NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 vs NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data splits these two NVIDIA workstation GPUs into distinct roles. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 wins 7 of the 9 head-to-head tests, including all three Passmark DirectX legacy tests and the compute-oriented Passmark tests. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile wins the remaining 2 tests, with its largest victory coming in Geekbench OpenCL. The average benchmark score is nearly identical: the Quadro RTX 5000 averages 21,629 versus 21,379 for the RTX A4000 Mobile, a delta of just 1.2% in favor of the desktop card. The RTX A4000 Mobile sits at the 66th percentile of all GPUs, while the Quadro RTX 5000 sits at the 67th percentile. The data indicates the Quadro RTX 5000 is the choice for legacy DirectX workloads and 2D/3D Passmark performance. The RTX A4000 Mobile is the choice for OpenCL compute, newer DirectX 12 workloads, and any situation requiring a mobile form factor with lower power draw. The Quadro RTX 5000 launched at 2,299 USD MSRP; the RTX A4000 Mobile has no listed launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The Quadro RTX 5000 uses the TU104 chip built on a 12 nm process at TSMC, while the RTX A4000 Mobile uses the GA104 chip on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The transistor counts reflect the process difference: the Quadro RTX 5000 packs 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die, yielding a density of 25.0M per mm². The RTX A4000 Mobile crams 17,400 million transistors onto a 392 mm² die, giving it a much higher density of 44.4M per mm². The Quadro RTX 5000 belongs to the Quadro Turing generation (Tx000), while the RTX A4000 Mobile sits in the Ampere-MW generation (Ax000).

The RTX A4000 Mobile has significantly more shading units: 5,120 versus 3,072. It also has more ROPs (80 versus 64) but fewer TMUs (160 versus 192). RT core counts are close at 40 for the A4000 Mobile and 48 for the Quadro RTX 5000. Tensor core counts differ substantially: the Quadro RTX 5000 has 384, while the RTX A4000 Mobile has 160. The memory architecture shows the Quadro RTX 5000 with 16 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, versus 8 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus for the RTX A4000 Mobile. Memory bandwidth favors the older card: 448.0 GB/s versus 384.0 GB/s. The RTX A4000 Mobile supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Quadro RTX 5000 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test delivers the largest margin in either direction. The RTX A4000 Mobile scores 97,178 against the Quadro RTX 5000's 78,999, a delta of -18.7% relative to the mobile card — meaning the Quadro RTX 5000 is 18.7% behind. This is the RTX A4000 Mobile's biggest win by far. The Geekbench Vulkan test swings the other way: the Quadro RTX 5000 scores 92,309 versus 73,002, giving the desktop card a 26.4% advantage. That is the Quadro RTX 5000's largest margin of victory.

The Passmark DirectX 9 test shows the Quadro RTX 5000 ahead at 195 versus 157, a 24.2% lead. The DirectX 11 test is closer at 140 versus 127, a 10.2% edge for the Quadro RTX 5000. The DirectX 10 test sees the Quadro RTX 5000 at 113 versus 105, a 7.6% advantage. The DirectX 12 test is the second win for the RTX A4000 Mobile: 66 versus 59, a 10.6% delta in its favor. The Passmark G2D test shows the Quadro RTX 5000 at 709 versus 585, a 21.2% lead. The Passmark G3D test has the Quadro RTX 5000 at 15,616 versus 14,796, a 5.5% advantage. The Passmark GPU Compute test is the closest of all: 6,525 versus 6,394, a 2% margin for the Quadro RTX 5000.

The wins break down as 7 for the Quadro RTX 5000 and 2 for the RTX A4000 Mobile. But the magnitude tells a more nuanced story. The RTX A4000 Mobile's OpenCL win is substantial at 18.7%, and its DirectX 12 win is meaningful at 10.6%. The Quadro RTX 5000's wins range from 2% to 26.4%, with three wins above 20%.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every specification field. The Quadro RTX 5000 has a base clock of 1620 MHz and a boost clock of 1815 MHz. The RTX A4000 Mobile has a base clock of 1140 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Memory clocks differ as well: the Quadro RTX 5000 runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective, while the RTX A4000 Mobile runs at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective. Memory capacity is 16 GB versus 8 GB. Bandwidth is 448.0 GB/s versus 384.0 GB/s.

