NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile vs NVIDIA RTX A4000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall win for the NVIDIA RTX A4000, taking 9 of the 10 head-to-head benchmarks. The single exception is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile edges ahead by 1.5% (2644 vs 2604). That is a narrow margin, within run-to-run variance for most workloads, but it is the one test where the mobile part claims the top spot.

The A4000’s largest victories come in legacy and compute-oriented workloads. In PassMark DirectX 9, it scores 240 against 170, a 41.2% advantage. That gap is enormous for a synthetic API test and suggests the workstation card retains much higher efficiency in older draw-call paths. The PassMark G2D test shows a 60.8% lead (1024 vs 637), which is the single biggest delta in the entire comparison. That result points to a substantial difference in 2D and desktop composition performance, likely tied to driver tuning or memory configuration.

In compute-heavy tests, the A4000 is clearly stronger. PassMark GPU Compute gives it 9760 versus 7276, a 34.1% lead. Geekbench Vulkan shows a 22.7% advantage (127645 vs 104066), while Geekbench OpenCL is closer at 0.9% (105739 vs 104831). The Vulkan gap is notable because it reflects real-time graphics API performance, not just raw shader throughput. The OpenCL result suggests that compute workloads using that API see only a marginal difference, so the A4000’s advantage is not uniform across all compute stacks.

DirectX 11 and DirectX 10 also favor the A4000. PassMark DirectX 11 shows 158 vs 146, an 8.2% lead. DirectX 10 is 126 vs 120, a 5% lead. DirectX 12 is a dead tie at 72 for both cards. That flat result is interesting because the RTX 3080 Mobile wins the newer 3DMark Steel Nomad test, so the two cards clearly trade blows depending on the specific workload and driver path. PassMark G3D, which aggregates multiple DirectX tests, gives the A4000 a 19.2% win (19459 vs 16321).

The overall picture is a workstation card that dominates in most synthetic benchmarks, especially those tied to compute, legacy APIs, and 2D performance. The mobile card’s single win in Steel Nomad is real but narrow, and it does not offset the A4000’s broader lead.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the NVIDIA RTX A4000 is the stronger choice for almost every measured workload. Its average benchmark score is 26683 versus 23628 for the RTX 3080 Mobile, a difference of roughly 12.9%. The A4000 also sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, while the mobile part sits at the 69th. These are not adjacent tiers; the A4000 is a clear step above.

The RTX 3080 Mobile’s only win is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it beats the A4000 by 1.5%. If your primary workload is that specific test, the mobile card is technically faster, but the margin is small enough that it will not translate into a perceptible real-world advantage. The A4000 wins every other benchmark, often by double-digit percentages. The 34.1% lead in GPU compute and the 22.7% lead in Vulkan are the most consequential for actual use.

For a buyer choosing between these two, the A4000 is the safer pick unless you are constrained to a laptop form factor and need the mobile part’s specific performance profile. The RTX 3080 Mobile is not a bad card; its average score places it near the GTX TITAN Z (23736, within 0.5%) and ahead of the RTX 3070 Ti Mobile (23518, by 0.5%). But the A4000 sits in a higher league, closer to the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26553, within 0.5%) and above the GeForce RTX 5060 (26331, by 1.3%).

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3080 Mobile wins in exactly one measured scenario: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. That test is a modern DirectX 12 workload with ray-traced features, and the mobile card’s 2644 score edges the A4000’s 2604. If you are targeting that benchmark specifically, the mobile card is the one to pick. It also has a lower TDP of 115 W versus 140 W, which matters for laptop implementations where thermal headroom is tight.

The A4000 wins everywhere else. For compute-heavy tasks, the 34.1% lead in PassMark GPU Compute is the strongest argument. For Vulkan-based rendering, the 22.7% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is decisive. For legacy DirectX titles or 2D desktop work, the 41.2% lead in DirectX 9 and the 60.8% lead in G2D are overwhelming. Even in newer DirectX 11 workloads, the A4000 holds an 8.2% edge.

The A4000 also offers 16 GB of memory versus 8 GB on the RTX 3080 Mobile, which is not directly benchmarked but is a meaningful differentiator for large datasets or high-resolution texture workloads. Both cards share the same 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, so memory capacity is the only memory specification that separates them.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile wins with a score of 2644 versus 2604 for the RTX A4000, a delta of 1.5%.

