AMD Radeon 780M vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a complete sweep for the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX across the three shared benchmark tests. The most dramatic gap appears in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RX 7900 XTX scores 6841 against the Radeon 780M's 480, a delta of 1325.2%. This is not a marginal difference; it represents an order-of-magnitude separation in raw DirectX 12 rasterization throughput. The RX 7900 XTX is clearly designed for workloads where sustained frame rendering at high resolutions and detail levels is the primary objective.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 7900 XTX posts 50465 points versus 18602 for the 780M, a 171.3% advantage. OpenCL is a compute-oriented API, and this result reflects the massive difference in raw execution resources between the two parts. The RX 7900 XTX has 6144 shading units, while the 780M has 768, an 8x difference in shader count alone. The FP32 throughput figures reinforce this: the RX 7900 XTX delivers 61.39 TFLOPS, while the 780M delivers 8.909 TFLOPS. That is roughly 6.9x the floating-point performance, which aligns closely with the OpenCL delta observed.

Geekbench Vulkan shows a similar pattern: 85612 for the RX 7900 XTX versus 33683 for the 780M, a 154.2% lead. Vulkan is a low-level graphics API that can expose hardware capabilities more directly than older APIs, so this gap indicates that the RX 7900 XTX's architecture scales far better when the driver has tighter control over the hardware. The 780M is not a weak integrated part in absolute terms, its Vulkan score is higher than many discrete GPUs from previous generations, but it is operating in a different performance class entirely.

The average benchmark score in the database tells the same story: the RX 7900 XTX averages 19410 points, while the 780M averages 17588 points. The percentiles are closer than the raw scores might suggest: the RX 7900 XTX sits at the 64th percentile of all GPUs, while the 780M sits at the 61st percentile. This is because the 780M is being compared against integrated and low-end discrete parts in the database, while the RX 7900 XTX is being compared against the full spectrum including many higher-end cards. The 780M's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 560 at 17551 points (0.2% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17639 points (-0.3% delta), which shows that in the database's aggregate scoring, the 780M lands squarely in mid-range territory. The RX 7900 XTX, by contrast, sits near the NVIDIA TITAN Xp at 19177 points (1.2% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB at 19334 points (0.4% delta), a strange grouping that reflects the quirks of averaging across very different benchmark suites.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7900 XTX wins every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, so the use-case split is defined by the scale of the advantage rather than by any reversal. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7900 XTX's 1325.2% lead makes it the only viable choice for high-fidelity gaming, particularly at high resolutions where pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become limiting factors. The RX 7900 XTX has 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the 780M relies on system shared memory with bandwidth listed as system dependent. The RX 7900 XTX also has 192 ROPs versus 32 on the 780M, which directly impacts fill-rate-bound scenarios.

For compute workloads such as machine learning inference, video encoding, or scientific simulation, the RX 7900 XTX's advantage in OpenCL (171.3%) and Vulkan (154.2%) makes it the clear choice. The 780M's FP16 performance is interesting here: it delivers 8.909 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 1:1 ratio, meaning there is no dedicated half-precision boost. The RX 7900 XTX, however, delivers 122.8 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, effectively doubling its FP32 throughput when working with half-precision data. This makes the RX 7900 XTX substantially better for AI inference and any workload that can exploit FP16 arithmetic.

The 780M does have one meaningful advantage: power consumption. Its TDP is 15 W, while the RX 7900 XTX is rated at 355 W. This is not a performance win, but it defines the 780M's domain: thin-and-light laptops, compact desktops, and systems without a discrete GPU slot. The 780M is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no power connectors and a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, whereas the RX 7900 XTX is a dual-slot card requiring 2x 8-pin connectors and a 750 W suggested PSU. For users who need a GPU that runs on battery power or passive cooling, the 780M is the only option in this comparison. For anyone with a desktop chassis and a power supply capable of feeding a 355 W card, the RX 7900 XTX wins every measurable category.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs use the RDNA 3.0 architecture, which is a shared design language, but they are implemented on different process nodes and with vastly different die configurations. The RX 7900 XTX uses the Navi 31 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die. The 780M uses the Phoenix chip on a 4 nm TSMC process, with 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The transistor density tells the story of the process difference: the 780M packs 142.6 million transistors per square millimeter, while the RX 7900 XTX packs 109.1 million per square millimeter. The 4 nm node allows tighter packing, but the RX 7900 XTX compensates with a much larger die.

The memory subsystem is the most dramatic architectural divergence. The RX 7900 XTX has 24 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory, a 384-bit bus, and 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 780M has no dedicated memory at all; it relies on system shared memory, with bus width and bandwidth listed as system dependent. This means the 780M's performance can vary significantly depending on the host system's RAM speed and channel configuration. The RX 7900 XTX's fixed memory bandwidth is a critical advantage for high-resolution textures and large datasets, while the 780M is at the mercy of the platform it is integrated into.

