AMD Radeon R7 Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data presents a curiously lopsided comparison. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics, an integrated graphics processor from 2014, holds an average benchmark score of 4998 across two tests (Geekbench OpenCL at 4015 and Geekbench Vulkan at 5980). The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB, a discrete flagship from 2022, has a single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4791. This means the R7 Graphics actually leads in aggregate average score by 207 points, or roughly 4.3%. However, this is a misleading comparison of different workloads—the RTX 3080's score comes from a modern, demanding DX12 test, while the R7's scores come from older compute-oriented Geekbench tests.

Looking at the nearest rival data, both parts occupy a similar percentile band. The R7 Graphics sits at the 29th percentile of all GPUs, with its closest rivals being the NVIDIA Quadro 4000 (4979, a 0.4% advantage), AMD Radeon R5 M430 (5018, a 0.4% deficit), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB (4970, a 0.6% advantage), and AMD FirePro W4170M (5034, a 0.7% deficit). The RTX 3080 12 GB, despite its massive hardware, is at the 28th percentile, with its nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon R5 M255 (4788, a 0.1% advantage), AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4752, a 0.8% advantage), NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4844, a 1.1% deficit), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (4855, a 1.3% deficit). The near-identical percentile placements (29 vs 28) suggest that in the benchmark database's overall scoring, these two products are statistically equivalent—a remarkable outcome given their vastly different architectures and launch contexts.

The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, meaning no direct same-test comparison exists. This absence forces reliance on the aggregate scores, which favor the R7 Graphics by 207 points. Yet the RTX 3080's single 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 4791 demonstrates it can execute a modern, ray-tracing-capable DX12 workload, something the R7 Graphics cannot meaningfully do given its DX12 (12_0) feature level versus the RTX 3080's DX12 Ultimate (12_2). The deltaPct values for both parts' nearest rivals hover within ±1.3%, indicating that the database places both in a tightly clustered performance tier—but the RTX 3080's tier placement is anomalous, as its raw specifications suggest it should dominate.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is generational and categorical. The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics uses the Spectre Lite chip, built on GCN 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process by GlobalFoundries. It integrates 2,410 million transistors on a 245 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 9.8M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB uses the GA102 chip, built on Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It packs 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, with a density of 45.1M per mm²—4.6 times the transistor count and 4.6 times the density, on a die that is 2.56 times larger.

The R7 Graphics is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no dedicated memory; it shares system memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The RTX 3080 12 GB has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The compute resources differ by an order of magnitude: the R7 has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster operations pipelines, while the RTX 3080 has 8,960 shading units, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The RTX 3080 also includes 70 ray tracing cores and 280 tensor cores, features absent entirely from the R7. Pixel rate is 5.760 GPixel/s for the R7 versus 164.2 GPixel/s for the RTX 3080—a 28.5x difference. Texture rate is 17.28 GTexel/s versus 478.8 GTexel/s—a 27.7x difference. FP32 throughput is 553.0 GFLOPS versus 30.64 TFLOPS—a 55.4x difference. The RTX 3080 even offers FP16 at 30.64 TFLOPS (1:1), while the R7 has no listed FP16 capability.

The process node disparity (28 nm vs 8 nm) explains some of the density difference, but the architectural intent diverges completely. The R7 is a low-power IGP with a 25 W TDP, designed for basic graphics in Kaveri APUs. The RTX 3080 is a dual-slot, 350 W discrete card requiring a 750 W power supply and a 1x 12-pin power connector. The R7's bus interface is IGP (integrated), while the RTX 3080 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The R7's display outputs are motherboard-dependent; the RTX 3080 provides 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. API support also diverges: the R7 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the RTX 3080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Verdict

The data presents a paradox. On aggregate benchmark scores, the AMD Radeon R7 Graphics (4998) edges out the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB (4791) by 4.3%. Both sit at statistically equivalent percentiles (29 vs 28). Yet the architectural data is unambiguous: the RTX 3080 has 55.4x the FP32 throughput, 28.5x the pixel rate, and 912.4 GB/s of dedicated bandwidth versus the R7's system-shared memory. The RTX 3080's single 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 4791 is a modern, DX12 Ultimate workload; the R7's scores come from Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan, which are less representative of contemporary gaming.

