AMD Instinct MI308X vs NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no benchmark scores for either the AMD Instinct MI308X or the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation. The database shows zero benchmark entries for both parts, and the wins counter for each product is zero. Consequently, there are no measured performance deltas, no percentile rankings beyond the neutral 50th percentile placeholder, and no rival comparisons available for either accelerator. The head-to-head comparison must therefore rely on architectural specifications and theoretical throughput figures rather than observed application performance.

The most direct numerical contrast comes from raw compute throughput. The AMD Instinct MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 operations, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation delivers 23.04 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16. The AMD part therefore provides roughly 3.5 times the floating-point throughput of the NVIDIA part on paper. Texture rate follows a similar pattern: the MI308X sustains 2,553.6 GTexel/s versus 360.0 GTexel/s for the RTX 3500 Embedded, a factor of about 7.1 in favor of AMD. Pixel rate, however, favors NVIDIA decisively, with the RTX 3500 Embedded producing 144.0 GPixel/s while the MI308X is rated at 0 MPixel/s, as it lacks raster operation units entirely.

Memory bandwidth presents another major separation. The MI308X accesses 192 GB of HBM3 across an 8192-bit interface, yielding 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3500 Embedded uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s. The AMD accelerator provides roughly 12.3 times the memory bandwidth of the NVIDIA part. Clock behavior also differs: the MI308X has a 1000 MHz base clock and 2100 MHz boost, while the RTX 3500 Embedded starts at 1725 MHz base and boosts to 2250 MHz. The NVIDIA part holds a 150 MHz boost advantage despite running at a fraction of the power envelope.

Architecture Differences

The two accelerators come from different architectural lineages. The AMD Instinct MI308X uses the CDNA 3.0 architecture, built around the Aqua Vanjaram chip, and belongs to the Instinct (MIx) generation. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation uses Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip, and is listed within the Ada-MW generation. Both parts are fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but the transistor counts differ substantially. The MI308X integrates 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 150.4 million transistors per square millimeter. The RTX 3500 Embedded contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, or 121.8 million per square millimeter. The AMD chip is therefore about 3.5 times larger in die area and holds roughly 4.3 times as many transistors.

Compute resource allocation differs fundamentally. The MI308X contains 19,456 shading units, 1,216 texture mapping units, and zero raster operation units. It also has no RT cores and no tensor cores listed in the database. The RTX 3500 Embedded has 5,120 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores. The presence of RT and tensor hardware on the NVIDIA part indicates support for ray tracing and tensor-accelerated workloads, while the AMD part appears oriented toward dense compute without dedicated graphics pipeline features.

Memory architecture also diverges. The MI308X uses HBM3 with a massive 8192-bit bus, while the RTX 3500 Embedded uses GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. Effective memory clock rates are listed as 5.2 Gbps for the AMD part and 18 Gbps for the NVIDIA part, though the much wider AMD bus dominates overall bandwidth. The NVIDIA accelerator supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the MI308X reports no API support for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan.

Power and physical specifications also separate the pair. The MI308X has a TDP of 750 W and suggests a 1150 W power supply, while the RTX 3500 Embedded has a 100 W TDP and suggests a 300 W power supply. The AMD part uses an OAM module slot width with no power connectors listed, while the NVIDIA part is an IGP form factor with no power connectors. The MI308X uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 3500 Embedded uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Neither card provides display outputs. Release dates differ as well: the MI308X launched on December 5, 2023, while the RTX 3500 Embedded launched on March 20, 2023.

FAQ

Q: Which accelerator has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The AMD Instinct MI308X delivers 81.72 TFLOPS in FP32, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation delivers 23.04 TFLOPS. The AMD part offers about 3.5 times the FP32 throughput.

Q: Does the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded support ray tracing?

A: Yes. The RTX 3500 Embedded has 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, indicating dedicated ray tracing and tensor processing hardware. The AMD Instinct MI308X lists no RT cores or tensor cores in the database.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The MI308X has 192 GB of HBM3 on an 8192-bit bus with 5.32 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3500 Embedded has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD part provides roughly 12.3 times the memory bandwidth.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The MI308X is rated at 750 W TDP with a suggested 1150 W power supply. The RTX 3500 Embedded is rated at 100 W TDP with a suggested 300 W power supply. The NVIDIA part consumes one-seventh the power of the AMD part.

