AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 dominates the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE in every recorded test. Out of two head-to-head comparisons, the RTX 5080 claims both victories, leaving the RX 9070 GRE with zero wins. The largest gap appears in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the RTX 5080 scores 235,901 against the RX 9070 GRE’s 109,309. That is a delta of -53.7% for the AMD card, meaning the RTX 5080 more than doubles the RX 9070 GRE’s compute performance in this workload. The margin is stark and consistent.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 5080 posts 8,637 points, while the RX 9070 GRE trails at 5,424. The delta here is -37.2%, a substantial deficit that places the AMD card well behind in a modern DirectX 12 gaming scenario. This is not a close contest; the RTX 5080 leads by nearly three thousand points in that test. The RTX 5080’s average benchmark score of 56,083 also exceeds the RX 9070 GRE’s 57,367? Actually, the data shows the opposite: the RX 9070 GRE has a higher average benchmark score (57,367) than the RTX 5080 (56,083). This discrepancy is curious given the head-to-head results. The RX 9070 GRE’s average is buoyed by its Geekbench OpenCL score and 3DMark result, which are lower than the RTX 5080’s, yet the average still favors AMD. This suggests the RTX 5080’s average is dragged down by its Passmark scores, which include low numbers like 208 in DirectX 10 and 151 in DirectX 12. Those legacy tests penalize the RTX 5080 heavily, despite its modern workload dominance.

In terms of percentile ranking, both cards sit at the 87th percentile versus all GPUs. That means they are statistically tied in overall standing across the entire benchmark database, even though the RTX 5080 wins every direct comparison. The nearest rivals for each card reinforce this split: the RX 9070 GRE’s closest competitors include the Intel Arc A580 (average score 57,756, delta -0.7%), the AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM (58,085, delta -1.2%), and the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT (58,392, delta -1.8%). The RTX 5080’s nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757, delta +0.6%), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698, delta +0.7%), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828, delta +2.3%). Notably, the RX 9070 GRE appears as a rival to the RTX 5080 with an average score of 57,367 and a delta of -2.2%, meaning the RTX 5080 is slightly behind the RX 9070 GRE in that aggregate metric.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 wins decisively, scoring 8,637 points versus the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE’s 5,424, a delta of -37.2% for the AMD card.

Q: Does the RX 9070 GRE have any benchmark win over the RTX 5080?

A: No. The data shows zero wins for the RX 9070 GRE in the two head-to-head tests recorded.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX 5080 scores 235,901, while the RX 9070 GRE scores 109,309, resulting in a -53.7% delta for the AMD card.

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

A: The RX 9070 GRE has an average score of 57,367, while the RTX 5080 has an average score of 56,083. Despite losing head-to-head, the RX 9070 GRE has a higher average.

Q: Are there any tests where the RTX 5080 performs poorly?

A: Yes, in Passmark tests the RTX 5080 scores very low: 208 in DirectX 10, 324 in DirectX 11, 151 in DirectX 12, and 389 in DirectX 9. These drag down its average.

Q: What percentile do both GPUs occupy?

A: Both the RX 9070 GRE and the RTX 5080 are at the 87th percentile versus all GPUs, indicating they are in the same overall performance tier.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE uses the RDNA 4.0 architecture on a 4 nm process node from TSMC, with the Navi 48 chip. It packs 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 151.0M per mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on a 5 nm process node, also from TSMC, with the GB203 chip. It contains 45,600 million transistors on a larger 378 mm² die, but a lower transistor density of 120.6M per mm². The RX 9070 GRE’s denser design means more transistors per area, yet the RTX 5080 compensates with a different core configuration.

The RX 9070 GRE has 3,072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines. It features 48 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 5080, by contrast, has 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores. This massive difference in shading units—over 3.5x more on the RTX 5080—explains its dominant compute performance. The RTX 5080 also has tensor cores, which the RX 9070 GRE lacks entirely, making the NVIDIA card better suited for AI-accelerated workloads.

The memory subsystems diverge as well. The RX 9070 GRE uses 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5080 uses 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 960.0 GB/s—more than double the bandwidth. Clock speeds also differ: the RX 9070 GRE has a base clock of 1420 MHz, a game clock of 2220 MHz, and a boost clock of 2790 MHz, while the RTX 5080 has a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, with no game clock listed. The RTX 5080’s higher base clock but lower boost clock suggests a more consistent sustained performance profile.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every key specification. The RX 9070 GRE has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 5080 has 16 GB of GDDR7 memory. The bus widths are 192-bit for AMD and 256-bit for NVIDIA, with bandwidth at 432.0 GB/s versus 960.0 GB/s respectively. Shading units are 3,072 for the RX 9070 GRE and 10,752 for the RTX 5080. Texture mapping units are 192 versus 336, and ROPs are 96 versus 112. Ray tracing cores are 48 versus 84, and the RTX 5080 adds 336 tensor cores, which the RX 9070 GRE does not have.

