AMD Instinct MI308X vs AMD Radeon RX 9070 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries for the AMD Instinct MI308X and the AMD Radeon RX 9070. The Instinct MI308X has no recorded benchmark scores, a zero average benchmark score, and sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs. The Radeon RX 9070, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 23877 and sits at the 69th percentile among all GPUs. Direct score comparisons are therefore not possible from the recorded data.

What can be compared is the RX 9070's position against its nearest recorded rivals. The RX 9070 averages 23877 points, which places it 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (23736 points), 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (23628 points), 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (24063 points), and 1.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24170 points). These margins are small, meaning the RX 9070 lands in a tight performance cluster where single-digit percentage shifts separate adjacent cards.

In individual recorded tests, the RX 9070 shows wide variation by workload. Its strongest synthetic result is in Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 131539, while its Geekbench Vulkan score is 58705. The Passmark suite shows a G3D score of 25381 and a GPU compute score of 14737. DirectX results are mixed: Passmark DirectX 11 returns 281, DirectX 9 returns 343, DirectX 10 returns 141, and DirectX 12 returns 74. The 2D score is 1280. The Instinct MI308X has no comparable entries, so the RX 9070 stands as the only one of the two with measurable benchmark presence in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different AMD design families. The Instinct MI308X uses the Aqua Vanjaram chip built on CDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The Radeon RX 9070 uses the Navi 48 chip built on RDNA 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm process, also at TSMC. The transistor counts differ substantially: the MI308X packs 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die, while the RX 9070 has 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly identical, at 150.4 million per mm² for the MI308X and 151.0 million per mm² for the RX 9070.

Memory architecture separates the two completely. The MI308X carries 192 GB of HBM3 across an 8192-bit bus, delivering 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The RX 9070 carries 16 GB of GDDR6 across a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s. The MI308X memory runs at 1300 MHz with 5.2 Gbps effective, while the RX 9070 memory runs at 2518 MHz with 20.1 Gbps effective. The MI308X has 19456 shading units and 1216 texture mapping units, but its raster operation pipeline reports 0 units and a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s, consistent with a compute-oriented card that does not output frames. The RX 9070 has 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s. Texture rates also differ: 2,553.6 GTexel/s for the MI308X versus 564.5 GTexel/s for the RX 9070.

Clock behavior differs in kind. The MI308X has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 2100 MHz. The RX 9070 has a base clock of 1330 MHz, a game clock of 2070 MHz, and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. Floating-point throughput shows the MI308X at 81.72 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1), compared to 36.13 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (1:1) on the RX 9070. The MI308X has no display outputs, no DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan API entries, and no RT core count listed. The RX 9070 includes 56 RT cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support.

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon RX 9070 is the only one of the two with benchmark data, so any performance-based advantage in the database belongs to it. Its 69th percentile standing versus the MI308X's 50th percentile, combined with the MI308X's zero average score, makes the RX 9070 the clear winner in every measured category. The RX 9070 also wins on practical GPU attributes: it has a production status of Active, while the MI308X has none listed. The RX 9070 outputs video through 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, while the MI308X has no outputs. The RX 9070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4; the MI308X lists N/A for all three.

The MI308X wins on raw hardware scale. Its shading unit count is roughly 5.4 times that of the RX 9070. Its texture mapping unit count is roughly 5.4 times higher. Its FP32 and FP16 throughput is more than double. Memory capacity is 12 times larger, bus width is 32 times wider, and memory bandwidth is over 8 times higher. Its transistor count is nearly three times the RX 9070's. These are specifications, not benchmark results, but they define the MI308X as a compute accelerator with far greater theoretical throughput and memory resources.

The MI308X also lacks features that matter for desktop use. It has no power connectors listed, no display outputs, and an OAM Module slot width. The RX 9070 is a Dual-slot card with 2x 8-pin power connectors. The MI308X has a suggested PSU of 1150 W, while the RX 9070 suggests 550 W. The MI308X has no launch MSRP; the RX 9070 carries a launch MSRP of 549 USD. Release dates differ by over a year: the MI308X launched on 2023-12-05, and the RX 9070 launched on 2025-03-05.

The Verdict

The data supports one clear conclusion for anyone choosing between these two cards: they are not competing products. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is a consumer graphics card with active production status, display outputs, API support, and recorded benchmark scores. The AMD Instinct MI308X is an accelerator module with no display outputs, no API support, no benchmarks, and no production status. Every measured performance indicator in the database favors the RX 9070, because the MI308X has no measurements at all.

For a user who needs a GPU that renders frames, runs DirectX or Vulkan workloads, and outputs to a display, the RX 9070 is the only option with supporting data. Its 69th percentile ranking, its 23877 average score, and its position within 1.2% of the RTX 2080 SUPER and RX 6800S define its performance envelope. For a user who needs massive memory capacity, enormous bandwidth, and high FP32 throughput in a compute context, the MI308X offers the hardware resources: 192 GB of HBM3, 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth, 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32, and 19456 shading units. But none of those specifications are validated by benchmark results in the database.

The MI308X requires a 1150 W suggested PSU and uses an OAM Module form factor with no power connectors, which implies external or backplane power delivery. The RX 9070 uses a 220 W TDP, a 550 W suggested PSU, and standard 2x 8-pin connectors. The RX 9070 also has a defined predecessor in Navi III, while the MI308X lists Radeon Instinct as its predecessor. Neither card has a successor listed. The verdict from the recorded data is straightforward: the RX 9070 is the only one with demonstrated performance, and the MI308X is a specification-heavy accelerator without any measured results to confirm its capabilities.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 has an average benchmark score of 23877. The AMD Instinct MI308X has an average benchmark score of 0.

Q: How does the Radeon RX 9070 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 9070 is 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (23736), 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile (23628), 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (24063), and 1.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24170).

Q: What are the memory specifications for each GPU?

A: The MI308X has 192 GB of HBM3 on an 8192-bit bus with 5.32 TB/s bandwidth. The RX 9070 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card supports display outputs?

A: The RX 9070 supports 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a. The MI308X has no display outputs.

Q: What is the FP32 throughput for each GPU?

A: The MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32. The RX 9070 delivers 36.13 TFLOPS of FP32.

Q: What is the release date for each GPU?

A: The MI308X was released on 2023-12-05. The RX 9070 was released on 2025-03-05.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Instinct MI308X | AMD Radeon RX 9070 |

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

| Architecture | CDNA 3.0 | RDNA 4.0 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 4 nm |

| Transistors | 153,000 million | 53,900 million |

| Die Size | 1017 mm² | 357 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 150.4M / mm² | 151.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1000 MHz | 1330 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2100 MHz | 2520 MHz |

| Game Clock | None | 2070 MHz |

| Memory Size | 192 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM3 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 8192 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 5.32 TB/s | 644.6 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 19456 | 3584 |

| Texture Mapping Units | 1216 | 224 |

| Raster Operation Pipelines | 0 | 128 |

| RT Cores | None listed | 56 |

| Pixel Rate | 0 MPixel/s | 322.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 2,553.6 GTexel/s | 564.5 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 81.72 TFLOPS | 36.13 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 81.72 TFLOPS (1:1) | 36.13 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 750 W | 220 W |

| Slot Width | OAM Module | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | 1150 W | 550 W |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1a |

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

| OpenGL | N/A | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | N/A | 1.4 |

| Production Status | None listed | Active |

| Release Date | 2023-12-05 | 2025-03-05 |

| Predecessor | Radeon Instinct | Navi III |

| Launch MSRP | None | 549 USD |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 50 | 69 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 0 | 23877 |