NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile vs NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 are two very different interpretations of high-end graphics, separated by two generations of architecture and targeting distinct use cases. The head-to-head benchmark data shows a clear overall victor in raw compute and modern API performance, yet the Quadro RTX 5000 holds specific advantages in legacy and 2D workloads. This analysis breaks down exactly where each GPU dominates, based strictly on the provided benchmark scores and technical specifications.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX 3080 Mobile secures a commanding victory in 7 of the 9 head-to-head comparisons, with its most significant wins coming in compute and modern graphics APIs. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX 3080 Mobile scores 104,831 against the Quadro RTX 5000's 78,999, a substantial 32.7% advantage. This gap highlights the Ampere architecture's efficiency in raw compute throughput, a result that carries over to the Geekbench Vulkan test where the RTX 3080 Mobile scores 104,066 versus 92,309, a 12.7% lead. The data indicates that for applications leveraging Vulkan or general-purpose GPU compute, the RTX 3080 Mobile is the significantly faster option.

The delta narrows in DirectX workloads, but the RTX 3080 Mobile still comes out ahead. In Passmark's DirectX 12 test, the RTX 3080 Mobile scores 72 compared to the Quadro RTX 5000's 59, a 22% improvement. This is a notable margin, suggesting better optimization for modern game engines and future-proofing for DirectX 12 Ultimate titles. The DirectX 11 test shows a closer race, with the RTX 3080 Mobile scoring 146 versus 140, a 4.3% edge. Similarly, the DirectX 10 test sees the RTX 3080 Mobile at 120 versus 113, a 6.2% advantage. These results paint a picture of consistent, if sometimes modest, superiority for the RTX 3080 Mobile across the DirectX API family.

The two most important overall performance metrics also favor the RTX 3080 Mobile. In the Passmark G3D test, which is a strong indicator of general 3D rendering performance, the RTX 3080 Mobile scores 16,321 against the Quadro RTX 5000's 15,616, a 4.5% win. The Passmark GPU Compute test shows a more decisive 11.5% margin, with the RTX 3080 Mobile scoring 7,276 versus 6,525. These results are consistent with the average benchmark scores, where the RTX 3080 Mobile holds a 9.2% lead (23,628 vs 21,629) and a higher percentile rank of 69 versus 67.

However, the Quadro RTX 5000 is not without its victories. It wins the Passmark DirectX 9 test by a significant 12.8% margin, scoring 195 against the RTX 3080 Mobile's 170. This is a substantial reversal, indicating that the Turing architecture retains a strong advantage in legacy DirectX 9 workloads. The Quadro RTX 5000 also wins the Passmark G2D test, scoring 709 versus 637, a 10.2% lead. This suggests that the professional-grade card has superior 2D and desktop composition performance, which can be relevant for certain workstation tasks.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental differences between these two GPUs stem from their underlying architectures, process nodes, and design goals. The RTX 3080 Mobile is built on the Ampere architecture using an 8 nm process from Samsung, featuring the GA104 chip with 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. In contrast, the Quadro RTX 5000 uses the older Turing architecture on a 12 nm process from TSMC, with the TU104 chip containing 13,600 million transistors on a larger 545 mm² die. This means the Ampere chip achieves a higher transistor density of 44.4M per mm² versus 25.0M per mm² for the Turing chip.

The core configurations are dramatically different. The RTX 3080 Mobile has 6,144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, while the Quadro RTX 5000 has just 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. This explains the RTX 3080 Mobile's higher FP32 compute of 18.98 TFLOPS versus 11.15 TFLOPS. Interestingly, the RTX 3080 Mobile achieves 18.98 TFLOPS for FP16 as well (a 1:1 ratio), while the Quadro RTX 5000 delivers 22.30 TFLOPS for FP16 (a 2:1 ratio), meaning the Quadro is actually faster for half-precision workloads despite its lower FP32 performance.

The ray tracing and tensor core counts also differ. Both have 48 RT cores, but the RTX 3080 Mobile has 192 tensor cores versus the Quadro RTX 5000's 384 tensor cores. This is a significant difference, suggesting the Quadro RTX 5000 may have been designed for heavier AI and deep learning inference tasks despite its older architecture. The memory configurations are similar in bandwidth, with both offering 448.0 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, but the Quadro RTX 5000 offers double the capacity at 16 GB versus 8 GB for the RTX 3080 Mobile.

Clock speeds tell another story. The Quadro RTX 5000 has a much higher base clock of 1620 MHz and boost clock of 1815 MHz, while the RTX 3080 Mobile operates at a base of 1110 MHz and boost of 1545 MHz. This is reflected in the texture rates, where the Quadro RTX 5000 achieves 348.5 GTexel/s versus 296.6 GTexel/s for the RTX 3080 Mobile. The pixel rates are also different, with the RTX 3080 Mobile achieving 148.3 GPixel/s versus 116.2 GPixel/s for the Quadro RTX 5000, due to its higher ROP count.

