NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 vs NVIDIA RTX A4500 Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX A4500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 occupy different ends of the GPU spectrum, yet both appear in the same benchmark database. The RTX A4500 is a workstation Ampere part from 2021, while the RTX 5090 is the flagship Blackwell 2.0 consumer card from 2025. Data from three shared benchmarks shows the RTX 5090 winning every test, but the A4500 holds its own in specific workstation contexts. This analysis walks through the architectural split, per-test performance, and the specification differences that define the gap.

The Verdict

From the benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is decisively faster in every measured test. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 5090 scores 18,355 versus the RTX A4500’s 3,196, a delta of -82.6% for the A4500. The Geekbench OpenCL gap is -57.6% (141,837 vs 334,370), and Geekbench Vulkan shows -65.5% (129,980 vs 376,728). The RTX 5090 wins all three head-to-head tests, giving it a 3–0 record.

However, the average benchmark score tells a different story. The RTX A4500 has an average benchmark score of 91,671, while the RTX 5090 sits at 79,842. This is because the A4500’s benchmark set is limited to three compute-oriented tests, whereas the RTX 5090’s set includes ten tests, several of which (like PassMark DirectX 9, 10, and 11) score very low numerically. The A4500 also holds a 93rd percentile versus the RTX 5090’s 92nd percentile among all GPUs.

Who should pick which? Strictly from the data, the RTX 5090 is the choice for raw performance in DX12, OpenCL, and Vulkan workloads. Its 3DMark score is 5.7 times higher, and its Vulkan score is 2.9 times higher. The RTX A4500, with its 20 GB of GDDR6 memory and 200 W power draw, makes sense for users prioritizing lower system power requirements or those who need a workstation card with a 1x 8-pin connector. The A4500 is end-of-life, while the RTX 5090 is active, suggesting longevity favors the newer card.

Architecture Differences

The RTX A4500 uses the GA102 chip on an 8 nm Samsung process, while the RTX 5090 uses the GB202 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process. Transistor counts differ dramatically: the A4500 has 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, giving a density of 45.1 million per mm². The RTX 5090 packs 92,200 million transistors onto a 750 mm² die, reaching 122.9 million per mm². That is a 2.7 times higher transistor density, reflecting the newer node.

Core counts scale accordingly. The RTX A4500 has 7,168 shading units, 224 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 56 RT cores, and 224 tensor cores. The RTX 5090 doubles down with 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. Shading units are 3.0 times higher, RT cores are 3.0 times higher, and tensor cores are 3.0 times higher. Texture rate jumps from 369.6 GTexel/s to 1,636.8 GTexel/s, and pixel rate from 158.4 GPixel/s to 423.6 GPixel/s.

Clock speeds also favor the newer card. The A4500 runs at 1050 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, while the RTX 5090 runs at 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost. That is a 92% higher base clock and a 46% higher boost clock. FP32 compute is 23.65 TFLOPS for the A4500 versus 104.8 TFLOPS for the RTX 5090 — a 4.4 times difference. FP16 is identical to FP32 on both cards, listed as 1:1.

Memory architectures diverge completely. The A4500 uses 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus, delivering 640.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 uses 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. That is 2.8 times the bandwidth. The RTX 5090’s memory clock is 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) versus the A4500’s 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective). The A4500’s higher memory clock is offset by the RTX 5090’s wider bus and newer memory type.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows the RTX 5090 winning all three head-to-head tests, so no test favors the A4500. However, the A4500’s average benchmark score (91,671) exceeds the RTX 5090’s (79,842) by 14.8%. This is because the A4500’s benchmark set is smaller and more compute-focused, while the RTX 5090’s includes legacy DirectX tests that drag down its average. For example, the RTX 5090 scores 226 in PassMark DirectX 10, 341 in DirectX 11, 185 in DirectX 12, 395 in DirectX 9, 1,413 in G2D, 39,650 in G3D, and 26,756 in GPU Compute. These low legacy scores pull the average down.

In terms of percentile, the A4500 ranks in the 93rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 5090 ranks in the 92nd. That one-percentile difference suggests that, across the entire database, the A4500’s compute-heavy benchmark results place it slightly higher relative to the full GPU population. The nearest rivals for the A4500 include the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile (0.6% higher average score), AMD Radeon Instinct MI60 (-0.9%), NVIDIA Quadro GP100 (4.8%), and AMD Radeon PRO W7600 (5.2%). The RTX 5090’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (0.3% higher), Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (0.6% higher), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (1.1% higher), and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X (-1.4%).

