NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell Comparison

The benchmark data presents a clear generational shift. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell defeats the Quadro RTX 8000 in every single head-to-head test, with the margin ranging from roughly 19% to over 40%. While the older Quadro RTX 8000 was a flagship in its day, the raw performance numbers show that the newer Blackwell architecture has decisively moved the goalposts in this comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell wins all eight shared benchmarks, and the margins are substantial. The smallest victory is in Passmark DirectX 12, where the Blackwell card scores 97 against the RTX 8000's 79, a gap of 18.6%. This is noteworthy because DirectX 12 is a modern, low-level API that typically favors newer architectures; even here, the older Turing card cannot close the gap.

The largest delta is in the legacy Passmark DirectX 9 test. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 354, which is 40.4% higher than the RTX 8000's 211. This suggests that the architectural improvements are not just theoretical or limited to modern workloads; the newer card is significantly faster even in older API scenarios. Similarly, in Passmark DirectX 10, the Blackwell card's 173-point score is 20.8% above the RTX 8000's 137.

The compute and graphics metrics reinforce this trend. In Passmark G3D, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 28427, a 30.4% improvement over the RTX 8000's 19799. The Passmark GPU Compute test shows a 32.5% advantage (14805 vs 9992). This indicates that the Blackwell card is not just a gaming upgrade; its compute advantage is equally pronounced, which is critical for professional workloads.

The Geekbench Vulkan result is particularly striking. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores 194168, which is 36.8% higher than the RTX 8000's 122637. Vulkan is a cross-platform, low-overhead API, and this large margin suggests the Blackwell architecture extracts significantly more performance from the hardware. The Passmark G2D test, which measures 2D graphics performance, also shows a 31.5% lead for the newer card (1265 vs 866).

In summary, the data shows no scenario where the RTX 8000 wins. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is faster in every measured category, from legacy DirectX 9 to modern Vulkan and compute. The deltas are large enough to be considered a generational leap, not a minor refresh.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell faster than the Quadro RTX 8000 in all benchmarks?

A: Yes. The head-to-head data shows the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell wins all 8 shared tests, with delta percentages ranging from an 18.6% advantage in Passmark DirectX 12 to a 40.4% advantage in Passmark DirectX 9.

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. It achieves 36.83 TFLOPS FP32 performance, compared to the Quadro RTX 8000's 16.31 TFLOPS. The Passmark GPU Compute score confirms this, with the Blackwell card scoring 14805 versus 9992.

Q: How does the memory bandwidth compare between the two cards?

A: The memory bandwidth is identical at 672.0 GB/s. However, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus, while the Quadro RTX 8000 uses 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has 8960 shading units, which is significantly more than the Quadro RTX 8000's 4608 shading units. This is a key reason for its higher texture and pixel rates.

Q: What is the difference in power consumption?

A: The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has a 140 W TDP, which is considerably lower than the Quadro RTX 8000's 260 W TDP. The suggested PSU rating is also lower at 300 W versus 600 W.

Q: Which card has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The Quadro RTX 8000 has a percentile rank of 74, which is slightly higher than the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's percentile rank of 72. However, the average benchmark score for the RTX 8000 is 28421, which is higher than the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 27135 average.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The Quadro RTX 8000 uses the Turing architecture on a 12 nm process at TSMC, with a massive 754 mm² die containing 18,600 million transistors. This results in a transistor density of 24.7M per mm². In contrast, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses the Blackwell 2.0 architecture on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. It has a smaller die at 378 mm² but packs more transistors—45,600 million—resulting in a much higher density of 120.6M per mm².

The core configurations differ significantly. The RTX 8000 has 4608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. It also has 72 RT cores and 576 tensor cores. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has 8960 shading units—nearly double—but slightly fewer TMUs at 280 and the same 96 ROPs. It has 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores. The shift from 576 tensor cores to 280 is notable, but the new architecture likely makes each core more capable.

Memory architecture also differs. The RTX 8000 uses 48 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus. Both achieve the same 672.0 GB/s bandwidth, but the newer GDDR7 memory operates at a higher effective speed of 28 Gbps, compared to the RTX 8000's 14 Gbps. The FP16 performance also changes: the RTX 8000 achieves 32.62 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell achieves 36.83 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio).

Specification Differences

Several key specifications separate these two professional cards. The process node is a major difference: the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell uses a 5 nm process versus the RTX 8000's 12 nm process. The transistor count is more than double at 45,600 million versus 18,600 million, and the die size is smaller at 378 mm² versus 754 mm².

Clock speeds vary. The RTX 8000 has a higher base clock at 1395 MHz, but the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has a significantly higher boost clock at 2055 MHz versus 1770 MHz. Memory configuration differs: 48 GB GDDR6 for the RTX 8000 versus 24 GB GDDR7 for the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. The bus width is 384-bit for the older card and 192-bit for the newer one.

Power and physical specs differ too. The RTX 8000 has a 260 W TDP and requires a 600 W PSU, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has a 140 W TDP and needs only a 300 W PSU. The RTX 8000 is a dual-slot card with 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power connectors, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is a single-slot card with a single 16-pin connector. The bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x16 for the RTX 8000 and PCIe 5.0 x16 for the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. Display outputs are also different: the RTX 8000 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a and 1x USB Type-C, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has 4x DisplayPort 2.1b. The RTX 8000 is longer at 267 mm versus 241 mm for the Blackwell card.

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal: the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the superior performer in every head-to-head benchmark. It offers higher FP32 compute (36.83 TFLOPS vs 16.31 TFLOPS), faster boost clocks (2055 MHz vs 1770 MHz), and more shading units (8960 vs 4608). It also achieves this with a dramatically lower TDP of 140 W versus 260 W, making it more power-efficient. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the clear choice for anyone prioritizing raw performance and efficiency.

However, the Quadro RTX 8000 has one significant advantage: 48 GB of memory. This is double the 24 GB found on the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell. For workloads that require massive memory capacity, such as certain large dataset processing or rendering tasks, the RTX 8000 might still be relevant. Its average benchmark score of 28421 is also higher than the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 27135, and it holds a slightly higher percentile rank at 74 versus 72.

The RTX 8000 is also an end-of-life product, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is active and current. The RTX 8000 launched in 2018, while the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell launched in 2025. If you need the latest features, PCIe 5.0 support, and modern display outputs, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the logical pick. If you need maximum memory capacity and can tolerate older technology, the RTX 8000 remains an option, but it is a compromise in almost every other metric.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell wins in every performance category measured. It is faster in all DirectX tests (9, 10, 11, and 12), with deltas ranging from 18.6% to 40.4%. It is also faster in Vulkan (36.8% lead), G2D (31.5% lead), G3D (30.4% lead), and GPU compute (32.5% lead). For any application that relies on these APIs—gaming, rendering, general compute—the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the definitive winner.

The Quadro RTX 8000's only advantage is memory capacity. It offers 48 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is double the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 24 GB of GDDR7. For workloads that are memory-bound and require more than 24 GB of VRAM, the RTX 8000 is the only card in this comparison that can handle them. This is a specific but critical use case for certain professional applications.

The RTX 8000 also has a slightly higher average benchmark score (28421 vs 27135) and percentile rank (74 vs 72), though this is likely due to the different sets of benchmarks available for each card. In direct head-to-head tests, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell wins every time. Therefore, the choice is between the raw speed and efficiency of the Blackwell card versus the larger memory pool of the Turing card. For most users, the RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the better choice. For those with specific, high-memory requirements, the RTX 8000 remains a specialized tool.