AMD Radeon RX 5600M vs NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 5600M and the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation occupy the same percentile ranking among all GPUs (85th), yet their aggregate benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the RX 5600M posting an average of 46601 against the RTX 5880's 45972. This places the AMD part a marginal 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA workstation card in overall average score, according to the nearestRivals data, which also shows the RX 5600M trailing the AMD Radeon RX 6550M by 0.2% and leading the NVIDIA RTX A2000 by 1.2%. The RTX 5880, conversely, sits 0.2% behind the RTX A2000, 0.8% ahead of the Intel Arc A730M, and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, making these two GPUs statistical peers despite their vastly different designs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available between these two cards is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisively one-sided. The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation scores 326898, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600M manages 59589, yielding a delta of -81.8% for the AMD card. This means the RTX 5880 delivers approximately 5.5 times the OpenCL throughput of the RX 5600M, a gap that dwarfs the 1.4% aggregate average score difference. The data indicates that the RTX 5880's raw compute capability in this specific API is in a completely different class, likely reflecting its far larger shader array and memory subsystem.

However, the aggregate benchmark picture tells a more nuanced story. The RX 5600M's average score of 46601 comes from a set of four tests: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (1320), Geekbench Metal (76653), Geekbench OpenCL (59589), and Geekbench Vulkan (48843). The RTX 5880's average of 45972 is derived from a broader suite that includes Passmark tests across DX9 (335), DX10 (167), DX11 (228), DX12 (70), G2D (777), G3D (25096), and GPU Compute (14208), plus the same Geekbench OpenCL result. The RTX 5880's Passmark G3D score of 25096 and GPU Compute score of 14208 are substantial, but the low DX12 Passmark score of 70 and DX10 score of 167 drag its average down significantly.

When interpreting the head-to-head, the OpenCL result is the only apples-to-apples comparison, and it shows the RTX 5880 winning outright with an 81.8% margin. The RX 5600M has zero wins in the headToHeadBenchmarks array, while the RTX 5880 has one. This suggests that in any compute-heavy workload leveraging OpenCL, the NVIDIA card is overwhelmingly superior, whereas the aggregate averages indicate that the AMD card holds its own in DirectX and Vulkan scenarios, where its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1320 and Vulkan score of 48843 demonstrate competitive gaming-oriented performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two GPUs is stark, beginning with the manufacturing process. The AMD Radeon RX 5600M is built on a 7 nm TSMC node using the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, containing 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 41.0M per mm². The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation, in contrast, uses a 5 nm TSMC node with the Ada Lovelace architecture and the AD102 chip, packing 76,300 million transistors onto a 609 mm² die, achieving a density of 125.3M per mm²—over three times denser per area.

Core configuration differences are equally pronounced. The RX 5600M features 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 raster operation pipelines (ROPs), with no dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores. The RTX 5880 boasts 14080 shading units, 440 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 110 ray tracing cores, and 440 tensor cores—roughly six times the shading units and nearly seven times the TMUs. This translates to a peak FP32 throughput of 5.829 TFLOPS for the AMD card versus 69.27 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card, a 12-fold difference. The FP16 capability also diverges: the RX 5600M delivers 11.66 TFLOPS using a 2:1 ratio, while the RTX 5880 delivers 69.27 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, meaning the NVIDIA card does not halve its throughput for half-precision work.

Memory subsystems are fundamentally different in scale. The RX 5600M has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 5880 has 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 864.0 GB/s—three times the bandwidth and eight times the capacity. Clock speeds tell a mixed story: the AMD card has a higher base clock (1035 MHz vs 975 MHz) and a game clock of 1190 MHz, but the NVIDIA card's boost clock of 2460 MHz is nearly double the AMD's 1265 MHz boost. The RTX 5880 also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus the RX 5600M's DirectX 12 (12_1), indicating newer feature support.

The Verdict

From the data, the RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the clear choice for compute-intensive workloads that leverage OpenCL, given its 81.8% advantage in the head-to-head benchmark. Its 48 GB memory capacity and 864.0 GB/s bandwidth, combined with 69.27 TFLOPS FP32 performance, position it as a workstation-class part, as reflected in its generation name "Workstation Ada (x000A)" and its successor "Blackwell PRO W". The RTX 5880 is an active product with a dual-slot form factor, 1x 16-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 600 W, indicating it is designed for desktop workstations with robust power delivery.

