AMD Radeon R8 M445DX vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB vs AMD Radeon R8 M445DX

The data presents a stark contrast between two GPUs separated by nearly six years of silicon evolution, a 28,300-million versus 1,550-million transistor count, and a 30.64 TFLOPS versus 653.4 GFLOPS FP32 compute gap. The RTX 3080 12 GB sits at the 28th percentile of all GPUs, while the R8 M445DX lands at the 27th percentile, yet their benchmark scores tell a more nuanced story than raw percentiles suggest.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 12 GB dominates every measurable performance category in the data, but the AMD R8 M445DX wins decisively in one crucial arena: system integration. The R8 M445DX is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no dedicated memory, no power connectors, and no slot width — it exists entirely within a portable device's motherboard. This means the AMD part wins on physical footprint, power delivery simplicity, and portability by default, as it requires no additional cooling, no PSU upgrade, and no expansion slot.

For compute workloads, the RTX 3080 12 GB is the clear victor with 30.64 TFLOPS FP32 throughput against the R8 M445DX's 653.4 GFLOPS — a 46.9x difference. The NVIDIA card also wins on memory bandwidth with 912.4 GB/s versus the AMD part's "System Dependent" shared memory, which relies on system RAM bandwidth that varies by platform. The RTX 3080 12 GB supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the R8 M445DX only reaches DirectX 12 (12_0), making the NVIDIA card the only one of the two capable of the latest DX12 feature levels.

The R8 M445DX wins on power efficiency by having no listed TDP at all, versus the RTX 3080 12 GB's 350 W TDP and 750 W suggested PSU. For a laptop or ultraportable, the AMD IGP is the only viable option; the RTX 3080 12 GB's 285 mm length and dual-slot width physically cannot fit in such a device. The real-world use case split is simple: the R8 M445DX exists for basic display output and light 2D workloads in portable devices, while the RTX 3080 12 GB targets high-end desktop gaming and GPU-accelerated compute.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is enormous. NVIDIA's GA102 chip uses the Ampere architecture on Samsung's 8 nm process, packing 28,300 million transistors into a 628 mm² die for a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². AMD's Meso chip uses the older GCN 3.0 architecture on TSMC's 28 nm process, with just 1,550 million transistors on a 125 mm² die — a density of 12.4M per mm². This represents a 3.6x transistor density advantage for NVIDIA's newer process.

The RTX 3080 12 GB features 8,960 shading units, 280 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, complemented by 70 ray tracing cores and 280 tensor cores for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI workloads. The R8 M445DX has 320 shading units, 20 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, with no ray tracing or tensor cores at all. The NVIDIA part's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth, while the AMD IGP uses "System Shared" memory with bandwidth labeled "System Dependent" — meaning performance scales with the host's memory configuration.

Clock speeds differ substantially: the RTX 3080 12 GB runs at a 1260 MHz base and 1710 MHz boost, while the R8 M445DX operates at 780 MHz base and 1021 MHz boost. Even at lower clocks, the NVIDIA card produces 164.2 GPixel/s pixel fill rate and 478.8 GTexel/s texture rate, versus 8.168 GPixel/s and 20.42 GTexel/s for the AMD part — a 20.1x pixel rate and 23.4x texture rate advantage. The architecture gap also shows in API support: the RTX 3080 12 GB supports Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 Ultimate, while the R8 M445DX caps at Vulkan 1.2.170 and DirectX 12 (12_0).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, meaning no direct comparative test results exist between these two GPUs in the data. However, each card has its own benchmark score that allows indirect comparison. The RTX 3080 12 GB scored 4,791 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, while the R8 M445DX scored 4,727 in Geekbench OpenCL. The numerical difference is just 64 points (1.35%), but these are entirely different benchmarks measuring different workloads — 3DMark Steel Nomad is a pure DX12 gaming workload, while Geekbench OpenCL is a compute-oriented test.

The RTX 3080 12 GB's nearest rivals in the data are all low-end mobile GPUs: the AMD Radeon R5 M255 (4,788, +0.1%), AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4,752, +0.8%), NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4,844, -1.1%), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (4,855, -1.3%). This places the RTX 3080 12 GB in bizarre company — its 4,791 score sits within 1.3% of these ancient mobile parts, despite having 8,960 shading units versus their far smaller configurations. This suggests the Steel Nomad benchmark is either heavily bottlenecked on this configuration or the score represents an anomalous result.

