AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison recorded in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and it produces a decisive result. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile scores 7435, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M scores 5622. That translates to a 24.4% deficit for the NVIDIA part, a substantial gap that flips the expected hierarchy for these two products.

Looking at the broader database records, the GTX 880M achieves an average benchmark score of 8040, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all GPUs. The Vega 8 Mobile averages 7203, which slots into the 39th percentile. The difference in average scores is 837 points, or about 11.6% in favor of the NVIDIA part, yet the single OpenCL test shows the AMD part winning by a wide margin. This suggests the OpenCL workload specifically favors the Vega architecture, while the average score across all recorded tests tells a more balanced story.

The GTX 880M's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 at 8039 (a 0% delta), the GeForce GTX 650 Ti at 8053 (a 0.2% delta against the 880M), the GTX 650 Ti Boost at 8067 (0.3% delta), and the GRID K2 at 8080 (0.5% delta). These are all essentially identical scores, meaning the 880M sits in a tightly packed cluster of GPUs with comparable aggregate performance. Its 8040 average is right in the middle of that group, with the P5000 just one point behind and the GRID K2 forty points ahead.

The Vega 8 Mobile's nearest rivals paint a different picture. The GeForce GTX 750 averages 7222, which is 0.3% ahead of the Vega part. The GTX 560 SE sits at 7171, 0.4% behind. The Intel Iris Pro Graphics P580 scores 7170, 0.5% behind, and the GeForce GTX 970 records 7157, 0.6% behind. This is a wider spread of competitors, and notably the GTX 970, a high-end desktop card from a later generation, appears in this cluster. The Vega 8 Mobile's 7203 average places it competitively among these desktop parts despite being an integrated solution.

In the OpenCL head-to-head, the delta of 24.4% is the single most striking number in the comparison. The Vega 8 Mobile does not just edge out the GTX 880M; it outperforms it by nearly a quarter in that specific workload. However, the GTX 880M has its own benchmark record: a Geekbench Metal score of 10458. The database does not list a Metal result for the Vega 8 Mobile, so cross-API comparisons are limited. The GTX 880M also has an OpenCL score of 5622, which is the number used in the head-to-head, and that is where it loses ground.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins the only shared benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 24.4%. This is a clear-cut victory in compute-oriented workloads that leverage OpenCL. The Vega architecture's 14 nm process and GCN 5.0 design appear to handle this type of parallel compute efficiently, despite having only 512 shading units compared to the GTX 880M's 1536.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M wins on aggregate performance. Its average benchmark score of 8040 is 11.6% higher than the Vega 8 Mobile's 7203. The GTX 880M also holds a 42nd percentile ranking versus the Vega's 39th, a modest but meaningful position advantage across the entire GPU database. For users prioritizing overall benchmark standing, the NVIDIA part is ahead.

The GTX 880M additionally records a Metal score of 10458, a workload where the Vega 8 Mobile has no recorded result. This indicates the NVIDIA GPU has verified strength in Apple's Metal API, which matters for macOS or Metal-based applications. The Vega part counters with a Vulkan score of 6970, a result the GTX 880M cannot match because the database does not list a Vulkan score for it. So each GPU claims an API-specific win: NVIDIA in Metal, AMD in Vulkan.

Use-case splits follow the data. For OpenCL compute tasks, the Vega 8 Mobile is the better choice by a wide margin. For general benchmark standing and Metal-based workloads, the GTX 880M takes the lead. The Vega's Vulkan result also suggests strength in cross-platform graphics APIs, though the database does not provide a direct Vulkan comparison between the two.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers, nodes, and architectural generations. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M uses the GK104 chip, built on the Kepler architecture, and belongs to the GeForce 800M generation. It is fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile uses the Raven-M chip, based on GCN 5.0, and belongs to the Vega IGP (Raven Ridge-M) generation. It is built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 23.5 million per square millimeter.

The transistor counts and densities tell a compelling story. The Vega 8 Mobile packs 1,400 million more transistors than the GTX 880M despite a smaller die, which explains its nearly double transistor density. The 14 nm node at GlobalFoundries enables this, while the older 28 nm TSMC process limits the GTX 880M's packing efficiency. However, the GTX 880M compensates with a much larger die area and a higher power envelope.

