AMD Radeon Pro W6800X vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D Comparison

The GeForce RTX 4090 D is the dominant performer in this matchup, holding a substantial lead in the only shared benchmark, while the Radeon Pro W6800X counters with double the memory capacity and a much lower power draw. The RTX 4090 D is the clear choice for raw compute and AI workloads, whereas the W6800X is positioned for large dataset handling and specific Apple ecosystem integrations.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear performance hierarchy: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D is the outright winner in computational throughput. In the sole head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4090 D scores 278,621 against the W6800X’s 124,498, a delta of 123.8%. This is not a marginal victory; it is a complete rout. The RTX 4090 D also posts a higher average benchmark score of 178,050 compared to 160,671 for the AMD card, reinforcing its top-tier status.

However, the choice is not solely about raw speed. The Radeon Pro W6800X offers 32 GB of GDDR6 memory versus the 24 GB of GDDR6X on the RTX 4090 D. This 8 GB difference can be decisive for professionals working with massive datasets or complex scenes that exceed the frame buffer of the NVIDIA card. The W6800X is also a far more power-efficient card, with a 200 W TDP compared to the 425 W TDP of the RTX 4090 D. This difference is significant for system builders concerned about power delivery and thermal management.

The RTX 4090 D is for users who prioritize absolute performance in compute, rendering, and AI inference. Its 73.54 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth are class-leading figures. The W6800X, with 16.03 TFLOPS and 512.0 GB/s, is a more modest performer but offers a unique combination of capacity and form factor, specifically its Apple MPX interface, which makes it a natural fit for Mac Pro systems. In short, the RTX 4090 D wins on speed, while the W6800X wins on capacity and efficiency.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D is significantly faster, scoring 278,621 compared to the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X’s 124,498. This represents a 123.8% higher score for the NVIDIA card.

Q: Does the AMD card have more memory than the NVIDIA card?

A: Yes. The Radeon Pro W6800X comes with 32 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the GeForce RTX 4090 D has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory. The AMD card offers 8 GB more capacity.

Q: What are the power consumption differences between these two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X has a 200 W TDP, which is considerably lower than the 425 W TDP of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D. The AMD card also suggests a 550 W power supply, while the NVIDIA card recommends an 800 W unit.

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D has a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s, which is substantially higher than the 200.4 GPixel/s of the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X.

Q: Are both cards based on the same manufacturing process?

A: No. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D uses a 5 nm process, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X is built on a 7 nm process. Both are manufactured by TSMC.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each card?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D has an average benchmark score of 178,050, placing it in the 98th percentile of all GPUs. The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X has an average score of 160,671, placing it in the 97th percentile.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is vast, representing different design philosophies from NVIDIA and AMD. The GeForce RTX 4090 D is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, while the Radeon Pro W6800X uses RDNA 2.0. This fundamental difference is reflected in their construction and feature sets.

The NVIDIA chip, designated AD102, is a massive piece of silicon. It contains 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process. This results in a transistor density of 125.3M / mm². In contrast, the AMD Navi 21 chip houses 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die using a 7 nm process, yielding a transistor density of 51.5M / mm². The RTX 4090 D is not just a bigger chip; it is a denser one.

The RTX 4090 D is equipped with dedicated tensor cores, a feature entirely absent from the W6800X. It has 456 tensor cores, which are critical for AI workloads and DLSS. The AMD card has no tensor cores at all. Furthermore, the NVIDIA card has 114 RT cores for ray tracing, whereas the AMD card has 60. The RTX 4090 D also supports a 1:1 ratio for FP16 and FP32 compute, offering 73.54 TFLOPS for both. The W6800X has a 2:1 ratio, delivering 32.06 TFLOPS for FP16 and 16.03 TFLOPS for FP32, showing a clear priority on throughput for specific data types.

In terms of memory architecture, the RTX 4090 D uses a 384-bit bus with GDDR6X memory, while the W6800X uses a 256-bit bus with GDDR6. The NVIDIA card’s memory is rated at 21 Gbps effective, leading to a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The AMD card’s memory runs at 16 Gbps effective, providing a bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA card has a clear advantage in raw memory bandwidth.

Specification Differences

A direct comparison of the specifications reveals the stark contrast in their positioning. The GeForce RTX 4090 D is a high-power, high-performance monster, while the Radeon Pro W6800X is a more restrained, specialized professional card.

