NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents an unusual comparison. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER has a single benchmark score of 3075 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it at the 19th percentile among all GPUs. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE, despite being the larger and more powerful part on paper, has no recorded benchmark scores, an average score of 0, and sits at the 50th percentile. This absence of measured performance for the RTX 5090 SE makes a direct performance verdict impossible from the database. The data shows that the RTX 5080 SUPER is the only one of the two with verified, measurable performance, and its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Quadro P1000 at an average score of 3163, the Intel Arc Pro B60 at 3182, the NVIDIA GeForce 820A at 2983, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M at 2967. The RTX 5080 SUPER trails the Quadro P1000 by 2.8% and the Arc Pro B60 by 3.4%, while leading the GeForce 820A by 3.1% and the GTX 860M by 3.6%. These delta values are small, indicating the RTX 5080 SUPER sits in a tight performance cluster around the 3000-score mark. For anyone selecting between these two, the RTX 5090 SE offers a larger specification sheet, but the RTX 5080 SUPER is the only one with actual benchmark evidence in the database. The data implies that the RTX 5090 SE is an unproven entity in terms of recorded results, while the RTX 5080 SUPER has at least one datapoint anchoring its position.

Architecture Differences

Both cards belong to the GeForce 50-series, use the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, are manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC, and are currently marked as Active production. The fundamental difference lies in the physical silicon. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses the GB203 chip, measuring 378 mm² with 45,600 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 120.6 million per mm². The RTX 5090 SE uses the GB202 chip, which is nearly double the die size at 750 mm², housing 92,200 million transistors at a density of 122.9 million per mm². This indicates the RTX 5090 SE is built from a substantially larger and more complex chip, offering more raw hardware resources. The transistor density is nearly identical between the two, suggesting the same manufacturing process and design rules, but the RTX 5090 SE simply has more silicon area to work with. Clock speeds differ significantly. The RTX 5080 SUPER runs a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz. The RTX 5090 SE runs a lower base clock of 1740 MHz and a boost of 2377 MHz. Despite the lower clocks, the RTX 5090 SE compensates with far more execution units. Memory configurations also diverge. Both use 24 GB of GDDR7, but the RTX 5080 SUPER uses a 256-bit bus with 1.02 TB/s of bandwidth, while the RTX 5090 SE uses a 384-bit bus with 1.34 TB/s. The RTX 5080 SUPER runs its memory at 2000 MHz (32 Gbps effective), while the RTX 5090 SE runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The wider bus on the RTX 5090 SE overcomes its lower memory clock to deliver higher overall bandwidth. The feature sets are otherwise aligned: both support PCIe 5.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and both use a single 16-pin power connector. The RTX 5090 SE lists a suggested PSU of 900 W, while the RTX 5080 SUPER does not list one in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher recorded benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has a recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3075. The RTX 5090 SE has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, with an average benchmark score of 0.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER provides 1.02 TB/s over a 256-bit bus, while the RTX 5090 SE provides 1.34 TB/s over a 384-bit bus. The RTX 5090 SE has 31% more bandwidth.

Q: How do the shader counts compare?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has 10,752 shading units, while the RTX 5090 SE has 14,080 shading units. The RTX 5090 SE has 3,328 more shading units, which is roughly 31% more.

Q: Which card has the higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has a boost clock of 2617 MHz, which is higher than the RTX 5090 SE's boost clock of 2377 MHz.

Q: Do both cards use the same power connector?

A: Yes, both the RTX 5080 SUPER and the RTX 5090 SE use a single 16-pin power connector. The RTX 5090 SE lists a suggested PSU of 900 W, while the RTX 5080 SUPER does not have a suggested PSU listed.

