AMD Instinct MI308X vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D Comparison

The AMD Instinct MI308X and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D occupy different corners of the GPU market, one designed for compute-accelerated workloads and the other for high-end desktop graphics. The database shows no direct head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the two, as the MI308X has no recorded benchmark scores and its percentile rank sits at 50, meaning it falls in the middle of all tracked GPUs. The RTX 4090 D, by contrast, holds a 98th percentile rank with an average benchmark score of 178,050 across three recorded tests. This disparity in available data means the comparison relies on architectural specifications and the RTX 4090 D’s measured performance relative to its nearest rivals.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database lists no shared benchmark tests for the MI308X and RTX 4090 D. The MI308X has zero recorded benchmark entries, resulting in an average score of 0 and a percentile rank of 50. The RTX 4090 D has three recorded benchmark results: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 278,621, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 246,941. These scores place the RTX 4090 D at the 98th percentile among all GPUs in the database, indicating it outperforms nearly all tracked hardware.

The RTX 4090 D’s average score of 178,050 can be contextualized through its nearest rivals. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell posts an average score of 182,109, which is 2.2% higher than the RTX 4090 D. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB records 183,725, a 3.1% advantage. The NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation achieves 184,664, 3.6% ahead. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB scores 187,147, 4.9% higher. These deltas show the RTX 4090 D trails each of these four rivals by a narrow margin, none exceeding 5%. The data indicates the RTX 4090 D sits just below a cluster of high-performance compute-oriented cards, with differences that are consistent across all four comparisons.

Because the MI308X lacks benchmark data, no numeric wins can be attributed to it. The RTX 4090 D, however, demonstrates clear strength in the recorded tests. Its Geekbench OpenCL result of 278,621 exceeds its Vulkan result of 246,941 by roughly 12.8%, suggesting the card performs better in OpenCL workloads than in Vulkan within this specific test suite. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8,587 is a lower absolute number due to the test’s different scoring scale, but it confirms functional DirectX 12 performance, an area where the MI308X has no support at all, as its API list shows DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan all marked as N/A.

FAQ

Q: Why does the MI308X have no benchmark scores in the database?

A: The database records zero benchmarks for the MI308X, giving it an average benchmark score of 0 and a percentile rank of 50. This lack of data means its performance cannot be quantified in any recorded test.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 D compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 D has an average score of 178,050. Its nearest rival, the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, scores 182,109, which is 2.2% higher. The A100 SXM4 80 GB is 3.1% higher at 183,725, the RTX 5000 Ada Generation is 3.6% higher at 184,664, and the A100 SXM4 40 GB is 4.9% higher at 187,147.

Q: What is the RTX 4090 D’s best recorded benchmark result?

A: The highest score is 278,621 in Geekbench OpenCL. Its Geekbench Vulkan score is 246,941, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 8,587.

Q: Does the MI308X support any graphics APIs?

A: No. The database lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A for the MI308X, meaning it has no display outputs and is not designed for graphics rendering.

Q: What is the RTX 4090 D’s percentile rank?

A: The RTX 4090 D sits at the 98th percentile among all GPUs in the database, based on its average benchmark score of 178,050.

Q: Are there any shared benchmarks between the two cards?

A: No. The head-to-head benchmark list is empty, and the MI308X has no recorded tests, so no direct comparison is possible.

Architecture Differences

The MI308X and RTX 4090 D are built on different architectures from different manufacturers. The MI308X uses AMD’s CDNA 3.0 architecture with the Aqua Vanjaram chip, while the RTX 4090 D uses NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the MI308X packs 153,000 million transistors on a die size of 1017 mm², yielding a transistor density of 150.4 million per mm². The RTX 4090 D contains 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, giving a density of 125.3 million per mm². The MI308X’s die is roughly 67% larger and holds about double the transistor count.

The memory subsystems diverge sharply. The MI308X features 192 GB of HBM3 memory on an 8192-bit bus, delivering 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4090 D has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The MI308X’s bandwidth is more than five times higher, reflecting its compute-oriented design. Memory clocks also differ: the MI308X runs at 1300 MHz with 5.2 Gbps effective, while the RTX 4090 D runs at 1313 MHz with 21 Gbps effective.

Core configurations are fundamentally different. The MI308X has 19,456 shading units, 1,216 texture mapping units, and 0 ROPs, with no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores listed. Its pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s, confirming no rasterization capability. The RTX 4090 D has 14,592 shading units, 456 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 114 ray tracing cores, and 456 tensor cores, with a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s. The MI308X’s texture rate is 2,553.6 GTexel/s, while the RTX 4090 D’s is 1,149.1 GTexel/s, meaning the MI308X processes textures more than twice as fast despite having no output stage.

