AMD Radeon 780M vs AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data reveals an unusual comparison situation. The AMD Radeon 780M has three benchmark entries in the database, while the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU currently has no recorded benchmark scores. This absence of direct comparison data means the head-to-head analysis relies entirely on the 780M's measured performance against its nearest rivals, with the Z2 A GPU's expected position inferred from its architectural specifications.

The Radeon 780M posts an average benchmark score of 17,588 across its three tests. Its individual results include 480 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 18,602 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 33,683 in Geekbench Vulkan. The Vulkan score is notably strong, suggesting the RDNA 3.0 architecture handles asynchronous compute workloads efficiently. The OpenCL result confirms solid general-purpose compute performance, while the Steel Nomad score represents the more demanding modern DX12 workload.

The nearest rival data positions the 780M within a tight cluster. It sits 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551 average score), 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17,509), 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (17,639), and 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17,666). These deltas are remarkably small, placing the 780M in a performance band where discrete GPUs from different generations and vendors converge. The 780M's 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database reinforces this positioning as a mid-tier performer.

The Z2 A GPU presents a different picture entirely. With no benchmark scores recorded and a percentile ranking of 50, its theoretical position sits at the database median. The architectural data suggests significant performance differences from the 780M, but without measured scores, direct numerical comparison remains unavailable. The 780M's 8.909 TFLOPS FP32 throughput versus the Z2 A GPU's 1.638 TFLOPS represents a 5.4x difference in raw shading capability, which would translate to substantial benchmark gaps if the Z2 A GPU were tested.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs diverge at the fundamental design level. The Radeon 780M uses the Phoenix chip built on RDNA 3.0 architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The Z2 A GPU uses the Van Gogh chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process, also at TSMC. This process node difference is significant: the 4 nm node allows the 780M to pack 25,390 million transistors into a 178 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 142.6 million per mm². The Z2 A GPU's 7 nm node contains only 2,400 million transistors across a 163 mm² die, with a density of 14.7 million per mm². The 780M thus delivers roughly 10.6x the transistor count and nearly 10x the density in a slightly larger package.

The compute resource allocation differs dramatically. The 780M fields 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 32 render output units, and 12 ray tracing cores. The Z2 A GPU fields 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores. The 780M's advantages are consistent across every unit type: 1.5x the shaders, 1.5x the TMUs, 2x the ROPs, and 1.5x the RT cores. This proportional scaling suggests the architects balanced the design rather than favoring one particular pipeline stage.

Clock behavior shows an interesting inversion. The Z2 A GPU runs a higher base clock at 1000 MHz versus the 780M's 800 MHz, but the 780M boost clock reaches 2900 MHz versus 1600 MHz for the Z2 A GPU. The 780M's boost headroom of 2100 MHz above its base clock indicates aggressive power management, while the Z2 A GPU's 600 MHz boost delta suggests a more conservative frequency curve. The Z2 A GPU's memory clock is specified at 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective data rate, while the 780M uses system-shared memory with no dedicated clock specification.

Memory architecture presents a fundamental distinction. The Z2 A GPU includes 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The 780M uses system-shared memory where size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all marked as system dependent. This means the 780M's memory performance varies with the host platform, while the Z2 A GPU's dedicated memory configuration provides a fixed, predictable bandwidth figure. For workloads sensitive to memory throughput, the Z2 A GPU's dedicated 102.4 GB/s could prove more consistent, though the 780M's shared memory may access larger pools depending on system RAM.

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon 780M wins in raw compute throughput. Its 8.909 TFLOPS FP32 and matching 8.909 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1 ratio) dwarf the Z2 A GPU's 1.638 TFLOPS FP32 and 3.277 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio). The 780M's FP16 execution at full rate, rather than half rate, doubles its advantage in half-precision workloads. Pixel fill rate favors the 780M at 92.80 GPixel/s versus 25.60 GPixel/s, a 3.6x margin. Texture fill rate shows 139.2 GTexel/s versus 51.20 GTexel/s, a 2.7x advantage. These rates indicate the 780M can sustain higher resolutions and more detailed scenes without bottlenecking.

