AMD Radeon 680M vs AMD Radeon Vega 11 Comparison

The AMD Radeon 680M is decisively the faster integrated graphics processor, leading the AMD Radeon Vega 11 by 75.2% in OpenCL and 79% in Vulkan, a gap driven by its modern RDNA 2.0 architecture and higher clock speeds. The Vega 11 remains a legacy part, sitting at the 56th percentile of all GPUs compared to the 680M’s 57th, but the raw benchmark delta leaves no contest in compute workloads.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon 680M than the AMD Radeon Vega 11 in head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The 680M wins both shared tests. It scores 23,468 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 13,392 for the Vega 11, a 75.2% advantage, and 21,965 in Geekbench Vulkan versus 12,273, a 79% lead.

Q: Which GPU has the higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The Radeon 680M ranks at the 57th percentile, while the Radeon Vega 11 sits at the 56th percentile. Despite the massive benchmark gap, their percentile positions are nearly identical, indicating both are mid-range performers in the overall GPU landscape.

Q: What are the key architectural differences between the two?

A: The 680M uses RDNA 2.0 on a 6 nm TSMC process, while the Vega 11 uses GCN 5.0 on a 12 nm GlobalFoundries process. The 680M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and features 12 ray tracing cores, whereas the Vega 11 only reaches DirectX 12 (12_1) with no ray tracing support.

Q: How do their clock speeds compare?

A: The 680M has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost clock of 2200 MHz. The Vega 11 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz, meaning the 680M runs at significantly higher frequencies across the board.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Radeon 680M has a TDP of 50 W, while the Radeon Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W. This makes the Vega 11 more power-efficient per watt, though it delivers far lower absolute performance.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The 680M packs 13,100 million transistors into a 208 mm² die, yielding 63.0M transistors per mm². The Vega 11 has 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, resulting in only 23.5M transistors per mm².

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon 680M is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 6 nm process by TSMC, and features the Rembrandt+ chip. In contrast, the AMD Radeon Vega 11 uses the older GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process by GlobalFoundries with the Picasso chip. This generational shift is the primary driver of performance differences, as RDNA 2.0 is designed for higher IPC and efficiency than the aging GCN design.

The 680M integrates 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, while the Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and only 8 ROPs. The ROP disparity is stark: the 680M delivers a pixel rate of 70.40 GPixel/s versus the Vega 11’s 11.20 GPixel/s, a 6.3x difference that heavily favors the newer part in fill-rate-bound scenarios. Texture rate also favors the 680M at 105.6 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s.

Ray tracing is exclusive to the 680M, which includes 12 dedicated RT cores; the Vega 11 has none. This makes the 680M capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing in supported titles, a feature entirely absent on the older GPU. API support also differs: the 680M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 11 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Transistor counts and densities highlight the process advantage. The 680M contains 13,100 million transistors on a 208 mm² die (63.0M / mm²), while the Vega 11 has 4,940 million transistors on a slightly larger 210 mm² die (23.5M / mm²). The 680M’s clock speeds are dramatically higher, with a 2000 MHz base and 2200 MHz boost versus the Vega 11’s 300 MHz base and 1400 MHz boost. Both share system memory with dependent bandwidth, but the 680M uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface while the Vega 11 is limited to an IGP bus interface.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 680M wins every benchmark where both are tested, making it the clear choice for compute-heavy tasks like OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. Its 75.2% OpenCL lead and 79% Vulkan lead mean it is substantially better suited for GPU-accelerated applications, modern game engines, and any workload that leverages DirectX 12 Ultimate features or ray tracing.

The AMD Radeon Vega 11’s only advantage is power consumption. With a 15 W TDP versus the 680M’s 50 W, it is the better option for ultra-low-power systems where battery life or thermal limits are paramount, and where the performance deficit is acceptable. It also has a longer production history, having launched in 2019, while the 680M launched in 2023.

For gaming, the 680M’s higher pixel rate (70.40 GPixel/s) and texture rate (105.6 GTexel/s) translate to better frame rates at higher resolutions and detail settings. The Vega 11’s 11.20 GPixel/s pixel rate is a severe bottleneck for modern titles. The 680M’s FP32 compute of 3.379 TFLOPS doubles the Vega 11’s 1.971 TFLOPS, which directly benefits physics simulations, post-processing effects, and compute shaders.

