AMD Radeon 740M vs AMD Radeon Vega 11 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 and AMD Radeon 740M are both integrated graphics processors from AMD, but they belong to entirely different eras and design philosophies. The Vega 11, part of the Picasso generation, relies on the older GCN 5.0 architecture built on a 12 nm process. The Radeon 740M, from the Phoenix2 chip, uses the modern RDNA 3.0 architecture on a 4 nm node. Their benchmark results reveal a fascinating split: the Vega 11 wins decisively in OpenCL, while the Radeon 740M takes a clear victory in Vulkan. This article examines the recorded data to understand what each chip does well, where it struggles, and which type of user should favor which part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database includes two direct benchmark comparisons between these IGPs: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The results show a complete reversal of fortunes depending on the API.

In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon Vega 11 scores 13,392 points, while the AMD Radeon 740M scores 10,172 points. This gives the Vega 11 a substantial 31.7% advantage. This is not a marginal difference; it is a dominant win for the older architecture. The Vega 11’s raw shading power appears to be its strength here, as its 704 shading units vastly outnumber the 740M’s 256 shading units. The Vega 11 also has 44 texture mapping units versus 16 on the 740M, and both have 8 ROPs. In a compute-heavy workload like OpenCL, which often scales with shader count, the Vega 11’s nearly threefold advantage in shading units likely drives this result.

The Geekbench Vulkan test tells the opposite story. Here, the AMD Radeon 740M scores 15,568 points, while the AMD Radeon Vega 11 scores 12,273 points. The 740M wins by 21.2%. This is a significant margin, though slightly smaller than the Vega 11’s OpenCL lead. Vulkan is a lower-level, modern graphics API, and the RDNA 3.0 architecture in the 740M is designed to excel in such environments. The 740M’s boost clock of 2800 MHz, double the Vega 11’s 1400 MHz boost, likely contributes to this win. Additionally, the 740M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Vega 11 only supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. The newer API feature set on the 740M provides a clear advantage in Vulkan-specific workloads.

Looking at the overall average benchmark scores, the Vega 11 averages 14,352 points across its three recorded tests (Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan), while the 740M averages 12,870 points across its two tests (OpenCL and Vulkan). This gives the Vega 11 a higher average, but the comparison is skewed because the Vega 11 has a Metal score (17,392) that has no counterpart in the 740M’s records. The percentile ranks place the Vega 11 at 56% of all GPUs, slightly above the 740M’s 53%. These are close positions in the global distribution, indicating both are mid-tier performers among all recorded graphics processors.

The nearest rivals in the database further contextualize these scores. The Vega 11 sits within 0.4% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (14,373), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (14,385), the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (14,315), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (14,404). This places the Vega 11 in the company of older discrete and high-end integrated parts. The 740M, meanwhile, is within 0.4% of the AMD FirePro W5100 (12,847), the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (12,831), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 (12,830), and the AMD Radeon RX 580 (12,928). Notably, the 740M’s average score is slightly below all four of these rivals, with deltas of 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.3%, and -0.4% respectively. This suggests the 740M’s average is pulled down by its weaker OpenCL result, while its Vulkan strength may not be fully reflected in the average.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, there is no single winner; each chip wins in a different API domain. The AMD Radeon Vega 11 is the clear choice for OpenCL-based workloads, offering 31.7% higher performance than the 740M in that specific test. Its higher average benchmark score (14,352 vs 12,870) and slightly better percentile rank (56% vs 53%) also indicate it is the more consistently strong performer across the tests it was subjected to. Users running compute tasks, scientific applications, or older software that relies on OpenCL should prefer the Vega 11.

The AMD Radeon 740M is the better option for Vulkan-based gaming and modern graphics applications. Its 21.2% lead in the Geekbench Vulkan test demonstrates that its architecture is better optimized for this API. The 740M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, making it more future-proof for games and applications that adopt these newer standards. Users who prioritize gaming on modern APIs should choose the 740M.

The production status also matters. The Vega 11 is end-of-life, released in 2019, while the 740M is active, released in 2024. This means the 740M is the only one of the two with ongoing support and likely driver optimizations. For new system builders, the 740M is the logical choice despite its lower OpenCL score. The Vega 11, while still competitive in compute tasks, is a legacy part. The data suggests a trade-off: raw compute throughput and average scores favor the Vega 11, while modern API performance and architectural longevity favor the 740M.

Architecture Differences

The two IGPs diverge fundamentally in their underlying designs. The Vega 11 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture, a mature design that AMD has since replaced. It is built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with a die size of 210 mm² and 4,940 million transistors. The transistor density is 23.5 million per mm². The Radeon 740M uses RDNA 3.0, AMD’s current generation architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. Its die is smaller at 137 mm², but it packs 20,900 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 152.6 million per mm². This is a massive difference: the 740M has over four times the transistors on a smaller die, indicating a far more efficient design.

The shading unit counts reflect the architectural philosophy. The Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and 8 ROPs. The 740M has only 256 shading units, 16 TMUs, and also 8 ROPs. Despite having fewer than half the shading units, the 740M achieves higher pixel and texture rates in some respects. Its pixel rate is 22.40 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the Vega 11, a doubling that comes from the higher clock speeds. The texture rate, however, is lower on the 740M at 44.80 GTexel/s versus 61.60 GTexel/s on the Vega 11, due to the lower TMU count. The FP32 throughput tells a similar story: the 740M delivers 2.867 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS for the Vega 11, despite fewer shaders, because of the much higher boost clock.

