NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

The data in this comparison is decisive. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the clear performance winner over the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M, with the sole head-to-head benchmark showing a massive 842.7% lead for the newer Ampere-based part. This is not a close contest; it is a generational leap that overshadows the older Kepler GPU across every metric available.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is lopsided. The RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998 points, while the GTX 880M manages only 5,622 points. This yields a delta of 842.7% in favor of the RTX 3050 A Mobile. To put that in perspective, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is not just faster; it is approximately nine times faster in raw compute throughput under this workload.

While the overall average benchmark scores are closer, they still favor the newer card. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has an average benchmark score of 8,746, whereas the GTX 880M sits at 8,040. This difference of roughly 8.8% places the RTX 3050 A Mobile in the 44th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the GTX 880M's 42nd percentile. The RTX 3050 A Mobile's nearest rivals in average score include the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (8,686, +0.7%) and the AMD Radeon R9 M265X (8,851, -1.2%), showing it sits in a competitive mid-range tier. The GTX 880M, by contrast, is bracketed by the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 (8,039, +0%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost (8,067, -0.3%), indicating its performance profile is closer to a much older desktop segment.

The story is consistent across other metrics, even without a direct head-to-head test. The RTX 3050 A Mobile's raw specifications suggest a significant advantage in modern workloads. For instance, its FP32 throughput is listed at 4.813 TFLOPS versus the GTX 880M's 3.050 TFLOPS, a 57.8% higher theoretical peak. This explains the dominant OpenCL result, which often scales with raw compute power. In contrast, the GTX 880M's texture rate of 127.1 GTexel/s is higher than the RTX 3050 A Mobile's 75.21 GTexel/s, but this is a legacy strength that does not translate into modern benchmark wins.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental difference lies in the architecture generation. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is built on the Ampere architecture (chip GA106), while the GTX 880M uses the Kepler architecture (chip GK104). This is a multi-generational gap, with the RTX 3050 A Mobile being a GeForce 30-series part and the GTX 880M being from the GeForce 800M series.

The manufacturing process highlights the technological leap. The RTX 3050 A Mobile uses an 8 nm process at Samsung, packing 12,000 million transistors into a 276 mm² die. This results in a transistor density of 43.5 million per mm². The GTX 880M, in contrast, uses a 28 nm process at TSMC, with 3,540 million transistors on a larger 294 mm² die, yielding a density of only 12.0 million per mm². The newer card crams over three times as many transistors into a slightly smaller space.

Memory configurations also differ sharply. The RTX 3050 A Mobile features 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 880M counters with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a wider 256-bit bus, but its bandwidth is lower at 160.0 GB/s. The RTX 3050 A Mobile compensates for its narrower bus with much faster GDDR6 memory, achieving higher effective bandwidth. The GTX 880M's larger frame buffer capacity (8 GB vs 4 GB) may help with high-resolution textures, but the newer card's superior bandwidth and architecture are more impactful in practice.

Feature support is another major divider. The RTX 3050 A Mobile includes 14 ray tracing cores and 56 tensor cores, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features like DLSS. The GTX 880M has no dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores. The API support reflects this: the RTX 3050 A Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 880M is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. The power envelope is also drastically different, with the RTX 3050 A Mobile rated at 45 W TDP versus the GTX 880M's 122 W, making the newer card significantly more power-efficient.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the superior GPU by a wide margin. Any user choosing between these two for a modern workload should select the RTX 3050 A Mobile without hesitation. Its 842.7% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is a chasm that the GTX 880M cannot bridge, and its architectural advantages in ray tracing, tensor cores, and API support make it the only viable option for current games and applications.

The GTX 880M's only statistical advantages are its larger 8 GB memory pool and higher texture fill rate (127.1 GTexel/s vs 75.21 GTexel/s). However, these do not compensate for its older architecture, slower bandwidth, lower compute performance, and lack of modern feature support. Its average benchmark score of 8,040 places it in a similar performance class to desktop GPUs from the GTX 650 Ti era, which is not competitive with the RTX 3050 A Mobile's mid-range standing.

For a new purchase or upgrade, the choice is clear. The RTX 3050 A Mobile offers a generation-defining performance uplift, better efficiency, and future-proofing through DirectX 12 Ultimate and ray tracing. The GTX 880M is an end-of-life product from 2014 that should only be considered if legacy compatibility or its specific memory capacity is an absolute requirement.

Specification Differences

The following table details the key differences between the two GPUs:

| Specification | GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile | GeForce GTX 880M |

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

| Architecture | Ampere | Kepler |

| Chip | GA106 | GK104 |

| Process Node | 8 nm (Samsung) | 28 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | 12,000 million | 3,540 million |

| Die Size | 276 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1065 MHz | 954 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1343 MHz | 993 MHz |

| Memory Size | 4 GB GDDR6 | 8 GB GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.0 GB/s | 160.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 1536 |

| TMUs | 56 | 128 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| RT Cores | 14 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 56 | None |

| FP32 Performance | 4.813 TFLOPS | 3.050 TFLOPS |

| Texture Rate | 75.21 GTexel/s | 127.1 GTexel/s |

| Pixel Rate | 42.98 GPixel/s | 31.78 GPixel/s |

| TDP | 45 W | 122 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | MXM-B (3.0) |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.175 |

| Release Date | 2023-12-31 | 2014-03-11 |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in compute-heavy tasks?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile is drastically faster. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 52,998 versus the GTX 880M's 5,622, a 842.7% lead.

Q: Does the GTX 880M have more memory?

A: Yes, the GTX 880M has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6. However, the RTX 3050 A Mobile has higher bandwidth at 192.0 GB/s versus 160.0 GB/s.

Q: Can the GTX 880M do ray tracing?

A: No. The GTX 880M has no ray tracing cores, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile includes 14 dedicated RT cores.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a TDP of 45 W, which is significantly lower than the GTX 880M's 122 W TDP.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 880M only supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: Which card is more energy efficient?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile is far more efficient, delivering over 57% higher FP32 performance (4.813 TFLOPS vs 3.050 TFLOPS) while consuming less than half the power (45 W vs 122 W).

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3050 A Mobile wins in nearly every meaningful category for modern use. It is the only choice for gaming with ray tracing or DLSS features, thanks to its RT and Tensor cores. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support ensures compatibility with the latest game titles and graphical effects. The massive 842.7% lead in OpenCL performance makes it the superior option for compute, rendering, and any general-purpose GPU workload. Its lower TDP of 45 W also makes it more suitable for thin-and-light laptops, whereas the GTX 880M's 122 W TDP requires a bulkier chassis. The benchmark data shows it sits in the 44th percentile of all GPUs, a respectable mid-range position, while the GTX 880M's 42nd percentile is only marginally lower but achieved with a much older architecture.

The GTX 880M has a narrow set of theoretical advantages. Its 8 GB memory capacity is double that of the RTX 3050 A Mobile, which could be beneficial in specific professional or multi-monitor scenarios where frame buffer size matters more than speed. Its texture fill rate of 127.1 GTexel/s is also higher, which might offer a minor edge in certain legacy or texture-bound applications that do not leverage newer compute features. However, these are isolated wins. The GTX 880M's overall average benchmark score of 8,040 puts it on par with the NVIDIA Quadro P5000 and the GTX 650 Ti family, meaning it is effectively a relic of an older performance tier. For any user prioritizing current software support, efficiency, or raw speed, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the definitive winner, with the only scenario favoring the GTX 880M being one where a large, slower memory pool is an absolute necessity.