Compute resource counts differ by roughly 8x across the board. The RX 7900 XTX has 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 192 ROPs, and 96 ray tracing cores. The 780M has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. Clock speeds tell a more nuanced story: the RX 7900 XTX has a base clock of 1929 MHz and a boost clock of 2498 MHz, while the 780M has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. The 780M's boost clock is actually higher, which reflects its lower thermal envelope and the efficiency of the 4 nm node, but the massive difference in execution units makes that clock advantage irrelevant in practice.

The RX 7900 XTX has a memory clock of 2500 MHz, translating to 20 Gbps effective, while the 780M's memory clock is listed as system shared. The RX 7900 XTX is a discrete card with a dual-slot form factor, measuring 287 mm by 110 mm by 51 mm, while the 780M is an IGP with no physical dimensions listed. The RX 7900 XTX is end-of-life and was succeeded by Navi IV, while the 780M is still active and has a successor listed as Navi III IGP. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so the API feature set is identical despite the hardware differences.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon 780M has a boost clock of 2900 MHz, while the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX has a boost clock of 2498 MHz. The 780M's higher boost clock does not translate to better performance due to its far smaller execution unit count.

Q: How much faster is the RX 7900 XTX in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RX 7900 XTX scores 6841, while the 780M scores 480, resulting in a 1325.2% advantage for the RX 7900 XTX.

Q: Does the 780M have dedicated video memory?

A: No, the 780M uses system shared memory for all graphics operations. Its memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as system shared, and bandwidth is system dependent.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two chips?

A: The 780M's Phoenix chip has a transistor density of 142.6 million per square millimeter on a 4 nm process, while the RX 7900 XTX's Navi 31 chip has 109.1 million per square millimeter on a 5 nm process. The 780M is denser per area, but the RX 7900 XTX has more total transistors at 57,700 million versus 25,390 million.

Q: What are the nearest rivals for each GPU in the database?

A: The RX 7900 XTX's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB (0.4% delta), NVIDIA Quadro K5200 (-1% delta), AMD FirePro D300 (-1.2% delta), and NVIDIA TITAN Xp (1.2% delta). The 780M's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (0.2% delta), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (-0.3% delta), AMD Radeon HD 7790 (-0.4% delta), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (0.5% delta).

Q: Which GPU has a higher FP16 throughput?

A: The RX 7900 XTX delivers 122.8 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, while the 780M delivers 8.909 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 1:1 ratio. The 780M has no dedicated half-precision boost, making the RX 7900 XTX significantly stronger for FP16 compute workloads.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX | AMD Radeon 780M |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Chip | Navi 31 | Phoenix |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 4 nm |

| Transistors | 57,700 million | 25,390 million |

| Die Size | 529 mm² | 178 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 109.1M / mm² | 142.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1929 MHz | 800 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2498 MHz | 2900 MHz |

| Memory Size | 24 GB | System Shared |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 960.0 GB/s | System Dependent |

| Shading Units | 6144 | 768 |

| TMUs | 384 | 48 |

| ROPs | 192 | 32 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 96 | 12 |

| Pixel Rate | 479.6 GPixel/s | 92.80 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 959.2 GTexel/s | 139.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 61.39 TFLOPS | 8.909 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 122.8 TFLOPS (2:1) | 8.909 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 355 W | 15 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 750 W | Not applicable |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C | Motherboard Dependent |

| Dimensions | 287 mm x 110 mm x 51 mm | Not applicable |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2022-11-02 | 2024-01-30 |

| Launch MSRP | 999 USD | Not listed |

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the RX 7900 XTX wins all three head-to-head benchmarks and offers a 1325.2% lead in DirectX 12, a 171.3% lead in OpenCL, and a 154.2% lead in Vulkan. Anyone selecting a GPU for high-end gaming, content creation, or compute workloads should choose the RX 7900 XTX, provided their system can accommodate a 355 W dual-slot card with a 750 W suggested PSU. The 780M's performance class is defined by its nearest rivals, which include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, a mid-range discrete card, but it cannot approach the RX 7900 XTX in any measured metric.

The 780M's role is different. Its 15 W TDP, IGP form factor, and system shared memory make it suitable for compact laptops and low-power desktops where installing a discrete card is impossible. The RX 7900 XTX is end-of-life, succeeded by Navi IV and released in 2022, while the 780M was released in 2024 and remains active. The 780M also has a higher boost clock (2900 MHz versus 2498 MHz) and a denser transistor layout (142.6M / mm² versus 109.1M / mm²), but these advantages do not translate into wins. The verdict is a matter of platform: the RX 7900 XTX for performance, the 780M for integration and efficiency.