AMD Instinct MI455X vs NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI455X and NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation occupy entirely different segments of the accelerator market, and the recorded data reflects that separation clearly. The AMD part is a massive compute-focused accelerator built for the Instinct (MIx) generation, while the NVIDIA part is an embedded mobile workstation GPU from the Ada-MW generation.

The MI455X delivers its advantages in raw computational scale. It carries 32,768 shading units, 1,024 texture mapping units, and zero ROPs, which indicates a design optimized for dense arithmetic rather than pixel output. Its FP32 throughput is 157.3 TFLOPS, and its FP16 throughput matches at 157.3 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. These figures position it as a device for high-throughput parallel workloads where shader and texture operations dominate.

The RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation counters with a more balanced feature set. It has 5,120 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, plus 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores. Its FP32 and FP16 performance both sit at 23.04 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. The presence of RT cores and tensor cores gives it capabilities in ray-traced graphics and tensor-accelerated workloads that the MI455X does not expose in its specifications, as the AMD part lists no RT core or tensor core counts.

The memory subsystem separates the two even further. The MI455X uses 432 GB of HBM4 across a 24,576-bit bus, delivering 23.3 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3500 Embedded uses 12 GB of GDDR6 across a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s. That is a scale difference of roughly 54 times in capacity and roughly 54 times in bandwidth. For workloads that fit within the NVIDIA part's 12 GB frame buffer, the RTX 3500 can operate within a 100 W thermal envelope, while the MI455X consumes 2,300 W and requires a 2,700 W suggested power supply.

The RTX 3500 also brings graphics API support. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI455X lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, confirming it is not intended for conventional graphics rendering pipelines. The NVIDIA part has a production status of Active, while the AMD part has no production status listed.

Architecture Differences

The two accelerators come from different foundries and process nodes. The AMD Instinct MI455X uses a 2 nm process at TSMC, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation uses a 5 nm process at TSMC. The MI455X is built around the MI450 256CU chip under the CDNA 5.0 architecture. The RTX 3500 uses the AD104 chip under the Ada Lovelace architecture.

Transistor counts differ dramatically. The MI455X integrates 320,000 million transistors on a die size of 2,990 mm², yielding a transistor density of 107.0 million per square millimeter. The RTX 3500 integrates 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a higher density of 121.8 million per square millimeter. The AMD part is roughly 9 times larger in die area and roughly 9 times larger in transistor count, but its density is lower. That lower density, combined with the massive die, points to a design with large memory interfaces and high-bandwidth structures rather than the denser logic packing seen in the NVIDIA part.

Clock behavior also differs. The MI455X has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The RTX 3500 has a base clock of 1725 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. The AMD part has a higher boost ceiling, but its base clock is 725 MHz lower. Memory clocks differ as well: the MI455X runs its HBM4 at 1900 MHz with 7.6 Gbps effective, while the RTX 3500 runs its GDDR6 at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective.

Both use PCIe interfaces, but different versions. The MI455X uses PCIe 6.0 x16, while the RTX 3500 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Neither part has display outputs, and neither requires power connectors, though the power delivery requirements differ substantially through the system power supply rating. The MI455X is an EAM Module in slot width, while the RTX 3500 is an IGP form factor.

The NVIDIA part has a defined predecessor (Ampere-MW) and successor (Blackwell-MW). The AMD part lists Radeon Instinct as its predecessor and has no successor listed. The NVIDIA part also has a concrete release date in the database, while the AMD part carries a later release date.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no recorded benchmark scores for either part. Both entries show an average benchmark score of 0, and the head-to-head benchmark array is empty. As a result, no measured performance deltas or percentile comparisons exist between these two accelerators. Both parts sit at the 50th percentile against all GPUs in the database, but that percentile is based on no populated benchmark data.

