AMD Radeon Pro 570X vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and AMD Radeon Pro 570X represent two vastly different approaches to GPU design, separated by process technology, architectural philosophy, and intended use case. The data shows a stark performance disparity in cross-platform APIs, yet the Radeon Pro 570X surprisingly holds a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs. This paradox—where the slower card ranks higher—invites a closer look at what each component actually offers in real-world workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results paint a clear picture of a one-sided contest in raw compute. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti wins both head-to-head tests decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2080 Ti scores 128,171 against the Radeon Pro 570X's 27,604, a 364.3% advantage. The Vulkan test shows a similar gap: 132,930 versus 28,859, a 360.6% lead. These are not marginal victories; they represent a dominant performance tier gap.

However, the AMD Radeon Pro 570X's only benchmark results are in Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan. Its Geekbench Metal score of 40,066 is notable because it is significantly higher than its OpenCL score of 27,604. This suggests the card's architecture is well-optimized for Apple's Metal API, which is relevant given its "Radeon Pro Mac (500X Series)" generation designation. The RTX 2080 Ti has no Metal benchmark in the data, so this remains a potential area where the AMD card could be competitive in macOS environments.

The RTX 2080 Ti's wins extend beyond the head-to-head. It has a Passmark G3D score of 21,548, a Passmark GPU Compute score of 10,056, and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,537. The Radeon Pro 570X has no corresponding scores in these tests, meaning the NVIDIA card is the only one with data for DirectX workloads. This is a functional win by default—the AMD card simply does not have comparable benchmark entries for DirectX 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is fundamental. The RTX 2080 Ti uses the TU102 chip on a 12 nm TSMC process, while the Radeon Pro 570X uses Ellesmere on a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process. The transistor counts tell a story of scale: NVIDIA packs 18,600 million transistors into a 754 mm² die, while AMD fits 5,700 million into 232 mm². Interestingly, the transistor density is nearly identical—24.7M per mm² for NVIDIA and 24.6M per mm² for AMD—showing that the size difference is purely about scale, not density efficiency.

The RTX 2080 Ti is a Turing architecture part with 4,352 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 88 ROPs. It also includes 68 dedicated RT cores and 544 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the Radeon Pro 570X. These hardware units enable real-time ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads, which the GCN 4.0 architecture cannot handle in hardware. The AMD card has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs—roughly 41% of the shading units and 36% of the ROPs of the NVIDIA card.

Memory subsystems diverge sharply. The RTX 2080 Ti uses 11 GB of GDDR6 on a 352-bit bus, delivering 616.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 570X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 217.0 GB/s. Clock speeds also differ: the NVIDIA card boosts to 1545 MHz, while the AMD card boosts to 1105 MHz. The memory clock shows a similar gap—1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) versus 1695 MHz (6.8 Gbps effective). These figures explain the massive bandwidth and throughput differences.

API support is another differentiator. The RTX 2080 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon Pro 570X is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. This means the NVIDIA card is forward-compatible with newer graphics features that the AMD card cannot access.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous for performance seekers. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the superior choice for any workload involving OpenCL or Vulkan, with leads exceeding 360% in both. Its 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with an average benchmark score of 29,783, places it in the same tier as the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (deltaPct -0.5) and AMD Radeon RX 6800 (deltaPct -1). These are modern, high-end cards, and the 2080 Ti competes with them despite being from an earlier generation.

The AMD Radeon Pro 570X's 76th percentile ranking is surprising given its low raw scores. Its average benchmark score of 32,176 actually exceeds the RTX 2080 Ti's 29,783. This is likely due to its Metal benchmark being included in its average, while the RTX 2080 Ti's average includes lower Passmark scores. The Radeon Pro 570X sits near the AMD FirePro S10000 (deltaPct -0.7) and AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (deltaPct -0.9), suggesting its average is buoyed by the Metal result.

