AMD Radeon 680M vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data reveals a decisive split between these two AMD parts, with each claiming victories in different workloads. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT wins two of the three recorded tests, but the AMD Radeon 680M takes a significant win in one compute-oriented benchmark.

In the DirectX 12 3DMark Steel Nomad test, the RX 7900 XT scores 5623 against the 680M’s 378. That is a 93.3% difference in favor of the discrete card. This is the largest margin in the head-to-head data, and it reflects the sheer rasterization throughput difference between a dedicated flagship and an integrated processor.

The Vulkan test tells a similar story. The RX 7900 XT posts a Geekbench Vulkan score of 71068, while the 680M records 21965. The delta is 69.1% in favor of the RX 7900 XT. This result reinforces the RX 7900 XT’s advantage in modern graphics API workloads, which are common in high-end gaming and compute applications.

However, the OpenCL benchmark flips the narrative. Here, the 680M scores 23468, while the RX 7900 XT scores 12756. The 680M leads by 84%. This is a substantial win for an integrated part, indicating that the 680M’s architecture and driver stack handle OpenCL compute tasks particularly efficiently relative to its raw graphics performance.

The overall average benchmark scores reflect this mixed picture. The 680M has an average score of 15270, placing it at the 57th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15283, 0.1% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (15290, 0.1% slower), the NVIDIA RTX 3050 OEM (15199, 0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15171, 0.7% faster). The RX 7900 XT, despite its massive wins in two tests, has a lower average score of 13745 and sits at the 55th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 660M (13812, 0.5% slower), the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13821, 0.5% slower), the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13871, 0.9% slower), and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (13543, 1.5% faster). This discrepancy between peak performance and average score shows that the RX 7900 XT’s benchmark profile is heavily weighted toward graphics tests, not general compute.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural generations. The 680M is built on RDNA 2.0, using the Rembrandt+ chip, and belongs to the Navi II IGP (Rembrandt Mobile) generation. The RX 7900 XT is built on RDNA 3.0, using the Navi 31 chip, and belongs to the Navi III (RX 7000) series. The process node differs as well: the 680M uses a 6 nm process, while the RX 7900 XT uses a 5 nm process. Both are fabricated by TSMC.

The transistor counts are dramatically different. The 680M has 13,100 million transistors on a 208 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 63.0 million per mm². The RX 7900 XT has 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, with a density of 109.1 million per mm². That is a 44.5 billion transistor difference and a 46.1 million per mm² density advantage for the RX 7900 XT.

The core configurations differ by a wide margin. The 680M has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 32 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. The RX 7900 XT has 5376 shading units, 336 TMUs, 192 ROPs, and 84 ray tracing cores. In every category, the RX 7900 XT has seven times or more of the 680M’s resources.

Clock behavior also diverges. The 680M has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2200 MHz. The RX 7900 XT has a lower base clock of 1387 MHz but a higher boost of 2394 MHz, plus a game clock of 2025 MHz. The memory configuration is entirely different: the 680M uses system shared memory, meaning its size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are system dependent. The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, with 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth and a memory clock of 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective).

The RX 7900 XT also has a much higher power ceiling at 300 W TDP versus 50 W for the 680M. The 680M is an integrated GPU (IGP) with no power connectors, while the RX 7900 XT is a dual-slot card requiring two 8-pin connectors and a suggested 700 W power supply. The bus interface also differs: the 680M uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RX 7900 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7900 XT is the clear winner for DirectX 12 and Vulkan workloads. In the Steel Nomad DX12 test, it leads by 93.3%. In Vulkan, it leads by 69.1%. These results indicate that for modern gaming, ray tracing, and high-end rendering tasks that rely on heavy graphics pipeline throughput, the RX 7900 XT is the appropriate choice. Its 84 ray tracing cores, 5376 shading units, and 800.0 GB/s of dedicated memory bandwidth support this profile.

The 680M wins in OpenCL compute by a substantial 84%. This makes it the better candidate for applications that rely heavily on OpenCL-based general-purpose GPU compute, such as certain scientific workloads, video encoding tasks, or database processing that uses this API. The 680M’s 50 W power envelope and system shared memory also make it suitable for portable devices and low-power systems where the RX 7900 XT’s 300 W T. and dual-slot form factor are impractical.

The data shows a clear trade-off: the RX 7900 XT is a dedicated graphics powerhorse, while the 680M is an efficient integrated solution with a strong OpenCL showing. The 680M’s average benchmark score of 15270 is higher than the RX 7900 XT’s 13745, which means that in a mixed workload environment, the 680M may actually deliver better overall performance per benchmark. However, that average is skewed by the 680M’s strong OpenCL result and the RX 7900 XT’s relatively low OpenCL score.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 680M has an average benchmark score of 15270, while the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT has an average score of 13745. The 680M is ahead by 1525 points in this aggregate metric.

Q: What is the biggest performance difference in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest gap is in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RX 7900 XT scores 5623 against the 680M’s 378, a 93.3% difference in favor of the RX 7900 XT.

Q: Does the RX 7900 XT win every benchmark?

A: No. The 680M wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 23468 versus 12756 for the RX 7900 XT, a 84% lead. The RX 7900 XT wins the other two tests (Steel Nomad and Vulkan).

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU?

A: For the 680M, the closest rivals are the NVIDIA GTX 580 (0.1% slower), NVIDIA RTX 2060 (0.1% slower), NVIDIA RTX 3050 OEM (0.5% faster), and AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.7% faster). For the RX 7900 XT, the closest rivals are the AMD Radeon 660M (0.5% slower), NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (0.5% slower), AMD Radeon RX 570X (0.9% slower), and AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (1.5% faster).

