AMD Radeon RX 7800M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M takes the overall head-to-head by 6 wins to 4, and the margin in its victories is often decisive. The largest single gap appears in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RX 7800M scores 2994 against 1882 for the RTX 2080 SUPER, a lead of 59.1%. That is not a small edge; it indicates the AMD part holds a substantial advantage in modern DirectX 12 rasterization workloads. The Geekbench OpenCL result reinforces the pattern, with the RX 7800M posting 120778 versus 99226, a 21.7% advantage. Vulkan performance also favors AMD, 126668 to 111284, a 13.8% gap. In the PassMark suite, the RX 7800M wins DirectX 11 by 6.7% (176 vs 165), DirectX 12 by 18.7% (89 vs 75), and GPU Compute by 12.7% (9342 vs 8290).

The RTX 2080 SUPER, however, fights back in several legacy and 2D-oriented tests. Its largest win is in PassMark DirectX 9, where it scores 227 against 174, a 23.3% margin. It also leads PassMark DirectX 10 by 29.3% (140 vs 99), which is its best relative performance in the entire comparison. The NVIDIA card wins PassMark G3D by 9.6% (19490 vs 17613) and PassMark G2D by 3% (920 vs 892). The G3D result is notable because it is a general gaming aggregate, and the older card still holds a measurable edge there, even though the newer AMD GPU dominates the more modern API-specific tests.

The overall average benchmark score places the RX 7800M at 27883, which is 15.3% higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER's 24170. The percentile rankings also differ: the RX 7800M sits at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 2080 SUPER sits at the 69th. The nearest rival data for each card underscores how different their competitive neighborhoods are. The RX 7800M's closest competitors include the Radeon Pro Vega 20 (0.2% ahead), Radeon Pro W5500X (0.3% behind), and GTX 980 Ti (0.5% behind). The RTX 2080 SUPER's nearest rivals include the GTX 780 Ti (0.3% behind), GTX 1630 (0.4% behind), and RX 6800S (0.4% ahead). These are entirely different tiers of performance, confirming that the RX 7800M competes in a higher bracket despite the RTX 2080 SUPER's wins in specific tests.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7800M is the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 Ultimate workloads. Its 59.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 18.7% win in PassMark DirectX 12 show that it scales better with contemporary rendering paths. It also excels in compute-heavy tasks, as shown by the 21.7% OpenCL lead and the 12.7% GPU Compute win. For Vulkan-based applications, the 13.8% advantage makes it the better option there as well. Users running current games, especially those that leverage DX12 or Vulkan, should expect the RX 7800M to deliver noticeably higher frame rates.

The RTX 2080 SUPER, by contrast, retains an edge in older DirectX versions. Its 29.3% win in DirectX 10 and 23.3% win in DirectX 9 indicate that for legacy titles or software still using those APIs, the NVIDIA card will perform better. The G3D advantage of 9.6% is more complex, as it aggregates many workloads, but it suggests that in a mixed set of older and newer games, the RTX 2080 SUPER can still hold its own. The G2D win of 3% points to a small but consistent advantage in 2D desktop and interface rendering tasks.

The split is therefore generational. The RX 7800M wins where the future of rendering is heading, with large margins in DX12 and compute. The RTX 2080 SUPER wins where the past still matters, particularly in DX9 and DX10, and it manages a respectable overall gaming aggregate. Buyers with a library of older titles might value the RTX 2080 SUPER's legacy performance, but those prioritizing forward-looking workloads should favor the RX 7800M.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different process nodes and design philosophies. The RX 7800M uses the Navi 32 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, packing 28,100 million transistors into a 346 mm² die, which yields a transistor density of 81.2 million per square millimeter. The RTX 2080 SUPER uses the TU104 chip on a 12 nm TSMC process, with 13,600 million transistors on a much larger 545 mm² die, giving a density of only 25.0 million per square millimeter. The RX 7800M's smaller, denser die is a direct result of the newer manufacturing node.

