NVIDIA RTX A5000 vs NVIDIA TITAN RTX Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX A5000 and NVIDIA TITAN RTX are both end-of-life, dual-slot, 24 GB graphics cards aimed at professional and high-end desktop workloads, but their underlying architectures and benchmark profiles reveal distinct strengths. The RTX A5000, built on the Ampere architecture, and the TITAN RTX, built on Turing, offer different trade-offs in compute throughput, memory bandwidth, and legacy API performance. This analysis compares the two directly using benchmark scores, architectural specifications, and performance deltas from the provided data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data shows a clear overall winner: the RTX A5000 takes 7 of the 10 head-to-head tests, while the TITAN RTX wins 3. The most decisive victory for the RTX A5000 comes in compute and general graphics workloads. In the Passmark GPU Compute test, the RTX A5000 scores 12,455, which is 24.1% higher than the TITAN RTX's 10,034. This is the largest performance gap between the two cards in any benchmark. The RTX A5000 also dominates in the Passmark G3D test, scoring 22,541 versus 20,491, a 10% advantage. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX A5000 posts 157,905 against the TITAN RTX's 144,858, a 9% lead.

The RTX A5000's advantage extends to legacy DirectX performance. In Passmark DirectX 9, the RTX A5000 scores 251, which is 12.6% higher than the TITAN RTX's 223. The gap narrows but remains positive in Passmark DirectX 10, where the RTX A5000 wins by 4.1% (153 vs. 147). The 2D graphics test also favors the RTX A5000, which scores 1,032 against 860, a 20% margin. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX A5000 is ahead by a smaller 1.3% (137,828 vs. 136,073), showing that the performance lead is not uniform across all API types.

The TITAN RTX, despite losing the majority of tests, holds wins in three specific areas. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the TITAN RTX scores 3,794, narrowly edging out the RTX A5000's 3,783, a delta of -0.3%. This is a near tie, but the TITAN RTX takes the win. In Passmark DirectX 11, the TITAN RTX scores 189 versus 187, a 1.1% advantage. Similarly, in Passmark DirectX 12, the TITAN RTX scores 88 versus 87, also a 1.1% lead. These DirectX 11 and 12 wins are marginal, but they indicate that the TITAN RTX retains a slight edge in modern API rasterization tests.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the RTX A5000 has an average score of 33,622, while the TITAN RTX averages 31,676. This translates to a 6.1% overall advantage for the RTX A5000. The percentile rankings also favor the RTX A5000, which sits in the 78th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the TITAN RTX's 76th percentile. The nearest rival data for the RTX A5000 lists the GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB with an average score of 33,694 and a delta of -0.2%, meaning the RTX A5000 is essentially tied with that card in aggregate score. For the TITAN RTX, the nearest rival is the RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell with a 31,532 average and a +0.5% delta for the TITAN RTX, placing it slightly above that rival.

Where Each One Wins

The data indicates a clear split in workload types. The RTX A5000 is the stronger card for compute-heavy and legacy graphics tasks. Its 24.1% lead in Passmark GPU Compute is the standout result, suggesting a significant advantage in raw computational throughput. The 20% win in Passmark G2D and the 12.6% win in Passmark DirectX 9 also suggest that the RTX A5000 handles older or less complex rendering paths with more efficiency. This makes it a better choice for scenarios involving OpenCL compute, general-purpose GPU computing, and applications that rely on older DirectX versions. The 9% lead in Geekbench OpenCL reinforces this compute-oriented strength.

The TITAN RTX, on the other hand, wins in the most modern and common rasterization APIs. Its wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Passmark DirectX 11, and Passmark DirectX 12, while small (all under 1.2%), point to a slight advantage in contemporary game or DCC application workloads that use these APIs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result is particularly notable as it is a modern test, and the TITAN RTX's ability to match or slightly beat the RTX A5000 there suggests that its architecture is not obsolete for current DirectX 12 titles. However, this advantage is narrow, and in the Geekbench Vulkan test, the RTX A5000 pulls ahead by 1.3%, indicating that the TITAN RTX's lead is specific to DirectX rather than all modern APIs.

For users prioritizing compute performance, scientific simulation, or legacy application support, the RTX A5000 is the clear pick based on its large compute and legacy API wins. For users focused on modern DirectX 12 gaming or rendering that uses that API exclusively, the TITAN RTX holds a slight but consistent edge. The TITAN RTX's wins are all in the sub-1.2% range, so this advantage is marginal and may not be perceivable in real-world use.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between the two cards is substantial, starting with the manufacturing process. The RTX A5000 uses an 8 nm process from Samsung, while the TITAN RTX uses a 12 nm process from TSMC. This process difference contributes to a major transistor density disparity: the RTX A5000 packs 45.1 million transistors per square millimeter, compared to 24.7 million for the TITAN RTX. The RTX A5000 also has more total transistors, with 28,300 million versus 18,600 million, despite having a smaller die size of 628 mm² compared to 754 mm².

In terms of core configuration, the RTX A5000 has 8,192 shading units, while the TITAN RTX has 4,608. The RTX A5000 also has 256 texture mapping units (TMUs) versus 288 for the TITAN RTX, but the TITAN RTX has more render output units (ROPs) at 96, which matches the RTX A5000's 96. More notably, the RTX A5000 has 64 RT cores and 256 tensor cores, while the TITAN RTX has 72 RT cores and 576 tensor cores. This higher count of RT and tensor cores in the TITAN RTX is offset by its lower shading unit count.

