AMD Instinct MI300 vs AMD Radeon 890M Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the architectural generation of each GPU?

A: The AMD Instinct MI300 uses CDNA 3.0 architecture with the Aqua Vanjaram chip, while the AMD Radeon 890M uses RDNA 3.5 architecture with the Strix Point chip.

Q: How do the process nodes compare between the two?

A: The Instinct MI300 is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the Radeon 890M uses a smaller 4 nm process, also at TSMC.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The Instinct MI300 contains 153,000 million transistors on a 1017 mm² die, whereas the Radeon 890M has 34,000 million transistors on a 233 mm² die.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Instinct MI300 delivers 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth through 8192-bit HBM3 memory, while the Radeon 890M uses system shared memory with bandwidth that is system dependent.

Q: What are the shading unit counts for each?

A: The Instinct MI300 has 14,080 shading units, compared to 1,024 shading units on the Radeon 890M.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: The Radeon 890M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the Instinct MI300 reports N/A for all graphics APIs.

Architecture Differences

The Instinct MI300 and Radeon 890M are built on fundamentally different architectures that target separate use cases. The Instinct MI300 uses CDNA 3.0, AMD's compute-focused architecture for accelerators, while the Radeon 890M uses RDNA 3.5, the graphics-oriented architecture for integrated GPUs. This distinction is visible in the feature sets. The Radeon 890M includes 16 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Instinct MI300 reports no graphics API support, no display outputs, and a pixel rate of 0 MPixel/s. It is not designed to render frames; it is designed for compute workloads.

The silicon differences are substantial. The Instinct MI300 uses the Aqua Vanjaram chip on a 5 nm process with 153,000 million transistors across a 1017 mm² die. The Radeon 890M uses the Strix Point chip on a 4 nm process with 34,000 million transistors across a 233 mm² die. Transistor density is similar, 150.4M per mm² for the MI300 versus 145.9M per mm² for the 890M, but the scale is completely different. The MI300 packs roughly 4.5 times the transistors of the 890M.

Clock behavior also differs. The Instinct MI300 runs at a 1000 MHz base clock and boosts to 1700 MHz, with memory clocked at 1300 MHz for 5.2 Gbps effective. The Radeon 890M runs at a 400 MHz base clock but boosts to 2900 MHz. The 890M has a much higher boost clock, but the MI300 compensates with massive parallelism.

The memory subsystems are entirely different classes. The MI300 has 128 GB of HBM3 on an 8192-bit bus, providing 5.32 TB/s of bandwidth. The 890M has no dedicated memory; it uses system shared memory, with bus width and bandwidth both listed as system dependent. The MI300 is a discrete accelerator with 2x 8-pin power connectors and a 600 W TDP. The 890M is an integrated GPU with no power connectors and a 15 W TDP.

The bus interfaces also differ. The MI300 uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the 890M uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The 890M has display outputs that are portable device dependent, while the MI300 has no outputs at all. The production status shows the 890M as Active, while the MI300 has no production status listed.

Where Each One Wins

The data shows a clear split in usage scenarios. The Instinct MI300 wins in raw compute throughput and memory capacity. Its 47.87 TFLOPS of FP32 and FP16 performance, combined with 128 GB of HBM3 memory, positions it for data center workloads that need large datasets and high bandwidth. The 5.32 TB/s bandwidth is essential for training and inference on large models, where the 890M's system dependent memory would become a bottleneck.

The Radeon 890M wins in graphics and power efficiency. It has 32 ROPs, a 92.80 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 16 ray tracing cores, all absent or null on the MI300. The 890M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it usable for gaming and graphics applications. The MI300 reports N/A for all graphics APIs and cannot output video. The 890M also runs at 15 W, a fraction of the MI300's 600 W TDP, making it suitable for portable devices.

The 890M also wins in clock speed. Its 2900 MHz boost clock is significantly higher than the MI300's 1700 MHz boost. For single-threaded or lightly threaded graphics workloads, the 890M's higher clock and dedicated graphics pipeline deliver better responsiveness.

The MI300 wins in texture throughput. Its 1,496.0 GTexel/s texture rate is roughly 8 times the 890M's 185.6 GTexel/s. In compute-heavy tasks that stress texture units, the MI300 dominates. The MI300 also has 880 texture mapping units versus 64 on the 890M.

The 890M wins in portability. It is an IGP with no dimensions listed, no external power connectors, and no suggested PSU. The MI300 is a 267 mm long, 111 mm tall card requiring a 1000 W suggested PSU. The 890M can fit in thin laptops; the MI300 requires a server chassis.

