GPU Comparison

FAQ

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in their benchmark percentile rankings?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER sits at the 19th percentile among all GPUs, while the GeForce 820M sits at the 18th percentile. Despite the massive architectural gap, both are clustered near the lower end of the performance spectrum in their respective benchmark pools.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 5080 SUPER and the GeForce 820M?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 3075, while the GeForce 820M scores 2784. The RTX 5080 SUPER's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (3163, 2.8% ahead) and Intel Arc Pro B60 (3182, 3.4% ahead). The GeForce 820M's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 550 (2801, 0.6% ahead) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X (2795, 0.4% ahead).

Q: Which GPU has more shading units, and what does that mean?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has 10,752 shading units versus 384 on the GeForce 820M. This 28x difference in shading units translates directly to the FP32 compute gap, 56.28 TFLOPS versus 622.1 GFLOPS.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus with 1.02 TB/s bandwidth. The GeForce 820M uses 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.83 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Are these cards from the same generation?

A: No. The RTX 5080 SUPER is from the GeForce 50 generation using Blackwell 2.0 architecture, released on 2025-12-31. The GeForce 820M is from the GeForce 800M generation using Kepler architecture, released on 2015-03-20.

Q: What are the production statuses of these GPUs?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER is listed as Active production, while the GeForce 820M is End-of-life. The 820M's predecessor is the GeForce 700M series and its successor is the GeForce 900M series.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational and fundamental. The RTX 5080 SUPER is built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture using the GB203 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The GeForce 820M uses the older Kepler architecture with the GK107 chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. This process shrink alone, from 28 nm to 5 nm, represents a dramatic reduction in transistor size.

Transistor counts tell the story clearly. The RTX 5080 SUPER packs 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 120.6M per mm². The GeForce 820M has just 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die, with a density of only 10.8M per mm². That is a 36x difference in transistor count and an 11x difference in density.

The RTX 5080 SUPER includes 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the GeForce 820M. These dedicated hardware units enable real-time ray tracing and AI acceleration, neither of which the Kepler architecture supports. The 820M has no RT cores and no tensor cores listed.

Memory architecture also differs completely. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses GDDR7 memory with a 256-bit bus, while the 820M uses DDR3 with a 128-bit bus. The RTX 5080 SUPER supports PCIe 5.0 x16, whereas the 820M uses PCIe 3.0 x16. API support differs as well: the RTX 5080 SUPER supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the 820M only reaches DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5080 SUPER wins decisively in every compute-heavy and memory-bandwidth scenario. Its FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS dwarfs the 820M's 622.1 GFLOPS, a 90x advantage. Texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s versus 25.92 GTexel/s means the RTX 5080 SUPER can handle complex texture-heavy scenes that would cripple the 820M. Pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s versus 6.480 GPixel/s makes the RTX 5080 SUPER suited for high-resolution rendering, while the 820M struggles with even modest resolutions.

The RTX 5080 SUPER's 1.02 TB/s memory bandwidth versus 28.83 GB/s on the 820M means data-heavy workloads, large textures, high-res framebuffers, AI inference, run smoothly on the newer card. The 820M's 2 GB of DDR3 memory is a severe constraint for modern workloads, whereas 24 GB of GDDR7 provides ample headroom.

The GeForce 820M's advantages are limited to form factor and power. Its 45 W TDP versus 415 W for the RTX 5080 SUPER makes it suitable for portable MXM modules in laptops. Its "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs reflect its mobile design intent. The 820M is end-of-life, so its primary use case today is legacy systems or basic display output.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every specification field. Process node: 5 nm versus 28 nm. Transistors: 45,600 million versus 1,270 million. Die size: 378 mm² versus 118 mm². Transistor density: 120.6M / mm² versus 10.8M / mm².

Clock speeds differ significantly. The RTX 5080 SUPER has a base clock of 2295 MHz and boost clock of 2617 MHz, with memory at 2000 MHz (32 Gbps effective). The GeForce 820M has no base or boost clock listed, with memory at 901 MHz (1802 Mbps effective).

