AMD Instinct MI300A vs NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded benchmark scores for either the AMD Instinct MI300A or the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation. Both entries show an average benchmark score of zero and no head-to-head benchmark results are available. Consequently, the wins tally for each product is zero, and there are no measured performance deltas to compare. This absence of recorded data means that any direct performance comparison must rely entirely on the architectural specifications and compute characteristics documented in the database.

What the data does reveal is the theoretical compute ceiling of each part. The AMD Instinct MI300A delivers 61.29 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation provides 15.82 TFLOPS of FP32. The Instinct part therefore holds a 3.87x advantage in raw single-precision floating-point throughput. In texture fill rate, the MI300A reaches 1,915.2 GTexel/s versus the RTX 3500's 247.2 GTexel/s, a margin of approximately 7.75x. The pixel rate comparison is inverted, however: the RTX 3500 produces 98.88 GPixel/s while the MI300A is recorded at 0 MPixel/s, reflecting the latter's lack of any display or raster output capability.

Memory bandwidth is another area of decisive separation. The MI300A accesses 128 GB of HBM3 across an 8192-bit bus for 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3500 uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus for 432.0 GB/s. That is a 12.3x bandwidth advantage for the AMD part. These figures indicate that the MI300A is designed for memory-bound compute workloads of a scale the mobile NVIDIA GPU cannot approach.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is fundamental. The AMD Instinct MI300A uses the CDNA 3.0 architecture, implemented on the Aqua Vanjaram chip. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation uses the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on the AD104 die. Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but the similarity ends there.

Transistor counts differ enormously. The MI300A integrates 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 150.4M per mm². The RTX 3500 contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with a density of 121.8M per mm². The Instinct die is roughly 3.46x larger in area and carries 4.27x more transistors. The MI300A's higher density reflects the CDNA 3.0 design priorities, which favor massive compute arrays over the rasterization and ray tracing hardware found in the Ada Lovelace GPU.

The compute unit configurations diverge sharply. The MI300A has 14,592 shading units, 912 texture mapping units, and no ROPs. It also has no dedicated RT cores or tensor cores recorded. The RTX 3500 has 5,120 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. The presence of RT and tensor cores gives the NVIDIA part dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI inference that the AMD accelerator lacks entirely.

Memory architecture reflects the different missions. The MI300A uses HBM3 with an 8192-bit bus, while the RTX 3500 uses GDDR6 with a 192-bit bus. The MI300A's clock profile lists a base of 1000 MHz and boost of 2100 MHz, with memory at 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective). The RTX 3500 runs at a base of 1110 MHz and boost of 1545 MHz, with memory at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). Despite the higher clock speeds on the NVIDIA memory, the bus width difference is overwhelming.

Power and packaging also distinguish the two. The MI300A has a TDP of 750 W and uses an OAM module form factor with no display outputs and no power connectors listed, requiring a suggested PSU of 1150 W. The RTX 3500 is an IGP (integrated GPU for mobile) with a 100 W TDP, portable-device-dependent display outputs, and no suggested PSU. The MI300A is a server accelerator; the RTX 3500 is a mobile workstation GPU. The API support likewise differs: the MI300A lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A, while the RTX 3500 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The AMD Instinct MI300A records 61.29 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation records 15.82 TFLOPS. The Instinct part holds a 3.87x lead in this metric.

Q: What memory configurations do these GPUs use?

A: The MI300A has 128 GB of HBM3 on an 8192-bit bus with 5.32 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3500 has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the RTX 3500 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 3500 includes 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, which are part of the Ada Lovelace architecture. The MI300A has no RT cores or tensor cores listed in the database.

Q: What is the power draw of each GPU?

A: The MI300A has a TDP of 750 W with a suggested PSU of 1150 W. The RTX 3500 has a TDP of 100 W and no suggested PSU listed.

Q: Which GPU has a larger die?

A: The MI300A has a die size of 1017 mm², while the RTX 3500 has a die size of 294 mm². The MI300A die is approximately 3.46x larger.

Q: Are both GPUs built on the same process node?

A: Both are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but the MI300A uses AMD's CDNA 3.0 architecture and the RTX 3500 uses NVIDIA's Ada Lovelace architecture.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Instinct MI300A | NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | CDNA 3.0 | Ada Lovelace |

| Chip | Aqua Vanjaram | AD104 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 153,000 million | 35,800 million |

| Die Size | 1017 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 150.4M / mm² | 121.8M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1000 MHz | 1110 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2100 MHz | 1545 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 128 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM3 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 8192 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 5.32 TB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 14,592 | 5,120 |

| TMUs | 912 | 160 |

| ROPs | 0 | 64 |

| RT Cores | None | 40 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 160 |

| Pixel Rate | 0 MPixel/s | 98.88 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 1,915.2 GTexel/s | 247.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 61.29 TFLOPS | 15.82 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 750 W | 100 W |

| Slot Width | OAM Module | IGP |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX Support | N/A | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| OpenGL Support | N/A | 4.6 |

| Vulkan Support | N/A | 1.4 |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI300A wins decisively in raw compute throughput, memory capacity, memory bandwidth, texture processing, and transistor scale. Its FP32 output of 61.29 TFLOPS is nearly four times that of the RTX 3500. Its 128 GB HBM3 pool with 5.32 TB/s bandwidth is in a different class entirely, suitable for large-scale data processing, scientific simulation, and AI training workloads that require massive memory residency. The 1,915.2 GTexel/s texture rate indicates exceptional throughput for texture-heavy compute kernels. The PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides double the bandwidth of the RTX 3500's PCIe 4.0 x16 connection. The 750 W TDP and OAM module form factor confirm this is a data-center accelerator designed for sustained, high-intensity compute.

The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation wins in areas the MI300A cannot address at all. It has 64 ROPs and a pixel rate of 98.88 GPixel/s, enabling rasterization and display output, whereas the MI300A has no pixel pipeline and no display outputs. The RTX 3500's 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for ray-traced rendering and AI inference that is entirely absent from the AMD part. Its 100 W TDP and IGP form factor make it suitable for mobile workstations where power and space are constrained. The RTX 3500 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the MI300A lists no API support. The higher base clock of 1110 MHz versus 1000 MHz and the faster effective memory clock of 18 Gbps versus 5.2 Gbps show the NVIDIA part is tuned for latency-sensitive, interactive workloads.

The Verdict

The recorded data positions the AMD Instinct MI300A and NVIDIA RTX 3500 Mobile Ada Generation as complementary rather than competing products. The MI300A is a server accelerator with a 750 W TDP, an OAM module slot, no display outputs, and a 128 GB HBM3 memory pool delivering 5.32 TB/s. It provides 61.29 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 1,915.2 GTexel/s of texture throughput. Any workload that fits within its massive memory footprint and requires sustained compute will favor this part. The absence of rasterization hardware, display outputs, graphics APIs, and ray tracing cores means it cannot function as a conventional graphics card.

The RTX 3500 is a mobile GPU with a 100 W TDP in an IGP form factor. It offers 15.82 TFLOPS of FP32, 98.88 GPixel/s of pixel throughput, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. Its 12 GB GDDR6 memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are far smaller, but it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and it can drive portable-device-dependent displays. Its 1545 MHz boost clock and 18 Gbps effective memory clock indicate responsiveness for interactive graphics.

The selector should choose based on workload class. The data supports the MI300A for compute-centric, memory-intensive, non-rendered workloads in a data-center environment. The data supports the RTX 3500 for mobile workstation tasks that require graphics output, ray tracing, AI inference features, and low power consumption. Neither part substitutes for the other based on the recorded specifications.