AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Comparison

# AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

The data presents a clear generational and architectural divide between these two GPUs. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, built on 14 nm GCN 5.0, registers an average benchmark score of 60,140, placing it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, built on 5 nm Ada Lovelace, posts an average score of 54,247, sitting in the 86th percentile. This apparent paradox — the older card having a higher aggregate percentile — is resolved when examining the specific benchmark suites each card was tested with, as the RTX 4080's raw compute dominance in OpenCL and Vulkan is overwhelming, while the Vega 48's scores come from a narrower set of tests. The data does not support the notion that the Vega 48 outperforms the RTX 4080; rather, the benchmark composition differs between the two entries.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the decisive winner in every head-to-head comparison available. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4080 scores 214,739 against the Vega 48's 53,757, a delta of -75% for the AMD part. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4080 scores 263,779 against 57,653, a delta of -78.1%. The RTX 4080 wins both head-to-head tests, and the win count stands at 2 for NVIDIA and 0 for AMD. For users prioritizing compute performance in OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the RTX 4080 is the only choice supported by these benchmarks. The Vega 48, however, holds a higher percentile rank (88th vs 86th) and a higher average score relative to its nearest rivals, suggesting that within its own test set it performs consistently well, but that test set does not include the demanding DX12 or compute workloads where the RTX 4080 excels. The data does not support any scenario where the Vega 48 wins a performance comparison; it is simply an older, less capable part in raw throughput terms.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different eras and process nodes. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 uses the Vega 10 chip on a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, with 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.3 million per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 uses the AD103 chip on a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, yielding a density of 121.1 million per mm² — nearly five times denser. The architecture names tell the story: GCN 5.0 for AMD versus Ada Lovelace for NVIDIA.

Memory architecture diverges sharply. The Vega 48 uses 8 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, delivering 402.4 GB/s bandwidth at 1572 Mbps effective. The RTX 4080 uses 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s at 22.4 Gbps effective. Although the bus is eight times narrower, the RTX 4080 still achieves 78% more bandwidth. The shading units differ massively: 3,072 for the Vega 48 versus 9,728 for the RTX 4080. TMUs are 192 vs 304, and ROPs are 64 vs 112. The RTX 4080 also includes 76 ray-tracing cores and 304 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the Vega 48. FP32 throughput is 7.373 TFLOPS for AMD versus 48.74 TFLOPS for NVIDIA — a 6.6x advantage. FP16 on the Vega 48 is 14.75 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the RTX 4080 achieves 48.74 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), meaning NVIDIA's FP16 is also 3.3x higher.

API support differs as well. The Vega 48 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The RTX 4080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 4080 also uses PCIe 4.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16 on the AMD part. Pixel rate is 76.80 GPixel/s for the Vega 48 versus 280.6 GPixel/s for the RTX 4080, and texture rate is 230.4 GTexel/s versus 761.5 GTexel/s.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two available head-to-head tests both favor the RTX 4080 by enormous margins. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4080 scores 214,739, which is 4.0 times the Vega 48's 53,757. The deltaPct of -75% indicates the AMD card is three-quarters slower in this workload. OpenCL is a general-purpose compute API, and the RTX 4080's 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 and 304 tensor cores clearly dominate the Vega 48's 7.373 TFLOPS.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4080 scores 263,779 versus 57,653, a delta of -78.1%. This is the largest relative gap in the dataset. Vulkan is used in both gaming and compute, and the RTX 4080's newer architecture, higher shading unit count, and faster memory all contribute to this result. The RTX 4080's Vulkan score is actually higher than its OpenCL score, whereas the Vega 48's Vulkan score (57,653) is only 7% higher than its OpenCL score (53,757). This suggests the RTX 4080's driver and hardware handle Vulkan's explicit control model particularly well.

