AMD Radeon Vega 11 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Comparison

AMD Radeon Vega 11 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 occupy opposite ends of the graphics spectrum, one an integrated processor component and the other a dedicated add-in board. The benchmark data shows a decisive overall victory for the GTX 1080, which wins all three recorded head-to-head tests, but the analysis does not end there. The two products serve fundamentally different roles, and their performance profiles, architectural foundations, and system requirements shape what each can reasonably accomplish.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows no benchmark wins for the AMD Radeon Vega 11 in the direct head-to-head comparisons. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 claims victory in every recorded test, with margins ranging from 27% to 73.8%. However, the Vega 11 holds a distinct advantage in system integration and power efficiency. Its 15 W TDP makes it suitable for compact, low-power systems where a dedicated graphics card would be impractical. The GTX 1080, with a 180 W TDP and a recommended 450 W power supply, requires a substantial power delivery system and physical space for a dual-slot cooler.

The use-case split comes down to system architecture. The Vega 11 is an IGP, meaning it shares system memory and draws no dedicated power connectors. This makes it the only option for systems without a PCIe slot for a discrete GPU. The GTX 1080, by contrast, is a high-performance discrete card with 8 GB of dedicated GDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus. The recorded data positions the GTX 1080 for demanding workloads such as high-resolution gaming, content creation, and compute tasks, while the Vega 11 serves as a baseline graphics solution for everyday computing, light gaming, and multimedia playback.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 is built on the GCN 5.0 architecture using the Picasso chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The die contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² footprint, yielding a transistor density of 23.5M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 uses the Pascal architecture with the GP104 chip, fabricated on a 16 nm process by TSMC. Its die measures 314 mm² and contains 7,200 million transistors, resulting in a density of 22.9M per mm². The GTX 1080's die is larger and packs nearly 46% more transistors despite using an older process node.

The compute configurations differ dramatically. The Vega 11 features 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The GTX 1080 counters with 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, representing 3.6 times the shader count, 3.6 times the TMUs, and 8 times the ROPs. Clock speeds also favor the discrete card: the Vega 11 runs at a base of 300 MHz and boosts to 1400 MHz, while the GTX 1080 operates at a base of 1607 MHz and boosts to 1733 MHz.

Memory architecture separates the two products entirely. The Vega 11 uses system shared memory with bandwidth described as system dependent, meaning its performance scales with the host system's RAM configuration. The GTX 1080 has 8 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 320.3 GB/s of bandwidth, a fixed resource independent of the host system. This dedicated memory bandwidth is critical for the GTX 1080's large performance advantage.

API support shows minor differences. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the GTX 1080 supports Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 1080 also includes display outputs of 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, whereas the Vega 11's display outputs are motherboard dependent. The GTX 1080 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and requires a dual-slot cooler with one 8-pin power connector, while the Vega 11 is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and no bus interface beyond the integrated implementation.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The three recorded head-to-head tests all use Geekbench workloads. In Geekbench Metal, the GTX 1080 scores 23,824 against the Vega 11's 17,392, a 27% advantage. This is the closest margin between the two, suggesting that the Metal API on this workload narrows the gap somewhat, though the GTX 1080 still wins decisively.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the largest disparity. The GTX 1080 scores 51,204, while the Vega 11 manages 13,392, resulting in a 73.8% deficit for the AMD part. This massive margin reflects the GTX 1080's far higher raw compute throughput. The FP32 performance figures support this: the GTX 1080 delivers 8.873 TFLOPS compared to the Vega 11's 1.971 TFLOPS, a factor of roughly 4.5. The texture and pixel rates tell a similar story, with the GTX 1080 achieving 277.3 GTexel/s and 110.9 GPixel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s and 11.20 GPixel/s for the Vega 11.

The Geekbench Vulkan test falls between the other two. The GTX 1080 scores 30,398, and the Vega 11 scores 12,273, a 59.6% deficit. While the Vega 11 trails in all tests, its performance relative to the GTX 1080 varies by workload, indicating that API overhead and workload characteristics influence the results. The average benchmark scores reinforce the hierarchy: the Vega 11 averages 14,352 across its recorded tests, while the GTX 1080 averages 11,960 across its broader test suite, which includes several PassMark tests that drag its average down. The percentile rankings place the Vega 11 at the 56th percentile of all GPUs and the GTX 1080 at the 51st percentile, a counterintuitive result driven by the different test suites each product was subjected to.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 scores 51,204, which is 73.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Vega 11's 13,392.