Q: What is the physical size difference?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER measures 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The RTX 5090 SE measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The RTX 5090 SE is shorter and less tall, but the same width.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every core specification. The chip is GB203 for the RTX 5080 SUPER versus GB202 for the RTX 5090 SE. Transistor count is 45,600 million for the RTX 5080 SUPER versus 92,200 million for the RTX 5090 SE. Die size is 378 mm² versus 750 mm². Transistor density is 120.6M per mm² versus 122.9M per mm². Base clock is 2295 MHz versus 1740 MHz. Boost clock is 2617 MHz versus 2377 MHz. Memory clock is 2000 MHz (32 Gbps effective) versus 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). Memory bus width is 256-bit versus 384-bit. Memory bandwidth is 1.02 TB/s versus 1.34 TB/s. Shading units are 10,752 versus 14,080. TMUs are 336 versus 440. ROPs are 112 versus 160. RT cores are 84 versus 110. Tensor cores are 336 versus 440. Pixel rate is 293.1 GPixel/s versus 380.3 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 879.3 GTexel/s versus 1,045.9 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 56.28 TFLOPS versus 66.94 TFLOPS. FP16 compute is 56.28 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 66.94 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP is 415 W versus 500 W. The RTX 5080 SUPER has no suggested PSU, while the RTX 5090 SE lists 900 W. Dimensions differ: 304 mm x 137 mm x 40 mm versus 267 mm x 111 mm x 40 mm. The display outputs are listed identically, though the RTX 5090 SE entry shows "1x HDMI 2.1b3x DisplayPort 2.1b" with no space, which appears to be a formatting artifact in the data. The RTX 5080 SUPER has a launch MSRP of 999 USD, while the RTX 5090 SE has a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD. The RTX 5090 SE lists a predecessor of GeForce 40 and a successor of GeForce 60, while the RTX 5080 SUPER lists neither.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for these two cards. The wins counter shows 0 for each card. This means there is no direct measured comparison available. The only benchmark data point belongs to the RTX 5080 SUPER, which scores 3075 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The RTX 5090 SE has an empty benchmark array and an average score of 0. Without a direct comparison, the data cannot show which card wins in any specific test. The nearest rivals for the RTX 5080 SUPER provide context for its score. The NVIDIA Quadro P1000 scores 3163, which is 2.8% higher. The Intel Arc Pro B60 scores 3182, which is 3.4% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce 820A scores 2983, which is 3.1% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M scores 2967, which is 3.6% lower. These deltas are all within a few percentage points, placing the RTX 5080 SUPER in a crowded field. The RTX 5090 SE has no nearest rivals listed, further confirming the lack of measured data. The gap between the two cards in raw specifications is large, with the RTX 5090 SE offering 31% more shading units, 31% more TMUs, 43% more ROPs, 31% more RT cores, 31% more tensor cores, and 19% more FP32 compute. However, none of these specification advantages are backed by a benchmark score in the database. The only measurable result belongs to the RTX 5080 SUPER, and that result positions it near the bottom of the percentile rankings at 19. The RTX 5090 SE sits at the 50th percentile despite having no scores, which likely reflects the database's handling of unmeasured parts rather than actual performance.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on recorded data, the RTX 5080 SUPER wins in the only category that has measurements. It has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3075, while the RTX 5090 SE has no score. The RTX 5080 SUPER also has a higher base clock of 2295 MHz versus 1740 MHz, and a higher boost clock of 2617 MHz versus 2377 MHz. It has a higher memory clock at 2000 MHz versus 1750 MHz. It is also more compact in height and length: 304 mm versus 267 mm in length is actually longer, but 137 mm versus 111 mm in height shows the RTX 5080 SUPER is taller. The RTX 5080 SUPER draws less power at 415 W versus 500 W. It also has a lower launch MSRP of 999 USD versus 1,499 USD. For use cases involving a single measured benchmark, the RTX 5080 SUPER is the only card with evidence of performance. The RTX 5090 SE wins on every raw computational resource. It has more shading units, more TMUs, more ROPs, more RT cores, more tensor cores, higher pixel rate, higher texture rate, higher FP32 and FP16 compute, more memory bandwidth, a wider memory bus, and a larger die with more transistors. It also has a shorter physical length at 267 mm versus 304 mm, which may matter for case compatibility. The RTX 5090 SE lists a suggested PSU of 900 W, giving builders a specific power supply target, while the RTX 5080 SUPER does not. The RTX 5090 SE has a higher percentile ranking at 50 versus 19, though this is based on no actual scores. The data suggests the RTX 5090 SE is designed for tasks that scale with raw throughput, such as high-resolution rendering or compute-heavy workloads, while the RTX 5080 SUPER has a demonstrated, if modest, benchmark presence. The absence of RTX 5090 SE scores means its wins are theoretical, derived from specification advantages rather than measured outcomes.