Q: How much faster is the RTX A4000 in Vulkan performance?

A: The RTX A4000 scores 127645 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 22.7% higher than the RTX 3080 Mobile’s 104066.

Q: Do the two cards have the same memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, both have a 256-bit bus and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The A4000 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX 3080 Mobile has 8 GB.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX A4000 has an average score of 26683, while the RTX 3080 Mobile has 23628. The A4000 also ranks at the 72nd percentile versus the 69th for the mobile part.

Q: Are there any tests where the two cards tie?

A: Yes, in PassMark DirectX 12, both cards score exactly 72.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card?

A: The A4000 is closest to the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26553, 0.5% delta), while the RTX 3080 Mobile is closest to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (23736, 0.5% delta).

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the same GA104 chip, using the Ampere architecture and an 8 nm Samsung process. They share identical transistor counts of 17,400 million and the same die size of 392 mm², yielding a transistor density of 44.4M per mm². The shading unit count is identical at 6144, as are the texture mapping units (192), ROPs (96), ray tracing cores (48), and tensor cores (192). Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The key architectural difference is not in the silicon itself but in how it is configured. The A4000 has a base clock of 735 MHz and a boost clock of 1560 MHz, while the RTX 3080 Mobile has a base clock of 1110 MHz and a boost clock of 1545 MHz. The mobile part starts at a much higher base clock, which helps in sustained workloads where boost clocks throttle. The A4000’s boost clock is 15 MHz higher, but its base clock is 375 MHz lower, so the mobile card likely sustains higher clocks under heavy load.

The memory clocks are identical at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed. Both use GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding the same 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The pixel rate is 149.8 GPixel/s for the A4000 versus 148.3 GPixel/s for the RTX 3080 Mobile, and the texture rate is 299.5 GTexel/s versus 296.6 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are 19.17 TFLOPS for the A4000 and 18.98 TFLOPS for the mobile card, both at a 1:1 ratio.

The architectural takeaway is that the A4000 is the same GPU with slightly higher peak clocks and marginally higher fill rates, but the RTX 3080 Mobile’s higher base clock gives it a different clock curve. The A4000’s wins in compute and legacy APIs are not explained by the raw specs alone, since the numbers are so close. Driver optimizations and power delivery likely play a larger role.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards:

• Memory size: The RTX A4000 has 16 GB of GDDR6, while the RTX 3080 Mobile has 8 GB.
• Base clock: The A4000 runs at 735 MHz, the RTX 3080 Mobile at 1110 MHz.
• Boost clock: The A4000 boosts to 1560 MHz, the RTX 3080 Mobile to 1545 MHz.
• Pixel rate: The A4000 is 149.8 GPixel/s, the mobile card is 148.3 GPixel/s.
• Texture rate: The A4000 is 299.5 GTexel/s, the mobile card is 296.6 GTexel/s.
• FP32/F16 performance: The A4000 is 19.17 TFLOPS, the mobile card is 18.98 TFLOPS.
• TDP: The A4000 is rated at 140 W, the RTX 3080 Mobile at 115 W.
• Slot width: The A4000 is single-slot, the mobile card has no listed slot width.
• Power connectors: The A4000 uses a single 6-pin connector, the mobile card has none.
• Suggested PSU: The A4000 recommends a 300 W power supply, no suggestion is listed for the mobile card.
• Display outputs: The A4000 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, the mobile card’s outputs are listed as portable device dependent.
• Dimensions: The A4000 is 241 mm long and 112 mm tall, the mobile card has no listed dimensions.
• Generation: The A4000 is from Workstation Ampere (Ax000), the RTX 3080 Mobile is from GeForce 30 Mobile.
• Release date: The A4000 launched on April 11, 2021, the RTX 3080 Mobile on January 11, 2021.
• Predecessor: The A4000’s predecessor is Quadro Turing, the mobile card’s is GeForce 20 Mobile.
• Successor: The A4000’s successor is Workstation Ada, the mobile card has no listed successor.

Both share the same bus interface (PCIe 4.0 x16), production status (end-of-life), and API support. The A4000 also has a single-slot cooler design, which is a practical advantage for dense workstation builds. The RTX 3080 Mobile, being a laptop part, has no discrete power connector and relies on the system’s power delivery.