The 740M includes 4 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Vega 11. This is a major architectural addition, enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing in supported games. The Vega 11 has no such capability. The FP16 performance also differs. The Vega 11 achieves 3.942 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio versus FP32, while the 740M achieves 2.867 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio. This means the Vega 11 can double its throughput on FP16 workloads, while the 740M does not scale in this way.

Clock speeds are another major differentiator. The Vega 11 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. The 740M has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2800 MHz. The 740M’s boost clock is exactly double that of the Vega 11. This clock advantage, combined with the architectural efficiency of RDNA 3.0, explains why the 740M can outperform the Vega 11 in Vulkan despite having fewer shaders.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show several key differences between the two IGPs beyond the architecture and clocks.

• Process node: The Vega 11 is on 12 nm, while the 740M is on 4 nm.
• Foundry: The Vega 11 is made by GlobalFoundries, the 740M by TSMC.
• Transistor count: The Vega 11 has 4,940 million, the 740M has 20,900 million.
• Die size: The Vega 11 is 210 mm², the 740M is 137 mm².
• Transistor density: The Vega 11 has 23.5M / mm², the 740M has 152.6M / mm².
• Base clock: 300 MHz for the Vega 11, 800 MHz for the 740M.
• Boost clock: 1400 MHz for the Vega 11, 2800 MHz for the 740M.
• Shading units: 704 for the Vega 11, 256 for the 740M.
• TMUs: 44 for the Vega 11, 16 for the 740M.
• ROPs: Both have 8.
• Ray tracing cores: None on the Vega 11, 4 on the 740M.
• Pixel rate: 11.20 GPixel/s for the Vega 11, 22.40 GPixel/s for the 740M.
• Texture rate: 61.60 GTexel/s for the Vega 11, 44.80 GTexel/s for the 740M.
• FP32: 1.971 TFLOPS for the Vega 11, 2.867 TFLOPS for the 740M.
• FP16: 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1) for the Vega 11, 2.867 TFLOPS (1:1) for the 740M.
• TDP: 15 W for the Vega 11, 45 W for the 740M.
• Bus interface: IGP for the Vega 11, PCIe 4.0 x8 for the 740M.
• DirectX support: 12 (12_1) for the Vega 11, 12 Ultimate (12_2) for the 740M.
• Vulkan support: 1.3 for the Vega 11, 1.4 for the 740M.
• Production status: End-of-life for the Vega 11, Active for the 740M.
• Release date: 2019-09-29 for the Vega 11, 2024-01-30 for the 740M.

Both share the same memory configuration (System Shared), bus width (System Shared), bandwidth (System Dependent), slot width (IGP), power connectors (None), and display outputs (Motherboard Dependent). Neither has a launch MSRP recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 11 has an average benchmark score of 14,352, while the AMD Radeon 740M averages 12,870. The Vega 11 is 1,482 points higher on average.

Q: How much faster is the Radeon Vega 11 in OpenCL?

A: The Vega 11 scores 13,392 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 10,172 for the Radeon 740M. This represents a 31.7% advantage for the Vega 11.

Q: What is the Vulkan performance difference?

A: The Radeon 740M scores 15,568 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the Vega 11 scores 12,273. The 740M leads by 21.2% in this test.

Q: Does the Radeon 740M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the Radeon 740M has 4 ray tracing cores. The Radeon Vega 11 has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What are the clock speeds of each GPU?

A: The Vega 11 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. The Radeon 740M has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2800 MHz.

Q: Which GPU is still in production?

A: The AMD Radeon 740M is marked as Active in production, while the AMD Radeon Vega 11 is End-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 wins in the following areas based on the data:

• OpenCL compute performance: 31.7% ahead of the 740M.
• Average benchmark score: 14,352 versus 12,870.
• Percentile rank: 56% versus 53%.
• Texture fill rate: 61.60 GTexel/s versus 44.80 GTexel/s.
• FP16 throughput with 2:1 ratio: 3.942 TFLOPS versus 2.867 TFLOPS.
• Shading unit count: 704 versus 256.
• TMU count: 44 versus 16.
• Lower TDP: 15 W versus 45 W.

The AMD Radeon 740M wins in these areas:

• Vulkan performance: 21.2% ahead of the Vega 11.
• Boost clock: 2800 MHz versus 1400 MHz.
• Pixel rate: 22.40 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s.
• FP32 throughput: 2.867 TFLOPS versus 1.971 TFLOPS.
• Ray tracing cores: 4 versus none.
• DirectX 12 Ultimate support versus DirectX 12 (12_1).
• Vulkan 1.4 support versus Vulkan 1.3.
• PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface versus IGP.
• Smaller die size: 137 mm² versus 210 mm².
• Higher transistor density: 152.6M / mm² versus 23.5M / mm².
• Newer process node: 4 nm versus 12 nm.
• Active production status versus end-of-life.

For users running OpenCL-heavy applications, the Vega 11 is the clear winner. Its higher shader count and texture rate provide substantial compute throughput. For users running Vulkan-based games, the 740M is superior, offering better performance and modern feature support. The 740M’s ray tracing capability and newer API support make it the forward-looking choice. The Vega 11’s lower TDP is notable for power-sensitive systems, but its end-of-life status limits its long-term viability. The data ultimately shows two different tools for two different jobs: the Vega 11 for raw compute in legacy APIs, the 740M for modern graphics and efficiency.