GPU Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile and AMD Radeon 740M represent two fundamentally different approaches to mobile graphics: one is a dedicated workstation GPU built for sustained professional workloads, the other an integrated solution designed for efficiency and everyday use. The benchmark data reveals a stark performance gap, but the story is more nuanced when considering the architectural and specification differences that define each part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data is unambiguous. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile scores 56,518 against the AMD Radeon 740M’s 10,172. That is a 455.6% advantage for the NVIDIA part, a lead of roughly 5.5x in raw compute throughput. This is not a marginal victory; it is a generational chasm in performance for compute-heavy tasks.

The Vulkan results tell a similar story, though the gap narrows slightly. The RTX A2000 Mobile posts 53,146 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the Radeon 740M manages 15,568. The delta here is 241.4%, meaning the NVIDIA GPU is about 3.4x faster. Vulkan’s lower-level API overhead can sometimes favor integrated GPUs with shared memory, but the A2000’s dedicated hardware and higher shader count overwhelm that advantage.

Looking at the broader benchmark context, the RTX A2000 Mobile’s average benchmark score is 13,821, placing it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 660M at 13,812 (a 0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT at 13,745 (a 0.6% delta). This means the A2000 Mobile sits in a performance cluster where tiny percentage differences separate it from both an integrated Radeon and a flagship desktop part, an odd grouping that reflects the mixed workloads in the average score.

The Radeon 740M’s average is 12,870, good for the 53rd percentile. Its nearest rival is the AMD FirePro W5100 at 12,847 (a 0.2% delta), followed by the Radeon Pro 455 and GeForce GTX 590, both at 0.3% deltas. The 740M is essentially tied with those older discrete GPUs, suggesting that while it is far behind the A2000, it still delivers respectable compute for an integrated part.

The Passmark suite offers further detail on the A2000’s strengths. In Passmark DirectX 9, it scores 115; in DirectX 10, 57; DirectX 11, 68; and DirectX 12, 47. Passmark G2D is 491, G3D is 9,611, and GPU compute is 4,334. These numbers show a GPU that handles legacy APIs well but scales modestly with newer ones, a pattern typical of workstation-oriented parts where driver optimizations prioritize stability over raw gaming performance.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is stark. The RTX A2000 Mobile uses the GA107 chip on a Samsung 8 nm process, packing 8,700 million transistors into a 200 mm² die. That yields a transistor density of 43.5M per mm². The architecture is Ampere, a design that has been end-of-life since its 2021 release.

The Radeon 740M, by contrast, is built on the Phoenix2 chip using TSMC’s 4 nm process. It crams 20,900 million transistors into a 137 mm² die, a density of 152.6M per mm², which is 3.5x higher than the NVIDIA part. This is RDNA 3.0 architecture, and it is still in active production as of its January 2024 release.

The transistor count difference is revealing. The AMD chip has 2.4x more transistors than the NVIDIA chip, yet it delivers far less performance in the head-to-head tests. This suggests that the 740M’s transistor budget is consumed by the integrated nature of the design, sharing the die with CPU cores, memory controllers, and other system components, whereas the A2000 Mobile’s dedicated GPU can devote all its resources to graphics and compute.

Clock speeds also diverge dramatically. The A2000 Mobile runs at a 1215 MHz base and 1687 MHz boost, while the 740M operates at an 800 MHz base and 2800 MHz boost. The AMD part’s boost clock is 66% higher, yet it still loses decisively in compute. This underscores that raw clock speed cannot compensate for a 10x difference in shading units.

The memory architectures are fundamentally incompatible. The A2000 Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 740M uses System Shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is "System Dependent", a variable that depends entirely on the host laptop’s RAM configuration. The NVIDIA part’s dedicated memory is a fixed resource with predictable performance; the AMD part’s is a moving target.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile wins every benchmark in the head-to-head comparison. It is the clear choice for any workload that demands consistent, high-throughput compute: 3D rendering, scientific simulation, video encoding, or CAD work. Its 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 48 ROPs provide the raw hardware needed for sustained professional tasks. The 8.637 TFLOPS FP32 performance is more than triple the 740M’s 2.867 TFLOPS.

