NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a decisive performance gap between the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell and the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile. In the two shared benchmark tests, the desktop workstation card wins both outright, with margins that are difficult to overstate.

Starting with Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell records a score of 254,116, while the RTX A3000 Mobile manages 79,091. That is a delta of 221.3% in favor of the Blackwell card. To put that in perspective, the RTX A3000 Mobile would need to more than triple its score to catch up. The OpenCL test is a broad compute workload that exercises both the CUDA cores and the memory subsystem, so this result reflects a fundamental throughput advantage rather than a narrow architectural quirk.

The Vulkan benchmark tells an even more lopsided story. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell scores 282,631, against 61,189 for the RTX A3000 Mobile. The delta here is 361.9%. This is notable because Vulkan is a lower-level graphics API that tends to scale well with raw hardware resources, and the gap suggests the Blackwell card is in a completely different performance tier. The RTX A3000 Mobile's Vulkan result is actually lower than its OpenCL result, while the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell shows the opposite pattern, with Vulkan outperforming OpenCL by roughly 11%. This asymmetry hints at different driver optimizations and architectural strengths between the two generations.

The average benchmark scores reinforce the head-to-head results. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell has an average benchmark score of 182,109, while the RTX A3000 Mobile sits at 70,140. That is more than a 2.5x difference in aggregate performance. When placed against the broader GPU landscape, the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell ranks in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX A3000 Mobile lands in the 91st percentile. Both are above average, but the Blackwell card is near the very top of the distribution.

Looking at the nearest rivals for the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell, the data shows it sits in a tight cluster with other high-end NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA A100 SXM4 80 GB is 0.9% behind, the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Ada Generation is 1.4% behind, and the NVIDIA A100 SXM4 40 GB is 2.7% behind. Only the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 D trails by a larger margin at 2.3% behind the Blackwell card. This means the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is not just faster than the mobile part; it is competitive with some of the most powerful accelerators in the database.

The RTX A3000 Mobile's nearest rivals are a much lower tier. The NVIDIA Quadro P6000 is 0.2% behind, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 is 0.4% behind, and the NVIDIA CMP 90HX is 1.7% behind. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE is 1% ahead. These deltas are small, indicating that the mobile card is closely matched with older workstation and consumer parts, none of which approach the performance level of the Blackwell flagship.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell wins every benchmark category where both cards have recorded data. In OpenCL compute, it leads by 221.3%. In Vulkan graphics and compute, it leads by 361.9%. The wins tally is 2 for the Blackwell card and 0 for the mobile part.

For compute-heavy workloads, the OpenCL result is the more relevant indicator. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell's 254,116 score reflects its massive shader array and high-bandwidth GDDR7 memory. The RTX A3000 Mobile's 79,091 score, while respectable for a 70 W mobile part, places it in a different class entirely. Users running OpenCL-based rendering, simulation, or data processing tasks would see a dramatic difference in throughput.

For graphics-oriented tasks that leverage Vulkan, the gap is even wider. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell's 282,631 Vulkan score suggests it can handle demanding real-time rendering workloads with substantial headroom. The RTX A3000 Mobile's 61,189 Vulkan score is less than a quarter of that, which would translate into lower frame rates and longer render times in Vulkan-based applications.

There are no benchmark categories where the RTX A3000 Mobile comes out ahead. Its only advantage lies in its form factor and power envelope, which are qualitative considerations rather than performance wins. The mobile card is designed for portable workstations, while the desktop card is built for maximum throughput in a fixed installation.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and are built on different manufacturing processes. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell uses the GB202 chip with Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The RTX A3000 Mobile uses the GA104 chip with Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The process node difference is substantial: 5 nm versus 8 nm, which contributes to the Blackwell card's ability to pack far more transistors into a similar or smaller footprint.

The transistor counts tell the story of the scale difference. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell contains 92,200 million transistors on a die size of 750 mm². The RTX A3000 Mobile contains 17,400 million transistors on a 392 mm² die. That is a 5.3x difference in transistor count and a roughly 1.9x difference in die area. The transistor density reflects this as well: the Blackwell card achieves 122.9 million transistors per mm², while the Ampere mobile chip manages 44.4 million per mm². The 5 nm process is clearly the enabling factor for this density advantage.

The memory architectures are also generational leaps apart. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell uses 48 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth. The RTX A3000 Mobile uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 264.0 GB/s. The bandwidth difference is roughly 5x, which is consistent with the transistor count gap and explains much of the benchmark delta.

The compute resources scale accordingly. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell has 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, 160 ROPs, 110 RT cores, and 440 tensor cores. The RTX A3000 Mobile has 4,096 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 32 RT cores, and 128 tensor cores. The Blackwell card has roughly 3.4x the shading units, 3.4x the TMUs, 2.5x the ROPs, 3.4x the RT cores, and 3.4x the tensor cores. The FP32 compute rating is 66.94 TFLOPS for the Blackwell card versus 10.08 TFLOPS for the mobile part, a 6.6x difference that is even larger than the raw unit counts might suggest, due to the higher clock speeds on the desktop card.