No other head-to-head tests are provided. There are no DirectX, ray-tracing, or gaming benchmarks in the head-to-head dataset. The available data is limited to OpenCL and Vulkan, both of which are compute-oriented APIs. This narrow view means the RTX 4080's ray-tracing cores and tensor cores are not directly exercised in these head-to-head results, though the raw compute advantage is sufficient to establish dominance.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two GPUs, based solely on the FACT PACK:

• Process node: 14 nm (AMD) vs 5 nm (NVIDIA)
• Foundry: GlobalFoundries vs TSMC
• Transistors: 12,500 million vs 45,900 million
• Die size: 495 mm² vs 379 mm²
• Transistor density: 25.3M / mm² vs 121.1M / mm²
• Base clock: not listed for AMD vs 2205 MHz for NVIDIA
• Boost clock: not listed for AMD vs 2505 MHz for NVIDIA
• Memory clock: 1572 Mbps effective vs 22.4 Gbps effective
• Memory size: 8 GB vs 16 GB
• Memory type: HBM2 vs GDDR6X
• Memory bus width: 2048 bit vs 256 bit
• Memory bandwidth: 402.4 GB/s vs 716.8 GB/s
• Shading units: 3072 vs 9728
• TMUs: 192 vs 304
• ROPs: 64 vs 112
• RT cores: not listed vs 76
• Tensor cores: not listed vs 304
• Pixel rate: 76.80 GPixel/s vs 280.6 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 230.4 GTexel/s vs 761.5 GTexel/s
• FP32: 7.373 TFLOPS vs 48.74 TFLOPS
• FP16: 14.75 TFLOPS (2:1) vs 48.74 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: not listed for AMD vs 320 W for NVIDIA
• Slot width: IGP vs Triple-slot
• Power connectors: None vs 1x 16-pin
• Suggested PSU: not listed vs 700 W
• Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x16 vs PCIe 4.0 x16
• Display outputs: Portable Device Dependent vs 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
• DirectX support: 12 (12_1) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2)
• Vulkan support: 1.3 vs 1.4
• Dimensions: not listed vs 310 mm length, 140 mm height, 61 mm width
• Release date: 2019-03-18 vs 2022-09-19
• Predecessor: not listed vs GeForce 30
• Successor: not listed vs GeForce 50
• Launch MSRP: not listed for AMD vs 1,199 USD for NVIDIA

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 has an average benchmark score of 60,140, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has 54,247. However, the RTX 4080's score is based on a broader suite including PassMark and 3DMark tests, whereas the Vega 48's average derives only from Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4080 in OpenCL?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 214,739 versus 53,757 for the Vega 48, a delta of -75% for the AMD card. This means the RTX 4080 is approximately four times faster in this specific test.

Q: Does the Vega 48 have any ray-tracing cores?

A: The FACT PACK lists no RT cores for the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48. The RTX 4080 has 76 RT cores. No ray-tracing benchmark data is provided for either card.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Vega 48 has 402.4 GB/s from HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, while the RTX 4080 has 716.8 GB/s from GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 4080 offers 78% more bandwidth despite a much narrower bus.

Q: Which GPU supports newer DirectX?

A: The RTX 4080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Vega 48 supports DirectX 12 (12_1). The RTX 4080 also supports Vulkan 1.4 versus Vulkan 1.3 on the AMD card.

Q: What is the release date gap between the two?

A: The Vega 48 was released on 2019-03-18, and the RTX 4080 was released on 2022-09-19. The RTX 4080 is over three years newer.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark wins, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 wins in the two tested categories: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. Its scores of 214,739 and 263,779 respectively are multiples of the Vega 48's 53,757 and 57,653. The RTX 4080 also holds advantages in every specification that affects compute throughput: 6.6x more FP32 TFLOPS, 3.3x more FP16 TFLOPS, 3.2x more shading units, and 1.8x more memory bandwidth. For any application using OpenCL or Vulkan — whether for rendering, simulation, or machine learning — the RTX 4080 is the clear choice.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 does not win any head-to-head benchmark in the data. Its only relative strengths come from its percentile ranking (88th vs 86th) and its average score being closer to its nearest rivals. The Vega 48's nearest rival, the Intel Arc Pro A60, has an average score of 60,326, a delta of -0.3%, meaning the Vega 48 is essentially tied with that card. The RTX 4080's nearest rival is the RTX 4080 SUPER at 54,209, a delta of 0.1%, placing the RTX 4080 at par with its direct successor. The Vega 48's higher percentile reflects its test set composition, not superior performance.

For use cases, the RTX 4080 is suited to high-throughput compute, ray tracing (given its 76 RT cores), and any workload leveraging tensor cores for AI acceleration. The Vega 48, as an IGP with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent outputs, appears designed for integrated or mobile professional use where the 402.4 GB/s HBM2 bandwidth on a 2048-bit bus may be relevant for memory-bound tasks, but its compute capability is far too low to compete with the RTX 4080. The data offers no scenario where the Vega 48 wins.