The RX 7800M is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, while the RTX 2080 SUPER uses Turing. This shows up in the core configurations. The RX 7800M has 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, along with 60 ray tracing cores. The RTX 2080 SUPER has 3072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with 48 ray tracing cores and 384 tensor cores. The AMD card has no tensor cores, while NVIDIA includes them for AI-accelerated features. Clock speeds also differ significantly: the RX 7800M runs at a 1295 MHz base and 2335 MHz boost, with a 2145 MHz game clock, whereas the RTX 2080 SUPER has a 1650 MHz base and 1815 MHz boost. The higher boost clock on the AMD card contributes to its raw compute advantage.

Memory configurations diverge as well. The RX 7800M has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 2080 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with 495.9 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card has more bus width and bandwidth, but the AMD card has more capacity. The RX 7800M also uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RTX 2080 SUPER uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Power requirements reflect the architectural differences: the RX 7800M is rated at 180 W TDP and is an integrated form factor (IGP), while the RTX 2080 SUPER is rated at 250 W TDP, is dual-slot, and requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector with a suggested 600 W PSU.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800M has an average benchmark score of 27883, which is 15.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER's average of 24170.

Q: How large is the difference in DirectX 12 performance?

A: In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7800M scores 2994 versus 1882 for the RTX 2080 SUPER, a lead of 59.1%. In PassMark DirectX 12, the RX 7800M wins by 18.7% (89 vs 75).

Q: Does the RTX 2080 SUPER win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, it wins 4 of the 10 head-to-head tests: PassMark DirectX 10 by 29.3%, DirectX 9 by 23.3%, G3D by 9.6%, and G2D by 3%.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The RX 7800M has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 2080 SUPER has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. The NVIDIA card has higher bandwidth at 495.9 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s for the AMD card.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The RX 7800M has a TDP of 180 W, while the RTX 2080 SUPER has a TDP of 250 W. The AMD card also uses a 5 nm process compared to the 12 nm process of the NVIDIA card.

Q: Are both GPUs DirectX 12 Ultimate compatible?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), as well as OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7800M | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | Turing |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 28,100 million | 13,600 million |

| Die Size | 346 mm² | 545 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 81.2M / mm² | 25.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1295 MHz | 1650 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2335 MHz | 1815 MHz |

| Memory Size | 12 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 192 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 432.0 GB/s | 495.9 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3840 | 3072 |

| TMUs | 240 | 192 |

| ROPs | 96 | 64 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 60 | 48 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 384 |

| FP32 Performance | 35.87 TFLOPS | 11.15 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 35.87 TFLOPS (1:1) | 22.30 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| Pixel Rate | 224.2 GPixel/s | 116.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 560.4 GTexel/s | 348.5 GTexel/s |

| TDP | 180 W | 250 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Release Date | 2024-09-10 | 2019-07-22 |

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

| Launch MSRP | None | 699 USD |

The Verdict

The data points decisively toward the AMD Radeon RX 7800M for anyone building around modern rendering APIs. It wins the two most forward-looking tests by substantial margins: 59.1% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 18.7% in PassMark DirectX 12. Its compute performance is also clearly superior, with a 21.7% lead in OpenCL and a 12.7% lead in GPU Compute. The higher average score (27883 vs 24170) and the better percentile ranking (73rd vs 69th) reinforce that the RX 7800M sits in a higher performance class overall. It also delivers this with a lower TDP of 180 W versus 250 W, and it is currently an active product.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is not without merit, but its wins are concentrated in legacy scenarios. It beats the RX 7800M by 29.3% in DirectX 10 and 23.3% in DirectX 9, and it holds a 9.6% advantage in the PassMark G3D aggregate. For users with a library dominated by older titles that rely on those APIs, the RTX 2080 SUPER could still provide a better experience. Its higher memory bandwidth (495.9 GB/s vs 432.0 GB/s) and tensor cores are also unique advantages, though the latter is not reflected in any of the recorded benchmark tests.

For a new purchase today, the RX 7800M is the stronger choice. It is faster in modern workloads, more power-efficient, has more VRAM, and is still in active production. The RTX 2080 SUPER is end-of-life, and its legacy API strengths matter less as software continues to move toward DX12 and Vulkan. The verdict is straightforward: choose the RX 7800M for current and future gaming, and only consider the RTX 2080 SUPER if you have a specific need for older DirectX performance or require NVIDIA's tensor core features.