Clocks differ: base is 1420 MHz on AMD versus 2295 MHz on NVIDIA, boost is 2790 MHz versus 2617 MHz, and the RX 9070 GRE has a game clock of 2220 MHz that the RTX 5080 lacks. Memory clocks are 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) on AMD versus 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective) on NVIDIA. The RTX 5080’s higher effective memory speed, despite a lower physical clock, comes from GDDR7 technology. Power consumption is another differentiator: the RX 9070 GRE has a TDP of 220 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the RTX 5080 has a TDP of 360 W with a suggested PSU of 750 W. Power connectors are 2x 8-pin for AMD versus 1x 16-pin for NVIDIA.

The process nodes differ: 4 nm for AMD versus 5 nm for NVIDIA, both from TSMC. Transistor counts are 53,900 million versus 45,600 million, with die sizes of 357 mm² versus 378 mm². The RTX 5080 has specified dimensions—304 mm length, 137 mm height, 40 mm width—while the RX 9070 GRE has none listed. Display outputs are similar: both have 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort, but the RX 9070 GRE uses DisplayPort 2.1a while the RTX 5080 uses DisplayPort 2.1b. Both support PCIe 5.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The launch MSRP is 549 USD for the RX 9070 GRE and 999 USD for the RTX 5080. The RX 9070 GRE released on 2025-05-07, while the RTX 5080 released on 2025-01-29. The RTX 5080 has a successor (GeForce 60), while the RX 9070 GRE has none.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 wins every workload where direct comparison exists. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it leads by 37.2%, making it the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 gaming. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 5080 leads by 53.7%, indicating superior compute performance for general-purpose GPU tasks. The RTX 5080’s 336 tensor cores give it an architectural advantage for AI-accelerated applications, though no specific tensor-core benchmark is in the data. The RTX 5080’s higher texture rate (879.3 GTexel/s versus 535.7 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (293.1 GPixel/s versus 267.8 GPixel/s) suggest better rasterization throughput, aligning with its benchmark victories.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, despite losing all head-to-head tests, has a higher average benchmark score (57,367 versus 56,083) and a smaller die size (357 mm² versus 378 mm²). Its lower TDP of 220 W versus 360 W means it draws less power, which could be a factor in system builds, though the data does not include efficiency measurements. The RX 9070 GRE’s higher boost clock (2790 MHz versus 2617 MHz) and higher transistor density (151.0M per mm² versus 120.6M per mm²) show AMD’s design focuses on clock speed and compactness. However, none of these translate into benchmark wins. The RX 9070 GRE’s nearest rivals include the RX 6950 XT, which it trails by 1.8%, placing it in a performance tier that is competitive with older high-end cards but not with the RTX 5080.

The Verdict

The data is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the superior performer in every head-to-head benchmark recorded. It wins 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 by 37.2% and Geekbench OpenCL by 53.7%, with a 2-0 win record. For users prioritizing raw compute and modern gaming performance, the RTX 5080 is the definitive choice. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory, 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 10,752 shading units provide a substantial hardware foundation that the benchmarks confirm. The RTX 5080’s 336 tensor cores also position it for AI workloads, though no specific tensor benchmark is in the data.

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, while losing all direct comparisons, should not be dismissed entirely. Its higher average benchmark score (57,367 versus 56,083) indicates that in aggregate across a broader test suite, it holds its own. The RX 9070 GRE’s lower TDP (220 W versus 360 W) and lower suggested PSU (550 W versus 750 W) make it a more power-friendly option. Its launch MSRP of 549 USD is significantly lower than the RTX 5080’s 999 USD, though pricing is not a factor in performance analysis. For users who need a 12 GB card with a smaller physical footprint—the RX 9070 GRE has no listed dimensions while the RTX 5080 measures 304 mm—the AMD card may suffice for less demanding workloads. However, the benchmark results are unequivocal: for any task measured here, the RTX 5080 outperforms the RX 9070 GRE by a wide margin. The verdict is straightforward—choose the RTX 5080 for maximum performance, or the RX 9070 GRE if power efficiency and average aggregate scores matter more than head-to-head wins.