NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti vs NVIDIA P104-100 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall win for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, taking all three shared benchmark tests. The largest margin appears in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the RTX 2080 Ti scores 132,930 against the P104-100's 45,165, a difference of 66%. This indicates a substantial advantage in low-level graphics API performance, likely stemming from the architectural differences between the two chips.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RTX 2080 Ti posts a score of 3,537 compared to the P104-100's 1,413, a 60.1% lead. This test stresses modern DirectX 12 workloads, and the RTX 2080 Ti's superior shading power and feature set allow it to pull far ahead. The P104-100, despite its higher base clock, cannot compensate for the sheer difference in compute resources.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a similar trend, with the RTX 2080 Ti scoring 128,171 versus 52,368 for the P104-100, a 59.1% advantage. OpenCL performance is often tied to raw FP32 throughput and memory bandwidth, both of which are considerably higher on the RTX 2080 Ti. The data suggests that across all measured workloads, the RTX 2080 Ti is not just faster, but fundamentally more capable.

It is importantly the P104-100's average benchmark score across its three tests is 32,982, while the RTX 2080 Ti's average across its ten tests is 29,783. This discrepancy highlights how the average can be skewed by the inclusion of lighter workload tests like Passmark DirectX 9 and G2D, where the RTX 2080 Ti scores 235 and 927 respectively. When directly compared on the same three tests, the RTX 2080 Ti is unambiguously superior, with no single test where the P104-100 manages to win.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is significantly faster, scoring 3,537 compared to the P104-100's 1,413, representing a 60.1% advantage.

Q: What is the difference in Geekbench Vulkan performance?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti scores 132,930, while the P104-100 scores 45,165. This makes the RTX 2080 Ti 66% faster in this particular test.

Q: Does the P104-100 win any of the head-to-head benchmark comparisons?

A: No. The data records zero wins for the P104-100 and three wins for the RTX 2080 Ti across the shared tests.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The P104-100 has an average score of 32,982, while the RTX 2080 Ti has an average of 29,783. However, this is based on different test suites, and the direct head-to-head comparisons show the RTX 2080 Ti is far ahead.

Q: What is the RTX 2080 Ti's performance percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2080 Ti sits in the 75th percentile, while the P104-100 sits slightly higher in the 77th percentile. This suggests the P104-100's limited test set may not fully reflect its standing.

Q: What is the RTX 2080 Ti's best recorded score in the Passmark suite?

A: The highest Passmark score is 21,548 in the G3D test, with a GPU Compute score of 10,056.

Architecture Differences

The core architectural split is between Pascal and Turing. The P104-100 uses the GP104 chip on a 16 nm process from TSMC, while the RTX 2080 Ti uses the TU102 chip on a 12 nm process. This node shrink allows the RTX 2080 Ti to pack 18,600 million transistors onto a 754 mm² die, compared to the P104-100's 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die. The transistor density is higher on the RTX 2080 Ti at 24.7M per mm² versus 22.9M per mm².

The RTX 2080 Ti introduces dedicated RT cores (68) and Tensor cores (544), which are entirely absent from the P104-100. These hardware units enable real-time ray tracing and AI-accelerated features, which are not available on the Pascal-based card. The P104-100 is a pure rasterization part, designed for mining workloads, and its feature set reflects that specialization.

The memory subsystems are also architecturally distinct. The P104-100 uses 4 GB of GDDR5X on a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 2080 Ti uses 11 GB of GDDR6 on a 352-bit bus. This gives the RTX 2080 Ti a significantly wider memory path and higher capacity, which is critical for modern high-resolution textures and complex scenes. The RTX 2080 Ti's memory clock is also higher, running at 14 Gbps effective versus 10 Gbps effective on the P104-100.

The API support is another differentiator. The P104-100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the RTX 2080 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). This means the RTX 2080 Ti can leverage features like mesh shaders and variable rate shading, which are not available to the older architecture. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, but the underlying hardware capabilities differ greatly.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification difference is the memory configuration. The P104-100 has 4 GB of GDDR5X with a bandwidth of 320.3 GB/s, while the RTX 2080 Ti has 11 GB of GDDR6 with a bandwidth of 616.0 GB/s. This is a near doubling of bandwidth and a nearly threefold increase in capacity.

The compute resources are vastly different. The P104-100 has 1,920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 2080 Ti has 4,352 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 88 ROPs. This results in a much higher texture rate (420.2 GTexel/s versus 208.0 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (136.0 GPixel/s versus 110.9 GPixel/s) for the RTX 2080 Ti.

Clock speeds are an interesting inversion. The P104-100 has a higher base clock of 1607 MHz and boost clock of 1733 MHz, compared to the RTX 2080 Ti's 1350 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost. However, the RTX 2080 Ti's massive shader count more than compensates, delivering 13.45 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus the P104-100's 6.655 TFLOPS. FP16 performance is also starkly different: 26.90 TFLOPS on the RTX 2080 Ti versus 104.0 GFLOPS on the P104-100, a 1:64 ratio for the Pascal card.

Power and connectivity also diverge. The RTX 2080 Ti has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W suggested PSU, with two 8-pin power connectors. The P104-100 has no listed TDP but suggests a 200 W PSU and uses a single 8-pin connector. The bus interface is another major gap: the P104-100 uses PCIe 1.0 x4, while the RTX 2080 Ti uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The P104-100 has no display outputs, while the RTX 2080 Ti has a full array including HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4a, and USB Type-C.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti wins in every scenario that requires raw graphics performance. Its superior FP32 throughput, memory bandwidth, and dedicated RT and Tensor cores make it the clear choice for gaming, rendering, and any workload that utilizes modern DirectX 12 Ultimate features. The benchmark data shows it leads by 60% or more in all shared tests, making it the dominant performer for traditional and ray-traced graphics.

The NVIDIA P104-100, despite having no benchmark wins, does have a niche. Its higher base and boost clocks relative to the RTX 2080 Ti, combined with its lower power draw and simpler power connector requirements, suggest it could be more efficient in specific compute tasks that do not require its full feature set. However, its 4 GB memory capacity and PCIe 1.0 x4 interface severely limit its utility in modern systems. Its primary strength appears to be its low power footprint and compact design, but the data does not show any performance advantage.

For users focused on gaming, content creation, or any GPU-accelerated workload with demanding memory requirements, the RTX 2080 Ti is the only viable option. The P104-100 is a specialized mining part with no display outputs, making it unsuitable for general-purpose use. Its end-of-life status and lack of modern API support further narrow its appeal.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is the superior product for virtually all purposes. It wins all three head-to-head benchmarks by margins of at least 59%, offers significantly more memory, bandwidth, and compute throughput, and includes hardware features like ray tracing and tensor cores that the P104-100 completely lacks. The RTX 2080 Ti, despite its higher power consumption and larger die, is a far more capable and versatile card.

The P104-100 is a legacy mining-specific part that has no place in a modern graphics workload. Its 4 GB memory, lack of display outputs, and outdated PCIe interface make it a poor choice for anything beyond its original purpose. The only area where it could be considered is in low-power compute tasks where its higher base clock might be beneficial, but the benchmark data does not support this claim.

For a user building a system for gaming, professional visualization, or AI development, the RTX 2080 Ti is the clear pick. Its 75th percentile ranking and strong rival comparisons against cards like the RTX 3070 Ti and RX 6800 confirm its standing. The P104-100, while holding a slightly higher percentile rank, does so based on a limited test set and cannot compete directly. The verdict is simple: choose the RTX 2080 Ti for performance, features, and longevity.