The Vega 11 does have one niche: legacy software compatibility. It supports Geekbench Metal (scoring 17,392), a test the 680M does not have listed, and its GCN architecture may have optimized drivers for older applications. However, in any shared benchmark, the 680M dominates.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ on nearly every specification that matters. The 680M uses a 6 nm TSMC process with 13,100 million transistors and a 208 mm² die, while the Vega 11 uses a 12 nm GlobalFoundries process with 4,940 million transistors and a 210 mm² die. Transistor density is 63.0M / mm² for the 680M versus 23.5M / mm² for the Vega 11.

Clock speeds are vastly different: the 680M has a 2000 MHz base and 2200 MHz boost, while the Vega 11 has a 300 MHz base and 1400 MHz boost. The 680M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs; the Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The 680M includes 12 RT cores; the Vega 11 has none.

Pixel rate is 70.40 GPixel/s for the 680M versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the Vega 11. Texture rate is 105.6 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 3.379 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 6.758 TFLOPS versus 3.942 TFLOPS (both at 2:1 ratio).

TDP is 50 W for the 680M and 15 W for the Vega 11. The 680M uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, while the Vega 11 uses an IGP interface. Display outputs are portable-device-dependent for the 680M and motherboard-dependent for the Vega 11. The 680M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4; the Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Production status is Active for the 680M and End-of-life for the Vega 11. Release dates are January 2023 for the 680M and September 2019 for the Vega 11.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two shared benchmarks show a complete sweep for the AMD Radeon 680M. In Geekbench OpenCL, the 680M scores 23,468 against the Vega 11’s 13,392, a delta of 75.2%. This is a massive margin that reflects the combined effects of higher clock speeds, more ROPs, and the RDNA 2.0 architecture’s superior compute efficiency.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the 680M scores 21,965 versus 12,273 for the Vega 11, a delta of 79%. This is the largest single-test advantage, and it underscores the 680M’s strength in modern graphics APIs. The Vega 11’s Vulkan score is actually lower than its OpenCL score, suggesting its GCN architecture handles Vulkan poorly relative to the 680M.

The 680M’s average benchmark score across all tests is 15,270, compared to the Vega 11’s 14,352. This puts the 680M within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (15,283) and RTX 2060 (15,290), and it edges out the RTX 3050 OEM by 0.5% and the RX 7600 by 0.7%. The Vega 11 sits near the GTX TITAN (14,373, -0.1%), the RX Vega 11 (14,385, -0.2%), the Intel Iris Xe MAX (14,315, 0.3%), and the GTX 965M (14,404, -0.4%). These nearest-rival comparisons show that while both are mid-pack, the 680M’s closest competitors are far more recent discrete GPUs, whereas the Vega 11 matches older or lower-tier parts.

The 680M also has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 378, a test the Vega 11 does not have listed. This further indicates the 680M’s capability in modern DirectX 12 workloads. The Vega 11’s only unique benchmark is Geekbench Metal at 17,392, which the 680M lacks, likely due to driver or platform differences.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon 680M is the unambiguous winner for any user prioritizing performance. Its 75.2% OpenCL and 79% Vulkan leads over the Vega 11 are not incremental; they represent a generational leap. The 680M is the correct choice for gaming, content creation, or any GPU-accelerated task where the 50 W TDP is acceptable. Its 12 RT cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support future-proof it for ray-traced games and next-gen APIs, while the Vega 11’s lack of RT cores and DX12_1 limit it to older titles.

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 is only viable for ultra-low-power builds where 15 W TDP is a hard constraint. Its 1.971 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 11.20 GPixel/s pixel rate are adequate for basic desktop use, legacy games, and light media playback, but it will struggle with anything modern. Its end-of-life production status and 2019 release date mean it is a legacy part with no future software optimization.

For the vast majority of users, the data supports choosing the 680M without hesitation. The 50 W TDP is higher, but the performance per watt is still superior given the 2.5x raw performance advantage in compute. The Vega 11’s 15 W TDP cannot compensate for a 79% deficit in Vulkan performance. The verdict is clear: the 680M wins on every measurable performance metric, and the Vega 11 only wins on power draw, making it a niche option for specialized low-power systems.