Without benchmark results, the comparison rests entirely on specification-derived throughput. The MI455X delivers 157.3 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16, which is 6.83 times the RTX 3500's 23.04 TFLOPS in each precision. Texture rate tells a similar story: the MI455X reaches 2,457.6 GTexel/s versus 360.0 GTexel/s for the RTX 3500, a factor of 6.83 as well. The pixel rate is the opposite case. The MI455X lists 0 MPixel/s, while the RTX 3500 lists 144.0 GPixel/s, a figure enabled by its 64 ROPs.

Memory bandwidth is the largest measured gap. The MI455X's HBM4 implementation provides 23.3 TB/s, which is 53.9 times the RTX 3500's 432.0 GB/s. Memory capacity follows the same pattern: 432 GB versus 12 GB, a 36 times difference. The bus width difference of 24,576 bits versus 192 bits is the structural reason for the bandwidth gap.

Power draw is the inverse relationship. The MI455X has a 2,300 W TDP and a 2,700 W suggested PSU, while the RTX 3500 has a 100 W TDP and a 300 W suggested PSU. The MI455X delivers roughly 68.4 GFLOPS per watt in FP32, while the RTX 3500 delivers roughly 230.4 GFLOPS per watt in FP32. The NVIDIA part is more efficient per watt, but the AMD part provides far more absolute throughput.

Specification Differences

The two parts differ across nearly every recorded specification field. Process node: 2 nm for the MI455X, 5 nm for the RTX 3500. Transistors: 320,000 million versus 35,800 million. Die size: 2,990 mm² versus 294 mm². Transistor density: 107.0 million per mm² versus 121.8 million per mm².

Base clock: 1000 MHz versus 1725 MHz. Boost clock: 2400 MHz versus 2250 MHz. Memory clock: 1900 MHz (7.6 Gbps effective) versus 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). Memory size: 432 GB versus 12 GB. Memory type: HBM4 versus GDDR6. Bus width: 24,576 bit versus 192 bit. Memory bandwidth: 23.3 TB/s versus 432.0 GB/s.

Shading units: 32,768 versus 5,120. TMUs: 1,024 versus 160. ROPs: 0 versus 64. RT cores: not listed for the MI455X, 40 for the RTX 3500. Tensor cores: not listed for the MI455X, 160 for the RTX 3500. Pixel rate: 0 MPixel/s versus 144.0 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 2,457.6 GTexel/s versus 360.0 GTexel/s. FP32: 157.3 TFLOPS versus 23.04 TFLOPS. FP16: 157.3 TFLOPS versus 23.04 TFLOPS.

TDP: 2,300 W versus 100 W. Slot width: EAM Module versus IGP. Suggested PSU: 2,700 W versus 300 W. Bus interface: PCIe 6.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs: none for either. API support: N/A for the MI455X versus DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 for the RTX 3500. Release date: the MI455X is dated later than the RTX 3500, which released in the database in early 2023. Production status: not listed for the MI455X, Active for the RTX 3500. The NVIDIA part also has a successor listed, while the AMD part does not.

FAQ

Q: Which part has higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The AMD Instinct MI455X lists 157.3 TFLOPS in FP32, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation lists 23.04 TFLOPS. The AMD part is 6.83 times higher.

Q: Do both parts support the same graphics APIs?

A: No. The RTX 3500 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI455X lists N/A for all three APIs.

Q: How do the memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The MI455X delivers 23.3 TB/s through HBM4 on a 24,576-bit bus. The RTX 3500 delivers 432.0 GB/s through GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The AMD part is 53.9 times higher in bandwidth.

Q: Which part has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 3500 has a transistor density of 121.8 million per square millimeter, while the MI455X has 107.0 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA part is denser despite having far fewer total transistors.

Q: What is the power requirement difference?

A: The MI455X has a 2,300 W TDP and a 2,700 W suggested PSU. The RTX 3500 has a 100 W TDP and a 300 W suggested PSU.

Q: Does either part have display outputs?

A: Neither part has display outputs. Both entries list no display outputs.