AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Comparison

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the superior product in nearly every measurable way. In the only directly comparable benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 5080 scores 235901 against the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25's 68562, a 70.9% deficit for the AMD card. The RTX 5080 should be the choice for anyone needing modern compute performance, ray tracing, or a functional display output. The MI25, with its end-of-life status and no display outputs, is only relevant for archival or specialized compute workloads where its HBM2 memory and GCN architecture are acceptable.

For buyers who need a current-generation GPU with active production status, the RTX 5080 is the only option. The MI25 was released in 2017, uses the GCN 5.0 architecture on a 14 nm process, and has no successor listed. The RTX 5080 belongs to the GeForce 50 series, uses Blackwell 2.0 on 5 nm, and has a successor already listed in the GeForce 60. The data shows a generational chasm, not a competitive matchup.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is massive. The MI25 uses AMD's GCN 5.0 architecture on a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, packing 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die. The RTX 5080 uses NVIDIA's Blackwell 2.0 architecture on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 45,600 million transistors on a smaller 378 mm² die. Transistor density tells the story: the MI25 has 25.3 million transistors per mm², while the RTX 5080 reaches 120.6 million per mm².

The MI25 is built around the Vega 10 chip with 4096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 5080 uses the GB203 chip with 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. It includes 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the MI25.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The MI25 uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, delivering 436.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5080 also has 16 GB, but uses GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus, achieving 960.0 GB/s. Despite the narrower bus, the RTX 5080 more than doubles the memory bandwidth.

Clock speeds show the process node advantage. The MI25 runs at a base of 1400 MHz and boost of 1500 MHz. The RTX 5080 runs at 2295 MHz base and 2617 MHz boost. Combined with the larger shader count, the RTX 5080 delivers 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus the MI25's 12.29 TFLOPS, a 4.5x advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has better raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 5080 dominates. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 235901 versus the MI25's 68562, a 70.9% lead. The FP32 throughput difference is even starker: 56.28 TFLOPS versus 12.29 TFLOPS.

Q: Do both cards support the same memory capacity?

A: Yes, both have 16 GB of memory, but the type and bandwidth differ. The MI25 uses HBM2 with 436.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 5080 uses GDDR7 with 960.0 GB/s.

Q: Can the MI25 be used for modern gaming with ray tracing?

A: No. The MI25 has no ray tracing cores and no display outputs. The RTX 5080 has 84 ray tracing cores and includes HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The MI25 is end-of-life with no successor, while the RTX 5080 is active and has a successor listed in the GeForce 60 series.

Q: How do the cards compare in API support?

A: The MI25 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The RTX 5080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, adding the higher-tier DirectX feature level.

Q: Which card has higher power requirements?

A: The RTX 5080 has a 360 W TDP and requires a 750 W suggested PSU with a single 16-pin connector. The MI25 has a 300 W TDP, a 700 W suggested PSU, and uses two 8-pin connectors.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ on nearly every specification field. The MI25 uses GCN 5.0 architecture on 14 nm, while the RTX 5080 uses Blackwell 2.0 on 5 nm. Transistor counts are 12,500 million versus 45,600 million. Die size is 495 mm² versus 378 mm². Transistor density is 25.3 million per mm² versus 120.6 million per mm².

Clock speeds differ across the board: base 1400 MHz versus 2295 MHz, boost 1500 MHz versus 2617 MHz. Memory clocks are 852 MHz with 1704 Mbps effective versus 1875 MHz with 30 Gbps effective. Memory bandwidth is 436.2 GB/s versus 960.0 GB/s.

Compute resources show the scale of difference: 4096 shading units versus 10752, 256 TMUs versus 336, 64 ROPs versus 112. The RTX 5080 adds 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores, features the MI25 lacks entirely.

Output capabilities diverge completely. The MI25 has no display outputs. The RTX 5080 has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b. Pixel rate is 96.00 GPixel/s versus 293.1 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 384.0 GTexel/s versus 879.3 GTexel/s. FP32 is 12.29 TFLOPS versus 56.28 TFLOPS. FP16 is 24.58 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 56.28 TFLOPS (1:1).

Other differences include TDP (300 W versus 360 W), power connectors (2x 8-pin versus 1x 16-pin), suggested PSU (700 W versus 750 W), and bus interface (PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 5.0 x16). Physical dimensions differ: the MI25 is 267 mm long and 111 mm tall, while the RTX 5080 is 304 mm long, 137 mm tall, and 40 mm wide. The MI25 has no launch MSRP recorded; the RTX 5080 has a launch MSRP of 999 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the database is Geekbench OpenCL. The MI25 scores 68562, while the RTX 5080 scores 235901. The delta is 70.9% in favor of the RTX 5080. This is not a close contest; it is a landslide.

The RTX 5080 also has a broader benchmark suite recorded. It participates in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 8637, Geekbench Vulkan with 255450, and multiple Passmark tests. The MI25 has no entries for these tests. The RTX 5080's Passmark G3D score of 36565 and GPU compute score of 21789 further demonstrate its strength across different workloads.

For context on the MI25's standing, its average benchmark score of 68562 places it near the Intel Arc A770 (68809, 0.4% behind) and the NVIDIA CMP 90HX (69000, 0.6% behind). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 (69870, 1.9% behind) and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (69986, 2% behind). The MI25 sits at the 90th percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable for a 2017 product.

The RTX 5080's average benchmark score of 56083 is lower than its Geekbench OpenCL score because the average includes its Passmark DirectX scores, which are low. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 8060S (55757, 0.6% ahead of the RTX 5080), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698, 0.7% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828, 2.3% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE (57367, 2.2% ahead). The RTX 5080 sits at the 87th percentile of all GPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5080 wins in every recorded category. It wins on raw compute (56.28 TFLOPS FP32 versus 12.29 TFLOPS), memory bandwidth (960.0 GB/s versus 436.2 GB/s), pixel rate (293.1 GPixel/s versus 96.00 GPixel/s), and texture rate (879.3 GTexel/s versus 384.0 GTexel/s). It supports ray tracing and tensor operations, features the MI25 cannot offer. It has display outputs, making it usable for gaming and general desktop workloads. It supports the latest API versions, including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4.

The MI25's only advantages are qualitative. It has a lower TDP of 300 W versus 360 W, a lower suggested PSU of 700 W, and a longer physical length requirement. Its HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus is an older technology profile. It is end-of-life, so it may be available in legacy systems. The data shows no benchmark where the MI25 wins.

The use-case split is therefore simple. Choose the RTX 5080 for anything that requires current performance, display output, ray tracing, tensor cores, or modern API support. The MI25 is only defensible in a legacy compute installation where the GCN 5.0 architecture is already integrated and the workload does not require the RTX 5080's capabilities. The benchmark results indicate the RTX 5080 is the definitive choice for essentially all scenarios.