AMD Instinct MI308X vs Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 Comparison

The Verdict

The database places both the AMD Instinct MI308X and the Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 at the 50th percentile among all recorded GPUs, with average benchmark scores of zero for each. Neither part has recorded benchmark entries, so the comparison rests entirely on specification analysis rather than measured performance data. The AMD Instinct MI308X is the compute-oriented choice for large-scale memory and raw throughput demands. The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 is the lower-power, physically smaller option with a faster release cadence and API support for graphics-oriented compute stacks. The MI308X carries 4 times the memory capacity, 4.3 times the FP32 throughput, and 4.3 times the memory bandwidth of the Intel part. The Max 1100 counters with a 450 W lower thermal envelope, a dual-slot form factor instead of an OAM module, and a 12-pin power connector that fits conventional server power delivery. The decision hinges on whether the workload needs the MI308X's massive memory and compute headroom or the Max 1100's manageable power and installation flexibility.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Instinct MI308X uses the Aqua Vanjaram chip built on CDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 uses the Ponte Vecchio chip on Generation 12.5 architecture, fabricated by Intel on a 10 nm process. The manufacturing gap is significant. The MI308X packs 153,000 million transistors into a 1017 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 150.4M per mm². The Max 1100 holds 100,000 million transistors across a larger 1280 mm² die, resulting in 78.1M per mm². The AMD design achieves nearly double the transistor density on a smaller physical die, which explains its substantial compute and memory advantages within a comparable silicon footprint.

Both parts are compute accelerators with no display outputs and zero pixel rate. The MI308X has no ray tracing cores, while the Max 1100 includes 56 ray tracing cores. The MI308X also has no API support entries for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan, whereas the Max 1100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. This makes the Intel part more adaptable to traditional graphics compute environments, despite both being fundamentally data center accelerators. The MI308X belongs to the Instinct (MIx) generation with Radeon Instinct as its predecessor. The Max 1100 belongs to the Data Center GPU (Ponte Vecchio) generation and lists H3C Graphics as its successor. The Intel part launched on January 9, 2023, roughly 11 months before the MI308X's December 5, 2023 release.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

No recorded benchmark scores exist for either accelerator in the database, so a direct score comparison is impossible. The specification deltas, however, define a clear hierarchy. The MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32 and FP16 (1:1) performance, against 22.22 TFLOPS for the Max 1100 in both precisions. That is a 3.68 times advantage in raw floating-point throughput for the AMD part. The texture rate follows the same pattern: 2,553.6 GTexel/s versus 694.4 GTexel/s, a 3.68 times difference. Both parts have zero ROPs and zero pixel rate, so no rasterization comparison exists.

Memory capacity is the largest single gap. The MI308X has 192 GB of HBM3 on an 8192-bit bus, producing 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The Max 1100 has 48 GB of HBM2e on an equally wide 8192-bit bus, but only 1.23 TB/s of bandwidth. The AMD card holds 4 times the memory and delivers 4.33 times the bandwidth. The effective memory clock differs substantially as well: 5.2 Gbps effective for the MI308X versus 1.2 Gbps effective for the Max 1100. The Intel part's memory is older HBM2e, while AMD uses HBM3.

Clock behavior also separates the two. Both start at a 1000 MHz base clock, but the MI308X boosts to 2100 MHz while the Max 1100 tops out at 1550 MHz. The 550 MHz boost advantage contributes directly to the AMD part's higher throughput. The shading unit count reinforces this: 19,456 shading units and 1,216 TMUs for the MI308X, versus 7,168 shading units and 448 TMUs for the Max 1100. In every compute-relevant metric, the MI308X holds a 3.68 to 4.33 times lead.