The Z2 A GPU wins on dedicated memory consistency. Its 16 GB of LPDDR5 on a 128-bit bus provides 102.4 GB/s of guaranteed bandwidth, whereas the 780M's system-shared memory bandwidth is labeled system dependent. For applications with predictable memory requirements, the Z2 A GPU's fixed allocation eliminates variability. The Z2 A GPU also has a higher base clock at 1000 MHz, which could benefit lightly threaded or latency-sensitive workloads before boost behavior engages.

The 780M's ray tracing resources outnumber the Z2 A GPU's by 1.5x, and both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 780M's PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides a defined system connection, while the Z2 A GPU's bus interface is not specified. The Z2 A GPU lists a single USB Type-C display output, while the 780M's display outputs depend on the motherboard.

FAQ

Q: How does the Radeon 780M compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The 780M's average benchmark score of 17,588 places it within 0.5% of four rivals. It is 0.2% ahead of the Radeon Pro 560, 0.5% ahead of the Radeon Pro 460, 0.3% behind the GeForce RTX 4060, and 0.4% behind the Radeon HD 7790. These small deltas indicate the 780M performs competitively with a range of discrete GPUs.

Q: What is the performance difference in FP32 compute between the two GPUs?

A: The Radeon 780M delivers 8.909 TFLOPS FP32, while the Z2 A GPU delivers 1.638 TFLOPS FP32. The 780M provides approximately 5.4x the single-precision compute throughput.

Q: Does the Z2 A GPU have any recorded benchmark scores?

A: No. The database contains no benchmark entries for the Z2 A GPU, meaning its measured performance cannot be directly compared to the 780M's recorded scores at this time.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ?

A: The Z2 A GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The 780M uses system-shared memory where size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are system dependent and not fixed specifications.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The Radeon 780M has 12 ray tracing cores, while the Z2 A GPU has 8 ray tracing cores. The 780M provides 1.5x the ray tracing hardware resources.

Q: What are the process node and transistor differences?

A: The 780M uses a 4 nm process with 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The Z2 A GPU uses a 7 nm process with 2,400 million transistors on a 163 mm² die. The 780M achieves 142.6 million transistors per mm² versus 14.7 million per mm² for the Z2 A GPU.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear separation of roles. The Radeon 780M is positioned as a higher-performance integrated GPU with measured scores in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 RT cores provide substantial compute resources, and its 8.909 TFLOPS FP32 throughput places it in a competitive band with discrete GPUs like the Radeon Pro 560, Radeon Pro 460, GeForce RTX 4060, and Radeon HD 7790, all within 0.5% of its average score.

The Z2 A GPU, with no recorded benchmarks, cannot claim any measured performance victories. Its architectural specifications suggest a more conservative design: 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, 8 RT cores, and 1.638 TFLOPS FP32. Its strengths lie in the dedicated 16 GB LPDDR5 memory with a fixed 102.4 GB/s bandwidth and the higher 1000 MHz base clock. These features may benefit use cases prioritizing predictable memory behavior over raw throughput.

The 780M is the choice for compute-intensive workloads based on measured data. The Z2 A GPU offers a defined memory subsystem and lower overall resource footprint. The 780M's 4 nm process and 25,390 million transistors indicate a more sophisticated design, while the Z2 A GPU's 2,400 million transistors on 7 nm reflects an older, less dense implementation. Both remain in active production status.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 780M | AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU |

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

| Chip | Phoenix | Van Gogh |

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | RDNA 2.0 |

| Generation | Navi III IGP (Phoenix) | Console GPU (AMD) |

| Process Node | 4 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | 25,390 million | 2,400 million |

| Die Size | 178 mm² | 163 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 142.6M / mm² | 14.7M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 800 MHz | 1000 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2900 MHz | 1600 MHz |

| Memory | System Shared | 16 GB LPDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 102.4 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 768 | 512 |

| TMUs | 48 | 32 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| RT Cores | 12 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 92.80 GPixel/s | 25.60 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 139.2 GTexel/s | 51.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 8.909 TFLOPS | 1.638 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 8.909 TFLOPS (1:1) | 3.277 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | Not specified |

| Display Outputs | Motherboard Dependent | 1x USB Type-C |

| TDP | 15 W | 15 W |

| Release Date | 2024-01-30 | 2024-12-31 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 61 | 50 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 17,588 | 0 |

Both GPUs share the same 15 W TDP, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 API support. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.