AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile and AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 are two GPUs separated by four years of silicon progress and entirely different design goals. The RTX 3080 Mobile is an end-of-life laptop part from the Ampere generation, while the AI PRO R9700 is an active, dual-slot desktop workstation card built on RDNA 4.0. Benchmark data shows a lopsided rivalry: the AMD card wins 9 of 10 head-to-head tests, but the single NVIDIA win comes in a workload that matters for certain users. This analysis breaks down where each card excels, what the architecture differences mean, and who should choose which based strictly on measured results.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 dominates nearly every category in the benchmark suite. It takes the win in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Geekbench OpenCL, and all five Passmark tests (DirectX 10, 11, 12, 9, G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute). The only test where the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile comes out ahead is Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 104,066 against the AMD's 63,550 — a 63.8% margin. That single win is significant for Vulkan-based applications and games, but it is the exception rather than the rule.

Looking at the workload split, the AMD card is the clear choice for raw compute and DirectX-heavy tasks. Its Passmark GPU Compute score of 15,300 more than doubles the RTX 3080 Mobile's 7,276. In DirectX 11, the AMD card scores 272 versus 146, a 46.3% advantage. The AMD card also wins in 2D performance, scoring 1,236 in Passmark G2D against the NVIDIA's 637. For anyone running modern DirectX 12 games, the 3DMark Steel Nomad result is telling: AMD scores 7,006, which is 62.3% higher than NVIDIA's 2,644.

The NVIDIA card's territory is narrower but real. Vulkan is used in a growing number of cross-platform engines and emulators, and a 63.8% lead there is not trivial. For the rest of the benchmark suite, the AMD card holds advantages ranging from 11.3% (Geekbench OpenCL) to 53.2% (Passmark DirectX 9). The data points to a simple conclusion: if your workload touches Vulkan, the RTX 3080 Mobile has a specific strength; for everything else measured, the AI PRO R9700 is faster, often by a wide margin.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different foundries and process nodes. NVIDIA's GA104 chip is built on Samsung's 8 nm process, while AMD's Navi 48 uses TSMC's 4 nm node. That process gap shows up in transistor density: AMD packs 151.0 million transistors per square millimeter versus NVIDIA's 44.4M / mm². The Navi 48 die is slightly smaller (357 mm² vs 392 mm²) but holds over three times as many transistors — 53,900 million versus 17,400 million.

Architecturally, NVIDIA uses Ampere with 6,144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. AMD's RDNA 4.0 configuration is different: 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. Despite fewer shading units, the AMD card achieves higher raw throughput because of its much higher clocks — boost up to 2,920 MHz versus NVIDIA's 1,545 MHz. The AMD card also has more RT cores (64 vs 48) and no tensor cores listed, while NVIDIA has 192 tensor cores for AI-accelerated workloads.

Memory architecture differs significantly. The RTX 3080 Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AI PRO R9700 has 32 GB of GDDR6 on the same 256-bit bus, but with faster memory (20.1 Gbps effective vs 14 Gbps effective) it reaches 644.6 GB/s. That fourfold capacity increase and 44% bandwidth advantage are critical for large datasets and high-resolution textures.

Power and physical design are also starkly different. The RTX 3080 Mobile is a 115 W part with no power connectors, designed for laptops. The AI PRO R9700 is a 300 W dual-slot card requiring a single 16-pin connector and a 700 W suggested PSU. The AMD card measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, with display outputs of 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a. The NVIDIA card's display outputs are listed as portable-device dependent.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single biggest win for the AMD card comes in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 7,006 against NVIDIA's 2,644. That is a 62.3% difference, making it the most lopsided result in the suite. This test stresses modern DirectX 12 rendering, and the gap reflects both the AMD card's higher clock speeds and its newer architecture.

Passmark results show consistent AMD superiority across all API levels. In DirectX 9, AMD scores 363 versus 170, a 53.2% lead. DirectX 11 shows a 46.3% advantage (272 vs 146). DirectX 10 is closer at 22.6% (155 vs 120), and DirectX 12 has the smallest gap at 13.3% (83 vs 72). The G3D test, which aggregates overall 3D performance, gives AMD a 39.5% win (26,979 vs 16,321).

Compute performance is heavily in AMD's favor. Passmark GPU Compute shows 15,300 for AMD versus 7,276 for NVIDIA, a 52.4% gap. Geekbench OpenCL also goes to AMD, with 118,202 versus 104,831 — an 11.3% advantage. The 3DMark Steel Nomad result combined with these compute scores suggests the AMD card is more than just a gaming part; it handles parallel workloads with substantially more throughput.

