Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Comparison

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics represent two extremes of the GPU spectrum, separated by nearly four years of architectural evolution and a chasm in physical scale. The data shows a single head-to-head benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA card delivers a score of 67929 against Intel’s 14315, a 374.5% advantage. However, the comparison is not merely about raw performance; it is a study in contrasting design philosophies, power envelopes, and target applications. The GTX 1080 Ti is a 250 W, dual-slot behemoth from 2017, while the Iris Xe MAX is a 25 W integrated graphics processor from 2020, built for an entirely different class of machine.

Where Each One Wins

The GeForce GTX 1080 Ti wins decisively in every measurable compute and graphics workload. Its average benchmark score of 15548 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the Iris Xe MAX sits at 14315 in the 56th percentile. In the only direct comparison available, Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 1080 Ti’s 67929 points dwarf the Intel’s 14315, a 374.5% margin. The NVIDIA card also shows strength across a wider variety of tests, including PassMark G3D (18600), PassMark GPU Compute (9632), and Geekbench Vulkan (40511), none of which have corresponding Intel scores in the data. The GTX 1080 Ti’s wins are absolute in raw throughput, pixel rate (139.2 GPixel/s vs 39.60 GPixel/s), and texture rate (354.4 GTexel/s vs 79.20 GTexel/s).

The Intel Iris Xe MAX, however, wins in the context of its physical and power footprint. With a 25 W TDP and an integrated form factor, it is designed for thin-and-light laptops where the GTX 1080 Ti’s 267 mm length and dual-slot width are physically impossible. Its 10 nm process node, compared to the GTX 1080 Ti’s 16 nm, represents a generational leap in efficiency. The Iris Xe MAX’s 4 GB LPDDR4X memory and 68.26 GB/s bandwidth are modest, but they are paired with a 128-bit bus and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, which is higher than the GTX 1080 Ti’s 1582 MHz boost. The Intel part’s win is not in benchmark scores but in enabling GPU compute in a power-constrained environment.

Architecture Differences

The GTX 1080 Ti is built on NVIDIA’s Pascal architecture, using the GP102 chip fabricated on a 16 nm TSMC process. It contains 11,800 million transistors on a 471 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.1M per mm². This is a massive chip designed for maximum performance, with 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 88 ROPs. Its FP32 performance is 11.34 TFLOPS, and its FP16 performance is a paltry 177.2 GFLOPS due to a 1:64 ratio, indicating a design focused on single-precision compute.

The Iris Xe MAX uses Intel’s Generation 12.1 architecture, with the DG1 chip on a 10 nm Intel process. The die size is 95 mm², and no transistor count or density is provided, which suggests a less transparent design. It has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. Critically, its FP32 performance is 2.534 TFLOPS, but its FP16 performance is 5.069 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, showing a deliberate emphasis on half-precision workloads common in AI inference. The GTX 1080 Ti’s FP16 is negligible, so the Intel part offers a different compute profile.

The memory subsystems are also divergent. The GTX 1080 Ti uses 11 GB of GDDR5X on a 352-bit bus, achieving 484.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Iris Xe MAX uses 4 GB of LPDDR4X on a 128-bit bus, with 68.26 GB/s. The effective memory clock for the Intel part is 4.3 Gbps, while the NVIDIA part runs at 11 Gbps effective. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but the GTX 1080 Ti offers display outputs (HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4a), while the Iris Xe MAX has none, indicating it is meant to drive displays through other means.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 15548, compared to the Intel Iris Xe MAX’s 14315, a difference of 1233 points.

Q: How much faster is the GTX 1080 Ti in the only shared benchmark?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the GTX 1080 Ti scores 67929, which is 374.5% higher than the Iris Xe MAX’s 14315.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has a TDP of 250 W, while the Iris Xe MAX has a TDP of 25 W, a tenfold difference.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same API versions?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Iris Xe MAX has a boost clock of 1650 MHz, while the GTX 1080 Ti has a boost clock of 1582 MHz.

Q: What is the memory capacity of each?

A: The GTX 1080 Ti has 11 GB of GDDR5X, while the Iris Xe MAX has 4 GB of LPDDR4X.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every physical and performance specification. The GTX 1080 Ti uses a 16 nm process from TSMC, while the Iris Xe MAX uses a 10 nm process from Intel. The NVIDIA chip is 471 mm² with 11,800 million transistors, while the Intel chip is 95 mm² with no disclosed transistor count. The GTX 1080 Ti has 3584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 88 ROPs, against Intel’s 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. FP32 compute is 11.34 TFLOPS for NVIDIA versus 2.534 TFLOPS for Intel, and FP16 is 177.2 GFLOPS versus 5.069 TFLOPS, respectively.

Memory is another major split: 11 GB GDDR5X on a 352-bit bus with 484.4 GB/s bandwidth versus 4 GB LPDDR4X on a 128-bit bus with 68.26 GB/s. The GTX 1080 Ti’s base clock is 1481 MHz, and its memory clock is 11 Gbps effective; the Iris Xe MAX’s base clock is 300 MHz, and its memory clock is 4.3 Gbps effective. The TDP is 250 W versus 25 W, and the bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8. The GTX 1080 Ti is dual-slot with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors and a suggested 600 W PSU, while the Iris Xe MAX is an IGP with no power connectors and a suggested 200 W PSU. The NVIDIA card has display outputs, while the Intel part has none.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark is Geekbench OpenCL. The GTX 1080 Ti scores 67929, and the Iris Xe MAX scores 14315. The delta is 374.5%, which is a landslide victory for the NVIDIA part. This result is consistent with their architectural differences: the GTX 1080 Ti has 4.5 times the shading units (3584 vs 768) and 4.5 times the FP32 throughput (11.34 vs 2.534 TFLOPS). The memory bandwidth difference is even starker, with the GTX 1080 Ti offering 7.1 times the bandwidth (484.4 vs 68.26 GB/s). The OpenCL test appears to be heavily memory-bound, so the GTX 1080 Ti’s 352-bit bus and GDDR5X memory provide a decisive edge.

The GTX 1080 Ti also has broader benchmark coverage, with scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad (2231), Geekbench Metal (30624), Geekbench Vulkan (40511), and multiple PassMark tests (DirectX 9: 231, DirectX 10: 118, DirectX 11: 151, DirectX 12: 66, G2D: 939, G3D: 18600, GPU Compute: 9632). The Iris Xe MAX has no corresponding scores, so its performance in these workloads is unknown from the data. Given the OpenCL result and the specifications, it is reasonable to infer that the GTX 1080 Ti would win all of these as well, but the data does not confirm it.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti is the superior performer in every measured category. For users seeking maximum compute or graphics throughput, the GTX 1080 Ti is the only choice. Its 374.5% lead in OpenCL, combined with its higher average benchmark score (15548 vs 14315), makes it the clear winner for gaming, rendering, or any GPU-accelerated workload. The GTX 1080 Ti also holds a 58th percentile rank versus the Iris Xe MAX’s 56th, indicating it outperforms a larger fraction of the GPU landscape.

The Intel Iris Xe MAX, however, serves a different purpose. Its 25 W TDP and IGP form factor make it suitable for ultraportable devices where the GTX 1080 Ti cannot physically fit. Its 10 nm process and higher boost clock (1650 MHz) show that Intel prioritized efficiency and clock speed over raw core count. For users who need a GPU that sips power and fits in a laptop, the Iris Xe MAX is the practical option, despite its lower performance. The verdict is not about which is better in absolute terms, but which fits the user’s constraints: the GTX 1080 Ti for raw power, the Iris Xe MAX for mobility and efficiency.