Specification Differences

The two accelerators differ across every major specification category. Process node: 5 nm TSMC for AMD versus 10 nm Intel for Intel. Transistor count: 153,000 million versus 100,000 million. Die size: 1017 mm² versus 1280 mm². Transistor density: 150.4M per mm² versus 78.1M per mm². Boost clock: 2100 MHz versus 1550 MHz. Memory clock: 1300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective) versus 600 MHz (1.2 Gbps effective). Memory size: 192 GB HBM3 versus 48 GB HBM2e. Memory bandwidth: 5.32 TB/s versus 1.23 TB/s. Shading units: 19,456 versus 7,168. TMUs: 1,216 versus 448. Ray tracing cores: none versus 56. Texture rate: 2,553.6 GTexel/s versus 694.4 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16: 81.72 TFLOPS versus 22.22 TFLOPS. TDP: 750 W versus 300 W. Slot width: OAM Module versus dual-slot. Power connectors: none versus one 12-pin. Suggested PSU: 1150 W versus 700 W. API support: none listed versus DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. Length: not listed for the MI308X versus 267 mm (10.5 inches) for the Max 1100. Production status: not listed for AMD versus active for Intel. Release date: December 5, 2023 versus January 9, 2023. Successor: none listed for AMD versus H3C Graphics for Intel.

Both parts share a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface, an 8192-bit memory bus width, a 1000 MHz base clock, zero ROPs, zero pixel rate, and no display outputs. Neither has a launch MSRP recorded in the database, so no price comparison is possible. The Max 1100 is the only one with physical dimensions listed, at 267 mm in length.

FAQ

Q: Which accelerator has more memory?

A: The AMD Instinct MI308X has 192 GB of HBM3, which is 4 times the 48 GB of HBM2e found on the Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100.

Q: How much faster is the AMD part in floating-point compute?

A: The MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16, compared to 22.22 TFLOPS for the Max 1100. That is a 3.68 times advantage in both precisions.

Q: Does either card support graphics APIs?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The AMD Instinct MI308X has no API entries recorded for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The MI308X has a 750 W TDP and suggests a 1150 W power supply. The Max 1100 has a 300 W TDP and suggests a 700 W power supply, a 450 W difference in thermal envelope.

Q: Which card has ray tracing cores?

A: The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 includes 56 ray tracing cores. The AMD Instinct MI308X has no ray tracing cores.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The MI308X provides 5.32 TB/s over an 8192-bit HBM3 interface. The Max 1100 provides 1.23 TB/s over an equally wide 8192-bit HBM2e interface, a 4.33 times difference.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI308X wins in every raw compute and memory category. Its 192 GB HBM3 pool supports models and datasets that cannot fit in the Max 1100's 48 GB HBM2e. The 5.32 TB/s bandwidth is 4.33 times higher, which matters for memory-bound workloads that stream large tensors. The 81.72 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 performance is 3.68 times the Intel part's 22.22 TFLOPS, making the MI308X the stronger choice for dense matrix operations. The 2100 MHz boost clock, 19,456 shading units, and 1,216 TMUs all reinforce the AMD part's dominance in throughput. The 5 nm TSMC process with 150.4M transistors per mm² also indicates a more modern design with higher integration efficiency than the Intel part's 10 nm node at 78.1M per mm².

The Intel Data Center GPU Max 1100 wins where power, physical fit, and software compatibility matter. Its 300 W TDP is 450 W lower than the MI308X, and its suggested 700 W PSU is 450 W lower than AMD's suggested 1150 W unit. The dual-slot form factor with a 267 mm length and one 12-pin connector installs into standard server chassis and power infrastructure, whereas the MI308X uses an OAM Module with no power connectors, implying a different board integration approach. The Max 1100 also has DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6 support, which the MI308X lacks, so the Intel part fits mixed compute environments that need some graphics API compatibility. The Max 1100 launched earlier on January 9, 2023, and holds an active production status, while the MI308X launched later on December 5, 2023, with no production status recorded. The Intel part also includes 56 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the AMD accelerator, which could matter for workloads that touch ray tracing pipelines despite the zero pixel rate on both parts.