AMD Radeon RX 480 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher overall average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X leads with an average benchmark score of 36,530, compared to 33,997 for the AMD Radeon RX 480. That is a difference of roughly 2,533 points, placing the TITAN X at the 80th percentile of all GPUs versus the RX 480’s 78th percentile.

Q: Why does the AMD Radeon RX 480 win the Geekbench Metal test so decisively?

A: The RX 480 scores 51,057 in Geekbench Metal, which is 63.3% higher than the TITAN X’s 18,723. The data shows a massive swing in AMD’s favor on this specific API, even though the TITAN X wins the other two cross-GPU tests.

Q: Where does the TITAN X beat the RX 480 by the largest margin?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the TITAN X scores 41,471 versus 37,998 for the RX 480, a 9.1% advantage. It also wins Geekbench Vulkan with 49,397 against 45,968, a 7.5% lead. The TITAN X takes two of the three head-to-head tests.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of process technology?

A: The TITAN X uses a 28 nm TSMC process with 8,000 million transistors on a 601 mm² die. The RX 480 uses a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The RX 480’s transistor density is 24.6M per mm² versus 13.3M per mm² for the TITAN X.

Q: Is there a power draw difference that stands out in the specification data?

A: Yes. The TITAN X has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W suggested PSU, while the RX 480 has a TDP of 150 W and a 450 W suggested PSU. The RX 480 also uses a single 6-pin power connector, whereas the TITAN X needs a 6-pin plus an 8-pin.

Q: Which card offers higher memory bandwidth?

A: The TITAN X delivers 336.6 GB/s across a 384-bit bus with 12 GB of GDDR5. The RX 480 provides 256.0 GB/s across a 256-bit bus with 8 GB of GDDR5. The TITAN X’s memory clock is 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective), while the RX 480 runs at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective).

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design generations. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X is built on Maxwell 2.0 architecture with the GM200 chip, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon RX 480 uses GCN 4.0 architecture with the Ellesmere chip, produced on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. That process gap is visible in transistor density: the RX 480 packs 24.6 million transistors per mm², nearly double the TITAN X’s 13.3 million, even though the TITAN X carries far more total transistors (8,000 million versus 5,700 million).

Die size tells the opposite story. The TITAN X measures 601 mm², a massive piece of silicon, while the RX 480 is a compact 232 mm². The TITAN X’s larger die accommodates more execution resources: 3,072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs. The RX 480 counters with 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and only 32 ROPs. That ROP disparity is striking and directly impacts pixel throughput — the TITAN X achieves 104.5 GPixel/s versus 40.51 GPixel/s for the RX 480.

Memory architecture differs as well. The TITAN X runs 12 GB of GDDR5 over a 384-bit bus, yielding 336.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 480 has 8 GB on a 256-bit bus, good for 256.0 GB/s. Clock speeds favor AMD: the RX 480 boosts to 1266 MHz from a 1120 MHz base, while the TITAN X boosts to 1089 MHz from a 1000 MHz base. In raw FP32 compute, the TITAN X still leads with 6.691 TFLOPS against 5.834 TFLOPS. The RX 480 does offer FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (5.834 TFLOPS), a feature the TITAN X does not list.

API support shows minor differences. Both support DirectX 12 and OpenGL 4.6, but the TITAN X lists Vulkan 1.4 while the RX 480 lists Vulkan 1.3. DirectX feature levels differ: the TITAN X supports 12_1, the RX 480 only 12_0. Display outputs also diverge — the TITAN X provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.2; the RX 480 offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear split. In Geekbench Metal, the AMD Radeon RX 480 dominates with a score of 51,057 against the TITAN X’s 18,723. That is a 63.3% deficit for NVIDIA — the largest margin in any test. The result is particularly striking because the TITAN X is the older, larger card, yet it trails so heavily on Apple’s Metal API.

The NVIDIA card fights back in the other two tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the TITAN X scores 41,471, beating the RX 480’s 37,998 by 9.1%. The gap is more modest than the Metal swing but still decisive. In Geekbench Vulkan, the TITAN X again takes the lead with 49,397 versus 45,968, a 7.5% advantage. The pattern suggests the TITAN X holds a consistent edge on cross-platform compute APIs, while the RX 480’s Metal performance is an outlier in its favor.

Overall, the TITAN X wins two of the three head-to-head tests. Its average benchmark score of 36,530 sits 7.4% above the RX 480’s 33,997. That places the TITAN X at the 80th percentile of all GPUs, two points higher than the RX 480’s 78th. The nearest rivals for each card reinforce the ranking: the TITAN X’s closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 5300M at 36,529 (0% delta), while the RX 480 sits near the AMD Radeon HD 7950 at 33,951 (0.1% delta). The TITAN X also edges out the NVIDIA T1000 (36,289, 0.7% ahead) and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 (37,157, 1.7% behind). The RX 480’s rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT (34,133, 0.4% behind) and NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (34,154, 0.5% behind).

The wins break down as 2 for the TITAN X and 1 for the RX 480. The margins matter more than the count — the RX 480’s Metal victory is enormous, while the TITAN X’s OpenCL and Vulkan wins are moderate. If Metal performance is the priority, the RX 480 is the clear choice. For OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the TITAN X holds a measurable lead.

The Verdict

The data points to a split decision based on workload. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X is the stronger overall card in average terms, with 36,530 versus 33,997, and it wins the two most broadly applicable compute tests: Geekbench OpenCL by 9.1% and Geekbench Vulkan by 7.5%. Its 80th percentile ranking, higher transistor count (8,000 million), larger memory pool (12 GB), and wider bus (384-bit) all support its position as the more capable all-rounder. Users targeting OpenCL or Vulkan applications should favor the TITAN X.

The AMD Radeon RX 480 is the decisive winner in Geekbench Metal, scoring 51,057 — a 63.3% margin over the TITAN X. That is not a small edge; it is a complete reversal of the other results. For any workflow that relies heavily on Metal, the RX 480 is the only rational pick from these two. Its 14 nm process also brings efficiency advantages: 150 W TDP versus 250 W, a single 6-pin connector versus 6-pin plus 8-pin, and a 450 W suggested PSU versus 600 W. The RX 480’s smaller 232 mm² die and higher transistor density (24.6M per mm²) indicate a more modern manufacturing approach.

The verdict hinges on the application. Benchmark data shows the TITAN X wins the majority of tests and the average score comparison, so it is the safer general-purpose choice. The RX 480 exists as a specialist for Metal-centric environments, where its performance is untouchable by the TITAN X. Neither card is a universal winner; the data supports picking based on the API you actually use.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X | AMD Radeon RX 480 |

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

| Architecture | Maxwell 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 8,000 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 601 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.3M / mm² | 24.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1000 MHz | 1120 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1089 MHz | 1266 MHz |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 336.6 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1753 MHz (7 Gbps) | 2000 MHz (8 Gbps) |

| Shading Units | 3072 | 2304 |

| TMUs | 192 | 144 |

| ROPs | 96 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 104.5 GPixel/s | 40.51 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 209.1 GTexel/s | 182.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 6.691 TFLOPS | 5.834 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | — | 5.834 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 150 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 450 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DP 1.2 | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DP 1.4a |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 in) | 240 mm (9.4 in) |

| Height | 111 mm (4.4 in) | 95 mm (3.7 in) |

| Width | 38 mm (1.5 in) | 35 mm (1.4 in) |

| Launch MSRP | 999 USD | 229 USD |