AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data shows a clear split between these two GPUs, and the choice depends entirely on the workload. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 dominates in the only direct head-to-head benchmark available, delivering a Geekbench OpenCL score of 214,739 against the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X’s 78,467, a 63.5% advantage. For any user prioritizing raw compute throughput in OpenCL environments, the RTX 4080 is the definitive pick.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, however, holds a higher overall percentile ranking at 92 compared to the RTX 4080’s 86. Its average benchmark score of 80,959 sits close to its nearest rivals, with a 1.3% deficit behind the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 and a 1.4% lead over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The RTX 4080’s average score of 54,247 places it roughly 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X and 2.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. This suggests the Vega 64X is better positioned within its peer group for balanced performance, while the RTX 4080’s strength is more concentrated in specific compute tasks.

The RTX 4080 is the choice for users who need maximum OpenCL performance and modern feature support. The Vega 64X, despite being end-of-life since March 2019, remains competitive within its own performance tier and offers a different architectural approach with HBM2 memory. For professionals on Apple platforms, the Vega 64X was designed as an integrated graphics processor (IGP), making it relevant for those specific systems. The RTX 4080, released in September 2022, targets a broader desktop audience with its triple-slot design and dedicated power connector.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is built on the Vega 10 chip using the GCN 5.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 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 with the Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 45,900 million transistors into a 379 mm² die, achieving a significantly higher density of 121.1 million per mm².

The Vega 64X features 4,096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The RTX 4080 more than doubles the shading unit count to 9,728, with 304 TMUs and 112 ROPs. Critically, the RTX 4080 includes 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores, while the Vega 64X has no dedicated RT or tensor hardware. This makes the RTX 4080 substantially more capable for ray-traced workloads and AI-accelerated tasks.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The Vega 64X uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4080 also has 16 GB, but uses GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, achieving 716.8 GB/s. The Vega 64X’s memory clock is 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective), while the RTX 4080’s memory runs at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). The RTX 4080’s wider effective bandwidth gives it an edge in memory-intensive scenarios.

Clock speeds also favor the RTX 4080. The Vega 64X has a base clock of 1250 MHz and a boost clock of 1468 MHz. The RTX 4080 starts at 2205 MHz base and boosts to 2505 MHz. Pixel rate for the Vega 64X is 93.95 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 375.8 GTexel/s. The RTX 4080 achieves 280.6 GPixel/s and 761.5 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 12.03 TFLOPS for the Vega 64X versus 48.74 TFLOPS for the RTX 4080. FP16 performance is 24.05 TFLOPS (2:1) for AMD and 48.74 TFLOPS (1:1) for NVIDIA.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4080 wins decisively in the only direct benchmark recorded: Geekbench OpenCL. Its score of 214,739 versus 78,467 represents a 63.5% lead. This indicates the RTX 4080 is vastly superior for general-purpose GPU compute tasks that rely on OpenCL. The RTX 4080 also benefits from its 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores, which enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and DLSS-style AI features that the Vega 64X cannot offer at all.

The Vega 64X, despite losing the head-to-head, holds its own in the broader database rankings. Its percentile of 92 versus the RTX 4080’s 86 shows that across all GPUs, the AMD part is considered more consistently competitive. Its average benchmark score of 80,959 exceeds the RTX 4080’s 54,247, meaning that when averaging all recorded tests, the Vega 64X performs better than the RTX 4080 does relative to their respective test sets. The Vega 64X also has a higher bandwidth per bus width ratio due to HBM2, which can benefit certain memory-latency-sensitive workloads.

