AMD Instinct MI300 vs NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows no direct benchmark scores for either the AMD Instinct MI300 or the NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB. Both cards register an average benchmark score of zero and hold a 50th percentile position against all GPUs in the database. The head-to-head comparison fields are empty, meaning no competitive measurements were captured at the time of data collection. This absence of quantitative test results makes it impossible to declare a winner in raw performance terms. The database currently lacks the necessary data to compare these two accelerators directly, leaving their relative performance an open question rather than a settled fact.

Without benchmark scores, the only measurable comparison available comes from their technical specifications. The AMD Instinct MI300 delivers 47.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB delivers 51.22 TFLOPS in the same precision. This represents a 7% advantage for the NVIDIA part in single-precision floating-point throughput. Conversely, in FP16 compute, the H800 reaches 204.9 TFLOPS with a 4:1 ratio, whereas the MI300 achieves 47.87 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The NVIDIA card's FP16 figure is 4.28 times higher, a substantial lead in half-precision workloads. These figures come directly from the specification records and represent the only numeric comparison points available.

The memory comparison is equally stark. The MI300 carries 128 GB of HBM3 across an 8192-bit bus, yielding 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The H800 carries 80 GB of HBM2e across a 5120-bit bus, yielding 2.04 TB/s. The AMD part offers 60% more capacity and 2.6 times the bandwidth. Texture rate also favors AMD: 1,496.0 GTexel/s versus 800.3 GTexel/s, a 1.87 times advantage. Pixel rate, however, belongs to NVIDIA, with 42.12 GPixel/s against the MI300's 0 MPixel/s, since the latter reports no ROPs. These specification-level deltas form the basis for any performance inference, though they cannot substitute for actual benchmark results.

Architecture Differences

The two accelerators diverge fundamentally in their underlying designs. The AMD Instinct MI300 uses the CDNA 3.0 architecture, built around the Aqua Vanjaram chip, while the NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB uses the Hopper architecture, built around the GH100 chip. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the similarities end there. The MI300 packs 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 150.4M per mm². The H800 contains 80,000 million transistors on an 814 mm² die, with a density of 98.3M per mm². The AMD chip has 1.91 times the transistor count and a 25% larger die, translating into a 53% higher transistor density.

Memory technology differs completely. The MI300 uses HBM3 with a 8192-bit bus width and 128 GB capacity, while the H800 uses HBM2e with a 5120-bit bus and 80 GB capacity. The MI300's memory clock is listed at 1300 MHz with 5.2 Gbps effective data rate, whereas the H800's memory clock is 1593 MHz with 3.2 Gbps effective. The wider bus and newer memory standard give the MI300 its bandwidth advantage. Shader core counts are close, with the MI300 at 14,080 shading units and the H800 at 14,592, a 3.6% difference. Texture mapping units differ more significantly: 880 on the MI300 versus 456 on the H800. The H800 includes 456 tensor cores and 24 ROPs, while the MI300 lists no tensor cores and zero ROPs. The MI300 also lacks any display outputs, matching the H800 in that regard, and neither card supports DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan APIs per the database records.

Clock behavior also separates them. The MI300 has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1700 MHz. The H800 has a base clock of 1095 MHz and a boost clock of 1755 MHz. The NVIDIA part runs 95 MHz higher at base and 55 MHz higher at boost, a modest edge that contributes to its higher FP32 throughput despite fewer TMUs. Power consumption shows a major divergence: the MI300 is rated at 600 W TDP with a suggested power supply of 1000 W and two 8-pin connectors, while the H800 is rated at 350 W TDP with a suggested power supply of 750 W and a single 16-pin connector. The H800 is also noted as dual-slot, occupies 268 mm in length (10.6 inches) and 111 mm in height (4.4 inches), while the MI300 measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) and 111 mm (4.4 inches). The MI300 uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, as does the H800.

Release timing places the MI300 first, with a release date of 2023-01-03, followed by the H800 on 2023-03-20. The MI300's predecessor is listed as Radeon Instinct, while the H800's predecessor is Server Ada and its successor is Server Blackwell. The H800's production status is marked Active, while the MI300's production status is not specified.

FAQ

Q: Which card has more FP32 compute power?

A: The NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB delivers 51.22 TFLOPS of FP32, which is 3.35 TFLOPS higher than the AMD Instinct MI300's 47.87 TFLOPS, a 7% advantage for the H800.

Q: How do the memory capacities compare?

A: The AMD Instinct MI300 has 128 GB of HBM3, while the NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB has 80 GB of HBM2e. The MI300 offers 48 GB more capacity, a 60% increase.

Q: What is the bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The MI300 provides 5.32 TB/s of memory bandwidth, while the H800 provides 2.04 TB/s. The MI300 delivers 2.6 times the bandwidth of the H800.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB has a boost clock of 1755 MHz, which is 55 MHz higher than the AMD Instinct MI300's 1700 MHz boost clock.

Q: Are there any benchmark scores available for these cards?

A: The database records show zero benchmark scores for both accelerators, with each holding a 50th percentile rank against all GPUs. No head-to-head benchmark data exists in the current records.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The AMD Instinct MI300 is rated at 600 W, while the NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB is rated at 350 W. The MI300 consumes 250 W more power per the specification data.

