVIDIA card’s bandwidth of 1.34 TB/s edges out the MI100’s 1.23 TB/s. The MI100’s 4096-bit bus is wider, but the NVIDIA card’s much higher memory clock speed compensates.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every specification. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell has a base clock of 1740 MHz and a boost clock of 2377 MHz, compared to the MI100’s 1000 MHz base and 1502 MHz boost. The NVIDIA card’s FP32 performance is 66.94 TFLOPS versus 23.07 TFLOPS for the AMD card. Its FP16 performance is 66.94 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 46.14 TFLOPS (2:1). Pixel rate is 380.3 GPixel/s versus 96.13 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 1,045.9 GTexel/s versus 721.0 GTexel/s.

Memory capacity differs: 48 GB GDDR7 versus 32 GB HBM2. The NVIDIA card uses a 384-bit bus, while the AMD card uses a 4096-bit bus. Bandwidth is 1.34 TB/s versus 1.23 TB/s. Shading units are 14,080 versus 7,680. TMUs are 440 versus 480. ROPs are 160 versus 64. The NVIDIA card has 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores; the AMD card has none.

Power and physical specs are similar in some regards. Both are dual-slot cards with a 300 W TDP and a recommended 700 W PSU. Both are 267 mm long and 111 mm tall. However, the NVIDIA card is 40 mm wide, while the width of the AMD card is not listed. The NVIDIA card uses a single 16-pin power connector, while the AMD card uses two 8-pin connectors. The NVIDIA card is PCIe 5.0 x16, while the AMD card is PCIe 4.0 x16. The NVIDIA card has 4x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs; the AMD card has no outputs.

The NVIDIA card was released on March 17, 2025, and is currently active in production. The AMD card was released on November 15, 2020, and is end-of-life. The NVIDIA card has a launch MSRP of 5,099 USD; no launch MSRP is listed for the AMD card.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell has an average benchmark score of 182,109, while the AMD Instinct MI100 has an average score of 139,035. The NVIDIA card sits in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the MI100’s 96th percentile.

Q: How does the FP32 performance compare?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell delivers 66.94 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is roughly 2.9 times the MI100’s 23.07 TFLOPS. This is a major factor in the NVIDIA card’s 82.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: Does the AMD Instinct MI100 support display outputs?

A: No. The MI100 lists no display outputs, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell offers 4x DisplayPort 2.1b. The MI100 also has N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan support, confirming it is compute-only.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each card?

A: The NVIDIA card has 48 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus with 1.34 TB/s bandwidth. The AMD card has 32 GB of HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus with 1.23 TB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA card’s higher effective memory clock (28 Gbps vs 2.4 Gbps) gives it the bandwidth edge.

Q: Which card has a smaller manufacturing process node?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the AMD Instinct MI100 is manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. This allows the NVIDIA chip to pack 92,200 million transistors into a 750 mm² die, versus 25,600 million for the AMD chip.

Q: Are there any benchmark wins for the AMD card?

A: No. In the only head-to-head benchmark (Geekbench OpenCL), the NVIDIA card wins with an 82.8% delta. The NVIDIA card also wins in all available benchmark scores, including Geekbench Vulkan and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which the MI100 does not have results for.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is the superior card for virtually every workload. It wins the only direct benchmark comparison by 82.8%, offers more than double the FP32 compute, has higher memory bandwidth, and includes dedicated RT and tensor cores that the MI100 lacks entirely. Its 48 GB of GDDR7 memory provides more capacity and faster bandwidth than the MI100’s 32 GB of HBM2. The NVIDIA card also supports modern graphics APIs and has display outputs, while the AMD card has none. Its 5 nm process node and higher transistor density give it a fundamental architectural advantage.

The AMD Instinct MI100 is a legacy part. Its 7 nm process, CDNA 1.0 architecture, and 2020 release date place it in an older generation. Its FP16 performance of 46.14 TFLOPS (2:1) is respectable but still lower than the NVIDIA card’s 66.94 TFLOPS (1:1). The MI100’s 4096-bit HBM2 bus is a unique feature, but it does not translate into higher bandwidth. For users already invested in AMD’s Instinct ecosystem or requiring a compute-only accelerator with no display outputs, the MI100 might suffice, but the benchmark data shows it is outclassed.

The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is the clear choice for modern workstation and compute tasks. Its higher scores, newer architecture, and broader feature set make it a more capable and future-proof option. The MI100, being end-of-life, offers no advantage in any measured metric. Any user choosing between these two cards should select the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell without hesitation.