NVIDIA GB10 vs NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile Comparison

# Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a split decision between these two NVIDIA parts, with each claiming one benchmark victory by a significant margin. The NVIDIA GB10 takes the Geekbench Vulkan test decisively, while the RTX A5500 Mobile counters with a strong OpenCL showing.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the GB10 scores 114,648 against the A5500 Mobile's 103,601 — a 10.7% advantage for the GB10. This is the largest delta between the two across both tests, and it reflects the GB10's architectural strengths in modern graphics workloads. The A5500 Mobile trails by more than 11,000 points, a gap that places it firmly behind in this API's performance hierarchy.

The OpenCL result flips the narrative. The RTX A5500 Mobile posts 124,287, edging out the GB10's 120,137 by 3.3%. While the percentage difference is smaller than the Vulkan gap, the absolute margin of 4,150 points is still meaningful for compute-oriented tasks. The A5500 Mobile's advantage here aligns with its higher shading unit count and faster memory bandwidth.

Looking at the aggregate picture, the GB10 holds a narrow lead in average benchmark score: 117,393 versus 113,944 for the A5500 Mobile — a 3% difference. This places the GB10 at the 95th percentile among all GPUs, while the A5500 Mobile sits at the 94th percentile. The GB10's nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation, scores 117,088 (0.3% behind), while the A5500 Mobile's closest competitor, the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB, scores 114,395 (0.4% behind). The GB10 also leads the Tesla V100 by 2.6% and trails the AMD Radeon PRO W7700 by 1.3%. The A5500 Mobile, meanwhile, beats the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 by 2.9% but falls 2.7% short of the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation.

The head-to-head record is 1–1, with each GPU winning one test. This balance suggests that neither card is categorically superior; rather, the choice depends on workload characteristics. Vulkan-heavy applications favor the GB10, while OpenCL-driven compute tasks lean toward the A5500 Mobile.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GB10 leads with an average score of 117,393, compared to 113,944 for the RTX A5500 Mobile — a 3% advantage.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The GB10 wins decisively, scoring 114,648 against 103,601 for the A5500 Mobile, a 10.7% margin in favor of the GB10.

Q: Which GPU performs better in OpenCL?

A: The RTX A5500 Mobile takes the OpenCL test with 124,287 points, beating the GB10's 120,137 by 3.3%.

Q: What are the percentile rankings for each GPU?

A: The GB10 ranks at the 95th percentile among all GPUs, while the RTX A5500 Mobile ranks at the 94th percentile.

Q: How does the A5500 Mobile compare to its nearest rival?

A: The A5500 Mobile's nearest rival is the Tesla V100 SXM2 16 GB, which scores 114,395 — just 0.4% behind the A5500 Mobile's 113,944.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX A5500 Mobile has 7,424 shading units, while the GB10 has 6,144 — a difference of 1,280 units in favor of the A5500 Mobile.

Where Each One Wins

The GB10 is the clear choice for Vulkan-based workloads. Its 10.7% lead in that benchmark is substantial and suggests better optimization for modern graphics APIs. The GB10 also holds the higher average benchmark score overall, making it the more consistent performer across the two tests. Its 95th percentile ranking reinforces this position.

For OpenCL compute tasks, the RTX A5500 Mobile is the stronger option. Its 3.3% edge in that test indicates better raw compute throughput, likely stemming from its larger shading unit count and higher memory bandwidth. The A5500 Mobile's 512.0 GB/s bandwidth versus the GB10's 273.2 GB/s is a significant factor in memory-intensive workloads.

In terms of memory capacity, the GB10 is in a different league entirely, offering 128 GB of LPDDR5X compared to the A5500 Mobile's 16 GB of GDDR6. This makes the GB10 suitable for large datasets that exceed the A5500 Mobile's capacity. However, the A5500 Mobile's GDDR6 memory operates at 16 Gbps effective versus 8.5 Gbps for the GB10, giving the mobile card a bandwidth advantage despite the smaller capacity.