Memory specifications: 24 GB GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus with 1.02 TB/s bandwidth versus 2 GB DDR3 on a 128-bit bus with 28.83 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute resources: 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 84 RT cores, 336 tensor cores versus 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, no RT cores, no tensor cores.

Performance rates: 293.1 GPixel/s and 879.3 GTexel/s versus 6.480 GPixel/s and 25.92 GTexel/s. FP32: 56.28 TFLOPS versus 622.1 GFLOPS. The RTX 5080 SUPER has FP16 at 56.28 TFLOPS (1:1), while the 820M has no FP16 listed.

Physical specifications: The RTX 5080 SUPER is dual-slot, 304 mm long, 137 mm tall, 40 mm wide, with a 1x 16-pin power connector and 415 W TDP. The 820M is an MXM module with no listed dimensions or power connectors and 45 W TDP. Bus interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

There are no direct head-to-head benchmark entries between the RTX 5080 SUPER and the GeForce 820M. However, their respective average benchmark scores and nearest rivals provide context.

The RTX 5080 SUPER's average benchmark score comes from 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 3075. Its nearest rivals cluster tightly around this score. The NVIDIA Quadro P1000 scores 3163, which is 2.8% ahead of the RTX 5080 SUPER. The Intel Arc Pro B60 scores 3182, 3.4% ahead. On the lower side, the NVIDIA GeForce 820A scores 2983, 3.1% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M scores 2967, 3.6% behind.

The GeForce 820M's average benchmark score comes from Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 2784. Its nearest rivals are similarly clustered. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X scores 2795, just 0.4% ahead. The AMD Radeon 550 scores 2801, 0.6% ahead. On the lower side, the Intel UHD Graphics 610 scores 2752, 1.2% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 SUPER scores 2690, 3.5% behind.

Comparing the two directly, the RTX 5080 SUPER's 3075 average score is 291 points higher than the 820M's 2784, a 10.5% advantage. Yet this gap seems small relative to the architectural differences. The explanation lies in the benchmark selection: the RTX 5080 SUPER is measured with a modern DX12 workload (3DMark Steel Nomad), while the 820M is measured with Geekbench OpenCL. These are different tests measuring different capabilities.

The RTX 5080 SUPER's nearest rivals are all professional or mobile GPUs with similar average scores, suggesting its benchmark performance is competitive within its own tier. The 820M's nearest rivals include much newer cards like the RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X and RTX 5070 SUPER, which score nearly identically to the old Kepler chip in this particular OpenCL test.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture. The RTX 5080 SUPER is a modern, active-production GPU with massive compute resources, 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, and dedicated RT and tensor cores. The GeForce 820M is a legacy Kepler chip from 2015, end-of-life, with 2 GB of DDR3 memory and no ray tracing or tensor hardware.

For anyone building a new system, the RTX 5080 SUPER is the only viable choice. Its 90x FP32 advantage, 35x memory bandwidth advantage, and modern API support make it suitable for current games and compute workloads. The 820M cannot run modern DirectX 12 Ultimate titles properly, given its older DX12 (11_0) support and tiny memory pool.

For legacy system maintenance, the 820M remains functional for basic display output. Its 45 W TDP and MXM form factor suit old laptops. But its 2 GB of DDR3 memory and 28.83 GB/s bandwidth severely limit any modern workload.

The benchmark scores, while from different tests, show the RTX 5080 SUPER at 3075 versus 2784 for the 820M. Both cards sit near the bottom of their respective percentile rankings (19th and 18th), which might surprise given the architectural gulf. This suggests the benchmark databases compare these cards against very different peer groups, the RTX 5080 SUPER against modern GPUs, the 820M against a mix that includes both old and new hardware.

The RTX 5080 SUPER's launch MSRP is 999 USD. The 820M has no listed launch MSRP.

Realistically, these two cards serve entirely different markets and eras. The RTX 5080 SUPER is a current-generation product for gaming and creative work. The 820M is a discontinued mobile chip that should only be considered for keeping an old laptop running. Anyone choosing between them for a new purchase should select the RTX 5080 SUPER without hesitation, the data supports no other conclusion.