The Verdict

The data clearly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile is the superior performer for the vast majority of workloads. With 7 out of 9 benchmark wins and a 9.2% higher average benchmark score, it is the faster GPU overall. Its 32.7% lead in OpenCL and 22% lead in DirectX 12 demonstrate that it is better equipped for modern compute and gaming APIs. The 12.7% advantage in Vulkan further solidifies its position as the more future-proof option. Users prioritizing raw performance, modern graphics features, or compute-intensive applications should choose the RTX 3080 Mobile.

However, the Quadro RTX 5000 is not obsolete. Its 12.8% victory in DirectX 9 and 10.2% lead in G2D performance indicate that it retains a niche for specific legacy applications and 2D-centric workloads. More importantly, its 16 GB of VRAM is double that of the RTX 3080 Mobile, which is a critical factor for large datasets, high-resolution textures, or complex professional 3D scenes that exceed 8 GB. The Quadro RTX 5000 also has a higher FP16 performance of 22.30 TFLOPS, making it the better choice for half-precision compute tasks. For users who require massive memory capacity or work with legacy APIs, the Quadro RTX 5000 remains a relevant option, but for everything else, the RTX 3080 Mobile is the clear winner.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile, with an average benchmark score of 23,628 compared to the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000's 21,629, a difference of 9.2%.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 3080 Mobile in OpenCL compute?

A: The RTX 3080 Mobile scores 104,831 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 32.7% higher than the Quadro RTX 5000's score of 78,999.

Q: In which benchmarks does the Quadro RTX 5000 outperform the RTX 3080 Mobile?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 wins two tests: Passmark DirectX 9 (195 vs 170, a 12.8% advantage) and Passmark G2D (709 vs 637, a 10.2% advantage).

Q: What is the difference in memory capacity between the two GPUs?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is double the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory found in the RTX 3080 Mobile.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 3080 Mobile has 6,144 shading units, while the Quadro RTX 5000 has 3,072 shading units.

Q: How does the FP16 performance compare?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 delivers 22.30 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1 ratio), which is higher than the RTX 3080 Mobile's 18.98 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio).

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 Mobile is the definitive winner for gaming, modern 3D rendering, and general compute tasks. Its 22% lead in DirectX 12 and 12.7% lead in Vulkan make it the superior choice for current and upcoming game titles. The 32.7% advantage in OpenCL positions it strongly for scientific computing, video encoding, and other GPGPU applications. With a 4.5% win in Passmark G3D, it also handles mainstream 3D graphics workloads more effectively. The RTX 3080 Mobile's higher pixel rate of 148.3 GPixel/s and FP32 performance of 18.98 TFLOPS make it a more powerful engine for most graphical output.

The Quadro RTX 5000 wins in very specific scenarios. Its 12.8% advantage in DirectX 9 makes it the better option for running older software and games that rely on this legacy API. The 10.2% lead in G2D performance suggests it is better suited for 2D design, desktop productivity, and applications that are not GPU-accelerated in 3D. Most critically, the 16 GB memory capacity makes it the only choice for workloads that require storing large datasets, such as complex 3D scenes, high-resolution video editing, or training large machine learning models. Its higher FP16 throughput of 22.30 TFLOPS also gives it an edge in AI inference tasks that use half-precision arithmetic.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ significantly across nearly every core specification. The RTX 3080 Mobile uses an 8 nm process from Samsung with a GA104 chip, while the Quadro RTX 5000 uses a 12 nm process from TSMC with a TU104 chip. The RTX 3080 Mobile has 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die, whereas the Quadro RTX 5000 has 13,600 million transistors on a larger 545 mm² die. The transistor density is 44.4M per mm² for the RTX 3080 Mobile versus 25.0M per mm² for the Quadro RTX 5000.

Core counts diverge sharply: the RTX 3080 Mobile has 6,144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, while the Quadro RTX 5000 has 3,072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 3080 Mobile has 192 tensor cores, while the Quadro RTX 5000 has 384 tensor cores; both have 48 RT cores. Clock speeds favor the Quadro RTX 5000 with a base of 1620 MHz and boost of 1815 MHz, compared to the RTX 3080 Mobile's 1110 MHz base and 1545 MHz boost.

Memory capacity differs, with the RTX 3080 Mobile offering 8 GB and the Quadro RTX 5000 offering 16 GB, both on a 256-bit bus with identical 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The FP32 performance is 18.98 TFLOPS for the RTX 3080 Mobile versus 11.15 TFLOPS for the Quadro RTX 5000, while FP16 is 18.98 TFLOPS (1:1) for the RTX 3080 Mobile and 22.30 TFLOPS (2:1) for the Quadro RTX 5000. The RTX 3080 Mobile has a higher pixel rate of 148.3 GPixel/s, while the Quadro RTX 5000 has a higher texture rate of 348.5 GTexel/s. Power consumption is drastically different, with the RTX 3080 Mobile using 115 W and the Quadro RTX 5000 using 230 W with a dual-slot cooler and 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connectors. The bus interface also differs, with the RTX 3080 Mobile using PCIe 4.0 x16 and the Quadro RTX 5000 using PCIe 3.0 x16.