NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which mobile GPU is faster in the recorded benchmark data?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile wins all 9 head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the RTX 4080 Mobile. The largest advantage appears in Geekbench Vulkan, where the 4090 Mobile leads by 17.1%, while the smallest edge is in Passmark G2D at 5.9%.

Q: How much of a performance gap exists between the two GPUs in compute workloads?

A: In Passmark GPU Compute, the RTX 4090 Mobile scores 12,347 versus 11,191 for the RTX 4080 Mobile, a 10.3% difference. The Geekbench OpenCL result shows a 13.3% gap, with scores of 180,831 and 159,575 respectively.

Q: Do both GPUs use the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are built on TSMC's 5 nm process node and use the Ada Lovelace architecture. The transistor density is nearly identical as well: 121.1M per mm² for the RTX 4090 Mobile and 121.8M per mm² for the RTX 4080 Mobile.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each GPU?

A: The RTX 4090 Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4080 Mobile has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. Both run at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in DirectX 11 performance?

A: In Passmark DirectX 11, the RTX 4090 Mobile scores 262 versus 244 for the RTX 4080 Mobile, a 7.4% lead. The DirectX 12 test shows a larger gap of 11.5%, with scores of 107 and 96 respectively.

Q: Where does the RTX 4080 Mobile rank relative to other GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX 4080 Mobile sits at the 81st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38,135. Its nearest rivals include the GeForce MX570 (0.4% behind) and the RTX 5080 Mobile (0.6% behind), while the RTX 4070 trails by 1.3%.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the Ada Lovelace architecture and TSMC's 5 nm process, but they are built on different chips. The RTX 4090 Mobile uses the AD103 die with 45,900 million transistors across a 379 mm² area, while the RTX 4080 Mobile uses the AD104 die with 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² footprint. The transistor density is essentially a tie (121.1M versus 121.8M per mm²), meaning the 4090 Mobile's advantage comes from its larger physical die.

The compute resource disparity is substantial. The RTX 4090 Mobile packs 9,728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster operation units. The RTX 4080 Mobile counters with 7,424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. That translates to roughly 31% more shaders and TMUs, and 40% more ROPs for the flagship mobile part.

Ray tracing and tensor hardware follow the same pattern. The RTX 4090 Mobile includes 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores, while the RTX 4080 Mobile has 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores. These counts feed directly into the throughput numbers: the 4090 Mobile achieves 32.98 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 (1:1), versus 24.72 TFLOPS for the 4080 Mobile in both precision formats.

Clock speeds tell a nuanced story. The RTX 4090 Mobile runs a 1335 MHz base clock and 1695 MHz boost, while the RTX 4080 Mobile starts at 1290 MHz base and boosts to 1665 MHz. Despite the higher clocks, the 4090 Mobile's power envelope is only 10 W above the 4080 Mobile: 120 W versus 110 W TDP. Both are IGP-class boards with no power connectors and portable-device-dependent display outputs.

Memory architecture also separates the pair. The 4090 Mobile uses a 256-bit bus with 16 GB of GDDR6, yielding 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 4080 Mobile narrows to a 192-bit bus with 12 GB, producing 432.0 GB/s. Both run identical memory clocks at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), so the bandwidth gap is purely a function of bus width and capacity.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clean sweep: the RTX 4090 Mobile wins all nine benchmark comparisons, with victory margins ranging from 5.9% to 17.1%. No test favors the RTX 4080 Mobile.

The largest delta appears in Geekbench Vulkan, where the 4090 Mobile scores 170,774 against 145,807 for the 4080 Mobile, a 17.1% advantage. This suggests the extra RT cores and tensor hardware translate strongly into Vulkan workloads. Geekbench OpenCL shows a similar pattern, though slightly narrower at 13.3% (180,831 versus 159,575), indicating the compute advantage carries across both major GPU APIs.

