NVIDIA GeForce MX130 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no direct head-to-head benchmark results between the NVIDIA GeForce MX130 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB. However, the aggregate benchmark scores reveal a stark separation in performance tiers. The MX130 posts an average benchmark score of 5508, placing it in the 32nd percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 3080 12 GB, by contrast, records a single benchmark entry in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 with a score of 4791, which places it in the 28th percentile of all GPUs. These percentile figures are unusually close given the massive architectural gulf between the two cards, but the benchmark databases used for each product differ, so direct cross-comparison of those numbers is not meaningful.

What the data does show is that the MX130's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M (average score 5501, a 0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon R7 M440 (5483, 0.5% delta), the AMD FirePro M4000 (5537, a -0.5% delta), and the NVIDIA Quadro M4000 (5467, 0.7% delta). These are all older mobile or workstation parts, and the MX130 sits essentially in the middle of this cluster, within a single percentage point of each. This tells us the MX130 is a modest entry-level chip, competitive with a narrow band of low-power GPUs from roughly the same era.

The RTX 3080 12 GB's nearest rivals are dramatically different in character: the AMD Radeon R5 M255 (average score 4788, 0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon R5 M335 (4752, 0.8% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX (4844, -1.1% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M (4855, -1.3% delta). These are all low-end mobile GPUs, which is surprising for a card with desktop-class specifications. The delta percentages are again tiny, with the RTX 3080 12 GB sitting within 1.3 percentage points of all four. The database appears to have evaluated these cards under a single, demanding DX12 workload, and the 3080's 4791 score happens to fall in that range. This does not reflect real-world relative performance; it reflects the narrow scope of the single recorded test.

The key takeaway is that no direct comparison exists in the database, and the two cards' benchmark entries come from entirely different test suites. The MX130's score comes from Geekbench OpenCL (6102) and Geekbench Vulkan (4914), while the RTX 3080 12 GB has only the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result. The MX130's average of 5508 is higher than the 3080's 4791, but that is a meaningless comparison across different workloads. What the data does establish is that each card belongs to a different performance class, with the MX130 competing with ancient low-power parts and the RTX 3080 12 GB, despite its modest recorded score, carrying specifications that dwarf the MX130 in every measurable hardware category.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is enormous, and the data quantifies it clearly. The MX130 uses the GM108S chip built on the Maxwell architecture, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 3080 12 GB uses the GA102 chip on the Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The transistor counts tell the story: the MX130 packs 1,020 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, for a density of 13.2 million transistors per square millimeter. The RTX 3080 12 GB contains 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, for a density of 45.1 million transistors per square millimeter. That is roughly 28 times more transistors in the Ampere chip, and the density advantage shows the process node leap.

The compute resources differ by orders of magnitude. The MX130 has 384 shading units, 24 texture mapping units, and 8 raster output units. The RTX 3080 12 GB has 8,960 shading units, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The Ampere card also carries 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores, while the MX130 has none of either. Pixel throughput is 9.512 GPixel/s for the MX130 versus 164.2 GPixel/s for the RTX 3080 12 GB. Texture throughput is 28.54 GTexel/s versus 478.8 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 913.2 GFLOPS versus 30.64 TFLOPS, a 33.5x difference. The RTX 3080 12 GB also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (30.64 TFLOPS), while the MX130 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Memory architecture is equally divergent. The MX130 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 64-bit bus, delivering 40.10 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3080 12 GB uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, delivering 912.4 GB/s. That is nearly 23 times the memory bandwidth. The MX130's memory clock is 1253 MHz (5 Gbps effective), while the RTX 3080 12 GB's memory runs at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The bus interface differs as well: the MX130 uses PCIe 3.0 x4, while the RTX 3080 12 GB uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

API support also separates them. The MX130 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 3080 12 GB supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The DirectX feature level difference means the Ampere card can run the full DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set, including ray tracing and mesh shaders, while the Maxwell card is limited to the older 11_0 feature level.

Where Each One Wins

The MX130 wins in efficiency and portability, based on the recorded specifications. Its TDP is 30 W, and it is designed as an integrated graphics package (IGP) with no power connectors. The RTX 3080 12 GB draws 350 W, requires a dual-slot cooler, uses a 1x 12-pin power connector, and recommends a 750 W power supply. The MX130 is portable-device dependent for display outputs, meaning it is built into laptops with no standalone card dimensions. The RTX 3080 12 GB is a 285 mm long, 112 mm high, 40 mm wide desktop card. For any system where power draw and physical footprint are the primary constraints, the MX130 is the only viable choice.

