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AMD Instinct MI210 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080: Comparison
What is the difference between AMD Instinct MI210 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080?
The gap that matters here is vram: AMD Instinct MI210 64 GB against NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB, which puts AMD Instinct MI210 84% ahead. Memory bandwidth runs the same way, 1600 GB/s on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 760 GB/s on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, another win for AMD Instinct MI210. Memory bus width runs the same way, 4096 bit on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 320 bit on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, another win for AMD Instinct MI210.
AMD Instinct MI210 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080: which one fits your build
Buy the AMD Instinct MI210 for double-precision workloads that don't need MI250X-level throughput, though it is not built for any desktop or workstation build - compute-only, no display output and maximum-throughput HPC nodes (use MI250X instead). The same goes for HPC and AI deployments in standard PCIe-slot servers without OAM sled support. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the one to take for buyers who want flagship-tier Ampere performance without RTX 3090 pricing, though it is not the pick for anyone who specifically needs more than 10GB of VRAM. Our rating of the AMD Instinct MI210 (7.3/10): A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series. Our rating of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (8.5/10): the generational leap that defined Ampere, still strong outside its 10GB memory limit.
Frequently asked questions
Do the AMD Instinct MI210 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 differ on tdp?
Yes. TDP reads 300 W on the AMD Instinct MI210 versus 320 W on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080.
Specs and benchmarks
Series
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Instinct MI200
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- GeForce RTX 30
VRAM
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 64 GBBest
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- 10 GB-84%
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI210
- HBM2E
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- GDDR6XBest
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1700 MHz-1%
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- 1710 MHzBest
Ray Tracing Support
- AMD Instinct MI210
- No
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- Yes
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 300 WBest
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- 320 W-7%
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI210
- CDNA 2 (single Graphics Compute Die)
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- Ampere (GA102)
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI210
- TSMC 6nm
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- Samsung 8N
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 4096 bitBest
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- 320 bit-92%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1600 GB/sBest
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- 760 GB/s-52%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI210
- PCIe 4.0 x16
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- PCIe 4.0
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2022-03
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
- September 2020
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI210 if you want the higher VRAM (64 GB vs 10 GB), the lower TDP (300 W vs 320 W) and the higher memory bus width (4096 bit vs 320 bit).
Choose NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 if you want the higher boost clock (1710 MHz vs 1700 MHz).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI210 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $699.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
AMD Instinct MI210
7.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
8.5 / 10 Expert Rating
The generational leap that defined Ampere, still strong outside its 10GB memory limit.