The NVIDIA card's sole win in Geekbench Vulkan is worth examining. Its score of 104,066 dwarfs AMD's 63,550, a 63.8% margin. This is the inverse of the DirectX results, where AMD leads by double digits. The implication is that NVIDIA's driver stack and hardware handle Vulkan's explicit API better, while AMD's advantage lies in Microsoft's DirectX path and OpenCL compute.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the two cards are nearly tied. NVIDIA's average is 23,628, and AMD's is 23,315 — a difference of just 1.3% in NVIDIA's favor. This parity in averages masks the distribution of wins: AMD wins 9 tests, NVIDIA wins 1, but the NVIDIA win is large enough to offset several narrow AMD victories. The percentile rankings are identical at 69, placing both cards in the same overall performance tier.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every measurable specification. The most important differences are:

• Process node: NVIDIA is 8 nm (Samsung), AMD is 4 nm (TSMC)
• Transistors: NVIDIA 17,400 million, AMD 53,900 million
• Die size: NVIDIA 392 mm², AMD 357 mm²
• Transistor density: NVIDIA 44.4M / mm², AMD 151.0M / mm²
• Base clock: NVIDIA 1110 MHz, AMD 1660 MHz
• Boost clock: NVIDIA 1545 MHz, AMD 2920 MHz
• Game clock: NVIDIA not listed, AMD 2350 MHz
• Memory size: NVIDIA 8 GB, AMD 32 GB
• Memory bandwidth: NVIDIA 448.0 GB/s, AMD 644.6 GB/s
• Shading units: NVIDIA 6144, AMD 4096
• TMUs: NVIDIA 192, AMD 256
• ROPs: NVIDIA 96, AMD 128
• RT cores: NVIDIA 48, AMD 64
• Tensor cores: NVIDIA 192, AMD not listed
• FP32 performance: NVIDIA 18.98 TFLOPS, AMD 47.84 TFLOPS
• FP16 performance: NVIDIA 18.98 TFLOPS (1:1), AMD 47.84 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: NVIDIA 115 W, AMD 300 W
• Power connectors: NVIDIA none, AMD 1x 16-pin
• Bus interface: NVIDIA PCIe 4.0 x16, AMD PCIe 5.0 x16
• Slot width: NVIDIA not listed, AMD dual-slot
• Dimensions: NVIDIA not listed, AMD 267 mm x 111 mm x 40 mm
• Release date: NVIDIA 2021-01-11, AMD 2025-07-22

The FP32 numbers are particularly telling. AMD's 47.84 TFLOPS is 2.5 times NVIDIA's 18.98 TFLOPS, which explains the large compute benchmark gaps. The memory capacity difference (8 GB vs 32 GB) is the biggest practical divider for professional workloads. The RTX 3080 Mobile's 115 W TDP makes it suitable for thin laptops, while the AI PRO R9700's 300 W TDP and dual-slot cooler require a desktop chassis.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster overall according to benchmark averages?

A: The average benchmark scores are nearly identical. NVIDIA's RTX 3080 Mobile averages 23,628, and AMD's AI PRO R9700 averages 23,315, a 1.3% difference in NVIDIA's favor. Both cards sit at the 69th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Why does the AMD card win so many more individual tests but have a similar average score?

A: AMD wins 9 of 10 head-to-head tests, but NVIDIA's single win in Geekbench Vulkan is by a massive 63.8% margin. That large win offsets several smaller AMD victories, bringing the averages close together.

Q: Is the AMD card better for compute workloads?

A: Yes. Passmark GPU Compute shows AMD at 15,300 versus NVIDIA's 7,276, a 52.4% advantage. Geekbench OpenCL also favors AMD at 118,202 versus 104,831, an 11.3% lead. The AMD card's 47.84 TFLOPS FP32 performance versus 18.98 TFLOPS for NVIDIA supports this.

Q: When would someone prefer the NVIDIA card?

A: The data shows NVIDIA wins Geekbench Vulkan by 63.8% (104,066 vs 63,550). If your software relies heavily on Vulkan, the RTX 3080 Mobile is the better choice. Also, its 115 W TDP and lack of power connectors make it the only option for a laptop form factor.

Q: How much memory does each card have, and does it matter?

A: The NVIDIA card has 8 GB of GDDR6 with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD card has 32 GB of GDDR6 with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth. The fourfold capacity difference and 44% bandwidth advantage are significant for large textures, datasets, or multi-application workflows.

Q: What are the power requirements for the AMD card?

A: The AI PRO R9700 has a 300 W TDP, requires a single 16-pin power connector, and AMD suggests a 700 W PSU. It is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm in length. The RTX 3080 Mobile, by contrast, consumes 115 W and needs no external power connectors.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 is the faster card in the vast majority of measurable scenarios. It wins 9 of 10 benchmarks, often by large margins — 62.3% in 3DMark Steel Nomad, 52.4% in Passmark GPU Compute, and 39.5% in Passmark G3D. Its 32 GB of memory, 644.6 GB/s bandwidth, and 47.84 TFLOPS FP32 performance make it the clear choice for compute-heavy, DirectX-based, or memory-intensive workloads. The data shows it is also the only one of the two that is an active product, while the RTX 3080 Mobile is end-of-life.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile has one specific strength: Vulkan performance. Its 63.8% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is the largest single-test margin in the entire comparison. For users whose applications are Vulkan-bound, that advantage is decisive. Additionally, its 115 W TDP and laptop-oriented design mean it fits in portable systems where the 300 W, dual-slot AMD card cannot. The RTX 3080 Mobile also holds a marginal 1.3% edge in average benchmark score, though this is driven almost entirely by the Vulkan outlier.

Choose the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 if you need professional compute, run DirectX workloads, require more than 8 GB of VRAM, or want the card with the higher raw throughput. Choose the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile if Vulkan is your primary API, you are building a laptop system, or you need a card that draws no external power. The launch MSRP for the AMD card is 1,299 USD. For most buyers in a desktop context, the AMD card's 9-1 benchmark record makes it the practical recommendation.