For users on Mac platforms, the Vega 64X is an integrated graphics processor with portable device dependent display outputs, making it suitable for systems where discrete power connectors are unavailable. The RTX 4080 requires a 16-pin power connector and a 700 W suggested PSU, plus a triple-slot footprint (310 mm length, 140 mm height, 61 mm width). The Vega 64X has no power connectors and is an IGP, so it fits in constrained environments. The RTX 4080, however, offers PCIe 4.0 x16 versus the Vega 64X’s PCIe 3.0 x16, providing double the interface bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher OpenCL performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 scores 214,739 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 78,467. The RTX 4080 leads by 63.5%.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The RTX 4080 provides 716.8 GB/s using GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus. The Vega 64X delivers 512.0 GB/s using HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus. The RTX 4080 has higher total bandwidth despite a narrower bus.

Q: Do both GPUs support ray tracing?

A: No. The RTX 4080 has 76 dedicated ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. The Vega 64X has no RT or tensor cores, so it cannot perform hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 4080 has a density of 121.1 million transistors per mm² on a 5 nm process. The Vega 64X has 25.3 million per mm² on a 14 nm process.

Q: What are their release dates?

A: The Vega 64X was released on March 18, 2019. The RTX 4080 was released on September 19, 2022. Both are now end-of-life.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Vega 64X has an average benchmark score of 80,959, while the RTX 4080 averages 54,247. The Vega 64X sits at the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, and the RTX 4080 sits at the 86th percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records exactly one head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 scored 214,739, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scored 78,467. The delta percentage is -63.5% from the AMD card’s perspective, meaning the RTX 4080 outperforms the Vega 64X by a factor of roughly 2.74. This is the single largest margin recorded in the comparison, and it defines the overall head-to-head result where NVIDIA wins 1 benchmark and AMD wins 0.

This OpenCL result aligns with the raw compute specifications. The RTX 4080’s FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS is more than four times the Vega 64X’s 12.03 TFLOPS. The RTX 4080’s texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s more than doubles the Vega 64X’s 375.8 GTexel/s. Even the pixel rate shows a stark contrast: 280.6 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 93.95 GPixel/s for AMD. These figures consistently point to the RTX 4080 being in a different performance class for compute-heavy workloads.

However, the broader database context complicates the picture. The Vega 64X’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 with an average score of 79,842, which the Vega 64X beats by 1.4%. It also trails the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (81,995) by only 1.3%. The RTX 4080’s nearest rivals are much closer in score: the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209) is just 0.1% behind, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828) is 1.1% ahead. This suggests that while the RTX 4080 dominates the Vega 64X in OpenCL, the Vega 64X is more favorably positioned against its own contemporaries.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification field. The process node is 14 nm for AMD versus 5 nm for NVIDIA. Transistor counts are 12,500 million versus 45,900 million. Die size is 495 mm² versus 379 mm². Transistor density is 25.3M per mm² versus 121.1M per mm².

Base clocks are 1250 MHz versus 2205 MHz, and boost clocks are 1468 MHz versus 2505 MHz. Memory type is HBM2 versus GDDR6X. Bus width is 2048 bit versus 256 bit. Bandwidth is 512.0 GB/s versus 716.8 GB/s. Shading units are 4,096 versus 9,728. TMUs are 256 versus 304. ROPs are 64 versus 112. The RTX 4080 has 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores; the Vega 64X has none.

Pixel rate is 93.95 GPixel/s versus 280.6 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 375.8 GTexel/s versus 761.5 GTexel/s. FP32 is 12.03 TFLOPS versus 48.74 TFLOPS. FP16 is 24.05 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 48.74 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP is 250 W versus 320 W. Slot width is IGP versus triple-slot. Power connectors are none versus 1x 16-pin. Suggested PSU is absent for AMD, 700 W for NVIDIA. Bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16.

Display outputs are portable device dependent for the Vega 64X versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for the RTX 4080. DirectX support is 12 (12_1) versus 12 Ultimate (12_2). Vulkan is 1.3 versus 1.4. OpenGL is 4.6 for both. Dimensions are only recorded for the RTX 4080: 310 mm length, 140 mm height, 61 mm width. The RTX 4080 has a launch MSRP of 1,199 USD; the Vega 64X has no recorded launch MSRP.