Strictly from the data, the RTX 3080 12 GB is the superior choice for any workload that leverages its dedicated memory, ray tracing cores, tensor cores, and high-throughput compute. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score, while lower in absolute number, tests a workload the R7 cannot handle at playable performance levels. The R7 Graphics wins only in the narrow sense of average aggregate score and lower TDP (25 W vs 350 W), but the benchmark database's scoring methodology appears to weight different tests inconsistently. The RTX 3080's nearest rivals being integrated and low-end mobile GPUs (R5 M255, R5 M335, GeForce 940MX, GTX 560M) suggests the database may have limited comparable data for this high-end card, skewing its percentile. For a user choosing between an IGP and a discrete flagship, the RTX 3080's architectural advantages—70 RT cores, 280 tensor cores, 12 GB GDDR6X, and 30.64 TFLOPS—make it the logical pick for demanding applications, despite the aggregate score deficit.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics has an average benchmark score of 4998, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB has an average score of 4791. The R7 leads by 207 points (4.3%).

Q: What is the transistor count difference between the two?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB has 28,300 million transistors, while the R7 Graphics has 2,410 million. The RTX 3080 has approximately 11.7 times more transistors.

Q: Does the RTX 3080 12 GB support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX 3080 12 GB includes 70 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The R7 Graphics has no ray tracing cores and supports only DirectX 12 (12_0).

Q: What memory configurations do these GPUs use?

A: The R7 Graphics uses system-shared memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The RTX 3080 12 GB has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus with 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The R7 Graphics has a TDP of 25 W and requires no power connectors. The RTX 3080 12 GB has a TDP of 350 W, requires a 1x 12-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 750 W.

Q: Which GPU is larger in physical dimensions?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB measures 285 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, and is dual-slot. The R7 Graphics is an IGP with no listed dimensions.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon R7 Graphics wins in scenarios where power efficiency and integration matter most. Its 25 W TDP makes it suitable for compact, low-power systems where a discrete GPU is impractical. It also wins on aggregate benchmark score (4998 vs 4791) and in the Geekbench Vulkan test specifically, where it scored 5980—a strong result for an IGP. The R7's system-shared memory model means no dedicated VRAM allocation is needed, which can simplify system configuration. Its end-of-life status and GCN 2.0 architecture suggest it is best suited for legacy or basic computing tasks, not modern gaming or compute workloads.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB wins decisively in every raw performance metric. Its 30.64 TFLOPS FP32, 164.2 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 478.8 GTexel/s texture rate dwarf the R7's 553.0 GFLOPS, 5.760 GPixel/s, and 17.28 GTexel/s. The RTX 3080's 12 GB GDDR6X memory with 912.4 GB/s bandwidth is critical for high-resolution textures and large datasets. Its 70 ray tracing cores and 280 tensor cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based features like DLSS, which the R7 cannot perform. The RTX 3080 also supports modern APIs including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with current and future titles. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4791, while lower than the R7's average, represents a workload that stresses modern GPU features—a test the R7 would fail to execute adequately.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon R7 Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | Ampere |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 8 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | Samsung |

| Transistors | 2,410 million | 28,300 million |

| Die Size | 245 mm² | 628 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 9.8M / mm² | 45.1M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 384 | 8,960 |

| TMUs | 24 | 280 |

| ROPs | 8 | 96 |

| RT Cores | None | 70 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 280 |

| Pixel Rate | 5.760 GPixel/s | 164.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 17.28 GTexel/s | 478.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 553.0 GFLOPS | 30.64 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | Not listed | 30.64 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 12 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR6X |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 912.4 GB/s |

| TDP | 25 W | 350 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 12-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 750 W |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.2.170 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2014-02-16 | 2022-01-10 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | End-of-life |

| Launch MSRP | None | 799 USD |