DirectX results cluster in a tighter band. The DirectX 12 test shows an 11.5% lead (107 versus 96), while DirectX 10 sits at 10.2% (173 versus 157). DirectX 11 narrows further to 7.4% (262 versus 244), and DirectX 9 comes in at 8.4% (310 versus 286). The older API tests show smaller gaps, which aligns with the notion that legacy workloads may not fully utilize the 4090 Mobile's additional hardware resources.

Passmark's 3D and compute suites round out the picture. The G3D test gives the 4090 Mobile a 9.2% win (27,212 versus 24,926), while GPU Compute shows a 10.3% margin (12,347 versus 11,191). The G2D test, which measures 2D graphics throughput, produces the smallest delta at 5.9% (984 versus 929). This makes sense, as 2D workloads rarely stress the shading, texture, or RT units that differentiate the two chips.

Averaging all benchmark scores, the RTX 4090 Mobile lands at 43,667 compared to 38,135 for the RTX 4080 Mobile. The percentile rankings reinforce the gap: the 4090 Mobile sits at the 84th percentile of all GPUs, three points above the 4080 Mobile's 81st percentile. In the nearest-rival context, the 4090 Mobile trades blows with workstation-class cards like the RTX A6000 (0.9% ahead of the 4090 Mobile) and Quadro M6000 variants (0.8% to 0.9% behind), while the 4080 Mobile finds itself near mainstream desktop parts like the RTX 4070 (1.3% behind the 4080 Mobile).

Specification Differences

| Specification | RTX 4090 Mobile | RTX 4080 Mobile |

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

| Chip | AD103 | AD104 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 5 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | 45,900 million | 35,800 million |

| Die Size | 379 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 121.1M / mm² | 121.8M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1335 MHz | 1290 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1695 MHz | 1665 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB GDDR6 | 12 GB GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 576.0 GB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 9,728 | 7,424 |

| TMUs | 304 | 232 |

| ROPs | 112 | 80 |

| RT Cores | 76 | 58 |

| Tensor Cores | 304 | 232 |

| Pixel Rate | 189.8 GPixel/s | 133.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 515.3 GTexel/s | 386.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 / FP16 | 32.98 TFLOPS | 24.72 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 120 W | 110 W |

Shared traits include the Ada Lovelace architecture, GeForce 40 Mobile generation, PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4, IGP slot width, no power connectors, portable-device-dependent outputs, and the same release date of 2023-01-02.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4090 Mobile is the clear choice for compute-heavy and ray-traced workloads. Its 17.1% Vulkan advantage and 13.3% OpenCL lead indicate strong performance in GPU-accelerated applications that leverage Vulkan or OpenCL compute paths. The 10.3% Passmark GPU Compute margin reinforces this positioning. With 76 RT cores versus 58, the 4090 Mobile should handle ray-traced rendering more fluidly, and its 16 GB frame buffer provides additional headroom for large textures and datasets.

The RTX 4080 Mobile, while trailing across every measured benchmark, still holds relevance in specific scenarios. Its 110 W TDP versus 120 W means slightly lower power draw, which matters in thermally constrained laptop chassis. The 81st percentile ranking places it above mainstream desktop GPUs like the RTX 4070 (which sits 1.3% behind), suggesting it remains a capable mobile part for high-refresh gaming and productivity. The smaller 12 GB frame buffer and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are still sufficient for most current titles at high settings, especially at 1080p or 1440p resolutions.

For users prioritizing raw frame rates in DirectX titles, the 4090 Mobile's margins of 7.4% to 11.5% across the DirectX suite translate to measurable but not transformative gains. The 4080 Mobile's closer proximity in DirectX 9 (8.4% gap) and DirectX 11 (7.4% gap) suggests that older game engines see less benefit from the 4090 Mobile's additional hardware. In those cases, the 4080 Mobile may offer a more power-efficient ratio, though the recorded data does not quantify that trade-off.

Ultimately, the selection hinges on workload intensity. The 4090 Mobile wins every benchmark, but the 4080 Mobile's lower power envelope and smaller die could appeal to portable build priorities where sustained performance matters more than peak scores. The data does not show any benchmark where the 4080 Mobile comes out ahead, so the 4090 Mobile remains the performance leader across all recorded tests.