AMD Radeon RX 7700S vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive advantage for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti across all three shared benchmark tests. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 2080 Ti scores 3537 points, while the AMD Radeon RX 7700S manages 2185 points. This represents a 38.2% deficit for the AMD mobile part, a substantial gap in a modern DirectX 12 workload that typically favors newer architectures.

The divergence widens considerably in compute-oriented tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 2080 Ti posts 128171 points versus 62983 for the RX 7700S, a 50.9% difference. This result is particularly telling because OpenCL workloads often scale with raw shader throughput and memory bandwidth, both areas where the older NVIDIA card holds significant hardware advantages.

The largest disparity appears in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RTX 2080 Ti scores 132930 points against 36380 for the RX 7700S. The 72.6% gap here is striking. Vulkan performance tends to reward driver efficiency and raw compute resources, and the data suggests the RTX 2080 Ti's larger GPU configuration dominates in this API. The RX 7700S trails by nearly three-quarters of the NVIDIA card's score, making this the single most lopsided result in the comparison.

Across all three tests, the RTX 2080 Ti wins every head-to-head encounter, resulting in a 3-0 sweep. The average benchmark scores in the database reflect this pattern: the RTX 2080 Ti carries an average score of 29783, while the RX 7700S averages 33849. Interestingly, the AMD card's average is actually higher despite losing every direct comparison. This occurs because the RX 7700S has fewer recorded benchmarks, and its average includes only the three tests listed, while the RTX 2080 Ti's average incorporates ten separate benchmark results, several of which (like Passmark DX9 and G2D tests) pull its mean downward.

The percentile rankings tell a nuanced story. The RX 7700S sits at the 78th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the RTX 2080 Ti ranks at the 75th percentile. Despite losing every head-to-head test, the AMD card places slightly higher in the overall distribution. This suggests that the RX 7700S performs well relative to the broader GPU landscape, even though it cannot match this particular NVIDIA rival in the specific workloads measured.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a clear conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 7700S in every shared test. The margins range from 38.2% to 72.6%, with the NVIDIA card leading most substantially in Vulkan compute and least substantially in DX12 gaming. For users prioritizing raw performance in these specific workloads, the RTX 2080 Ti is the superior choice.

However, the RX 7700S occupies a fundamentally different hardware category. It is an integrated graphics processor for mobile devices, rated at 100 W power draw, while the RTX 2080 Ti is a dual-slot desktop card with a 250 W TDP and a 600 W recommended power supply. The AMD part fits into portable systems where the NVIDIA card physically cannot operate. The data shows that the RX 7700S, despite its losses here, ranks above the RTX 2080 Ti in the overall percentile distribution, indicating it holds its own against the broader field of GPUs.

Buyers who need maximum performance in DX12, OpenCL, and Vulkan workloads should select the RTX 2080 Ti based on the recorded measurements. Buyers who require a mobile GPU with competitive standing among all GPUs should consider the RX 7700S, accepting that it will trail this specific desktop predecessor in raw throughput. The RTX 2080 Ti's end-of-life production status and 2018 release date contrast with the RX 7700S's active production and 2023 release, but the older card's hardware advantages in shading units, memory bandwidth, and ray tracing cores prove decisive in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the most benchmark tests in this comparison?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti wins all three head-to-head tests: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Geekbench OpenCL, and Geekbench Vulkan. The AMD Radeon RX 7700S records zero wins in this matchup.

Q: What is the smallest performance gap between these two GPUs?

A: The smallest gap appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RTX 2080 Ti leads by 38.2%. The RX 7700S scores 2185 points against the NVIDIA card's 3537 points.

Q: How do these GPUs compare in the overall database percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700S ranks at the 78th percentile among all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti ranks at the 75th percentile. The AMD card places slightly higher despite losing every head-to-head test.

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

A: The RX 7700S has an average benchmark score of 33849, while the RTX 2080 Ti averages 29783. The AMD card's higher average reflects its shorter benchmark list, which includes only three tests, compared to the NVIDIA card's ten recorded benchmarks.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti has 4352 shading units, compared to 2048 for the AMD Radeon RX 7700S. The NVIDIA card also has 272 texture mapping units versus 128 for the AMD card, and 88 ROPs versus 64.

Q: What memory configurations do these GPUs use?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti uses 11 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 352-bit bus with 616.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7700S uses 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The RTX 2080 Ti uses the TU102 chip on a 12 nm process, while the RX 7700S uses the Navi 33 chip on a 6 nm process. Both are manufactured by TSMC, but the transistor counts diverge sharply: the RTX 2080 Ti packs 18,600 million transistors on a 754 mm² die, while the RX 7700S contains 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The transistor density reflects this: the AMD chip achieves 65.2 million transistors per square millimeter, while the NVIDIA chip manages 24.7 million per square millimeter.

