AMD Radeon Pro W5500X vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data offers a limited but telling comparison between these two cards. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X has a single benchmark entry, a Geekbench Metal score of 27,973. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER has a broader suite of results, but no common test exists between the two in the database. This makes a direct, apples-to-apples comparison impossible. Instead, the data reveals how each card positions itself relative to its own nearest rivals, which tells a distinct story about their performance classes.

The RTX 2080 SUPER's average benchmark score of 24,170 places it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database are a cluster of cards with very close scores. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti scores 24,236, a delta of -0.3% against the RTX 2080 SUPER, meaning the RTX 2080 SUPER is marginally behind. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 posts 24,277, a -0.4% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 24,063, indicating the RTX 2080 SUPER is 0.4% ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT scores 24,442, putting the RTX 2080 SUPER 1.1% behind. These are extremely tight margins, all within a 1.5% band, suggesting the RTX 2080 SUPER's average performance is squarely in a competitive mid-range tier, despite its high-end specifications.

The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 27,973, which is notably higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER's average. This score puts the W5500X in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, a full four percentile points above the RTX 2080 SUPER. Its nearest rivals are similarly close in score but represent a different performance neighborhood. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 28,020, a -0.2% delta against the W5500X, meaning the W5500X is just barely behind. The AMD Radeon RX 7800M scores 27,883, putting the W5500X 0.3% ahead. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores 27,839, a 0.5% advantage for the W5500X. The AMD FirePro S7150 scores 28,117, a -0.5% delta. The W5500X sits in a higher performance band, with its average score roughly 15.7% higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER's average.

The discrepancy between the cards' average scores and their percentile ranks is notable. The W5500X, despite scoring higher on average, is rated only four percentile points above the RTX 2080 SUPER. This suggests the RTX 2080 SUPER's individual benchmark results, such as its PassMark G3D score of 19,490 and its Geekbench Vulkan score of 111,284, represent a wide spread of performance across different workloads. The W5500X's single Metal score, while high, does not capture the same range of testing scenarios. The data shows the RTX 2080 SUPER as a multi-faceted performer with a lower average, while the W5500X appears as a specialized but strong scorer in one specific API.

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X has an average benchmark score of 27,973, which is significantly higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER's average of 24,170. This represents roughly a 15.7% advantage for the AMD card in the database's recorded data, though this is based on a single Metal test for the W5500X versus multiple tests for the RTX 2080 SUPER.

Q: Which card holds a higher percentile rank among all GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X ranks in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER ranks in the 69th percentile. The W5500X has a four-point percentile advantage despite having fewer benchmark entries.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X?

A: The nearest rivals to the W5500X are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti with an average score of 28,020 (a -0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 7800M with 27,883 (a 0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 with 27,839 (a 0.5% delta), and the AMD FirePro S7150 with 28,117 (a -0.5% delta).

Q: What are the nearest rivals to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER?

A: The nearest rivals to the RTX 2080 SUPER are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti with an average score of 24,236 (a -0.3% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 with 24,277 (a -0.4% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6800S with 24,063 (a 0.4% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT with 24,442 (a -1.1% delta).

Q: Is there a common benchmark that both cards were tested on?

A: No, the database does not contain a shared benchmark result between the two cards. The W5500X has a Geekbench Metal score, while the RTX 2080 SUPER has results from 3DMark, Geekbench OpenCL, Geekbench Vulkan, and multiple PassMark tests. This lack of overlap prevents a direct head-to-head comparison.

Q: Which card has more shading units and texture mapping units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER has 3,072 shading units and 192 texture mapping units (TMUs), while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X has 1,536 shading units and 96 TMUs. The RTX 2080 SUPER has exactly double the shading units and double the TMUs of the W5500X.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is substantial. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X is built on the Navi 14 chip using the RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER uses the TU104 chip with the Turing architecture, built on a 12 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: the W5500X's 7 nm process allows for a much higher transistor density of 40.5 million transistors per square millimeter, compared to the RTX 2080 SUPER's 25.0 million per square millimeter on 12 nm.

The physical size of the chips reflects this density difference. The W5500X's die size is 158 mm² and contains 6,400 million transistors. The RTX 2080 SUPER's die is 545 mm² and contains 13,600 million transistors. This means the RTX 2080 SUPER has more than double the transistor count, but its die is more than three times larger. The W5500X packs its transistors more tightly due to the advanced process node.