For users who care about raw compute in OpenCL or Vulkan, the RTX 5090 is the clear winner. For users who need a card with lower power draw (200 W vs 575 W) and a single 8-pin connector, the A4500 is the only option between the two. The A4500 also fits in a 267 mm length versus the RTX 5090’s 304 mm, making it suitable for smaller cases.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A4500 has an average benchmark score of 91,671, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has 79,842. This is despite the RTX 5090 winning all three head-to-head tests.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest gap is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RTX 5090 scores 18,355 versus the A4500’s 3,196. The delta is -82.6% for the A4500, meaning the RTX 5090 is 5.7 times faster.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The RTX A4500 has 640.0 GB/s bandwidth from 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus. The RTX 5090 has 1.79 TB/s bandwidth from 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus. The RTX 5090 delivers 2.8 times the bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 5090 has a boost clock of 2407 MHz, while the RTX A4500 has 1650 MHz. The RTX 5090’s boost clock is 46% higher.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RTX A4500 has 45.1 million transistors per mm² on an 8 nm Samsung process. The RTX 5090 has 122.9 million per mm² on a 5 nm TSMC process, which is 2.7 times higher.

Q: Which card has more RT cores?

A: The RTX 5090 has 170 RT cores, while the RTX A4500 has 56. The RTX 5090 has 3.0 times more RT cores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The three shared benchmarks all favor the RTX 5090, with no wins for the A4500. Starting with 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RTX 5090 scores 18,355 against the A4500’s 3,196. The delta is -82.6%, meaning the A4500 trails by more than four-fifths. This is the largest relative gap in the dataset, reflecting the RTX 5090’s much higher shading unit count (21,760 vs 7,168) and faster clocks.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 5090 scores 334,370 versus 141,837 for the A4500. The delta is -57.6%. This test measures compute throughput, where the RTX 5090’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 output dwarfs the A4500’s 23.65 TFLOPS. The RTX 5090’s 92% higher base clock and 3.0 times more shading units drive this result.

Geekbench Vulkan shows the RTX 5090 at 376,728 versus 129,980 for the A4500, a delta of -65.5%. This is the smallest relative gap of the three, but still a 2.9 times difference. The RTX 5090’s 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores likely contribute to its Vulkan advantage, though the test primarily stresses graphics compute. The RTX 5090’s 1.79 TB/s memory bandwidth also helps feed its 21,760 shading units more effectively than the A4500’s 640.0 GB/s.

The RTX 5090 wins all three tests, giving it a 3–0 record in head-to-head comparisons. The A4500 has zero wins. However, the A4500’s average benchmark score remains higher because its benchmark set excludes the low-scoring PassMark legacy tests. The RTX 5090’s PassMark scores range from 185 (DirectX 12) to 395 (DirectX 9), which are all below its G3D score of 39,650. These legacy scores disproportionately affect the average, making the A4500 look better in aggregate despite losing every shared test.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification field. Process node: 8 nm (Samsung) for the A4500 versus 5 nm (TSMC) for the RTX 5090. Transistors: 28,300 million versus 92,200 million. Die size: 628 mm² versus 750 mm². Transistor density: 45.1M/mm² versus 122.9M/mm².

Clock speeds: base 1050 MHz versus 2017 MHz; boost 1650 MHz versus 2407 MHz. Memory: 20 GB GDDR6 versus 32 GB GDDR7; bus width 320-bit versus 512-bit; bandwidth 640.0 GB/s versus 1.79 TB/s. Memory clock: 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) versus 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective).

Shading units: 7,168 versus 21,760. TMUs: 224 versus 680. ROPs: 96 versus 176. RT cores: 56 versus 170. Tensor cores: 224 versus 680. Pixel rate: 158.4 GPixel/s versus 423.6 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 369.6 GTexel/s versus 1,636.8 GTexel/s. FP32: 23.65 TFLOPS versus 104.8 TFLOPS. FP16: 23.65 TFLOPS versus 104.8 TFLOPS.

TDP: 200 W versus 575 W. Power connectors: 1x 8-pin versus 1x 16-pin. Suggested PSU: 550 W versus 950 W. Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 x16 versus PCIe 5.0 x16. Display outputs: 4x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1b. Dimensions: 267 mm length, 112 mm height versus 304 mm length, 137 mm height, 40 mm width. Production status: end-of-life versus active. Release date: 2021-11-22 versus 2025-01-29. Launch MSRP for the RTX 5090 is 1,999 USD; the A4500 has no listed MSRP.

Both cards share the same API support: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both are dual-slot cards. The A4500’s predecessor is Quadro Turing, while the RTX 5090’s is GeForce 40; the A4500’s successor is Workstation Ada, and the RTX 5090’s is GeForce 60.