NVIDIA CMP 50HX vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA CMP 50HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile represent two opposite poles of GPU design philosophy. The CMP 50HX is a desktop-class mining part built on the older Turing architecture, while the RTX 4090 Mobile is an active laptop flagship on the latest Ada Lovelace architecture. Benchmark data shows a clear dominance for the mobile part, but the CMP 50HX holds its own in specific contexts. The average benchmark score for the CMP 50HX is 51,790, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 4090 Mobile averages 43,667, sitting in the 84th percentile. However, in the two head-to-head tests available, the RTX 4090 Mobile wins decisively, taking both OpenCL and Vulkan workloads with massive margins. This analysis breaks down where each card wins, the architectural gulf between them, and what the raw numbers mean for real-world workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The data paints a clear picture: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile wins every head-to-head benchmark in the database. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 180,831 against the CMP 50HX’s 56,135, a delta of -69% for the older card. In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap is even wider, with the RTX 4090 Mobile scoring 170,774 versus 47,445, a delta of -72.2%. There are no benchmark categories where the CMP 50HX comes out ahead. The wins for the RTX 4090 Mobile are not marginal; they are generational leaps in compute throughput.

That said, the CMP 50HX is not without its strengths, though they are not reflected in the head-to-head results. Its average benchmark score of 51,790 is higher than the RTX 4090 Mobile’s 43,667 average, which includes a wider set of tests. The CMP 50HX’s nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which it beats by 1.6%, and it sits 3.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64. The RTX 4090 Mobile, by contrast, is just 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 and 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile. The CMP 50HX’s win condition is consistency across a broader benchmark suite, while the RTX 4090 Mobile’s is raw peak performance in specific API tests.

For use-case selection, the RTX 4090 Mobile is the clear choice for any workload leveraging OpenCL or Vulkan, such as modern gaming, ray-traced rendering, or compute tasks that scale with shader count. The CMP 50HX, despite its mining origins, shows competitive average scores, suggesting it remains viable for tasks that do not rely on the latest API optimizations. The RTX 4090 Mobile also wins on efficiency, with a TDP of 120 W versus the CMP 50HX’s 250 W, making it the superior option for thermally constrained environments.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures, separated by a generation and a process node. The CMP 50HX uses the TU102 chip on the Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It packs 18,600 million transistors on a die size of 754 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 24.7 million per square millimeter. The RTX 4090 Mobile uses the AD103 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. It holds 45,900 million transistors on a much smaller die of 379 mm², achieving a transistor density of 121.1 million per square millimeter—nearly five times higher.

Core configuration differs dramatically. The CMP 50HX has 3,584 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. The RTX 4090 Mobile nearly triples the shading units to 9,728, with 304 TMUs and 112 ROPs. Ray tracing and tensor cores also diverge: the CMP 50HX has 56 RT cores and 448 tensor cores, while the RTX 4090 Mobile has 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. The tensor core count is lower on the newer card, but the architecture is newer and more efficient.

Memory subsystems differ in capacity and bandwidth. The CMP 50HX has 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus, delivering 560.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4090 Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 576.0 GB/s. Despite the narrower bus, the mobile card achieves higher bandwidth thanks to faster memory clocks. The RTX 4090 Mobile also supports a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while the CMP 50HX is limited to PCIe 1.0 x4, a severe bottleneck for data transfer. Clock speeds are similar at base, 1350 MHz vs 1335 MHz, but the RTX 4090 Mobile boosts higher at 1695 MHz versus 1545 MHz. The CMP 50HX has no display outputs, while the RTX 4090 Mobile’s outputs are portable-device dependent.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two available head-to-head benchmarks tell a stark story of generational progress. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 4090 Mobile scores 180,831, which is 3.2 times the CMP 50HX’s 56,135. The delta of -69% means the CMP 50HX trails by a factor of more than three. This is not a close contest; it is a complete rout. The RTX 4090 Mobile’s advantage comes from its 9,728 shading units and higher boost clock, enabling far greater parallel compute throughput.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the results are even more lopsided. The RTX 4090 Mobile scores 170,774, while the CMP 50HX manages only 47,445. The delta of -72.2% indicates the CMP 50HX delivers less than a third of the performance. Vulkan is a low-level API that benefits from raw hardware efficiency, and the Ada Lovelace architecture’s 5 nm process and higher transistor density give it a massive edge. The CMP 50HX’s Turing architecture, while capable, cannot match the newer design’s per-clock efficiency.

