NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 vs NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation Comparison

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is not a faster RTX 4080. Despite having a larger and more powerful processor, it loses decisively in every direct gaming benchmark in the data, while winning only in a single compute-oriented OpenCL test. The RTX 4080 is the clear choice for real-time graphics and DirectX workloads, whereas the RTX 5880 Ada Generation is a specialized workstation part that prioritizes memory capacity and raw compute throughput over rasterization speed.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins the majority of the head-to-head benchmark tests?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 wins 7 out of 8 direct comparisons, including all DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests, as well as the Passmark G2D, G3D, and GPU compute tests.

Q: Is there any test where the RTX 5880 Ada Generation beats the RTX 4080?

A: Yes, the RTX 5880 Ada Generation wins in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 326,898 versus 214,739, a delta of -34.3% for the RTX 4080.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the most important DirectX 12 benchmark?

A: The RTX 4080 scores 132 in Passmark DirectX 12, which is 88.6% higher than the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's score of 70, marking the largest single-test advantage for the RTX 4080.

Q: Do the cards have the same memory specifications?

A: No. The RTX 4080 has 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus with 716.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus with 864.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54,247, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation has an average of 45,972, a difference of roughly 18%.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each card according to the data?

A: The RTX 4080's closest rival is the RTX 4080 SUPER with a delta of 0.1%, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's nearest rival is the RTX A2000 with a delta of -0.2%.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and use a 5 nm process at TSMC, but they are fundamentally different chips. The RTX 4080 uses the AD103 chip, which contains 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses the larger AD102 chip, with 76,300 million transistors on a 609 mm² die. This makes the AD102 substantially denser at 125.3M transistors per mm² compared to the 121.1M per mm² on the AD103.

The core configuration diverges significantly. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation has 14,080 shading units, 440 texture mapping units, 176 ROPs, 110 RT cores, and 440 tensor cores. The RTX 4080, by contrast, has 9,728 shading units, 304 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 76 RT cores, and 304 tensor cores. This means the workstation card has roughly 45% more shading units and tensor cores, and 57% more RT cores, but the RTX 4080 has a much higher base clock of 2205 MHz versus 975 MHz on the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. The boost clocks are closer, with the RTX 4080 at 2505 MHz and the RTX 5880 Ada Generation at 2460 MHz.

Memory architecture is another major differentiator. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 864.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 4080 uses 16 GB of GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus, with 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is listed as 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective for the RTX 4080, versus 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4080 wins in every legacy and modern DirectX API test, including Passmark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12. Its wins range from 10.4% in DirectX 9 to a massive 88.6% in DirectX 12. It also wins in Passmark G2D (1239 vs 777) and G3D (34457 vs 25096), indicating superior 2D and 3D rasterization performance. The RTX 4080 even wins in Passmark GPU compute (20671 vs 14208), suggesting better performance in certain compute workloads despite having fewer cores.

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation wins only in Geekbench OpenCL, where its score of 326,898 is 34.3% higher than the RTX 4080's 214,739. This single result, combined with its larger memory pool and higher theoretical FP32 throughput (69.27 TFLOPS vs 48.74 TFLOPS), suggests it is built for OpenCL-heavy professional applications rather than graphics rendering. The data indicates a clear split: the RTX 4080 is for gaming and DirectX-based workloads, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation is for OpenCL compute tasks that can leverage its 48 GB frame buffer.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 | NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation |

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

| Chip | AD103 | AD102 |

| Transistors | 45,900 million | 76,300 million |

| Die Size | 379 mm² | 609 mm² |

| Base Clock | 2205 MHz | 975 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2505 MHz | 2460 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 48 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6X | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 716.8 GB/s | 864.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 9728 | 14080 |

| TMUs | 304 | 440 |

| ROPs | 112 | 176 |

| RT Cores | 76 | 110 |

| Tensor Cores | 304 | 440 |

| Pixel Rate | 280.6 GPixel/s | 433.0 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 761.5 GTexel/s | 1,082.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 48.74 TFLOPS | 69.27 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 320 W | 285 W |

| Slot Width | Triple-slot | Dual-slot |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | 600 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Dimensions (LxH) | 310 mm x 140 mm | 267 mm x 112 mm |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2022-09-19 | 2024-01-04 |

| Launch MSRP | 1,199 USD | Not listed |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is in Passmark DirectX 12, where the RTX 4080 scores 132 versus just 70 for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. This 88.6% delta is the largest in the entire comparison and demonstrates that the RTX 4080 is overwhelmingly superior in modern graphics APIs. The DirectX 11 test shows a similar story, with the RTX 4080 at 314 and the RTX 5880 Ada Generation at 228, a 37.7% advantage.

The Passmark G3D test, which is a general indicator of 3D graphics performance, also heavily favors the RTX 4080 with a score of 34,457 versus 25,096, a 37.3% lead. The G2D test shows an even wider gap in 2D performance, with the RTX 4080 scoring 1,239 compared to 777 for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation, a 59.5% delta. In legacy DirectX 9, the RTX 4080 wins by 10.4% (370 vs 335), and in DirectX 10 by 22.2% (204 vs 167). Even in Passmark GPU compute, the RTX 4080 leads with 20,671 versus 14,208, a 45.5% margin.

The only victory for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation comes in Geekbench OpenCL, where it posts 326,898 against the RTX 4080's 214,739. This 34.3% win is substantial, but it is an isolated result. The data shows the RTX 4080 is faster in every Passmark test, while the RTX 5880 Ada Generation only excels in a single OpenCL workload. The RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54,247 also surpasses the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 45,972, despite the latter having a higher theoretical FP32 throughput of 69.27 TFLOPS versus 48.74 TFLOPS.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the superior card for gaming and DirectX-based workloads. It wins 7 out of 8 head-to-head benchmarks, with its largest victory being an 88.6% lead in DirectX 12. Its Passmark G3D score of 34,457 is 37.3% higher than the RTX 5880 Ada Generation's 25,096, and it even wins in GPU compute by 45.5%. If your priority is real-time graphics, rasterization, or any DirectX API, the RTX 4080 is the clear winner.

The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation is a different kind of product. Its single win in Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 326,898 versus 214,739, points to its intended role as a compute-focused workstation card. With 48 GB of memory and a 384-bit bus, it offers triple the capacity and 20% more bandwidth than the RTX 4080. Its higher pixel rate of 433.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,082.4 GTexel/s also suggest strengths in certain professional rendering tasks, but these do not translate to wins in the Passmark suite.

For a gamer or a user running DirectX applications, the RTX 4080 is the only logical choice from this data. Its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% away in average score, showing it remains competitive within its own generation. For a professional relying on OpenCL compute and needing massive memory capacity, the RTX 5880 Ada Generation offers capabilities the RTX 4080 cannot match, but its lower scores in every other benchmark mean it should not be considered a general-purpose graphics upgrade. The verdict depends entirely on the workload: RTX 4080 for graphics, RTX 5880 Ada Generation for specialized compute.