NVIDIA B200 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Comparison

The Verdict

The NVIDIA B200 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 serve fundamentally different purposes, and the benchmark data reflects that split clearly. The B200 is a server accelerator built for raw compute throughput in datacenter workloads, while the RTX 5090 is a consumer graphics card designed for rendering and general-purpose GPU tasks. In the only directly comparable benchmark recorded, Geekbench OpenCL, the B200 scores 345,482 against the RTX 5090's 334,370, a 3.3% advantage for the server part. That margin is narrow, but the B200 also sits at the 100th percentile among all GPUs in the database, whereas the RTX 5090 sits at the 92nd percentile. If the workload is pure OpenCL compute, the B200 is the measured winner. However, the RTX 5090 brings a far higher FP32 throughput at 104.8 TFLOPS versus 74.45 TFLOPS for the B200, and it has display outputs, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and a much lower power draw. The RTX 5090 is the pick for any desktop, workstation, or client-side task that needs graphics output or rasterization. The B200 is the pick for server racks where memory capacity and HBM bandwidth dominate, and where the 90 GB HBM3e frame buffer and 4.10 TB/s bandwidth are decisive. Neither part is a substitute for the other; they are built for different sides of the same Blackwell architecture.

Architecture Differences

Both chips are built on TSMC's 5 nm process node, but they diverge immediately after that. The B200 uses the GB100 chip and is labeled simply "Blackwell," while the RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip and is labeled "Blackwell 2.0." The B200 belongs to the Server Blackwell generation, while the RTX 5090 is from the GeForce 50-series. Transistor counts differ substantially: the B200 packs 104,000 million transistors, while the RTX 5090 has 92,200 million. The RTX 5090 has a publicly recorded die size of 750 mm² and a transistor density of 122.9M per mm²; the B200's die size is not recorded in the database. The B200 has a base clock of 700 MHz and a boost clock of 1965 MHz, while the RTX 5090 runs at a 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost. The B200's memory clock is listed at 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective, whereas the RTX 5090's memory runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective. Memory type is the biggest architectural split: the B200 uses HBM3e across a 4096-bit bus for 4.10 TB/s of bandwidth, while the RTX 5090 uses GDDR7 across a 512-bit bus for 1.79 TB/s. The B200 has 18,944 shading units, 592 TMUs, and only 24 ROPs; the RTX 5090 has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. The RTX 5090 also has 170 dedicated ray tracing cores, while the B200 lists none. Tensor core counts are close, 592 for the B200 and 680 for the RTX 5090, but their FP16 performance tells a different story: the B200 delivers 1,191.2 TFLOPS at a 16:1 ratio, while the RTX 5090 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS at 1:1. The B200 is an SXM module with no display outputs, while the RTX 5090 is a dual-slot card with one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records exactly one head-to-head benchmark between these two parts: Geekbench OpenCL. The B200 scores 345,482, and the RTX 5090 scores 334,370. That gives the B200 a 3.3% lead. This is a meaningful result because OpenCL is a compute API that stresses raw ALU throughput and memory bandwidth, both of which are strengths of the B200's HBM3e setup. The B200's 4.10 TB/s of bandwidth is more than double the RTX 5090's 1.79 TB/s, and that bandwidth advantage likely explains the OpenCL delta. However, the RTX 5090 wins on other recorded metrics that are not head-to-head but are still comparable. The RTX 5090's FP32 throughput is 104.8 TFLOPS, which is 40.8% higher than the B200's 74.45 TFLOPS. In FP16, the B200's 1,191.2 TFLOPS at 16:1 crushes the RTX 5090's 104.8 TFLOPS at 1:1, but that ratio reflects a server-optimized tensor path rather than a general-purpose compute path. The RTX 5090 also has a massive lead in pixel rate: 423.6 GPixel/s versus 47.16 GPixel/s for the B200. Texture rate favors the RTX 5090 as well, 1,636.8 GTexel/s versus 1,163.3 GTexel/s. The B200's average benchmark score is 345,482, which places it at the 100th percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 79,842, dragged down by its diverse suite of tests, including PassMark scores that range from 185 in DirectX 12 to 395 in DirectX 9. The B200 has only one recorded benchmark, so its average is that single OpenCL score. The RTX 5090's nearest rival in the database is the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, with a delta of just 0.3%, meaning the RTX 5090's average score is nearly identical to that much older datacenter card. The B200's nearest rival is the NVIDIA H200 NVL, which it beats by 3.2%, and the AMD Instinct MI300X, which it beats by 8.6%.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA B200 has 4.10 TB/s of bandwidth from 90 GB of HBM3e on a 4096-bit bus. The RTX 5090 has 1.79 TB/s from 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU is faster in the recorded OpenCL benchmark?