Clock behavior also differs significantly. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell has a base clock of 1740 MHz and a boost clock of 2377 MHz. The RTX A3000 Mobile has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 1230 MHz. The mobile card's clocks are constrained by its 70 W power envelope, while the desktop card operates at 300 W. The Blackwell card's boost clock is nearly double the mobile card's boost clock, which compounds the architectural advantages.

Specification Differences

The specification sheet shows a number of fields where the two cards differ. The most obvious is memory: 48 GB of GDDR7 versus 6 GB of GDDR6. The bus widths are 384 bit versus 192 bit. Bandwidth is 1.34 TB/s versus 264.0 GB/s.

The process nodes differ: 5 nm TSMC versus 8 nm Samsung. Transistor counts are 92,200 million versus 17,400 million. Die sizes are 750 mm² versus 392 mm². Transistor densities are 122.9 million per mm² versus 44.4 million per mm².

The clock speeds differ across the board. Base clocks are 1740 MHz versus 600 MHz. Boost clocks are 2377 MHz versus 1230 MHz. Memory clocks are 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) versus 1375 MHz (11 Gbps effective).

The compute resources differ: 14,080 shading units versus 4,096. TMUs are 440 versus 128. ROPs are 160 versus 64. RT cores are 110 versus 32. Tensor cores are 440 versus 128. Pixel rates are 380.3 GPixel/s versus 78.72 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 1,045.9 GTexel/s versus 157.4 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 compute are both 66.94 TFLOPS versus 10.08 TFLOPS.

The power and physical specifications also differ. The TDP is 300 W versus 70 W. The Blackwell card uses a single 16-pin power connector, while the mobile card has no power connectors, drawing power through the motherboard. The suggested PSU is 700 W for the desktop card; no such figure exists for the mobile part. The desktop card is dual-slot with dimensions of 267 mm length, 111 mm height, and 40 mm width. The mobile card has no recorded dimensions.

The bus interfaces differ: PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 2.1b for the desktop card, while the mobile card's outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent." The production status also differs: the RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is active, while the RTX A3000 Mobile is end-of-life. The release dates are 2025-03-17 for the Blackwell card and 2021-04-11 for the mobile card.

The APIs supported are identical: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The predecessor and successor fields differ: the Blackwell card's predecessor is Workstation Ada, while the mobile card'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 RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell has an average benchmark score of 182,109, compared to 70,140 for the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell scores 282,631 in Vulkan, while the RTX A3000 Mobile scores 61,189. The delta is 361.9% in favor of the Blackwell card.

Q: What memory configurations do the two cards use?

A: The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell has 48 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus with 1.34 TB/s bandwidth. The RTX A3000 Mobile has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 264.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Are the two cards from the same architecture generation?

A: No. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture on a 5 nm TSMC process. The RTX A3000 Mobile uses Ampere architecture on an 8 nm Samsung process.

Q: How do the cards compare in terms of compute throughput?

A: The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell delivers 66.94 TFLOPS in FP32, while the RTX A3000 Mobile delivers 10.08 TFLOPS. The Blackwell card is approximately 6.6x faster in raw FP32 compute.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is listed as active production with a release date of 2025-03-17. The RTX A3000 Mobile is end-of-life with a release date of 2021-04-11.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion for different use cases. For users who need maximum compute and graphics performance in a stationary workstation, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is the obvious choice. It wins both shared benchmarks by margins of 221.3% and 361.9%, sits in the 98th percentile of all GPUs, and rivals the performance of accelerators like the A100 SXM4 80 GB, which trails by only 0.9%. Its 48 GB of GDDR7 memory, 1.34 TB/s bandwidth, and 66.94 TFLOPS FP32 compute make it suitable for the most demanding professional workloads.

For users who require a portable workstation with modest power consumption, the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile remains a viable option. Its 70 W TDP and lack of external power connectors make it far easier to integrate into a laptop chassis. It still ranks in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable for a mobile part. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 10.08 TFLOPS FP32 compute are sufficient for lighter professional tasks, though the data shows it is closely matched with older parts like the Quadro P6000, which is only 0.2% behind.

The choice ultimately depends on the form factor and power budget. The RTX PRO 5000 Blackwell is a dual-slot, 300 W desktop card that requires a 700 W PSU and a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot. The RTX A3000 Mobile is a portable device with no recorded dimensions and no separate power delivery. Neither card is a substitute for the other. The desktop card dominates every performance metric in the database, while the mobile card offers the qualitative advantage of portability. For anyone who can accommodate the desktop form factor, the benchmark data is unambiguous. For anyone who cannot, the mobile card is the only option that fits.