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking?

A: The 680M ranks at the 57th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7900 XT ranks at the 55th percentile. Despite the RX 7900 XT’s massive wins in two tests, the 680M places higher in the overall distribution.

Q: What is the difference in ray tracing core count?

A: The RX 7900 XT has 84 ray tracing cores, while the 680M has 12. The RX 7900 XT has 72 more ray tracing cores.

The Verdict

The data points to two different use cases. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the superior choice for DirectX 12 and Vulkan workloads. Its 93.3% lead in Steel Nomad and 69.1% lead in Vulkan make it the obvious pick for high-end gaming, real-time ray tracing, and demanding graphics applications. It has 5376 shading units, 192 ROPs, and 84 ray tracing cores, all of which support this conclusion.

The AMD Radeon 680M is the better option for OpenCL compute. Its 84% lead in that test is the largest margin of victory in either direction. It also has a higher average benchmark score (15270 vs 13745) and a higher percentile ranking (57th vs 55th). For portable devices, integrated systems, or workloads that are OpenCL-heavy, the 680M is the data-backed choice.

The RX 7900 XT is a dedicated graphics card with a 300 W TDP, dual-slot design, and 2x 8-pin connectors, requiring a 700 W power supply. The 680M is an IGP with no power connectors and a 50 W T. The RX 7900 XT’s 20 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 320-bit bus is massively different from the 680M’s system shared memory. These are not competitors in form factor, but in benchmark terms, they meet over compute tasks.

For a user building a high-end desktop gaming rig, the RX 7900 XT is the clear winner. For a user with an integrated system or a portable device needing efficient OpenCL compute, the 680M is better. The recorded data supports both conclusions without ambiguity.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the AMD Radeon 680M and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT:

• Series: The 680M has no series, while the RX 7900 XT belongs to the Radeon RX 7000 series.
• Chip: The 680M uses Rembrandt+, the RX 7900 XT uses Navi 31.
• Architecture: The 680M is RDNA 2.0, the RX 7900 XT is RDNA 3.0.
• Codename: The 680M has none, the RX 7900 XT is codenamed Plum Bonito.
• Generation: The 680M is Navi II IGP (Rembrandt Mobile), the RX 7900 XT is Navi III (RX 7000).
• Process Node: The 680M is 6 nm, the RX 7900 XT is 5 nm.
• Transistors: The 680M has 13,100 million, the RX 7900 XT has 57,700 million.
• Die Size: The 680M is 208 mm², the RX 7900 XT is 529 mm².
• Transistor Density: The 680M is 63.0M / mm², the RX 7900 XT is 109.1M / mm².
• Base Clock: The 680M is 2000 MHz, the RX 7900 XT is 1387 MHz.
• Boost Clock: The 680M is 2200 MHz, the RX 7900 XT is 2394 MHz.
• Game Clock: The 680M has none, the RX 7900 XT is 2025 MHz.
• Memory Clock: The 680M is system shared, the RX 7900 XT is 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective).
• Memory Size: The 680M is system shared, the RX 7900 XT is 20 GB.
• Memory Type: The 680M is system shared, the RX 7900 XT is GDDR6.
• Memory Bus: The 680M is system shared, the RX 7900 XT is 320 bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: The 680M is system dependent, the RX 7900 XT is 800.0 GB/s.
• Shading Units: The 680M has 768, the RX 7900 XT has 5376.
• TMUs: The 680M has 48, the RX 7900 XT has 336.
• ROPs: The 680M has 32, the RX 7900 XT has 192.
• RT Cores: The 680M has 12, the RX 7900 XT has 84.
• Pixel Rate: The 680M is 70.40 GPixel/s, the RX 7900 XT is 459.6 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: The 680M is 105.6 GTexel/s, the RX 7900 XT is 804.4 GTexel/s.
• FP32: The 680M is 3.379 TFLOPS, the RX 7900 XT is 51.48 TFLOPS.
• FP16: The 680M is 6.758 TFLOPS (2:1), the RX 7900 XT is 103.0 TFLOPS (2:1).
• TDP: The 680M is 50 W, the RX 7900 XT is 300 W.
• Slot Width: The 680M is IGP, the RX 7900 XT is dual-slot.
• Power Connectors: The 680M has none, the RX 7900 XT has 2x 8-pin.
• Suggested PSU: The 680M has none, the RX 7900 XT is 700 W.
• Bus Interface: The 680M is PCIe 4.0 x8, the RX 7900 XT is PCIe 4.0 x16.
• Display Outputs: The 680M is portable device dependent, the RX 7900 XT has 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C.
• Production Status: The 680M is active, the RX 7900 XT is end-of-life.
• Release Date: The 680M is 2023-01-02, the RX 7900 XT is 2022-11-02.
• Predecessor: The 680M is Vega II IGP, the RX 7900 XT is Navi II.
• Successor: The 680M is Navi III IGP, the RX 7900 XT is Navi IV.
• Launch MSRP: The 680M has none, the RX 7900 XT is 899 USD.
• Dimensions: The 680M has no listed dimensions, the RX 7900 XT is 276 mm (10.9 inches) long, 110 mm (4.3 inches) high, and 51 mm (2 inches) wide.

The GPUs share the same DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 APIs. Both are manufactured by AMD and use PCIe 4.0.