The clock speeds differ significantly. The TITAN RTX has a higher base clock of 1,350 MHz and a higher boost clock of 1,770 MHz, compared to the RTX A5000's 1,170 MHz base and 1,695 MHz boost. Despite the lower clocks, the RTX A5000 achieves higher raw throughput in FP32, delivering 27.77 TFLOPS versus 16.31 TFLOPS for the TITAN RTX. In FP16, the TITAN RTX is faster at 32.62 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) compared to the RTX A5000's 27.77 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). The pixel rate is nearly identical, with the TITAN RTX at 169.9 GPixel/s and the RTX A5000 at 162.7 GPixel/s. The texture rate favors the TITAN RTX, which hits 509.8 GTexel/s compared to 433.9 GTexel/s for the RTX A5000.

Memory configurations are similar but not identical. Both cards have 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus. The RTX A5000 runs its memory at 2,000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), yielding a bandwidth of 768.0 GB/s. The TITAN RTX runs at 1,750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), yielding 672.0 GB/s. This gives the RTX A5000 a 14.3% bandwidth advantage, which likely contributes to its compute performance lead.

Power and interface differences are also present. The RTX A5000 has a TDP of 230 W and uses a single 8-pin power connector, while the TITAN RTX has a TDP of 280 W and requires two 8-pin connectors. The suggested PSU for the RTX A5000 is 550 W, compared to 600 W for the TITAN RTX. The RTX A5000 uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while the TITAN RTX uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs differ as well: the RTX A5000 has four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the TITAN RTX has one HDMI 2.0, three DisplayPort 1.4a, and one USB Type-C port. The dimensions are close, with both cards at 267 mm in length, but the TITAN RTX is slightly taller at 116 mm versus 112 mm, and has a specified width of 35 mm.

The Verdict

From the data, the NVIDIA RTX A5000 is the superior card for most workloads. It wins 7 out of 10 benchmarks, with particularly large leads in compute (24.1% in Passmark GPU Compute) and legacy APIs (12.6% in DirectX 9, 20% in G2D). Its higher average benchmark score (33,622 vs. 31,676) and higher percentile (78 vs. 76) confirm that it is the better overall performer. Users who need raw FP32 compute, OpenCL performance, or compatibility with older DirectX titles should choose the RTX A5000. Its lower TDP of 230 W and single 8-pin connector also make it easier to integrate into existing systems compared to the TITAN RTX's 280 W and dual 8-pin requirement.

The NVIDIA TITAN RTX is the card to pick only in specific, narrow scenarios. It wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Passmark DirectX 11, and Passmark DirectX 12, but the margins are all under 1.2%. If a user's primary applications are strictly modern DirectX 12 titles and they do not use compute or legacy APIs, the TITAN RTX offers a marginal edge. Its higher FP16 throughput (32.62 TFLOPS) could be a factor for workloads that use FP16, but this is not reflected in the benchmark suite, which shows the RTX A5000 winning in compute. The TITAN RTX also has more RT cores (72 vs. 64) and tensor cores (576 vs. 256), which might benefit ray tracing or AI workloads, but again, the benchmark data does not show a win for the TITAN RTX in those areas.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5000 has a higher average benchmark score of 33,622, compared to the NVIDIA TITAN RTX's 31,676.

Q: In which benchmark does the RTX A5000 have its largest win over the TITAN RTX?

A: The RTX A5000's largest win is in the Passmark GPU Compute test, where it scores 12,455 versus 10,034, a 24.1% advantage.

Q: Does the TITAN RTX win any benchmark by a significant margin?

A: No. The TITAN RTX's wins are all marginal: 0.3% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 1.1% in Passmark DirectX 11, and 1.1% in Passmark DirectX 12.

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

A: The RTX A5000 has a memory bandwidth of 768.0 GB/s, while the TITAN RTX has 672.0 GB/s, giving the RTX A5000 a higher bandwidth.

Q: How do the FP32 compute capabilities compare?

A: The RTX A5000 delivers 27.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the TITAN RTX delivers 16.31 TFLOPS, making the RTX A5000 significantly faster in this metric.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The TITAN RTX has a higher boost clock of 1,770 MHz, compared to the RTX A5000's 1,695 MHz.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA RTX A5000 | NVIDIA TITAN RTX |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | Ampere | Turing |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 12 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 28,300 million | 18,600 million |

| Die Size | 628 mm² | 754 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 45.1M / mm² | 24.7M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1170 MHz | 1350 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1695 MHz | 1770 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 768.0 GB/s | 672.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 8192 | 4608 |

| TMUs | 256 | 288 |

| RT Cores | 64 | 72 |

| Tensor Cores | 256 | 576 |

| Pixel Rate | 162.7 GPixel/s | 169.9 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 433.9 GTexel/s | 509.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 27.77 TFLOPS | 16.31 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 27.77 TFLOPS (1:1) | 32.62 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 230 W | 280 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 4x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C |

| Height | 112 mm (4.4 inches) | 116 mm (4.6 inches) |

| Width | Not specified | 35 mm (1.4 inches) |

| Release Date | 2021-04-11 | 2018-12-17 |