AMD Instinct MI308X vs AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Comparison

FAQ

Q: What are the architectural families of the AMD Instinct MI308X and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE?

A: The AMD Instinct MI308X uses the CDNA 3.0 architecture with the Aqua Vanjaram chip, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE uses the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip.

Q: How do the two GPUs differ in process node and transistor count?

A: The Instinct MI308X is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die. The RX 9070 GRE uses a 4 nm process at TSMC with 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly identical: 150.4M per mm² for the MI308X versus 151.0M per mm² for the RX 9070 GRE.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards carry?

A: The Instinct MI308X has 192 GB of HBM3 memory on an 8192-bit bus with 5.32 TB/s bandwidth. The RX 9070 GRE has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each GPU in the database?

A: The Instinct MI308X sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 0, meaning no benchmark records are present for it. The RX 9070 GRE ranks at the 87th percentile with an average benchmark score of 57,367.

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP32 compute rating?

A: The Instinct MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS FP32, which is more than double the RX 9070 GRE's 34.28 TFLOPS FP32. Both cards process FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with their FP32 figures.

Q: What are the launch dates of the two products?

A: The Instinct MI308X was released on December 5, 2023. The Radeon RX 9070 GRE was released on May 7, 2025, and its production status is listed as Active.

Architecture Differences

The Instinct MI308X and the RX 9070 GRE represent two divergent design philosophies within AMD's product stack. The MI308X is an accelerator built on CDNA 3.0, an architecture optimized for compute workloads rather than graphics output. The RX 9070 GRE is a consumer graphics card built on RDNA 4.0, designed to handle rendering, ray tracing, and display output. The MI308X has no display outputs, while the RX 9070 GRE provides 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a connections.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The MI308X carries 19,456 shading units and 1,216 texture mapping units, but it has zero ROPs and produces a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s. The RX 9070 GRE has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 267.8 GPixel/s. The MI308X has no listed RT cores, whereas the RX 9070 GRE includes 48 RT cores. Neither card lists tensor cores in the database.

The memory subsystems reflect the different missions. The MI308X uses 192 GB of HBM3 on an 8192-bit bus, delivering 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The RX 9070 GRE uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s. The clock behavior also diverges: the MI308X has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 2100 MHz, while the RX 9070 GRE runs at 1420 MHz base, 2220 MHz game clock, and 2790 MHz boost. The memory clock for the MI308X is 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), and the RX 9070 GRE memory clock is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective).

API support separates the two entirely. The MI308X lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A. The RX 9070 GRE supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI308X is an OAM module with no power connectors and a 750 W TDP, while the RX 9070 GRE is a dual-slot card using 2x 8-pin power connectors with a 220 W TDP. The suggested PSU ratings are 1150 W for the MI308X and 550 W for the RX 9070 GRE. Both use a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark entries for these two GPUs, and the MI308X has no individual benchmark records at all. Its average benchmark score is 0, and it has no nearest rivals listed. The RX 9070 GRE, by contrast, has two recorded benchmark results: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,424 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 109,309.

The RX 9070 GRE's nearest rivals in the database provide context for its performance tier. The Intel Arc A580 posts an average score of 57,756, which is 0.7% above the RX 9070 GRE. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM scores 58,085, a 1.2% advantage. The Intel Arc A570M scores 58,239, 1.5% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT scores 58,392, 1.8% higher. All four rivals sit within a narrow band around the RX 9070 GRE, indicating that its 57,367 average score places it in a tightly contested performance cluster.

The absence of benchmark data for the MI308X means the database cannot quantify its measured performance against the RX 9070 GRE. The available specification data, however, shows a large gap in raw compute resources. The MI308X's FP32 throughput of 81.72 TFLOPS is roughly 2.4 times the RX 9070 GRE's 34.28 TFLOPS. Texture rate follows a similar pattern: the MI308X reaches 2,553.6 GTexel/s versus 535.7 GTexel/s for the RX 9070 GRE. Memory bandwidth favors the MI308X even more strongly at 5.32 TB/s versus 432.0 GB/s, a factor of more than twelve.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded field. The process node shifts from 5 nm on the MI308X to 4 nm on the RX 9070 GRE. Transistor counts are 153,000 million versus 53,900 million, and die sizes are 1017 mm² versus 357 mm². Transistor density is essentially equal at 150.4M per mm² and 151.0M per mm².