The RX 5600M, by contrast, is an end-of-life mobile part with an IGP slot width, no power connectors, and portable-device-dependent display outputs, making it suitable for laptops. Its 6 GB memory and 5.829 TFLOPS FP32 are modest by comparison, yet its aggregate benchmark average of 46601 slightly exceeds the RTX 5880's 45972, suggesting that in gaming-oriented APIs like DirectX and Vulkan, the AMD card may offer competitive performance relative to its power envelope of 150 W. The RTX 5880's 285 W TDP is nearly double, so the RX 5600M wins on efficiency per watt in the limited data available, though no direct power-efficiency benchmark exists in the pack.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5600M has an average benchmark score of 46601, which is 1.4% higher than the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation's average of 45972, according to the nearestRivals deltaPct.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5880 in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RTX 5880 scores 326898 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the RX 5600M scores 59589, giving the NVIDIA card an 81.8% lead, as shown in the headToHeadBenchmarks deltaPct.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The RX 5600M has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 5880 has 48 GB of GDDR6, an eightfold difference in capacity.

Q: Does the RTX 5880 support ray tracing hardware?

A: Yes, the RTX 5880 includes 110 ray tracing cores and 440 tensor cores, whereas the RX 5600M lists no RT or tensor cores in its specifications.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 5880 has a boost clock of 2460 MHz, compared to the AMD RX 5600M's boost clock of 1265 MHz.

Q: Are both cards on the same manufacturing process?

A: No, the RX 5600M uses a 7 nm TSMC process, while the RTX 5880 uses a 5 nm TSMC process, with the latter having a higher transistor density of 125.3M per mm² versus 41.0M per mm².

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation wins decisively in raw compute and memory capacity. Its OpenCL score of 326898 is the standout metric, and its 48 GB memory, 864.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 69.27 TFLOPS FP32 make it suitable for large-scale data processing, rendering, and AI inference tasks, as evidenced by its tensor cores and ray tracing cores. The Passmark GPU Compute score of 14208 further supports its compute dominance. It also wins on pixel rate (433.0 GPixel/s vs 80.96 GPixel/s) and texture rate (1,082.4 GTexel/s vs 182.2 GTexel/s), indicating superior rasterization throughput.

The RX 5600M wins on aggregate average score (46601 vs 45972) and in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where it scores 1320, though no comparable RTX 5880 score exists for that test. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 48843 and Metal score of 76653 suggest strong performance in those APIs, though the RTX 5880 lacks those benchmarks for direct comparison. The AMD card also wins on power efficiency in terms of TDP, consuming 150 W versus the RTX 5880's 285 W, and its IGP form factor makes it suitable for mobile integration, whereas the RTX 5880 requires a dual-slot desktop slot. For gaming-oriented workloads in DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan, the RX 5600M's performance appears competitive based on its average score, while the RTX 5880's Passmark DX12 score of 70 is notably low, indicating potential driver or workload mismatch.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The RX 5600M uses the RDNA 1.0 architecture on a 7 nm node, while the RTX 5880 uses Ada Lovelace on a 5 nm node. Transistor counts are 10,300 million versus 76,300 million, and die sizes are 251 mm² versus 609 mm². Clock speeds differ: the AMD part has a base of 1035 MHz and boost of 1265 MHz, while the NVIDIA part has a base of 975 MHz and boost of 2460 MHz. Memory configurations are 6 GB GDDR6 on 192-bit vs 48 GB GDDR6 on 384-bit, with bandwidths of 288.0 GB/s vs 864.0 GB/s.

Compute resources show the RTX 5880 with 14080 shading units, 440 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, compared to the RX 5600M's 2304, 144, and 64. The RTX 5880 adds 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores, which the RX 5600M lacks. Pixel rates are 80.96 GPixel/s vs 433.0 GPixel/s, texture rates are 182.2 GTexel/s vs 1,082.4 GTexel/s, and FP32 is 5.829 TFLOPS vs 69.27 TFLOPS. TDP is 150 W vs 285 W, with the RX 5600M being an IGP with no power connectors and the RTX 5880 being dual-slot with a 1x 16-pin connector and a 600 W suggested PSU. The RX 5600M supports DirectX 12 (12_1) while the RTX 5880 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), and both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 5880 is 267 mm long and 112 mm tall, while the RX 5600M has no listed dimensions. Release dates are 2020-07-06 for the AMD and 2024-01-04 for the NVIDIA, with the former end-of-life and the latter active.