Core configurations differ sharply. The GTX 880M has 1536 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units. The Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. The NVIDIA part has three times the shading units, four times the TMUs, and four times the ROPs. This explains its higher pixel rate of 31.78 GPixel/s and texture rate of 127.1 GTexel/s, versus the Vega's 8.808 GPixel/s and 35.23 GTexel/s. The GTX 880M also reaches 3.050 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the Vega 8 Mobile manages 1,127.4 GFLOPS. The Vega does offer FP16 at 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1), a capability the GTX 880M lacks entirely, with no FP16 figure recorded.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The GTX 880M has 8 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile uses system shared memory, with size, type, bus width, and bandwidth all listed as system dependent. This means the Vega's memory performance varies with the host system, while the GTX 880M has fixed, dedicated resources. The GTX 880M also has a 1250 MHz memory clock running at 5 Gbps effective, whereas the Vega relies entirely on the system's memory subsystem.

Power and physical design differ as well. The GTX 880M has a TDP of 122 W and uses an MXM module form factor with an MXM-B (3.0) bus interface. The Vega 8 Mobile has a TDP of just 25 W and is an IGP with no slot width, no power connectors, and an IGP bus interface. The GTX 880M's power draw is nearly five times the Vega's, a massive difference that reflects the discrete versus integrated design philosophy. Both use portable device dependent display outputs, and neither has RT cores or tensor cores.

API support also diverges. The GTX 880M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The Vega 8 Mobile supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Vega has a higher DirectX feature level and a newer Vulkan version, which matters for modern game compatibility. The GTX 880M's Kepler architecture predates the Vega by several years, with a release date of March 2014 versus January 2019 for the AMD part.

The Verdict

The data presents a split decision. For raw compute in OpenCL, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile is the clear winner, beating the GTX 880M by 24.4% in the only direct head-to-head test. Its average score of 7203 trails the NVIDIA part's 8040, but its OpenCL dominance shows a workload-specific advantage.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M is the better overall performer according to the database's aggregate metrics. Its 8040 average score, 42nd percentile ranking, and Metal result of 10458 give it a broader profile of verified strength. The GTX 880M also has dedicated 8 GB GDDR5 memory with 160.0 GB/s bandwidth, a major asset for memory-intensive tasks that the Vega's system shared memory cannot guarantee.

Users who prioritize OpenCL compute or Vulkan-based workloads should consider the Vega 8 Mobile. Its 7435 OpenCL score and 6970 Vulkan score are strong, and its 25 W TDP makes it far more power-efficient than the GTX 880M's 122 W. Users who need Metal performance, higher aggregate benchmark scores, or dedicated video memory should favor the GTX 880M.

The GTX 880M also holds advantages in pixel rate (31.78 GPixel/s versus 8.808 GPixel/s), texture rate (127.1 GTexel/s versus 35.23 GTexel/s), and FP32 compute (3.050 TFLOPS versus 1,127.4 GFLOPS). These raw throughput numbers favor NVIDIA for traditional graphics workloads. The Vega counters with FP16 support and a newer API set, including DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.3.

There is no universal winner. The choice depends entirely on workload. The GTX 880M is the stronger all-around GPU in the database's aggregate scoring, while the Vega 8 Mobile wins the specific OpenCL test and offers modern API support with drastically lower power consumption.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile wins with a score of 7435, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M scores 5622, a 24.4% difference in favor of the AMD part.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M has an average benchmark score of 8040, and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Mobile has an average of 7203.

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The GTX 880M has 1536 shading units, while the Vega 8 Mobile has 512 shading units.

Q: What memory configurations do the two GPUs use?

A: The GTX 880M has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256 bit bus with 160.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 Mobile uses system shared memory, with bandwidth listed as system dependent.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for each GPU?

A: The GTX 880M has a TDP of 122 W, and the Vega 8 Mobile has a TDP of 25 W.

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The GTX 880M reaches 3.050 TFLOPS of FP32, while the Vega 8 Mobile delivers 1,127.4 GFLOPS. The Vega does offer FP16 at 2.255 TFLOPS (2:1), which the GTX 880M does not have.