Compute throughput also differs. The MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS of FP32 and 81.72 TFLOPS of FP16 at a 1:1 ratio. The RTX 4090 D delivers 73.54 TFLOPS of FP32 and 73.54 TFLOPS of FP16, also at 1:1. The MI308X holds an 11.1% advantage in raw floating-point performance. Clock speeds are lower on the MI308X, with a base of 1000 MHz and boost of 2100 MHz, versus the RTX 4090 D’s base of 2280 MHz and boost of 2520 MHz. The MI308X compensates with its larger core count and memory bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification. The MI308X has 192 GB of HBM3 memory, while the RTX 4090 D has 24 GB of GDDR6X. Memory bus width is 8192 bits versus 384 bits. Bandwidth is 5.32 TB/s versus 1.01 TB/s. Shading units count 19,456 versus 14,592. TMUs are 1,216 versus 456. ROPs are 0 versus 176. The MI308X has no ray tracing cores, while the RTX 4090 D has 114. Tensor cores are absent on the MI308X and present at 456 on the RTX 4090 D.

Pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s on the MI308X and 443.5 GPixel/s on the RTX 4090 D. Texture rate is 2,553.6 GTexel/s versus 1,149.1 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 81.72 TFLOPS versus 73.54 TFLOPS. FP16 performance mirrors these numbers at 1:1 ratios. Power draw differs substantially: the MI308X has a TDP of 750 W with a suggested PSU of 1150 W, while the RTX 4090 D has a TDP of 425 W and a suggested PSU of 800 W.

Physical and interface differences are notable. The MI308X is an OAM module with no power connectors and no display outputs, using PCIe 5.0 x16. The RTX 4090 D is a triple-slot card measuring 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 61 mm in width, with a single 16-pin power connector and PCIe 4.0 x16. The RTX 4090 D offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. API support is exclusive to the RTX 4090 D: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the MI308X lists none.

Release timing is close but not identical. The MI308X launched on December 5, 2023, while the RTX 4090 D launched on December 27, 2023. The RTX 4090 D has a production status of end-of-life, a predecessor in GeForce 30, and a successor in GeForce 50. The MI308X’s predecessor is Radeon Instinct, with no successor listed. The RTX 4090 D has a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD, while the MI308X has no launch MSRP recorded.

The Verdict

The recorded data supports a clear split. The RTX 4090 D is the only one of the two with measurable performance, holding a 98th percentile rank and an average benchmark score of 178,050. It trails its nearest rivals by 2.2% to 4.9%, placing it just below a tier of high-end NVIDIA compute cards. The MI308X has no benchmark scores, no graphics API support, and no display outputs, indicating it is not intended for general or gaming workloads.

For users who need graphics rendering, ray tracing, tensor operations, or display connectivity, the RTX 4090 D is the functional choice. Its 176 ROPs, 114 ray tracing cores, 456 tensor cores, and 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate provide the rasterization and acceleration features the MI308X lacks. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are substantial for desktop workloads, and its 425 W TDP fits within consumer power budgets.

The MI308X targets a different domain. Its 192 GB of HBM3 memory, 8192-bit bus, and 5.32 TB/s bandwidth exceed the RTX 4090 D by a wide margin. Its FP32 and FP16 throughput of 81.72 TFLOPS outpaces the RTX 4090 D’s 73.54 TFLOPS. Its 750 W TDP and OAM form factor signal a server or datacenter installation, not a desktop. The absence of ROPs and display outputs confirms it is a compute accelerator, not a graphics card. The data indicates the MI308X would excel in memory-bound or throughput-heavy compute tasks, but no benchmark evidence exists to quantify that advantage.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4090 D wins in every recorded benchmark category because it is the only card with scores. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 8,587 demonstrates DirectX 12 capability, which the MI308X cannot match due to its N/A API list. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 278,621 and Vulkan score of 246,941 show broad compute compatibility across multiple frameworks, a flexibility the MI308X lacks with no API support at all. The RTX 4090 D also wins on power efficiency in relative terms: its 73.54 TFLOPS FP32 at 425 W TDP contrasts with the MI308X’s 81.72 TFLOPS at 750 W, meaning the RTX 4090 D delivers more performance per watt based on the recorded TDP figures.

The MI308X wins on raw capacity and throughput specifications. Its 5.32 TB/s memory bandwidth is over five times the RTX 4090 D’s 1.01 TB/s. Its 192 GB memory capacity is eight times the RTX 4090 D’s 24 GB. Its 2,553.6 GTexel/s texture rate is 2.2 times higher. Its FP32 and FP16 performance of 81.72 TFLOPS exceeds the RTX 4090 D’s 73.54 TFLOPS by 11.1%. Its 153,000 million transistors and 1017 mm² die size indicate a more complex, larger-scale silicon design. The MI308X also uses PCIe 5.0 x16, a newer interface than the RTX 4090 D’s PCIe 4.0 x16.

In use-case terms, the RTX 4090 D suits tasks that require rendering, ray tracing, or API-based compute, such as real-time graphics or AI inference with tensor cores. The MI308X suits workloads that demand massive memory capacity and bandwidth, such as large model training or data processing, where its lack of display and API features is irrelevant. The database shows no overlap in benchmark coverage, so any direct performance comparison remains speculative. The RTX 4090 D’s measured scores and 98th percentile standing provide concrete evidence of its capability, while the MI308X’s specifications define its intended role without empirical validation.