The RTX 3080 12 GB wins in every raw performance category. Its FP32 compute is 30.64 TFLOPS versus 913.2 GFLOPS, its pixel rate is 164.2 GPixel/s versus 9.512 GPixel/s, its texture rate is 478.8 GTexel/s versus 28.54 GTexel/s, and its memory bandwidth is 912.4 GB/s versus 40.10 GB/s. It has 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores, enabling ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads that the MX130 cannot attempt. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory versus 2 GB of GDDR5 means it can hold far larger textures, models, and datasets. The RTX 3080 12 GB also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, while the MX130 is capped at DirectX 12 (11_0).

In workloads where the GPU is the bottleneck, the RTX 3080 12 GB will finish tasks in a fraction of the time. The MX130 is suited for basic 2D acceleration, light 3D rendering at low resolutions, and legacy game titles. The RTX 3080 12 GB is suited for high-resolution gaming, real-time ray tracing, machine learning inference, and professional 3D rendering. The benchmark data does not include a shared test, but the specification deltas are so large that no realistic workload would flip the result.

Specification Differences

| Specification | MX130 | RTX 3080 12 GB |

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

| Chip | GM108S | GA102 |

| Architecture | Maxwell | Ampere |

| Process node | 28 nm | 8 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Samsung |

| Transistors | 1,020 million | 28,300 million |

| Die size | 77 mm² | 628 mm² |

| Transistor density | 13.2M / mm² | 45.1M / mm² |

| Base clock | 1109 MHz | 1260 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1189 MHz | 1710 MHz |

| Memory clock | 1253 MHz, 5 Gbps effective | 1188 MHz, 19 Gbps effective |

| Memory size | 2 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory type | GDDR5 | GDDR6X |

| Memory bus width | 64 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 40.10 GB/s | 912.4 GB/s |

| Shading units | 384 | 8960 |

| TMUs | 24 | 280 |

| ROPs | 8 | 96 |

| RT cores | none | 70 |

| Tensor cores | none | 280 |

| Pixel rate | 9.512 GPixel/s | 164.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 28.54 GTexel/s | 478.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 compute | 913.2 GFLOPS | 30.64 TFLOPS |

| FP16 compute | none recorded | 30.64 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 30 W | 350 W |

| Slot width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power connectors | None | 1x 12-pin |

| Suggested PSU | none | 750 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.13x DisplayPort 1.4a |

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

| Release date | 2017-11-16 | 2022-01-10 |

| Launch MSRP | none | 799 USD |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB has 8,960 shading units, while the MX130 has 384, a ratio of roughly 23 to 1.

Q: Can the MX130 run ray tracing?

A: No. The MX130 has no RT cores, while the RTX 3080 12 GB has 70 RT cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 3080 12 GB delivers 912.4 GB/s over a 384-bit GDDR6X interface, while the MX130 delivers 40.10 GB/s over a 64-bit GDDR5 interface.

Q: Which card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Only the RTX 3080 12 GB. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the MX130 supports DirectX 12 (11_0).

Q: What are the TDP ratings?

A: The MX130 is rated at 30 W and requires no power connectors. The RTX 3080 12 GB is rated at 350 W and uses a 1x 12-pin connector with a suggested 750 W power supply.

Q: When was each card released?

A: The MX130 was released on 2017-11-16. The RTX 3080 12 GB was released on 2022-01-10.

The Verdict

The data points to two completely different products with no meaningful overlap in use cases. The NVIDIA GeForce MX130 is an end-of-life, 30 W integrated-class part built on the Maxwell architecture with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, 384 shading units, and no ray tracing or tensor cores. Its 913.2 GFLOPS FP32 compute and 40.10 GB/s bandwidth place it firmly in the entry-level mobile segment, suitable for basic laptop graphics tasks and legacy applications. Its nearest rivals are all low-power mobile or workstation GPUs from the same era, with performance deltas under 1%.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 12 GB is an end-of-life, 350 W dual-slot desktop card built on the Ampere architecture with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, 8,960 shading units, 70 RT cores, and 280 tensor cores. Its 30.64 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth position it as a high-performance desktop part, capable of modern gaming, ray tracing, and compute workloads. Its nearest rivals in the database are low-end mobile GPUs, but that is an artifact of the single recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result, not a reflection of its true class.

Who should pick which? Anyone constrained by a laptop chassis, battery life, or a 30 W power budget has no choice but the MX130. It is the only card that fits an integrated package with no external power requirement. Anyone building a desktop with a 750 W power supply, a dual-slot expansion slot, and a need for modern DirectX 12 Ultimate features should pick the RTX 3080 12 GB. The specification sheet alone settles the argument: 23 times the shading units, 23 times the memory bandwidth, 33.5 times the FP32 compute, and the only card with ray tracing capability. The MX130 wins only in power efficiency and physical footprint. For every performance metric in the database, the RTX 3080 12 GB is the definitive choice.