A: The B200 scores 345,482 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 3.3% higher than the RTX 5090's 334,370.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 have any compute advantage over the B200?

A: Yes, in FP32 throughput. The RTX 5090 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS, while the B200 delivers 74.45 TFLOPS. The RTX 5090 also has a higher texture rate at 1,636.8 GTexel/s versus 1,163.3 GTexel/s.

Q: Can the B200 output video to a display?

A: No. The B200 has no display outputs and is an SXM module. The RTX 5090 has one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Q: What is the power difference between the two?

A: The B200 has a TDP of 1000 W with a suggested PSU of 1400 W. The RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575 W with a suggested PSU of 950 W.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: The RTX 5090 has 170 dedicated ray tracing cores. The B200 has no recorded ray tracing cores.

Where Each One Wins

The B200 wins decisively in memory capacity and bandwidth. Its 90 GB of HBM3e and 4.10 TB/s bandwidth are the largest recorded figures in this comparison, and they are the primary reasons it takes the OpenCL benchmark. For large language model inference, scientific computing, or any workload where the dataset exceeds 32 GB, the B200's memory pool is the deciding factor. The B200 also wins on FP16 throughput at 1,191.2 TFLOPS, though that comes at a 16:1 ratio that is specific to tensor-heavy server workloads. Its position at the 100th percentile among all GPUs reinforces that it is a top-tier compute part. The B200's nearest rival deltas show it beating the H200 NVL by 3.2% and the L40S by 16.8%, which places it comfortably ahead of previous-generation server accelerators.

The RTX 5090 wins in every graphics-oriented metric. Its FP32 throughput of 104.8 TFLOPS is 40.8% higher than the B200's, which makes it the better choice for general-purpose compute that relies on standard FP32 math. Its pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s is nearly nine times the B200's 47.16 GPixel/s, and its texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s is 40.7% higher. The RTX 5090 also has 176 ROPs against the B200's 24, which is a decisive advantage for rasterization. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the B200 has no recorded API support. The RTX 5090's dual-slot form factor, display outputs, and 575 W TDP make it installable in a standard desktop, whereas the B200 requires a server chassis with its SXM module and 1000 W power envelope. For gaming, 3D rendering, or any client-side GPU workload, the RTX 5090 is the clear winner. Its nearest rival delta of 0.3% against the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB shows that its average score is tightly clustered with older hardware, but its modern feature set and high FP32 output separate it in practice.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. The process node is the same at 5 nm, but the chips are different: GB100 for the B200, GB202 for the RTX 5090. The architectures are listed as Blackwell versus Blackwell 2.0, and the generations are Server Blackwell versus GeForce 50. Transistor counts are 104,000 million for the B200 and 92,200 million for the RTX 5090. The RTX 5090 has a recorded die size of 750 mm² and a transistor density of 122.9M per mm²; the B200 has neither recorded. Base clocks are 700 MHz versus 2017 MHz, and boost clocks are 1965 MHz versus 2407 MHz. Memory sizes are 90 GB versus 32 GB, with HBM3e versus GDDR7, bus widths of 4096 bit versus 512 bit, and bandwidth of 4.10 TB/s versus 1.79 TB/s. Shading units are 18,944 versus 21,760, TMUs are 592 versus 680, and ROPs are 24 versus 176. The RTX 5090 has 170 ray tracing cores; the B200 has none recorded. Tensor cores are 592 versus 680. Pixel rates are 47.16 GPixel/s versus 423.6 GPixel/s, and texture rates are 1,163.3 GTexel/s versus 1,636.8 GTexel/s. FP32 is 74.45 TFLOPS versus 104.8 TFLOPS. FP16 is 1,191.2 TFLOPS at 16:1 versus 104.8 TFLOPS at 1:1. TDP is 1000 W versus 575 W, with suggested PSUs of 1400 W versus 950 W. The B200 is an SXM module with no display outputs, while the RTX 5090 is dual-slot with one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. The RTX 5090 has a 1x 16-pin power connector and dimensions of 304 mm by 137 mm by 40 mm; the B200 has no recorded dimensions or power connector. Both use PCIe 5.0 x16. The RTX 5090 has DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support; the B200 has no recorded API support. The RTX 5090's launch MSRP is 1,999 USD. The B200 has no recorded launch price.