NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation vs NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile and NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation occupy radically different corners of the GPU landscape, despite sharing the same manufacturer and API feature set. The A1000 Mobile is an end-of-life, 60 W integrated part built for portability, while the 5880 Ada is an active, 285 W dual-slot workstation monster. Benchmark data reveals a stark performance gap, but also a surprising twist in their aggregate scores that warrants a closer look.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 5880 Ada Generation is dramatically faster, scoring 326,898 compared to the A1000 Mobile’s 48,703. The deltaPct shows this as an 85.1% difference in favor of the 5880 Ada.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: Yes, both list DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) in their API specifications, along with identical OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4 support.

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

A: The RTX 5880 Ada Generation features 48 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RTX A1000 Mobile has only 4 GB of GDDR6. This is a 12x difference in capacity.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 5880 Ada Generation has a significantly higher transistor density at 125.3M / mm², compared to 43.5M / mm² for the RTX A1000 Mobile. This reflects the newer 5 nm process node used by the 5880 Ada.

Q: How do their aggregate benchmark scores compare?

A: Surprisingly, the A1000 Mobile has a higher average benchmark score of 47,743, while the 5880 Ada Generation averages 45,972. This is despite the 5880 Ada winning the only shared head-to-head test.

Q: Are both GPUs in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the RTX A1000 Mobile and the RTX 5880 Ada Generation are listed at the 85th percentile against all GPUs in the database.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is fundamental, spanning process technology, chip design, and core counts. The RTX A1000 Mobile is built on the GA107 chip using the older Ampere architecture, manufactured on an 8 nm process by Samsung. In contrast, the RTX 5880 Ada Generation uses the AD102 chip based on Ada Lovelace, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm node. This process shrink is reflected in transistor density: the A1000 Mobile packs 8,700 million transistors into a 200 mm² die (43.5M / mm²), while the 5880 Ada crams 76,300 million transistors into a 609 mm² die, achieving a density of 125.3M / mm².

Core configurations differ by an order of magnitude. The A1000 Mobile has 2,048 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 16 RT cores, and 64 tensor cores. The 5880 Ada Generation scales this up to 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 110 RT cores, and 440 tensor cores. Clock speeds also diverge, with the A1000 Mobile running at a 630 MHz base and 1,140 MHz boost, while the 5880 Ada operates at a 975 MHz base and 2,460 MHz boost. Memory architecture is another differentiator: the A1000 Mobile uses a 128-bit bus with 176.0 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the 5880 Ada employs a 384-bit bus delivering 864.0 GB/s.

The physical and power profiles are equally distinct. The A1000 Mobile is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 60 W TDP and no power connectors, designed for portable devices. The 5880 Ada is a dual-slot card measuring 267 mm in length and 112 mm in height, requiring a 285 W TDP, a single 16-pin power connector, and a suggested 600 W PSU. The bus interface also differs, with the A1000 Mobile using PCIe 4.0 x8 and the 5880 Ada using PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" on the A1000 Mobile, while the 5880 Ada offers 4x DisplayPort 1.4a.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split based on workload and form factor. The RTX 5880 Ada Generation is the definitive choice for raw compute and rendering performance. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 326,898 versus 48,703 for the A1000 Mobile is a massive 85.1% lead. It also offers 48 GB of memory, which is essential for large datasets or high-resolution textures. The 5880 Ada is an active, dual-slot workstation card with a 600 W suggested PSU, indicating it is designed for a desktop workstation environment.

The RTX A1000 Mobile, despite its lower performance, holds its own in the aggregate benchmark average. Its average score of 47,743 actually exceeds the 5880 Ada's 45,972, and it sits at the same 85th percentile. This suggests that for certain workloads, particularly those that are latency-sensitive or rely on the 60 W power envelope, the A1000 Mobile is not as far behind as the raw OpenCL numbers suggest. However, it is an end-of-life product (released in 2022) compared to the 5880 Ada's active status (released in 2024). For users who need maximum compute, the 5880 Ada is the only logical choice. For users constrained by a mobile form factor, the A1000 Mobile is the specified part, but it cannot match the 5880 Ada's capabilities.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The process node is 8 nm for the A1000 Mobile versus 5 nm for the 5880 Ada, with transistor counts of 8,700 million and 76,300 million, respectively. Die size is 200 mm² versus 609 mm². Clock speeds are higher on the 5880 Ada: base clock is 975 MHz versus 630 MHz, and boost clock is 2,460 MHz versus 1,140 MHz. Memory speed also differs, with 18 Gbps effective on the 5880 Ada versus 11 Gbps effective on the A1000 Mobile.