The RTX 2080 SUPER includes dedicated hardware features that the W5500X lacks entirely. The Turing architecture card has 48 ray tracing cores and 384 tensor cores, which support real-time ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads. The W5500X, based on RDNA 1.0, has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. This is a fundamental feature gap. The RTX 2080 SUPER also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the W5500X is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The memory subsystem also differs in architecture beyond the basic specifications. The W5500X uses a 128-bit memory bus, while the RTX 2080 SUPER uses a 256-bit bus. Both cards use GDDR6 memory, but the RTX 2080 SUPER's wider bus allows for nearly double the bandwidth. The W5500X's memory clock is 1,750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the RTX 2080 SUPER's is 1,937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective). The RTX 2080 SUPER's memory interface is fundamentally wider and faster.

The bus interface is another architectural distinction. The W5500X uses Apple MPX, a proprietary interconnect for Apple systems, while the RTX 2080 SUPER uses standard PCIe 3.0 x16. This makes the W5500X specifically tailored for Mac environments, whereas the RTX 2080 SUPER is a general-purpose PCIe card. The W5500X's display outputs are limited to two HDMI 2.0b ports, while the RTX 2080 SUPER offers one HDMI 2.0, three DisplayPort 1.4a, and one USB Type-C port.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every core specification. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER has a base clock of 1,650 MHz and a boost clock of 1,815 MHz, both significantly higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X's base of 1,187 MHz and boost of 1,757 MHz. The RTX 2080 SUPER's memory runs at 1,937 MHz (15.5 Gbps effective), while the W5500X's memory runs at 1,750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

The memory bandwidth is a major differentiator. The RTX 2080 SUPER delivers 495.9 GB/s of bandwidth, more than double the W5500X's 224.0 GB/s. Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, but the RTX 2080 SUPER's 256-bit bus versus the W5500X's 128-bit bus is the primary cause of this bandwidth gap.

Compute throughput shows the RTX 2080 SUPER at roughly twice the W5500X's capability. The RTX 2080 SUPER achieves 11.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 22.30 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1), while the W5500X achieves 5.398 TFLOPS of FP32 and 10.80 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1). The pixel rate and texture rate follow the same pattern: the RTX 2080 SUPER hits 116.2 GPixel/s and 348.5 GTexel/s, versus the W5500X's 56.22 GPixel/s and 168.7 GTexel/s.

The power requirements are also starkly different. The RTX 2080 SUPER has a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W, with two power connectors (one 6-pin and one 8-pin). The W5500X has a TDP of 125 W and a suggested PSU of 300 W, with no power connector listed. The RTX 2080 SUPER's physical dimensions are recorded: 267 mm in length, 116 mm in height, and 35 mm in width. The W5500X has no dimensions listed.

The RTX 2080 SUPER has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The W5500X has 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Both cards are dual-slot designs. The release dates differ by about five months: the W5500X was released on December 10, 2019, while the RTX 2080 SUPER was released on July 22, 2019. Both are end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The data paints two very different profiles. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X, with its 7 nm process and compact 158 mm² die, is a power-efficient card designed for Apple MPX systems. Its single Geekbench Metal score of 27,973 is strong, placing it in the 73rd percentile. This score is roughly 15.7% higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER's average benchmark score of 24,170. The W5500X's nearest rivals, such as the GTX 980 Ti and the RX 7800M, all cluster within a 0.5% delta, showing it competes in a higher average performance tier than the RTX 2080 SUPER.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, however, is a different kind of performer. Its average score of 24,170 is dragged down by a wide range of tests, including PassMark DirectX 9 (227), DirectX 10 (140), and DirectX 11 (165) scores, which are low relative to its G3D score of 19,490. The RTX 2080 SUPER's 69th percentile rank reflects this variability. Its advantage lies in its feature set: 48 ray tracing cores, 384 tensor cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and double the shading units, TMUs, and ROPs of the W5500X. It also has more than double the memory bandwidth at 495.9 GB/s.

Who should choose which? The data suggests the W5500X for users who prioritize raw Metal performance in a Mac environment, as its Apple MPX bus interface and 2x HDMI 2.0b outputs indicate a specialized workstation role. Its higher average benchmark score and better percentile rank make it the stronger choice for that specific workload. The RTX 2080 SUPER, with its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, multiple display outputs including USB Type-C, and support for ray tracing, is the more versatile card for a general-purpose Windows PC. Its higher clock speeds, double the compute throughput, and broader API support make it the better pick for a wider range of modern workloads, despite its lower average score in the database. The RTX 2080 SUPER's launch MSRP was 699 USD, while the W5500X's launch MSRP was 599 USD. The choice ultimately comes down to the intended platform and workload: the W5500X for Apple-centric tasks, the RTX 2080 SUPER for everything else.