The R8 M445DX's rivals include the same AMD R5 M335 (4,752, -0.5%), NVIDIA Quadro P400 (4,684, +0.9%), AMD R5 M255 (4,788, -1.3%), and the RTX 3080 12 GB itself (4,791, -1.3%). Both GPUs cluster within a 3.5% band of scores from 4,684 to 4,855, despite the RTX 3080 12 GB having 28x more shading units and 47x more FP32 throughput. The data implies that these benchmark scores are not representative of the RTX 3080 12 GB's true gaming capability — a 30.64 TFLOPS card should not score within 1% of a 653 GFLOPS IGP.

Specification Differences

The specifications that differ between these two GPUs are extensive and fundamental. The RTX 3080 12 GB uses an 8 nm Samsung process, while the R8 M445DX uses 28 nm TSMC — a 20 nm process gap. Transistor counts differ by 26,750 million (28,300M vs 1,550M), and die sizes differ by 503 mm² (628 vs 125). The NVIDIA card has 8,640 more shading units, 260 more TMUs, and 88 more ROPs. The RTX 3080 12 GB adds 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores; the AMD part has none.

Memory configurations are entirely different: 12 GB GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus versus "System Shared" memory on a "System Shared" bus. The RTX 3080 12 GB's memory clock is 1188 MHz with 19 Gbps effective speed, while the R8 M445DX's memory clock is "System Shared." Bandwidth is 912.4 GB/s versus "System Dependent." The NVIDIA card's pixel rate is 164.2 GPixel/s versus 8.168 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 478.8 GTexel/s versus 20.42 GTexel/s.

Physical and power specifications diverge completely: the RTX 3080 12 GB is dual-slot with a 1x 12-pin power connector, 350 W TDP, 750 W suggested PSU, and measures 285 mm x 112 mm x 40 mm. The R8 M445DX is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, no suggested PSU, and no listed dimensions. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1 plus 3x DisplayPort 1.4a for NVIDIA versus "Portable Device Dependent" for AMD. The RTX 3080 12 GB uses PCIe 4.0 x16; the R8 M445DX uses "IGP" as its bus interface. Release dates differ by nearly six years (2022-01-10 versus 2016-05-14), and the RTX 3080 has a launch MSRP of 799 USD, while the AMD part has no MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more raw compute power?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB delivers 30.64 TFLOPS FP32 versus the R8 M445DX's 653.4 GFLOPS — a 46.9x advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: Can the R8 M445DX be used in a desktop PC?

A: No. The R8 M445DX is an IGP with a "Portable Device Dependent" display output and "IGP" bus interface, meaning it is integrated into portable devices and cannot be installed in a desktop expansion slot.

Q: What memory configurations do these GPUs use?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus with 912.4 GB/s bandwidth. The R8 M445DX uses "System Shared" memory with "System Dependent" bandwidth, meaning it shares system RAM.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Only the RTX 3080 12 GB supports hardware ray tracing, with 70 dedicated RT cores. The R8 M445DX has no RT cores.

Q: How do their benchmark scores compare?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB scored 4,791 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, while the R8 M445DX scored 4,727 in Geekbench OpenCL — a 1.35% raw difference, though the tests measure different workloads.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB has 45.1M transistors per mm² on Samsung's 8 nm process, while the R8 M445DX has 12.4M per mm² on TSMC's 28 nm process — a 3.6x density advantage for NVIDIA.

The Verdict

The RTX 3080 12 GB is the superior GPU in every performance metric the data provides, with 46.9x more FP32 throughput, 20.1x higher pixel fill rate, and 23.4x higher texture rate. Its 12 GB GDDR6X memory with 912.4 GB/s bandwidth is categorically different from the R8 M445DX's shared system memory. The NVIDIA card's 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores enable hardware ray tracing and AI acceleration that the AMD IGP cannot attempt. Gamers or compute users who need the RTX 3080 12 GB's capabilities should choose it without hesitation.

However, the R8 M445DX wins on integration. It requires no power connectors, no cooling solution, no expansion slot, and has no listed TDP. For a portable device where power draw and physical space are critical constraints, the AMD IGP is the only option among these two. The data shows the R8 M445DX is an end-of-life integrated solution from 2016, while the RTX 3080 12 GB is also end-of-life but from 2022 — a generation apart in capability. The choice is dictated entirely by form factor: desktop users who can accommodate a 285 mm dual-slot card with a 750 W PSU should take the RTX 3080 12 GB; anyone needing an integrated GPU for a portable device must accept the R8 M445DX's far lower performance envelope. The benchmark scores suggest both parts sit near the bottom quartile of all GPUs, but the RTX 3080 12 GB's score appears anomalous given its massive architectural advantage.