NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER vs NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data for these two cards does not share a single common test, so a direct score-by-score comparison is not possible. The GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER has one recorded result in 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12) with a score of 3075, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has two recorded results in Geekbench (OpenCL and Vulkan) with scores of 146593 and 123842, respectively. Because these tests measure different workloads and use different scoring scales, any direct numerical comparison between the two would be misleading.

What the database does show is how each card ranks against its own nearest rivals. The RTX 5080 SUPER sits at the 19th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 3075. Its closest competitor, the NVIDIA Quadro P1000, scores 3163, which is 2.8% higher. The Intel Arc Pro B60 scores 3182, 3.4% higher. On the other side, the NVIDIA GeForce 820A scores 2983, which is 3.1% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M scores 2967, 3.6% lower. This places the RTX 5080 SUPER in a narrow band where it is roughly 3% ahead of the slower rivals and roughly 3% behind the faster ones. The data indicates a tightly clustered set of results.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation, by contrast, sits at the 95th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 135218 across its two Geekbench tests. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA A10M, scores 135230, which is effectively identical (0.0% delta). The AMD Radeon PRO W6800 scores 135396, 0.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo scores 135774, 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon PRO V620 scores 136472, 0.9% higher. This shows the RTX 4000 Ada Generation in a very tight competitive cluster where all rivals are within 1% of each other, with the Ada card slightly behind the fastest of its peers.

The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, meaning the database has no shared test results between these two specific models. The wins count is zero for each. This is a limitation of the recorded data, not an indication of performance equivalence. The percentile difference is stark: 19th versus 95th, which suggests these two cards serve entirely different performance tiers despite both being NVIDIA products.

Architecture Differences

The GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER uses the GB203 chip built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip built on Ada Lovelace. Both are manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process, but the transistor counts differ. The RTX 5080 SUPER packs 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 120.6 million per mm². The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with a density of 121.8 million per mm². The density difference is minimal, but the newer card has substantially more transistors and a larger die.

The Blackwell 2.0 architecture on the RTX 5080 SUPER delivers a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz. The Ada Lovelace architecture on the RTX 4000 Ada Generation runs a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 2175 MHz. The newer card has 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, 112 raster operation units, 84 ray tracing cores, and 336 tensor cores. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, 64 raster operation units, 48 ray tracing cores, and 192 tensor cores. In every compute category, the RTX 5080 SUPER has roughly 75% more resources.

Memory architecture also differs. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus, with memory clocked at 2000 MHz (32 Gbps effective) for a bandwidth of 1.02 TB/s. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, with memory clocked at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for a bandwidth of 360.0 GB/s. The newer card offers nearly three times the memory bandwidth. Pixel rate on the RTX 5080 SUPER is 293.1 GPixel/s versus 139.2 GPixel/s on the Ada card. Texture rate is 879.3 GTexel/s versus 417.6 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 56.28 TFLOPS versus 26.73 TFLOPS, with both cards offering FP16 at a 1:1 ratio to FP32.

The bus interface differs as well. The RTX 5080 SUPER uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs differ: the newer card has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b, while the Ada card has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5080 SUPER wins decisively in raw compute and memory bandwidth based on the specification data. Its FP32 throughput of 56.28 TFLOPS is more than double the 26.73 TFLOPS of the RTX 4000 Ada Generation. Its memory bandwidth of 1.02 TB/s is nearly three times the 360.0 GB/s of the Ada card. The newer card also has higher pixel and texture rates, more shading units, more ray tracing cores, and more tensor cores. For workloads that scale with parallel compute, such as large-scale rendering or heavy simulation, the RTX 5080 SUPER is clearly the stronger option.

The RTX 4000 Ada Generation wins in efficiency and form factor. Its TDP is 130 W versus 415 W for the RTX 5080 SUPER. The Ada card is single-slot, while the newer card is dual-slot. The Ada card is also smaller: 245 mm in length and 112 mm in height, versus 304 mm by 137 mm for the RTX 5080 SUPER. The Ada card has a suggested PSU of 300 W, while the newer card has no suggested PSU listed. For constrained chassis or power-limited environments, the Ada card is the more practical choice.