The FP32 compute rates are reversed from what the shading unit count suggests. The RTX A4000 Mobile delivers 17.20 TFLOPS FP32, while the Quadro RTX 5000 delivers 11.15 TFLOPS. The FP16 rates also differ: the Quadro RTX 5000 reaches 22.30 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the RTX A4000 Mobile delivers 17.20 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. Pixel rate favors the RTX A4000 Mobile at 134.4 GPixel/s versus 116.2 GPixel/s. Texture rate favors the Quadro RTX 5000 at 348.5 GTexel/s versus 268.8 GTexel/s.

The power figures differ substantially. The Quadro RTX 5000 has a TDP of 230 W, requires a dual-slot cooler, and needs 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connectors with a suggested PSU of 550 W. The RTX A4000 Mobile has a TDP of 115 W, no listed slot width, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The Quadro RTX 5000 measures 267 mm in length and 111 mm in height. The RTX A4000 Mobile has no listed dimensions. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 1.4a plus 1x USB Type-C for the Quadro RTX 5000, while the RTX A4000 Mobile is listed as "Portable Device Dependent."

Release dates show a gap: the Quadro RTX 5000 launched in August 2018, and the RTX A4000 Mobile launched in April 2021. Both are end-of-life. The Quadro RTX 5000's predecessor is Quadro Volta and its successor is Workstation Ampere. The RTX A4000 Mobile's predecessor is Quadro Turing-M and its successor is Ada-MW.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 averages 21,629 across all benchmark tests, while the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile averages 21,379. The delta is 1.2% in favor of the Quadro RTX 5000.

Q: How does the Quadro RTX 5000 compare to its nearest rival, the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000's average score of 21,629 is 1% lower than the GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB's average of 21,856. The RTX A4000 Mobile's average of 21,379 is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 8970M's average of 21,237.

Q: Which GPU is better for OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The RTX A4000 Mobile wins the Geekbench OpenCL test by a wide margin: 97,178 versus 78,999 for the Quadro RTX 5000, a delta of 18.7% in favor of the mobile card.

Q: Which GPU wins the legacy DirectX tests?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 wins all three legacy DirectX tests. It scores 195 in DirectX 9 (versus 157), 140 in DirectX 11 (versus 127), and 113 in DirectX 10 (versus 105). The margins are 24.2%, 10.2%, and 7.6% respectively.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The Quadro RTX 5000 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX A4000 Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has the higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The RTX A4000 Mobile delivers 17.20 TFLOPS FP32, compared to the Quadro RTX 5000's 11.15 TFLOPS. The RTX A4000 Mobile also has a higher pixel rate at 134.4 GPixel/s versus 116.2 GPixel/s.

Where Each One Wins

The Quadro RTX 5000 dominates in the Passmark suite overall. It wins the G3D test (15,616 versus 14,796) and the G2D test (709 versus 585), which together cover general 3D rendering and 2D interface performance. The compute test goes to the Quadro RTX 5000 by a slim 2% margin (6,525 versus 6,394). For legacy DirectX compatibility, the Quadro RTX 5000 is clearly superior across DirectX 9, 10, and 11. It also wins the Vulkan test decisively at 92,309 versus 73,002. The 16 GB memory capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth make it the stronger choice for memory-heavy workloads. Its 384 tensor cores versus the RTX A4000 Mobile's 160 could matter for tensor-based tasks, although the benchmark data does not directly test this.

The RTX A4000 Mobile wins where compute throughput and modern API efficiency matter. The OpenCL win is commanding at 97,178 versus 78,999. The DirectX 12 win (66 versus 59) indicates better performance on the latest DirectX iteration. Its FP32 output of 17.20 TFLOPS versus 11.15 TFLOPS suggests raw single-precision compute advantage. The 8 nm process and 115 W TDP mean it draws roughly half the power of the Quadro RTX 5000's 230 W. For mobile workstation deployments, the RTX A4000 Mobile's lack of power connectors and portable-device-dependent display outputs align with laptop integration. The PCIe 4.0 x16 interface also gives it a bandwidth advantage over the Quadro RTX 5000's PCIe 3.0 x16 for data transfer to and from the host system.

The data supports a clean split: for desktop workstations needing legacy API support, higher memory capacity, and strong Vulkan performance, the Quadro RTX 5000 is the pick. For mobile systems prioritizing OpenCL compute, DirectX 12, and lower power consumption, the RTX A4000 Mobile is the pick. The average scores are so close that the deciding factor should be the specific workload mix rather than overall performance.