AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Comparison

The benchmark data presents a stark generational and market-segment divide. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL are separated by more than just their release dates; the data shows they serve entirely different performance tiers. One is a high-end desktop add-in board, while the other is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) designed for portability. The numbers confirm a chasm in raw compute, with implications for every task from gaming to professional workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison available in the data is limited to two tests, but the results are decisive. In the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, the RTX 2080 scores 91,313, while the RX Vega M GL manages 19,549. This translates to a delta of 367.1%, meaning the RTX 2080 is roughly four and a half times faster in this compute-oriented test. The gap is even wider in the Geekbench Vulkan benchmark, where the RTX 2080 scores 107,797 against the RX Vega M GL's 22,757, a delta of 373.7%. The data shows the RTX 2080 wins both head-to-head tests, for a total of 2 wins to 0.

These are not marginal victories; they are order-of-magnitude differences in performance. The Geekbench OpenCL score of the RTX 2080 is more than four times that of its rival, and the Vulkan score is nearly five times higher. This suggests that the RTX 2080 is not just faster, but in a different performance class entirely. The average benchmark score for the RTX 2080 is 22,895, while the RX Vega M GL sits at 21,153. Despite this, the RTX 2080's percentile ranking among all GPUs is 68, only slightly above the RX Vega M GL's 66, which indicates that while the RTX 2080 is faster, the Vega M GL is still competitive within its own niche of integrated parts.

The rivalry data reinforces this positioning. The RTX 2080's nearest rival is the Intel Arc B580, with an average score of 23,021, just 0.5% higher. This places the RTX 2080 in the company of modern mid-range desktop cards. The RX Vega M GL, on the other hand, sits near the AMD Radeon HD 8970M, with a delta of -0.4%, and the NVIDIA RTX 5050, with a delta of 0.6%. The data clearly shows that the RTX 2080 competes in a desktop arena, while the RX Vega M GL is benchmarked against mobile and older parts.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split between these two GPUs is fundamental. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is built on the Turing architecture, using the TU104 chip fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It packs 13,600 million transistors onto a 545 mm² die, for a transistor density of 25.0M per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL uses the older GCN 4.0 architecture, with the Polaris 22 chip built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 5,000 million transistors on a much smaller 208 mm² die, resulting in a similar transistor density of 24.0M per mm², but with far fewer total resources.

The core configurations diverge sharply. The RTX 2080 has 2,944 shading units, 184 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 raster output units (ROPs). It also features 46 dedicated ray tracing cores and 368 tensor cores, which are absent from the RX Vega M GL entirely. The AMD part has 1,280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RTX 2080's raw throughput is significantly higher, with an FP32 rating of 10.07 TFLOPS versus 2.588 TFLOPS for the RX Vega M GL. The FP16 performance also differs in kind, with the RTX 2080 achieving 20.14 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, while the RX Vega M GL only reaches 2.588 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, indicating no dedicated half-precision acceleration.

Memory is another major point of divergence. The RTX 2080 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The RX Vega M GL uses 4 GB of HBM2 memory on a much wider 1024-bit bus, but achieves only 179.2 GB/s due to lower clock speeds. The memory clock difference is significant: the RTX 2080 runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the RX Vega M GL runs at 700 MHz (1400 Mbps effective). This means the RTX 2080 has more than double the memory bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and compute workloads.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is categorically superior in every benchmark metric recorded. The Geekbench OpenCL score is 367.1% higher, and the Vulkan score is 373.7% higher. There is no scenario in the data where the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL outperforms the RTX 2080. The wins column shows 2 for the RTX 2080 and 0 for the RX Vega M GL.

However, the verdict is not simply about speed. The RTX 2080 is a dual-slot, 215 W desktop card requiring a 550 W power supply and a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. It is 267 mm long. The RX Vega M GL is an IGP, consuming only 65 W and requiring no dedicated power connectors. It is designed for portable devices where power and space are at a premium. The data shows two different products for two different purposes. For anyone building a desktop system with room for a large card, the RTX 2080 is the clear choice based on the benchmark data. For a compact, power-efficient laptop, the RX Vega M GL is the only viable option in this comparison. The RTX 2080's 68th percentile ranking versus the RX Vega M GL's 66th percentile shows that while the desktop part is stronger, the integrated part is not far behind in relative standing among all GPUs, which is remarkable for an IGP.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RTX 2080 scores 91,313, which is 367.1% higher than the RX Vega M GL's score of 19,549.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL win any of the head-to-head benchmark comparisons?

A: No. The data shows 2 wins for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and 0 wins for the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL in the recorded head-to-head tests.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth between the two GPUs?

A: The RTX 2080 has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, while the RX Vega M GL has 179.2 GB/s.

Q: What are the power consumption figures for each card?

A: The RTX 2080 has a TDP of 215 W, while the RX Vega M GL has a TDP of 65 W.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL support ray tracing?

A: No. The data lists no ray tracing cores for the RX Vega M GL, while the RTX 2080 has 46 RT cores.

Q: How do the two compare in terms of their average benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2080 has an average benchmark score of 22,895, while the RX Vega M GL has an average score of 21,153.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 wins in every benchmark category where both are tested. In Geekbench OpenCL, it is the clear victor, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it also dominates. The RTX 2080 also has a higher average benchmark score (22,895 versus 21,153), and a higher percentile ranking (68th versus 66th). There are no test categories in the data where the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL emerges victorious.

The RX Vega M GL's "win" is not in performance but in its physical and power profile. The data shows it is an IGP with a 65 W TDP, requiring no power connectors and no expansion slot. This makes it the only choice for ultra-portable devices where the RTX 2080's dual-slot, 267 mm length and 215 W TDP are impossible to accommodate. The RTX 2080 wins on compute, memory bandwidth, and features like ray tracing and tensor cores. The RX Vega M GL wins on integration and power efficiency, offering a baseline level of 3D performance in a package that fits inside a laptop. The data suggests that for any task where raw GPU power is the primary criterion, the RTX 2080 is the superior part.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The process node is 12 nm for the RTX 2080 versus 14 nm for the RX Vega M GL. The RTX 2080 has 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, while the RX Vega M GL has 5,000 million on 208 mm². The RTX 2080 has 2,944 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, compared to 1,280, 80, and 32 for the RX Vega M GL. The RTX 2080 includes 46 RT cores and 368 tensor cores, while the RX Vega M GL has none. The FP32 performance is 10.07 TFLOPS versus 2.588 TFLOPS. The memory is 8 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, versus 4 GB HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus with 179.2 GB/s. The RTX 2080 has a 215 W TDP, while the RX Vega M GL has a 65 W TDP. The slot width is dual-slot for the RTX 2080 and IGP for the RX Vega M GL. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 for the RTX 2080 and IGP for the RX Vega M GL. The RTX 2080 has power connectors (1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin) and a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the RX Vega M GL has none. The RTX 2080 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX Vega M GL supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The RTX 2080 also has a higher Vulkan version support (1.4) compared to the RX Vega M GL (1.3). The RTX 2080 has a launch MSRP of 699 USD.