NVIDIA CMP 50HX vs NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation Comparison

The NVIDIA CMP 50HX and NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation represent two divergent design philosophies from the same manufacturer, separated by architectural generations and intended for vastly different workloads. The data shows the RTX 5880 Ada Generation is decisively faster in the available benchmark, but the CMP 50HX holds a unique position in the legacy mining segment. This analysis compares their measured performance, architectural differences, and specification gaps based strictly on the provided benchmark data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison is stark. The only shared test in the fact pack is Geekbench OpenCL, where the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation achieves a score of 326,898, while the NVIDIA CMP 50HX scores 56,135. This represents a delta of -82.8% for the CMP 50HX, meaning the RTX 5880 Ada Generation is roughly 5.8 times faster in this compute-heavy workload. This is not a marginal victory; it is a generational obliteration that reflects the fundamental differences in compute resources and memory bandwidth.

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation’s OpenCL score of 326,898 places it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, while the CMP 50HX’s score of 56,135 places it in the 86th percentile. This is a curious inversion: the CMP 50HX has a slightly higher percentile ranking despite having a far lower absolute score. This occurs because the percentile field is relative to the entire database of GPUs, and the CMP 50HX’s average benchmark score of 51,790 is boosted by its other test results, whereas the RTX 5880 Ada Generation’s average of 45,972 is dragged down by its low Passmark scores in older DirectX tests.

Looking at the nearest rivals provides additional context. The CMP 50HX’s average score of 51,790 is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50,951), 3.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50,001), and 3.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49,957). This suggests that while the CMP 50HX is a capable compute card, it is not an outlier in its performance class. In contrast, the RTX 5880 Ada Generation’s average score of 45,972 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA RTX A2000 (46,043, a -0.2% delta), and it is 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (45,384). The RTX 5880 Ada Generation’s average is hurt by its Passmark DirectX 12 score of just 70, which is an outlier compared to its OpenCL result.

The wins tally is one for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation and zero for the CMP 50HX in the head-to-head test. The CMP 50HX does not win any benchmark in the provided data. The verdict from the numbers is unambiguous: in raw compute performance, the RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the superior product by a massive margin.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation scores 326,898, which is 82.8% higher than the NVIDIA CMP 50HX’s score of 56,135.

Q: How does the CMP 50HX compare to its closest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The CMP 50HX averages 51,790, which is 1.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50,951), 3.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (50,001), and 3.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49,957).

Q: Is the RTX 5880 Ada Generation’s average benchmark score higher than the CMP 50HX’s?

A: No. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation has an average score of 45,972, which is lower than the CMP 50HX’s 51,790, despite having a much higher OpenCL score. This is due to the RTX 5880 Ada Generation’s low Passmark scores in older DirectX tests.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The NVIDIA CMP 50HX is marked as end-of-life, while the NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation is listed as active production.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 5880 Ada Generation has a transistor density of 125.3M per mm², compared to the CMP 50HX’s 24.7M per mm², reflecting the newer 5 nm process node.

Q: What are the display output capabilities?

A: The CMP 50HX has no display outputs, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation provides 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on entirely different architectures and process nodes. The CMP 50HX is based on the TU102 chip using the Turing architecture, fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It contains 18,600 million transistors on a 754 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.7M per mm². The RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses the AD102 chip with the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 76,300 million transistors onto a smaller 609 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 125.3M per mm². This is a 5.1x increase in transistor density, which is the primary driver of the performance gap.

The compute resources differ dramatically. The CMP 50HX has 3,584 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. It also includes 56 RT cores and 448 tensor cores. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation scales this up to 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, with 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores. The shading unit count is 3.9x higher on the RTX 5880 Ada Generation, and the TMU count is 2.3x higher. The RT core count is nearly doubled, while the tensor core count is slightly lower (440 vs 448), indicating a shift in compute focus.

Memory architecture also diverges. The CMP 50HX uses 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 560.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses 48 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 864.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation has 4.8x more memory and 1.5x more bandwidth, which is critical for large dataset workloads in professional settings.

Clock speeds tell a complex story. The CMP 50HX has a base clock of 1350 MHz and a boost clock of 1545 MHz. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation has a lower base clock of 975 MHz but a much higher boost clock of 2460 MHz. This means the RTX 5880 Ada Generation can sustain significantly higher frequencies under load, contributing to its 6.3x higher FP32 throughput of 69.27 TFLOPS versus 11.07 TFLOPS. The FP16 performance is also notable: the RTX 5880 Ada Generation achieves 69.27 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, while the CMP 50HX reaches 22.15 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio.

The bus interface also differs, with the CMP 50HX using a PCIe 1.0 x4 interface, which is extremely narrow, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. This is a significant bottleneck for the CMP 50HX in data transfer-heavy workloads. The CMP 50HX has no display outputs, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear verdict for different user profiles. The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the superior compute GPU by every measure in the fact pack. Its OpenCL score is 82.8% higher, its FP32 throughput is 69.27 TFLOPS versus 11.07 TFLOPS, and its memory bandwidth is 864.0 GB/s versus 560.0 GB/s. It is the only choice for professional workloads requiring high compute density, large memory capacity, and display outputs. The 48 GB memory size is particularly decisive for data-heavy applications, and its active production status means it is currently available.

The NVIDIA CMP 50HX, however, is not without merit in its niche. Despite being end-of-life, its average benchmark score of 51,790 is higher than the RTX 5880 Ada Generation’s 45,972, and it holds a slightly higher percentile rank (86th vs 85th). Its 1.6% lead over the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in average score suggests it remains a competent compute card for legacy mining applications. The lack of display outputs is intentional, as it was designed solely for compute tasks. Users in that specific segment may find it adequate, especially given its lower TDP of 250 W versus 285 W.

However, for any general-purpose or professional use case, the RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the clear winner. The 6.3x higher FP32 performance, the 4.8x larger memory pool, and the modern PCIe 4.0 x16 interface make it a far more versatile and future-proof investment. The CMP 50HX’s PCIe 1.0 x4 interface is a severe limitation that cannot be overcome by its compute capabilities. The verdict is straightforward: pick the RTX 5880 Ada Generation for any modern workload, and consider the CMP 50HX only if the specific legacy mining use case demands it.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA CMP 50HX | NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation |

|----------------|-----------------|-------------------------------|

| Architecture | Turing | Ada Lovelace |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 18,600 million | 76,300 million |

| Die Size | 754 mm² | 609 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.7M / mm² | 125.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1350 MHz | 975 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1545 MHz | 2460 MHz |

| Memory Size | 10 GB | 48 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 320 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 560.0 GB/s | 864.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3584 | 14080 |

| TMUs | 192 | 440 |

| ROPs | 80 | 176 |

| RT Cores | 56 | 110 |

| Tensor Cores | 448 | 440 |

| FP32 Performance | 11.07 TFLOPS | 69.27 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 22.15 TFLOPS (2:1) | 69.27 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 285 W |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 16-pin |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 1.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Dimensions (LxHxW) | 267 mm x 116 mm x 35 mm | 267 mm x 112 mm x N/A |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2021-06-23 | 2024-01-04 |