The GB10 also wins on production status — it remains Active, while the A5500 Mobile is End-of-life. For long-term deployments, the GB10 offers better availability prospects. The GB10's launch MSRP is 3,999 USD, though no pricing data exists for the A5500 Mobile.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs diverge significantly across nearly every specification category. The GB10 uses a 5 nm process from TSMC, while the A5500 Mobile uses an 8 nm process from Samsung. The GB10's die size is 382 mm², smaller than the A5500 Mobile's 496 mm². Transistor counts are listed as unknown for the GB10, while the A5500 Mobile contains 22,000 million transistors with a density of 44.4M per mm².

Clock speeds differ substantially. The GB10 runs at a 1665 MHz base and 2418 MHz boost, while the A5500 Mobile operates at 975 MHz base and 1500 MHz boost. The GB10's memory clock is 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective), while the A5500 Mobile's memory runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective).

Memory configurations are starkly different: the GB10 offers 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the A5500 Mobile provides 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The A5500 Mobile has more shading units (7,424 vs 6,144), more ROPs (96 vs 48), and more RT cores (58 vs 48). The GB10 counters with more TMUs (384 vs 232) and more tensor cores (384 vs 232).

Power requirements differ as well: the GB10 has a 140 W TDP with a suggested PSU of 300 W, while the A5500 Mobile has a 165 W TDP with no suggested PSU listed. The GB10 uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the A5500 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs also differ: the GB10 has 1x HDMI, while the A5500 Mobile's outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is generational. The GB10 is built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture (chip GB20B) and belongs to the Server Blackwell (Bxx) generation. The A5500 Mobile uses Ampere architecture (chip GA103) from the Ampere-MW (Ax000) generation. This represents a two-generation leap for the GB10, which lists its predecessor as Server Hopper and successor as Server Rubin.

The GB10's Blackwell architecture delivers a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio, with both at 29.71 TFLOPS. The A5500 Mobile also achieves a 1:1 ratio, but at the lower figure of 22.27 TFLOPS for both. The GB10's pixel rate is 116.1 GPixel/s and texture rate is 928.5 GTexel/s, while the A5500 Mobile posts 144.0 GPixel/s and 348.0 GTexel/s respectively. The GB10's higher texture rate reflects its 384 TMUs, while the A5500 Mobile's higher pixel rate comes from its 96 ROPs.

API support differs notably. The GB10 lists DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan as N/A, while the A5500 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This makes the A5500 Mobile the more compatible option for applications relying on established API standards.

The GB10 is described as an IGP with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors, while the A5500 Mobile has no slot width listed and also uses no power connectors. The GB10's dimensions are specified at 150 mm length, 51 mm height, and 150 mm width, while the A5500 Mobile's dimensions are not provided.

The Verdict

The data presents a nuanced picture that resists a simple winner. In Vulkan workloads, the GB10 is the definitive choice — its 10.7% lead over the A5500 Mobile is the largest performance gap measured between the two. For users prioritizing modern graphics API performance, the GB10 delivers a clear edge.

For OpenCL compute, the A5500 Mobile is the better performer, with a 3.3% advantage that stems from its higher shading unit count, faster memory clock, and greater bandwidth. Its 512.0 GB/s bandwidth nearly doubles the GB10's 273.2 GB/s, making it the superior option for memory-bandwidth-bound tasks.

The GB10's 128 GB memory capacity is its most distinctive advantage. No other specification in this comparison matches that scale. For workloads involving massive datasets or multi-instance GPU partitioning, the GB10's capacity is transformative. The A5500 Mobile's 16 GB, by contrast, is conventional for its class.

From a longevity standpoint, the GB10's Active production status and 2025 release date contrast with the A5500 Mobile's End-of-life status and 2022 release. The GB10 also represents a newer architecture generation, with Blackwell 2.0 superseding Ampere. The GB10's 5 nm process node and smaller die size suggest better manufacturing efficiency.

The GB10's higher average benchmark score (117,393 vs 113,944) and 95th percentile ranking versus 94th give it the overall performance edge. However, the A5500 Mobile's superior OpenCL result and full API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4) make it the more versatile option for traditional graphics pipelines.

The verdict: choose the GB10 for Vulkan-centric workloads, massive memory requirements, or long-term deployment. Choose the RTX A5500 Mobile for OpenCL compute tasks, applications requiring established API support, or workloads where memory bandwidth is the bottleneck. Both GPUs are competitive at the high end, but they excel in different domains. The data does not crown a single champion — it defines two distinct roles.