Specification Differences

The two accelerators differ across nearly every major specification field. Process node is identical at 5 nm with the same foundry, TSMC. Transistor count differs substantially: the MI300 has 153,000 million transistors, while the H800 has 80,000 million. Die size is 1017 mm² for the MI300 and 814 mm² for the H800. Transistor density is 150.4M per mm² versus 98.3M per mm². Base clock is 1000 MHz for the MI300 and 1095 MHz for the H800. Boost clock is 1700 MHz versus 1755 MHz. Memory clock is 1300 MHz with 5.2 Gbps effective for the MI300, and 1593 MHz with 3.2 Gbps effective for the H800.

Memory size is 128 GB versus 80 GB. Memory type is HBM3 versus HBM2e. Bus width is 8192 bit versus 5120 bit. Bandwidth is 5.32 TB/s versus 2.04 TB/s. Shading units are 14,080 versus 14,592. TMUs are 880 versus 456. ROPs are 0 versus 24. The H800 lists 456 tensor cores, while the MI300 lists none. Pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s for the MI300 and 42.12 GPixel/s for the H800. Texture rate is 1,496.0 GTexel/s versus 800.3 GTexel/s. FP32 is 47.87 TFLOPS versus 51.22 TFLOPS. FP16 is 47.87 TFLOPS with 1:1 ratio versus 204.9 TFLOPS with 4:1 ratio. TDP is 600 W versus 350 W. Power connectors are 2x 8-pin versus 1x 16-pin. Suggested PSU is 1000 W versus 750 W. The H800 is dual-slot, while the MI300 lists no slot width. The H800 has an active production status, while the MI300 has none listed. Release dates are 2023-01-03 for the MI300 and 2023-03-20 for the H800. Predecessors are Radeon Instinct for the MI300 and Server Ada for the H800. The H800 has a successor, Server Blackwell, while the MI300 lists none. The MI300 lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A, while the H800 lists these as null values.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between the two accelerators, though the absence of benchmark scores means any verdict must rest on specifications alone. The AMD Instinct MI300 is the choice for workloads demanding maximum memory capacity and bandwidth. Its 128 GB of HBM3 and 5.32 TB/s bandwidth dwarf the H800's 80 GB and 2.04 TB/s. The MI300 also leads in texture rate with 1,496.0 GTexel/s and carries 880 TMUs, nearly double the H800's 456. Its 600 W TDP and 2x 8-pin connectors indicate a design built for sustained throughput rather than efficiency.

The NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB wins on compute throughput in both FP32 and FP16. Its 51.22 TFLOPS FP32 and 204.9 TFLOPS FP16 represent a 7% and 4.28 times advantage respectively over the MI300. The H800 also runs at higher clocks, with a 1755 MHz boost versus 1700 MHz, and includes 456 tensor cores that the MI300 lacks entirely. Its 350 W TDP and 1x 16-pin connector make it a more power-efficient option, and it is the only one of the two with an active production status. The H800's 24 ROPs give it a pixel rate of 42.12 GPixel/s, while the MI300 reports zero pixel output.

Neither card has benchmark data, so the verdict is conditional. For memory-bound workloads where capacity and bandwidth dominate, the MI300's 2.6 times bandwidth advantage and 60% more memory make it the data-driven choice. For compute-bound tasks requiring high FP16 throughput or tensor operations, the H800's 204.9 TFLOPS FP16 and tensor core support point in its direction. The H800's lower power draw and active production status also favor it for deployment scenarios where power delivery and availability matter. The MI300's larger die and transistor count suggest a more complex part, but without benchmarks, the practical impact of that complexity remains unmeasured.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI300 wins in scenarios dominated by memory access patterns. Its 5.32 TB/s bandwidth supports large data transfers, and its 128 GB capacity accommodates models or datasets that exceed 80 GB. The 8192-bit bus width provides the physical pathway for that bandwidth, and the HBM3 memory type is a newer generation than the H800's HBM2e. The MI300's texture rate of 1,496.0 GTexel/s and 880 TMUs also give it an edge in texture-heavy workloads, provided those workloads can use a card with no ROPs and no display outputs. Its 153,000 million transistors and 1017 mm² die indicate a larger compute fabric, which may translate into higher sustained throughput in parallel workloads, though the data does not confirm this.

The NVIDIA H800 PCIe 80 GB wins in compute-intensive precision workloads. Its FP16 output of 204.9 TFLOPS positions it for half-precision training and inference tasks, and the 456 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for matrix operations. Its FP32 figure of 51.22 TFLOPS also exceeds the MI300, making it the stronger choice for single-precision compute. The H800's higher base and boost clocks, 1095 MHz and 1755 MHz respectively, contribute to this performance. Its 350 W TDP and 750 W suggested PSU mean it can fit into systems with less power headroom, and its dual-slot form factor is explicitly documented. The H800's 24 ROPs and 42.12 GPixel/s pixel rate give it a rendering capability that the MI300 lacks entirely, though both cards have no display outputs.

The production status difference matters operationally: the H800 is marked Active, while the MI300 has no production status listed. This suggests the H800 is currently available, while the MI300's availability is unconfirmed in the database. The H800 also has a documented successor, Server Blackwell, indicating an active product lifecycle, whereas the MI300 lists no successor. For any deployment decision, the H800's active status and defined product lineage provide more certainty. The MI300's earlier release date of 2023-01-03 versus the H800's 2023-03-20 places the AMD part first to market, but the NVIDIA part followed with a higher compute ceiling and lower power envelope.