Q: How much memory does each product have?

A: The GTX 1080 has 8 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 256-bit bus with 320.3 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 11 uses system shared memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Vega 11 has a 15 W TDP, while the GTX 1080 has a 180 W TDP and a suggested 450 W power supply.

Q: Do both support the same DirectX version?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The GTX 1080 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: Which one has more shading units?

A: The GTX 1080 has 2,560 shading units, compared to 704 on the Vega 11. The GTX 1080 also has 160 TMUs and 64 ROPs, versus 44 TMUs and 8 ROPs on the Vega 11.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the GTX 1080?

A: The GTX 1080 had a launch MSRP of 599 USD. The Vega 11 has no recorded launch MSRP, as it is an integrated processor component.

Specification Differences

The two products differ across nearly every recorded specification. The GTX 1080 uses the Pascal architecture on a 16 nm TSMC process, while the Vega 11 uses GCN 5.0 on a 12 nm GlobalFoundries process. The GTX 1080's die is 314 mm² with 7,200 million transistors, versus 210 mm² and 4,940 million for the Vega 11. Transistor density is similar: 22.9M per mm² for the GTX 1080 and 23.5M per mm² for the Vega 11.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The GTX 1080 has a base clock of 1607 MHz and a boost of 1733 MHz, while the Vega 11 has a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 1400 MHz. The GTX 1080's memory runs at 1251 MHz with 10 Gbps effective speed, while the Vega 11's memory clock is system shared.

Compute resources show a clear hierarchy. The GTX 1080 has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, producing 8.873 TFLOPS FP32, 110.9 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 277.3 GTexel/s texture rate. The Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, producing 1.971 TFLOPS FP32, 11.20 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 61.60 GTexel/s texture rate. FP16 performance also diverges: the Vega 11 delivers 3.942 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, while the GTX 1080 delivers only 138.6 GFLOPS at a 1:64 ratio.

Power and physical specifications separate the two. The Vega 11 draws 15 W, uses no power connectors, has an IGP slot width, and its display outputs are motherboard dependent. The GTX 1080 draws 180 W, requires one 8-pin power connector, a 450 W suggested power supply, and a dual-slot cooler. Its dimensions are 267 mm in length, 112 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The GTX 1080 uses a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the Vega 11 has an IGP bus interface. Release dates differ by over three years: the Vega 11 launched in September 2019, and the GTX 1080 in May 2016. Both are end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The data points to a simple conclusion for raw performance: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 is in a different class. It wins all three head-to-head tests, with a minimum margin of 27% in Geekbench Metal and a maximum of 73.8% in Geekbench OpenCL. Its dedicated 8 GB GDDR5X memory, 2,560 shading units, and 8.873 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput place it far ahead of the Vega 11's integrated design. Anyone requiring high-end gaming performance, compute acceleration, or high-resolution rendering should choose the GTX 1080 based on the recorded benchmark results.

The AMD Radeon Vega 11, however, serves a legitimate purpose that the GTX 1080 cannot match. Its 15 W TDP, lack of power connectors, and integrated nature make it suitable for systems where a discrete GPU is not an option, such as compact desktops, office machines, or low-power builds. Its performance is modest, but it requires no additional power delivery and no PCIe slot. The GTX 1080 demands a 450 W power supply, a dual-slot cooler, and a PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, which many systems cannot accommodate.

The choice depends entirely on the system context. For a user building a high-performance desktop with a dedicated power supply and expecting strong graphics performance, the GTX 1080 is the clear pick. For a user relying on an integrated processor's graphics output, the Vega 11 is the only viable option between the two, and its 56th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it performs respectably for an IGP. The GTX 1080's 51st percentile ranking reflects its broader test suite, not a performance deficit, as the head-to-head results make unmistakably clear.