• Process Node: The RTX 4090 D is built on a 5 nm process, compared to the 7 nm process of the W6800X.
• Transistors: The RTX 4090 D has 76,300 million transistors, significantly more than the 26,800 million in the W6800X.
• Die Size: The RTX 4090 D’s die is 609 mm², larger than the 520 mm² die of the W6800X.
• Base Clock: The RTX 4090 D has a base clock of 2280 MHz, while the W6800X has a base clock of 1800 MHz.
• Boost Clock: The RTX 4090 D boosts to 2520 MHz, compared to the 2087 MHz boost of the W6800X.
• Memory Size: The W6800X has 32 GB of memory, while the RTX 4090 D has 24 GB.
• Memory Type: The RTX 4090 D uses GDDR6X, whereas the W6800X uses GDDR6.
• Memory Bus Width: The RTX 4090 D has a 384-bit bus, wider than the 256-bit bus of the W6800X.
• Memory Bandwidth: The RTX 4090 D has a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, nearly double the 512.0 GB/s of the W6800X.
• Shading Units: The RTX 4090 D has 14592 shading units, far more than the 3840 in the W6800X.
• TMUs: The RTX 4090 D has 456 TMUs, compared to 240 in the W6800X.
• ROPs: The RTX 4090 D has 176 ROPs, while the W6800X has 96.
• Ray Tracing Cores: The RTX 4090 D has 114 RT cores, versus 60 in the W6800X.
• Tensor Cores: The RTX 4090 D has 456 tensor cores, while the W6800X has none.
• Pixel Rate: The RTX 4090 D’s pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s, more than double the 200.4 GPixel/s of the W6800X.
• Texture Rate: The RTX 4090 D has a texture rate of 1,149.1 GTexel/s, far exceeding the 500.9 GTexel/s of the W6800X.
• FP32 Performance: The RTX 4090 D delivers 73.54 TFLOPS, compared to 16.03 TFLOPS from the W6800X.
• FP16 Performance: The RTX 4090 D delivers 73.54 TFLOPS, while the W6800X delivers 32.06 TFLOPS.
• TDP: The RTX 4090 D has a 425 W TDP, while the W6800X has a 200 W TDP.
• Slot Width: The RTX 4090 D is a triple-slot card, while the W6800X is a quad-slot card.
• Power Connectors: The RTX 4090 D uses a 1x 16-pin connector, while the W6800X uses the Apple MPX connector.
• Suggested PSU: The RTX 4090 D suggests an 800 W PSU, whereas the W6800X suggests a 550 W PSU.
• Bus Interface: The RTX 4090 D uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the W6800X uses the Apple MPX interface.
• Display Outputs: The RTX 4090 D has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the W6800X has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 4x Thunderbolt.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the results are lopsided. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D scored 278,621, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X scored 124,498. This gives the RTX 4090 D a winning margin of 123.8%. This indicates that the NVIDIA card processes OpenCL workloads more than twice as fast as the AMD card.

Looking at individual benchmark scores, the RTX 4090 D also shows strength in other APIs. It scores 8,587 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 246,941 in Geekbench Vulkan. The W6800X’s data includes a Geekbench Metal score of 196,844, a test not run on the NVIDIA card. This suggests the AMD card is optimized for Metal, which is relevant for macOS applications. The RTX 4090 D’s average benchmark score of 178,050 is 10.8% higher than the W6800X’s 160,671, confirming its overall performance advantage across a wider range of tests.

Where Each One Wins

The GeForce RTX 4090 D wins decisively in raw computational power. Its 73.54 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth make it the superior choice for GPU compute, scientific simulation, and AI training. The 123.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL underscores its dominance in this area. Its higher pixel rate (443.5 GPixel/s) and texture rate (1,149.1 GTexel/s) also suggest it will excel in heavy 3D rendering and high-resolution gaming, should that be a consideration.

The Radeon Pro W6800X wins in memory capacity and power efficiency. Its 32 GB of memory provides a significant advantage for workloads that require massive frame buffers, such as complex 3D scenes, high-resolution video editing, and large machine learning models that cannot fit within 24 GB. Its 200 W TDP is less than half that of the RTX 4090 D, making it a more manageable component for systems with limited power or cooling. The W6800X’s Apple MPX interface also makes it the only viable choice for users building or upgrading a Mac Pro, where its 4x Thunderbolt outputs are a unique feature.