Memory configuration is a major differentiator: 48 GB versus 4 GB, 384-bit versus 128-bit bus, and 864.0 GB/s versus 176.0 GB/s bandwidth. The core counts are drastically higher on the 5880 Ada: 14,080 shading units versus 2,048, 440 TMUs versus 64, 176 ROPs versus 32, 110 RT cores versus 16, and 440 tensor cores versus 64. Pixel rate is 433.0 GPixel/s versus 36.48 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 1,082.4 GTexel/s versus 72.96 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 69.27 TFLOPS on the 5880 Ada versus 4.669 TFLOPS on the A1000 Mobile.

Power and form factor are also distinct: TDP is 285 W versus 60 W, slot width is dual-slot versus IGP, and the power connector is 1x 16-pin versus none. The 5880 Ada has a suggested PSU of 600 W, while the A1000 Mobile has none listed. Bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x16 versus x8. Production status is Active versus End-of-life, with release dates of 2024-01-04 versus 2022-03-29. The 5880 Ada has physical dimensions of 267 mm length and 112 mm height, while the A1000 Mobile has no listed dimensions.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark between the two cards is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is a decisive victory for the RTX 5880 Ada Generation. The 5880 Ada scores 326,898, which is nearly seven times higher than the A1000 Mobile's 48,703. The deltaPct of -85.1% quantifies this gap, meaning the A1000 Mobile scores 85.1% lower than the 5880 Ada. This single test is the largest win for either card and underscores the fundamental compute advantage of the 5880 Ada.

The 5880 Ada also has additional benchmark data that the A1000 Mobile lacks, including Passmark tests. In Passmark G3D, it scores 25,096, and in Passmark GPU Compute, it scores 14,208. It also lists scores for DirectX 9 (335), DirectX 10 (167), DirectX 11 (228), DirectX 12 (70), and G2D (777). These results are not directly comparable to the A1000 Mobile, as the A1000 Mobile has no corresponding Passmark entries. However, they provide additional context for the 5880 Ada's performance profile across different API generations.

Interestingly, the aggregate benchmark scores tell a different story. The A1000 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 47,743, which is higher than the 5880 Ada's 45,972. This is counterintuitive given the OpenCL result, but it reflects the limited dataset for the A1000 Mobile (only two Geekbench tests) versus the eight tests for the 5880 Ada. The A1000 Mobile's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (avg score 48,477, deltaPct -1.5) and the AMD Radeon RX 5600M (avg score 46,601, deltaPct 2.5). The 5880 Ada's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A2000 (avg score 46,043, deltaPct -0.2) and the Intel Arc A730M (avg score 45,592, deltaPct 0.8).

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 5880 Ada Generation wins decisively in raw compute and memory-intensive tasks. Its 69.27 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 864.0 GB/s bandwidth make it suited for heavy rendering, scientific simulation, and AI workloads. The 48 GB memory capacity is a clear advantage for handling large models or datasets that would exhaust the A1000 Mobile's 4 GB. The 5880 Ada also wins on connectivity with PCIe 4.0 x16 and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, and its active production status and 2024 release date mean it is a current product.

The RTX A1000 Mobile wins in the aggregate benchmark comparison, with a higher average score (47,743 vs. 45,972) and a better deltaPct against its nearest rival (2.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6550M). It also wins on power efficiency, with a 60 W TDP versus 285 W, making it suitable for battery-powered devices where the 5880 Ada's power requirements are prohibitive. Its IGP form factor and lack of power connectors mean it can be integrated into thin laptops, whereas the 5880 Ada requires a full desktop chassis with a 600 W PSU. The A1000 Mobile also holds a slight edge in its nearest-rival comparison, being only 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, while the 5880 Ada is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX A2000.