AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has a higher average benchmark score of 50,001, compared to 38,135 for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. The Vega 64 also sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 4080 Mobile sits in the 81st percentile.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 Mobile compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 5070 Ti?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile's average score of 38,135 is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 (38,299) and 0.6% lower than the RTX 5080 Mobile (38,349). It is 1.3% ahead of both the RTX 4070 (37,648) and the Tesla P4 (37,628).

Q: What is the nearest rival to the RX Vega 64 in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is the closest rival, with an average score of 50,951, which is 1.9% higher than the Vega 64's 50,001. The RX 6800 XT (48,477) trails the Vega 64 by 3.1%.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile has 7,424 shading units, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 has 4,096 shading units. The RTX 4080 Mobile also has 232 tensor cores and 58 RT cores, while the Vega 64 has none of either.

Q: What is the process node difference between the two GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile uses a 5 nm process at TSMC. The Vega 64 has a transistor density of 25.3M per mm², while the RTX 4080 Mobile has 121.8M per mm².

Q: In the head-to-head benchmarks, how many tests did each GPU win?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile won both head-to-head tests. It beat the Vega 64 in Geekbench OpenCL (159,575 vs 62,552) and in Geekbench Vulkan (145,807 vs 67,032). The Vega 64 won zero head-to-head tests.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 is built on the GCN 5.0 architecture with the Vega 10 chip, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It uses 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 25.3M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, by contrast, uses the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 35,800 million transistors into a 294 mm² die, resulting in a dramatically higher transistor density of 121.8M per mm².

The memory subsystems differ fundamentally. The Vega 64 employs 8 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, achieving a bandwidth of 483.8 GB/s. The RTX 4080 Mobile uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, with a slightly lower bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. Despite the narrower bus, the RTX 4080 Mobile compensates with higher effective memory speed: 18 Gbps versus 1890 Mbps for the Vega 64.

The Vega 64 has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 4080 Mobile has 7,424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. Critically, the RTX 4080 Mobile adds dedicated hardware that the Vega 64 lacks entirely: 58 RT cores for ray tracing and 232 tensor cores for AI acceleration. This architectural divergence means the RTX 4080 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Vega 64 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). The NVIDIA GPU also supports Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Vega 64 supports Vulkan 1.3; both support OpenGL 4.6.

The Vega 64 is a desktop card with a dual-slot form factor, 2x 8-pin power connectors, and a 295 W TDP, requiring a 600 W power supply. The RTX 4080 Mobile is an integrated GPU for laptops, with no power connectors and a 110 W TDP, and its display outputs are portable-device dependent. The Vega 64 connects via PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RTX 4080 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head benchmark data shows the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile winning both recorded tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4080 Mobile scores 159,575 against the Vega 64's 62,552, a 60.8% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4080 Mobile scores 145,807 versus 67,032, a 54% lead. There are no benchmark categories where the Vega 64 records a win over the RTX 4080 Mobile.

However, the overall database picture is more nuanced. The Vega 64's average benchmark score of 50,001 is 31.1% higher than the RTX 4080 Mobile's 38,135. This suggests the Vega 64 performs better across a broader suite of tests, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 1,669, and Geekbench Metal, where it scores 68,750. The RTX 4080 Mobile's recorded benchmarks include PassMark tests, where it scores 24,926 in G3D and 11,191 in GPU Compute, along with lower DirectX-specific scores (157 in DX10, 244 in DX11, 96 in DX12, 286 in DX9) and a G2D score of 929.

The RTX 4080 Mobile's wins come specifically in compute-heavy OpenCL and Vulkan workloads, where its Ada Lovelace architecture and higher shading unit count dominate. The Vega 64's wins, based on the overall average score, come from the aggregate of many different test types, including the 3DMark and Geekbench Metal results that are not available for the RTX 4080 Mobile.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category. The process node differs: 14 nm for the Vega 64 versus 5 nm for the RTX 4080 Mobile. Transistor counts are 12,500 million versus 35,800 million, and die sizes are 495 mm² versus 294 mm², leading to transistor densities of 25.3M per mm² versus 121.8M per mm².

Clock speeds differ modestly: the Vega 64 has a base clock of 1247 MHz and a boost of 1546 MHz, while the RTX 4080 Mobile has a base of 1290 MHz and a boost of 1665 MHz. Memory clocks are 945 MHz (1890 Mbps effective) for the Vega 64 versus 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for the RTX 4080 Mobile.

Memory configuration differs: 8 GB HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus with 483.8 GB/s bandwidth for the Vega 64, versus 12 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s for the RTX 4080 Mobile.