The 740M’s wins are not in performance but in efficiency and integration. Its 45 W TDP is less than half the A2000’s 95 W, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermals matter more than absolute speed. The 4 nm process and high transistor density suggest a modern design that can punch above its weight in specific scenarios, but the data shows it remains a generation behind in raw capability.

The A2000 Mobile’s 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores give it hardware acceleration for ray tracing and AI workloads, features the 740M lacks entirely, as it has no tensor core equivalent. For users running AI inference or ray-traced visualization, the NVIDIA part is not just faster; it is the only option with dedicated hardware.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measurable specification. The A2000 Mobile has 2560 shading units versus the 740M’s 256, a 10x difference. TMUs are 80 versus 16, and ROPs are 48 versus 8. The RT core count is 20 versus 4. The A2000 has 80 tensor cores; the 740M has none.

Pixel rate favors the NVIDIA part at 80.98 GPixel/s versus 22.40 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 135.0 GTexel/s against 44.80 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 performance are both 8.637 TFLOPS on the A2000, while the 740M manages 2.867 TFLOPS in both.

Memory is where the designs diverge most. The A2000 uses 4 GB GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 740M uses System Shared memory with a System Shared bus width and System Dependent bandwidth. The A2000’s memory clock is 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective); the 740M’s is simply "System Shared."

The bus interface differs: PCIe 4.0 x16 for the A2000 versus PCIe 4.0 x8 for the 740M. Both are IGP slot width with no power connectors. Display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent" for NVIDIA and "Motherboard Dependent" for AMD, reflecting their different integration paths.

Production status separates them: the A2000 is end-of-life, while the 740M is active. The NVIDIA part’s predecessor is Quadro Turing-M, and its successor is Ada-MW. The AMD part’s predecessor is Navi II IGP, and its successor is Navi III IGP.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile scores 56,518 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 455.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 740M’s 10,172. This is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head tests.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 740M have any performance advantage?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the RTX A2000 Mobile wins both available tests, Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The 740M has no benchmark wins in the comparison.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The RTX A2000 Mobile averages 13,821, sitting between the AMD Radeon RX 570X (13,871, a -0.4% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT (13,745, a 0.6% delta). The Radeon 740M averages 12,870, essentially tied with the AMD FirePro W5100 (12,847, a 0.2% delta).

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The RTX A2000 Mobile has a 95 W TDP, while the Radeon 740M is rated at 45 W. This makes the AMD part more suitable for power-constrained systems despite its lower performance.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Yes. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The API feature sets are identical, though the actual performance under those APIs differs significantly.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX A2000 Mobile has 2560 shading units, which is 10x the Radeon 740M’s 256. This explains the large compute performance gap despite the AMD part’s higher boost clock.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion: the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile is the superior performer in every measurable benchmark. Its 455.6% OpenCL lead and 241.4% Vulkan lead make it the only choice for professionals who need maximum compute throughput in a mobile workstation. The dedicated 4 GB GDDR6 memory with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth ensures predictable performance, and the 80 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for AI workloads that the 740M cannot match.

The AMD Radeon 740M, however, is not without its place. Its 45 W TDP is less than half the A2000’s, and its 4 nm process with 152.6M transistors per mm² represents a modern, efficient design. For users who prioritize battery life and portability over raw performance, and who run lighter workloads that do not stress the GPU, the 740M is a reasonable integrated option. Its 53rd percentile ranking and near-ties with older discrete GPUs like the FirePro W5100 show it is no slouch for integrated graphics.

The choice comes down to the workload. If the task requires sustained compute, ray tracing, or tensor operations, the RTX A2000 Mobile is the only viable option. If the priority is efficiency and the GPU is a secondary consideration, the Radeon 740M’s lower power draw and active production status make it a forward-looking choice. The benchmarks do not lie: one is a professional tool, the other an efficient companion.