Specification Differences

The following specification fields differ between the two GPUs:

• Chip: Aqua Vanjaram (MI300) versus Strix Point (890M)
• Architecture: CDNA 3.0 versus RDNA 3.5
• Generation: Instinct (MIx) versus Navi III IGP (Strix Point Mobile)
• Process Node: 5 nm versus 4 nm
• Transistors: 153,000 million versus 34,000 million
• Die Size: 1017 mm² versus 233 mm²
• Transistor Density: 150.4M / mm² versus 145.9M / mm²
• Base Clock: 1000 MHz versus 400 MHz
• Boost Clock: 1700 MHz versus 2900 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1300 MHz 5.2 Gbps effective versus System Shared
• Memory Size: 128 GB versus System Shared
• Memory Type: HBM3 versus System Shared
• Memory Bus Width: 8192 bit versus System Shared
• Memory Bandwidth: 5.32 TB/s versus System Dependent
• Shading Units: 14,080 versus 1,024
• TMUs: 880 versus 64
• ROPs: 0 versus 32
• RT Cores: N/A versus 16
• Pixel Rate: 0 MPixel/s versus 92.80 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 1,496.0 GTexel/s versus 185.6 GTexel/s
• FP32: 47.87 TFLOPS versus 5.939 TFLOPS
• FP16: 47.87 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 5.939 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: 600 W versus 15 W
• Slot Width: Not listed versus IGP
• Power Connectors: 2x 8-pin versus None
• Suggested PSU: 1000 W versus not listed
• Bus Interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x8
• Display Outputs: No outputs versus Portable Device Dependent
• DirectX Support: N/A versus 12 Ultimate (12_2)
• OpenGL Support: N/A versus 4.6
• Vulkan Support: N/A versus 1.4
• Dimensions: 267 mm x 111 mm versus not listed
• Release Date: 2023-01-03 versus 2024-07-14
• Predecessor: Radeon Instinct versus Navi II IGP
• Production Status: Not listed versus Active

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark array between the two GPUs is empty. No direct comparative tests were recorded in the database. However, the available benchmark data for each GPU allows for an indirect comparison based on their individual scores and percentile placements.

The Instinct MI300 has an average benchmark score of 0 and a percentile rank of 50 among all GPUs. It has no individual benchmark entries in the database. The Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9,210 and a percentile rank of 45. The 890M has ten recorded benchmark results.

The 890M's best scores come from compute and graphics tests. In Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 40,808. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 37,254. These results show strong compute performance for an integrated part, likely driven by its 2,900 MHz boost clock and 1,024 shading units. In Passmark G3D, the 890M scores 8,076, which is a solid result for an IGP. Its Passmark G2D score is 979, indicating moderate 2D performance.

The 890M's nearest rivals in the database provide context. The AMD Radeon Vega 8 has an average score of 9,221, which is 0.1% above the 890M. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 scores 9,273, 0.7% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 scores 9,294, 0.9% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M scores 9,302, 1% higher. The 890M trails all four rivals by less than one percent in each case, placing it in a tight cluster around the 9,200 to 9,300 mark.

The MI300's absence of benchmark data means its wins cannot be quantified from recorded tests. Its specification sheet, however, indicates where it would dominate. The FP32 throughput of 47.87 TFLOPS is roughly 8 times the 890M's 5.939 TFLOPS. The texture rate of 1,496.0 GTexel/s is approximately 8 times the 890M's 185.6 GTexel/s. Memory bandwidth of 5.32 TB/s versus system dependent memory is not directly comparable but is orders of magnitude higher in practice.

The MI300's 14,080 shading units are nearly 14 times the 890M's 1,024. The 880 TMUs are almost 14 times the 890M's 64. These ratios indicate the MI300 would win decisively in any compute-bound benchmark that scales with shading units or texture units. The 890M would win in graphics-specific tests, as the MI300 has no pixel rate, no ROPs, and no graphics API support.

The 890M's 92.80 GPixel/s pixel rate is a clear differentiator. The MI300 reports 0 MPixel/s. Any rasterization test would favor the 890M by virtue of the MI300 being unable to render. The 890M also has 16 ray tracing cores, which the MI300 lacks entirely. DirectX 12 Ultimate support on the 890M enables modern graphics features that the MI300 cannot access.

The percentile rankings place both GPUs in the middle of the database. The MI300 sits at the 50th percentile, and the 890M sits at the 45th percentile. These positions reflect the database's inclusion of both data center accelerators and consumer graphics parts, so the rankings do not directly compare the two against identical workloads. The MI300's 50th percentile with no benchmark scores is a placeholder based on its specifications, while the 890M's 45th percentile is derived from actual recorded tests.

In summary, the recorded data shows the 890M as a functional, tested graphics part with a narrow margin behind its nearest rivals. The MI300 has no recorded test scores, but its specifications indicate a compute accelerator with dramatically higher throughput in shading, texturing, and memory bandwidth, at the cost of no graphics output and substantially higher power consumption.