Compute resources differ significantly: 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs for the Vega 64, versus 7,424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 80 ROPs for the RTX 4080 Mobile. The RTX 4080 Mobile has 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores; the Vega 64 has neither. Pixel rates are 98.94 GPixel/s versus 133.2 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 395.8 GTexel/s versus 386.3 GTexel/s, favoring the RTX 4080 Mobile in pixels and the Vega 64 marginally in textures.

FP32 throughput is 12.66 TFLOPS for the Vega 64 versus 24.72 TFLOPS for the RTX 4080 Mobile. FP16 is 25.33 TFLOPS (2:1) for the Vega 64 versus 24.72 TFLOPS (1:1) for the RTX 4080 Mobile.

Power and form factor differ sharply: 295 W TDP, dual-slot, 2x 8-pin connectors, and a 600 W suggested PSU for the Vega 64, versus 110 W TDP, integrated form factor, and no connectors for the RTX 4080 Mobile. The Vega 64 uses PCIe 3.0 x16; the RTX 4080 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The Vega 64 outputs 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a; the RTX 4080 Mobile's outputs are portable-device dependent. The Vega 64 is end-of-life, released in 2017, while the RTX 4080 Mobile is active, released in 2023.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two head-to-head benchmark comparisons between the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile. Both are wins for the NVIDIA GPU.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4080 Mobile scores 159,575 against the Vega 64's 62,552. This is a delta of 60.8% in favor of the RTX 4080 Mobile. The score gap of 97,023 points is substantial, reflecting the RTX 4080 Mobile's higher shading unit count (7,424 versus 4,096) and doubled FP32 throughput (24.72 TFLOPS versus 12.66 TFLOPS).

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4080 Mobile scores 145,807 against the Vega 64's 67,032. The delta is 54% in favor of the RTX 4080 Mobile. This 78,775-point gap, while slightly smaller than the OpenCL gap, still represents a decisive advantage for the NVIDIA GPU in Vulkan compute workloads.

The Vega 64's strongest recorded benchmark is Geekbench Metal at 68,750, followed by Geekbench Vulkan at 67,032 and Geekbench OpenCL at 62,552. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,669. None of these appear in the head-to-head set, so the Vega 64's comparative strength in Metal (where the RTX 4080 Mobile has no recorded score) is not directly measured against the NVIDIA GPU.

The RTX 4080 Mobile's PassMark results show a G3D score of 24,926 and a GPU Compute score of 11,191, with DirectX-specific scores of 157 (DX10), 244 (DX11), 96 (DX12), and 286 (DX9), plus a G2D score of 929. These tests are also not part of the head-to-head set, so they contribute to the RTX 4080 Mobile's average score but not to the direct comparison.

Overall, the head-to-head data shows the RTX 4080 Mobile dominating in compute-oriented OpenCL and Vulkan tests, while the Vega 64's higher average score (50,001 versus 38,135) indicates it holds its own or wins in other test categories not recorded as head-to-head comparisons.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between the two GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile wins both head-to-head benchmark tests, with a 60.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and a 54% lead in Geekbench Vulkan. This makes it the stronger choice for compute-intensive workloads that rely on OpenCL or Vulkan, where its 7,424 shading units, 232 tensor cores, and 58 RT cores provide a substantial advantage.

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, however, holds a higher average benchmark score across the entire database: 50,001 versus 38,135, a 31.1% difference. It also sits higher in the percentile ranking (86th versus 81st). This indicates the Vega 64 performs better across the broader mix of benchmark tests, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and Geekbench Metal, where the RTX 4080 Mobile has no recorded scores.

For a desktop user with a 295 W power budget, a dual-slot slot, and 2x 8-pin connectors, the Vega 64 offers higher aggregate performance and a 499 USD launch MSRP. For a laptop user, the RTX 4080 Mobile is the only viable option given its integrated form factor and 110 W TDP, and it delivers superior results in the specific compute tests the database records.

The architectural differences reinforce this split. The Vega 64's GCN 5.0 design on 14 nm is older and less transistor-dense, but its HBM2 memory provides 483.8 GB/s bandwidth on a 2048-bit bus. The RTX 4080 Mobile's Ada Lovelace design on 5 nm offers more shading units, dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores, and DirectX 12 Ultimate support, but its GDDR6 memory bandwidth is slightly lower at 432.0 GB/s.

The verdict from the recorded data: choose the RTX 4080 Mobile for OpenCL and Vulkan compute workloads and for ray tracing capabilities. Choose the Vega 64 for overall benchmark diversity, higher average scores, and desktop use cases where power is not a constraint. The RTX 4080 Mobile's two head-to-head wins are decisive in its favor for those specific tests, but the Vega 64's higher aggregate score means it remains competitive in the broader benchmark landscape.