Clock speeds favor the AMD card. The RX 7700S runs at a 1500 MHz base clock and 2500 MHz boost clock, with a 2200 MHz game clock. The RTX 2080 Ti operates at 1350 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost, with no game clock listed. Memory clocks also differ: the RX 7700S uses 2250 MHz memory with 18 Gbps effective speed, while the RTX 2080 Ti uses 1750 MHz memory with 14 Gbps effective speed.

The RTX 2080 Ti features 544 tensor cores and 68 ray tracing cores, while the RX 7700S lists 32 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The NVIDIA card has a 352-bit memory bus versus 128-bit for the AMD card. Power requirements differ substantially: the RX 7700S draws 100 W with no power connectors and an IGP slot width, while the RTX 2080 Ti draws 250 W, requires dual-slot spacing, uses 2x 8-pin power connectors, and needs a 600 W power supply. The RTX 2080 Ti measures 267 mm in length, 116 mm in height, and 35 mm in width; the RX 7700S has no listed dimensions. The bus interfaces also differ, with the AMD card using PCIe 4.0 x16 and the NVIDIA card using PCIe 3.0 x16.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these GPUs reflects their different generations and design philosophies. AMD's Radeon RX 7700S uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture, codenamed Hotpink Bonefish, and belongs to the Navi Mobile generation of the RX 7000M series. NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 2080 Ti uses the Turing architecture and belongs to the GeForce 20 generation. The AMD card's predecessor is Polaris Mobile, while the RTX 2080 Ti's predecessor is GeForce 10 and its successor is GeForce 30.

The fabrication processes represent a significant generational shift. The RX 7700S uses TSMC's 6 nm node, allowing 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The RTX 2080 Ti uses the older 12 nm node, requiring a 754 mm² die to house 18,600 million transistors. The newer process enables much higher transistor density: 65.2 million per square millimeter versus 24.7 million per square millimeter.

Compute capabilities diverge in raw throughput. The RX 7700S delivers 20.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 40.96 TFLOPS of FP16 performance with a 2:1 ratio. The RTX 2080 Ti delivers 13.45 TFLOPS of FP32 and 26.90 TFLOPS of FP16, also at 2:1. Despite the NVIDIA card having more than double the shading units (4352 versus 2048), its lower clock speeds result in lower FLOP counts. Pixel and texture rates tell a mixed story: the RX 7700S achieves 160.0 GPixel/s and 320.0 GTexel/s, while the RTX 2080 Ti achieves 136.0 GPixel/s and 420.2 GTexel/s.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 2080 Ti includes tensor cores for AI workloads, a feature entirely absent from the RX 7700S. The display outputs differ as well: the RTX 2080 Ti offers 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C, while the RX 7700S lists its outputs as portable device dependent.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 2080 Ti wins in every measured category in this direct comparison. Its advantages are most pronounced in Vulkan compute, where it leads by 72.6%, and OpenCL, where it leads by 50.9%. The DX12 gaming test shows its smallest margin at 38.2%, but it remains clearly ahead. Users running Vulkan-based applications, OpenCL compute workloads, or DX12 games should expect the NVIDIA card to deliver substantially higher performance based on the recorded data.

The RX 7700S wins in areas not covered by the head-to-head benchmarks. Its 78th percentile ranking versus the RTX 2080 Ti's 75th percentile indicates it performs better relative to the full GPU database. Its higher FP32 and FP16 throughput figures suggest compute efficiency per watt, given its 100 W power draw against the NVIDIA card's 250 W. The AMD card also wins on process technology, with a 6 nm node versus 12 nm, and on transistor density, with 65.2 million per square millimeter versus 24.7 million. Its smaller die size (204 mm² versus 754 mm²) and integrated form factor make it suitable for portable devices, a category where the desktop-bound RTX 2080 Ti cannot compete.

For users who can accommodate a dual-slot, 267 mm desktop card with a 600 W power supply, the RTX 2080 Ti is the clear performance winner. For users who need a GPU integrated into a portable system, the RX 7700S provides the only viable option between these two, with the understanding that it will trail the RTX 2080 Ti in the specific workloads measured here. The RTX 2080 Ti's production status is end-of-life, while the RX 7700S remains active, but the benchmark data consistently favors the older NVIDIA design.