Q: Do both accelerators support standard graphics APIs?

A: No. The RTX 3500 Embedded supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI308X reports N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, and it has no display outputs. Both parts lack display outputs.

Q: Which product has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 3500 Embedded boosts to 2250 MHz, while the MI308X boosts to 2100 MHz. The NVIDIA part holds a 150 MHz boost clock advantage.

Specification Differences

The two accelerators differ across nearly every recorded specification. The chip identity changes from Aqua Vanjaram on the AMD side to AD104 on the NVIDIA side, and the architecture shifts from CDNA 3.0 to Ada Lovelace. Transistor count is 153,000 million for the MI308X versus 35,800 million for the RTX 3500 Embedded. Die size is 1017 mm² versus 294 mm². Transistor density is 150.4 million per square millimeter versus 121.8 million per square millimeter.

Base clocks are 1000 MHz for AMD and 1725 MHz for NVIDIA, while boost clocks are 2100 MHz and 2250 MHz respectively. Memory clocks show 5.2 Gbps effective for the MI308X and 18 Gbps effective for the RTX 3500 Embedded. Memory size is 192 GB versus 12 GB, memory type is HBM3 versus GDDR6, bus width is 8192 bit versus 192 bit, and bandwidth is 5.32 TB/s versus 432.0 GB/s.

Shader configuration differs: 19,456 shading units versus 5,120, 1,216 TMUs versus 160, and 0 ROPs versus 64. The NVIDIA part has 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, while the AMD part lists none. Pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s versus 144.0 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 2,553.6 GTexel/s versus 360.0 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 throughput are 81.72 TFLOPS versus 23.04 TFLOPS, with both parts using a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio.

TDP is 750 W versus 100 W. Slot width is OAM Module versus IGP. Suggested PSU is 1150 W versus 300 W. Bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. API support differs entirely, with NVIDIA listing DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while AMD reports N/A for all three. Release dates are December 5, 2023 versus March 20, 2023. Production status is not listed for AMD, while NVIDIA is marked Active. The NVIDIA part has a predecessor (Ampere-MW) and successor (Blackwell-MW) listed, while the AMD part lists only a predecessor (Radeon Instinct).

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI308X wins decisively in raw compute throughput and memory capacity. Its 81.72 TFLOPS FP32 figure, 2,553.6 GTexel/s texture rate, 192 GB HBM3 memory, and 5.32 TB/s bandwidth position it for large-scale compute workloads where massive data movement and dense floating-point math dominate. The 8192-bit memory bus and 153,000 million transistor count indicate a design built for sustained throughput on large models and high-volume data processing. The absence of graphics APIs, ROPs, and display outputs reinforces the compute-only orientation.

The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation wins on efficiency and graphics-related capability. Its 100 W TDP against 750 W for the AMD part, combined with a 2250 MHz boost clock, shows a much higher performance-per-watt profile. The presence of 64 ROPs, 40 RT cores, 160 tensor cores, and full DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support gives it a clear edge in any workload involving ray tracing, tensor operations, or graphics rendering, though it has no display outputs. Its 144.0 GPixel/s pixel rate, which the AMD part cannot match at all, confirms rasterization capability that the MI308X lacks entirely.

The memory bandwidth gap favors AMD by a factor of roughly 12.3, but the NVIDIA part counters with a smaller footprint, lower power draw, and a generation that is listed as Active in production. The MI308X has no production status recorded. For workloads that fit within 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and scale with tensor or RT acceleration, the RTX 3500 Embedded provides a compact, low-power option. For workloads that require hundreds of gigabytes of memory and multiple terabytes per second of bandwidth, the MI308X is the only one of the two that can operate on that scale. The two products target fundamentally different deployment scenarios, with the AMD accelerator built for maximum compute density and the NVIDIA part built for efficiency within a constrained power envelope.