For macOS users, the Radeon Pro 570X is the only card with a Metal score, and its 40,066 result is respectable. The RTX 2080 Ti has no Metal data, so it cannot be evaluated for that API. The AMD card also has a lower TDP of 150 W versus 250 W and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, making it suitable for portable devices. The RTX 2080 Ti is a dual-slot card requiring 2x 8-pin connectors and a 600 W PSU.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti delivers 13.45 TFLOPS FP32 versus the AMD Radeon Pro 570X's 3.960 TFLOPS, a difference of roughly 3.4x.

Q: Does the AMD card have any benchmark where it wins?

A: No. In the head-to-head tests, the RTX 2080 Ti wins both Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan. The Radeon Pro 570X has a Geekbench Metal score, but the NVIDIA card has no Metal benchmark for comparison.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti has 11 GB of GDDR6 on a 352-bit bus with 616.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 570X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 217.0 GB/s.

Q: Why does the Radeon Pro 570X have a higher percentile ranking?

A: Its average benchmark score of 32,176 is higher than the RTX 2080 Ti's 29,783, likely because the AMD card's average includes its strong Metal score of 40,066, while the NVIDIA card's average includes lower Passmark DX scores.

Q: Are there features in the RTX 2080 Ti that the Radeon Pro 570X lacks?

A: Yes, the RTX 2080 Ti has 68 RT cores and 544 tensor cores for ray tracing and AI workloads. The Radeon Pro 570X has neither.

Q: What is the power requirement difference?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti has a 250 W TDP and requires a 600 W PSU with 2x 8-pin connectors. The Radeon Pro 570X has a 150 W TDP and no power connectors.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test is the most dramatic comparison. The RTX 2080 Ti scores 128,171, which is more than four times the Radeon Pro 570X's 27,604. This 364.3% delta reflects the massive differences in shading units (4,352 vs 1,792), memory bandwidth (616.0 GB/s vs 217.0 GB/s), and boost clock (1545 MHz vs 1105 MHz). The NVIDIA card's 13.45 TFLOPS FP32 throughput simply overwhelms the AMD card's 3.960 TFLOPS.

The Vulkan benchmark tells a similar story. The RTX 2080 Ti scores 132,930 against 28,859, a 360.6% lead. This consistency across two different APIs suggests the performance gap is architectural, not API-specific. Even if the Radeon Pro 570X's Vulkan 1.3 support is one revision behind the RTX 2080 Ti's Vulkan 1.4, that alone cannot account for such a large difference.

Looking at the broader benchmark suite, the RTX 2080 Ti shows strength in DirectX workloads where the AMD card has no entries. Its Passmark G3D score of 21,548 and DX11 score of 190 indicate solid legacy performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,537 further confirms its DirectX 12 Ultimate capabilities. The Radeon Pro 570X's absence from these tests means it cannot be compared directly, but the available data suggests it would struggle to match these numbers given its 3.960 TFLOPS ceiling.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every measurable specification. The RTX 2080 Ti uses a 12 nm process, while the Radeon Pro 570X uses 14 nm. Transistor count is 18,600 million versus 5,700 million, and die size is 754 mm² versus 232 mm². The NVIDIA card has 4,352 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 88 ROPs, compared to 1,792, 112, and 32 for AMD. The RTX 2080 Ti includes 68 RT cores and 544 tensor cores; the Radeon Pro 570X has none.

Memory is a major differentiator: 11 GB GDDR6 on a 352-bit bus versus 4 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. Bandwidth is 616.0 GB/s versus 217.0 GB/s. Clock speeds favor NVIDIA: base 1350 MHz versus 1000 MHz, boost 1545 MHz versus 1105 MHz. The pixel rate is 136.0 GPixel/s versus 35.36 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 420.2 GTexel/s versus 123.8 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 13.45 TFLOPS versus 3.960 TFLOPS.

Power and form factor differ completely. The RTX 2080 Ti is a dual-slot card with 250 W TDP, 2x 8-pin connectors, and a 600 W PSU recommendation. The Radeon Pro 570X is an IGP with 150 W TDP and no power connectors. The NVIDIA card has explicit dimensions (267 mm length, 116 mm height, 35 mm width) and display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C), while the AMD card's display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent." API support also differs: DirectX 12 Ultimate versus 12 (12_0), and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.3.