The benchmark percentile data reinforces this split. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation sits at the 95th percentile among all GPUs, indicating strong performance relative to the entire database. The RTX 5080 SUPER sits at the 19th percentile, which is low, but this is based on a single 3DMark Steel Nomad result that may not reflect its full capability. The Ada card's nearest rivals are all within 1% of its score, showing it is a well-balanced performer in its tier. The RTX 5080 SUPER's nearest rivals are within roughly 3.5%, showing more variance.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the two cards. Chip: GB203 versus AD104. Architecture: Blackwell 2.0 versus Ada Lovelace. Generation: GeForce 50 versus Workstation Ada. Transistors: 45,600 million versus 35,800 million. Die size: 378 mm² versus 294 mm². Transistor density: 120.6M per mm² versus 121.8M per mm². Base clock: 2295 MHz versus 1500 MHz. Boost clock: 2617 MHz versus 2175 MHz. Memory clock: 2000 MHz (32 Gbps effective) versus 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). Memory size: 24 GB versus 20 GB. Memory type: GDDR7 versus GDDR6. Bus width: 256 bit versus 160 bit. Bandwidth: 1.02 TB/s versus 360.0 GB/s. Shading units: 10752 versus 6144. TMUs: 336 versus 192. ROPs: 112 versus 64. RT cores: 84 versus 48. Tensor cores: 336 versus 192. Pixel rate: 293.1 GPixel/s versus 139.2 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 879.3 GTexel/s versus 417.6 GTexel/s. FP32: 56.28 TFLOPS versus 26.73 TFLOPS. FP16: 56.28 TFLOPS versus 26.73 TFLOPS. TDP: 415 W versus 130 W. Slot width: Dual-slot versus Single-slot. Bus interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b versus 4x DisplayPort 1.4a. Dimensions: 304 mm by 137 mm by 40 mm versus 245 mm by 112 mm with no width listed. Release date: 2025-12-31 versus 2023-08-08. Launch MSRP: 999 USD versus none listed. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation lists a predecessor (Workstation Ampere) and successor (Blackwell PRO W), while the RTX 5080 SUPER lists neither. Both use a 1x 16-pin power connector.

FAQ

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER has a bandwidth of 1.02 TB/s, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 360.0 GB/s. The newer card offers nearly three times the bandwidth.

Q: What are the thermal design power ratings?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has a TDP of 415 W, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has a TDP of 130 W. The Ada card is significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: Yes. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER has 84 ray tracing cores, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation has 48.

Q: What is the memory type and size on each card?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation uses 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus.

Q: How do the benchmark percentiles compare?

A: The RTX 5080 SUPER sits at the 19th percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 3075. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation sits at the 95th percentile with an average score of 135218.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear split: the GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER is the performance leader in raw specifications, while the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the efficiency and compactness leader. The newer card has more than double the FP32 compute (56.28 TFLOPS versus 26.73 TFLOPS), nearly three times the memory bandwidth (1.02 TB/s versus 360.0 GB/s), and more units across every category. It also has a larger memory pool (24 GB versus 20 GB) and newer GDDR7 memory.

However, the RTX 4000 Ada Generation is the more practical choice for power-constrained or space-constrained systems. Its 130 W TDP is less than a third of the newer card's 415 W. It is single-slot versus dual-slot, and it is shorter (245 mm versus 304 mm) and lower (112 mm versus 137 mm). It also carries a suggested PSU of 300 W, while the newer card has no suggested PSU listed.

The benchmark data does not provide a direct comparison, so the verdict rests on specifications and relative rankings. The RTX 4000 Ada Generation holds the 95th percentile position, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of GPUs in the database. The RTX 5080 SUPER holds the 19th percentile, but this is based on a single test and may be unrepresentative. Users who prioritize maximum compute and memory throughput should select the GeForce RTX 5080 SUPER. Users who prioritize low power draw, compact physical footprint, and a broad software ecosystem should select the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation. The RTX 5080 SUPER also has a launch MSRP of 999 USD, which is the only listed price.