These results align with the broader benchmark averages. The RTX 4090 Mobile’s PassMark G3D score of 27,212 and GPU compute score of 12,347 reinforce its compute-heavy profile. The CMP 50HX, with only two benchmark entries, lacks this breadth of data, but its average score of 51,790 suggests it performs better in workloads not captured by the head-to-head tests. The RTX 4090 Mobile’s average is dragged down by low PassMark DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 scores of 310 and 173, respectively, which may reflect driver optimizations or power management in mobile form factors. Regardless, in the tests where both cards are measured, the RTX 4090 Mobile wins by a wide margin.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA CMP 50HX has a higher average benchmark score of 51,790, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile’s 43,667.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile scores 180,831 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 69% higher than the CMP 50HX’s score of 56,135.

Q: Does the CMP 50HX win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The CMP 50HX wins zero head-to-head benchmarks, while the RTX 4090 Mobile wins both available tests.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two GPUs?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has a transistor density of 121.1 million per square millimeter, while the CMP 50HX has a density of 24.7 million per square millimeter.

Q: How do the memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The CMP 50HX has a bandwidth of 560.0 GB/s, while the RTX 4090 Mobile has a slightly higher bandwidth of 576.0 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has 9,728 shading units, compared to the CMP 50HX’s 3,584 shading units.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every major specification field.

• Process Node: The CMP 50HX is built on a 12 nm process, while the RTX 4090 Mobile uses a 5 nm process.
• Transistors: The CMP 50HX has 18,600 million transistors; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 45,900 million.
• Die Size: The CMP 50HX has a die size of 754 mm², while the RTX 4090 Mobile’s die is 379 mm².
• Transistor Density: The CMP 50HX has 24.7 million transistors per mm²; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 121.1 million per mm².
• Base Clock: The CMP 50HX runs at 1350 MHz, while the RTX 4090 Mobile runs at 1335 MHz.
• Boost Clock: The CMP 50HX boosts to 1545 MHz; the RTX 4090 Mobile boosts to 1695 MHz.
• Memory Size: The CMP 50HX has 10 GB of GDDR6; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 16 GB.
• Memory Bus Width: The CMP 50HX uses a 320-bit bus, while the RTX 4090 Mobile uses a 256-bit bus.
• Memory Bandwidth: The CMP 50HX delivers 560.0 GB/s; the RTX 4090 Mobile delivers 576.0 GB/s.
• Shading Units: The CMP 50HX has 3,584; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 9,728.
• TMUs: The CMP 50HX has 192; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 304.
• ROPs: The CMP 50HX has 80; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 112.
• RT Cores: The CMP 50HX has 56; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 76.
• Tensor Cores: The CMP 50HX has 448; the RTX 4090 Mobile has 304.
• Pixel Rate: The CMP 50HX achieves 123.6 GPixel/s; the RTX 4090 Mobile achieves 189.8 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: The CMP 50HX achieves 296.6 GTexel/s; the RTX 4090 Mobile achieves 515.3 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: The CMP 50HX delivers 11.07 TFLOPS; the RTX 4090 Mobile delivers 32.98 TFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: The CMP 50HX delivers 22.15 TFLOPS (2:1); the RTX 4090 Mobile delivers 32.98 TFLOPS (1:1).
• TDP: The CMP 50HX has a TDP of 250 W; the RTX 4090 Mobile has a TDP of 120 W.
• Slot Width: The CMP 50HX is dual-slot; the RTX 4090 Mobile is an IGP.
• Power Connectors: The CMP 50HX requires 2x 8-pin; the RTX 4090 Mobile has none.
• Suggested PSU: The CMP 50HX suggests a 600 W power supply; the RTX 4090 Mobile has no suggestion.
• Bus Interface: The CMP 50HX uses PCIe 1.0 x4; the RTX 4090 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: The CMP 50HX has no outputs; the RTX 4090 Mobile’s outputs are portable-device dependent.
• Production Status: The CMP 50HX is end-of-life; the RTX 4090 Mobile is active.
• Release Date: The CMP 50HX was released on 2021-06-23; the RTX 4090 Mobile was released on 2023-01-02.
• Predecessor: The RTX 4090 Mobile has a predecessor in the GeForce 30 Mobile; the CMP 50HX has none.
• Successor: The RTX 4090 Mobile has a successor in the GeForce 50 Mobile; the CMP 50HX has none.