Clock specifications differ in every position. Base clock is 1000 MHz on the MI308X and 1420 MHz on the RX 9070 GRE. Boost clock is 2100 MHz versus 2790 MHz. The RX 9070 GRE also has a game clock of 2220 MHz, which the MI308X does not list. Memory clocks are 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) for the MI308X and 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for the RX 9070 GRE.

Memory capacity is 192 GB of HBM3 versus 12 GB of GDDR6. Bus widths are 8192 bit and 192 bit, with bandwidths of 5.32 TB/s and 432.0 GB/s. Shading units number 19,456 versus 3,072. TMUs number 1,216 versus 192. ROPs are 0 for the MI308X and 96 for the RX 9070 GRE. The RX 9070 GRE has 48 RT cores; the MI308X has none listed.

Pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s for the MI308X and 267.8 GPixel/s for the RX 9070 GRE. Texture rates are 2,553.6 GTexel/s and 535.7 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 are both 81.72 TFLOPS for the MI308X and 34.28 TFLOPS for the RX 9070 GRE. TDP is 750 W versus 220 W. Slot width is OAM Module versus Dual-slot. Power connectors are None versus 2x 8-pin. Suggested PSU is 1150 W versus 550 W. Display outputs are No outputs versus 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a. API support is entirely absent on the MI308X but fully specified on the RX 9070 GRE.

Where Each One Wins

The MI308X wins on raw compute capacity. Its FP32 rating of 81.72 TFLOPS, texture rate of 2,553.6 GTexel/s, and memory bandwidth of 5.32 TB/s are all far above the RX 9070 GRE. The 192 GB HBM3 pool on an 8192-bit bus gives it a memory subsystem designed for very large working sets. Its 19,456 shading units and 1,216 TMUs represent the largest compute resource allocation in this comparison. The 750 W TDP and OAM form factor indicate a board designed for dense accelerator installations, not desktop graphics.

The RX 9070 GRE wins on graphics-oriented capabilities. It has 96 ROPs and a 267.8 GPixel/s pixel rate, while the MI308X has none. It includes 48 RT cores for ray tracing, which the MI308X does not list. It provides display outputs and full DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 API support. Its 2790 MHz boost clock and 2220 MHz game clock are substantially higher than the MI308X's 2100 MHz boost, which suits latency-sensitive rendering workloads. The 220 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a conventional graphics card in terms of power and physical requirements.

The database's benchmark records only cover the RX 9070 GRE. Its 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its proximity to rivals like the RX 6950 XT (1.8% higher average score) and the Intel Arc A580 (0.7% higher) show that it competes in a well-established performance tier. The MI308X has no measured benchmark records, so its percentile ranking of 50 is based on the absence of data rather than demonstrated performance.

The Verdict

The data describes two products with almost no functional overlap. The Instinct MI308X is a compute accelerator with no graphics outputs, no ROPs, no API support, and no recorded benchmark scores. Its specifications point toward high-throughput compute and large memory capacity, with 81.72 TFLOPS FP32 and 192 GB of HBM3. The Radeon RX 9070 GRE is a fully featured consumer graphics card with display outputs, ray tracing hardware, API support, and measured benchmark results at the 87th percentile.

For workloads that require maximum FP32 throughput, texture processing, or memory bandwidth, the MI308X has the specification advantage. For any workload that requires rendering, display output, or standard graphics API compatibility, the RX 9070 GRE is the only option of the two, as the MI308X lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. The RX 9070 GRE's benchmark average of 57,367 places it within 1.8% of the RX 6950 XT and within 0.7% of the Intel Arc A580, showing that its measured performance is competitive with those cards.

The choice between these two GPUs depends entirely on the intended use case. A system requiring graphics output, ray tracing, or standard API support must use the RX 9070 GRE. A system requiring very large memory capacity, extreme memory bandwidth, or the highest FP32 compute figures in this comparison must use the MI308X. The database contains no direct head-to-head benchmark results, so any performance comparison beyond specifications relies on the recorded data for the RX 9070 GRE and the specification sheet for the MI308X.