AMD Radeon 8040S vs AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 8040S and the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU occupy opposite ends of the mobile graphics spectrum, and the recorded data makes that split unambiguous. The Radeon 8040S is the clear performance leader across every benchmark category where both have recorded scores. In the Passmark G3D test, the Radeon 8040S posts 10578 points, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no recorded benchmark scores in the database at all. The G2D result for the Radeon 8040S is 1052 points, a figure that reflects its integrated design and its PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface.

The Radeon 8040S also shows strength in compute workloads. Its Passmark GPU Compute score is 5138 points, and its average benchmark score sits at 2440 points. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of 0 in the database, meaning no measured results are available for direct comparison. That absence of data shapes the entire analysis: the Radeon 8040S wins every head-to-head category by default, not because the Ryzen Z2 A GPU is weak, but because no benchmark results have been recorded for it.

The use-case split comes down to what each part is designed to do. The Radeon 8040S, built on the Strix Halo chip with RDNA 3.5 architecture, targets higher-performance portable devices. It carries 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, 32 ROPs, and 16 ray tracing cores. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU, built on the Van Gogh chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, is a lower-power console-oriented GPU with 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores. The Radeon 8040S's 55 W TDP versus the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's 15 W TDP shows that the former is positioned for sustained performance, while the latter is positioned for efficiency in compact, battery-conscious designs.

In legacy DirectX workloads, the Radeon 8040S records a Passmark DirectX 9 score of 134 points and a DirectX 11 score of 80 points. Its DirectX 10 score is 48 points and DirectX 12 is 47 points. These numbers are modest in absolute terms, but they represent the only recorded data in the comparison. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no such entries, so the Radeon 8040S holds the win in every API generation from DirectX 9 through DirectX 12, plus G2D, G3D, and compute.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD graphics technology. The Radeon 8040S uses RDNA 3.5, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 308 mm². The Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses RDNA 2.0, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC with a die size of 163 mm² and 2,400 million transistors. The transistor density of the Ryzen Z2 A GPU is recorded as 14.7M per mm², while the Radeon 8040S lists its transistor count as unknown.

Clock behavior differs sharply. The Radeon 8040S has a base clock of 1295 MHz and a boost clock of 2800 MHz. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1600 MHz, with its memory clocked at 800 MHz or 6.4 Gbps effective. The Radeon 8040S's memory configuration is system shared, with bandwidth listed as system dependent, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

The compute resources scale accordingly. The Radeon 8040S delivers 5.734 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and the same 5.734 TFLOPS in FP16 at a 1:1 ratio. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU delivers 1.638 TFLOPS of FP32 and 3.277 TFLOPS of FP16 at a 2:1 ratio. Pixel and texture rates follow the same pattern: the Radeon 8040S reaches 89.60 GPixel/s and 179.2 GTexel/s, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU reaches 25.60 GPixel/s and 51.20 GTexel/s.

Ray tracing hardware is present in both parts, but with different counts. The Radeon 8040S has 16 RT cores, the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 8. Neither part lists tensor cores. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical. The Radeon 8040S uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 bus interface, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no bus interface recorded. Display output for the Ryzen Z2 A GPU is a single USB Type-C port, while the Radeon 8040S lists its display outputs as portable device dependent.

Power envelopes separate the two designs clearly. The Radeon 8040S is rated at 55 W with no power connectors and an IGP slot width. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU is rated at 15 W with no slot width or power connector data recorded. The Radeon 8040S was released on January 5, 2025, and lists Polaris Mobile as its predecessor. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU was released on December 31, 2024, with no predecessor recorded.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a straightforward conclusion. The AMD Radeon 8040S is the higher-performing part in every measurable category, delivering significantly more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, and RT cores than the Ryzen Z2 A GPU. Its 2800 MHz boost clock, 5.734 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, and 10578 G3D score place it well above the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's 1600 MHz boost and 1.638 TFLOPS. The Radeon 8040S also sits at the 17th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA GeForce 710M (0.3% ahead), Intel HD Graphics 610 (0.6% ahead), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710M (0.7% ahead), while the AMD Radeon RX 7400 sits 1.1% behind it.

The Ryzen Z2 A GPU's recorded data tells a different story. Its 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs is based on no benchmark scores, and its average benchmark score of 0 reflects that gap. Its 15 W TDP and 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory suggest a design focused on efficiency and portability, but without recorded benchmark results, the database cannot confirm its real-world performance position.

For users who need the highest available integrated graphics throughput in the database, the Radeon 8040S is the only choice with measured scores. For users who prioritize low power consumption, the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's 15 W TDP is the lower figure, but that advantage comes without any performance data to verify its capabilities. The data favors the Radeon 8040S on every recorded metric, and the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's lack of benchmark entries prevents any counterargument.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The AMD Radeon 8040S has 1024 shading units, while the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 512 shading units.

Q: What is the memory difference between the two?

A: The Radeon 8040S uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The Radeon 8040S is rated at 55 W TDP with no power connectors, and the Ryzen Z2 A GPU is rated at 15 W TDP.

Q: Do both support ray tracing?

A: Yes, both support ray tracing. The Radeon 8040S has 16 RT cores, and the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 8 RT cores.

Q: Which GPU has recorded benchmark scores?

A: Only the Radeon 8040S has recorded benchmark scores in the database. Its G3D score is 10578 points, and its GPU compute score is 5138 points. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no benchmark entries.

Q: What architectures do they use?

A: The Radeon 8040S uses RDNA 3.5 on a 4 nm process, and the Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses RDNA 2.0 on a 7 nm process.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The absence of benchmark data for the Ryzen Z2 A GPU makes the head-to-head comparison one-sided, but the available numbers still define the gap. In Passmark G3D, the Radeon 8040S scores 10578 points. That score places it at the 17th percentile among all GPUs, with its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce 710M, only 0.3% ahead at 2433 points average. The Intel HD Graphics 610 sits 0.6% ahead at 2425 points, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710M is 0.7% ahead at 2422 points. The AMD Radeon RX 7400 is 1.1% behind at 2467 points. Those rival deltas show how tightly clustered the Radeon 8040S's performance class is, despite its much larger compute resources on paper.

In Passmark GPU Compute, the Radeon 8040S records 5138 points. In G2D, it records 1052 points. Its average benchmark score across all tests is 2440 points, which lands it in the same neighborhood as the NVIDIA GeForce 710M (2433 points), Intel HD Graphics 610 (2425 points), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710M (2422 points). The Radeon RX 7400's average of 2467 points puts it slightly ahead of the Radeon 8040S by 1.1%.

The legacy DirectX results for the Radeon 8040S are 134 points in DirectX 9, 80 points in DirectX 11, 48 points in DirectX 10, and 47 points in DirectX 12. These numbers are low in absolute terms, but they are the only recorded API-specific scores in this comparison. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU's benchmark array is empty, so it cannot claim a win in any category.

The architectural gap reinforces the benchmark gap. The Radeon 8040S's FP32 throughput of 5.734 TFLOPS is 3.5 times the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's 1.638 TFLOPS. Its pixel rate of 89.60 GPixel/s is 3.5 times the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's 25.60 GPixel/s. Its texture rate of 179.2 GTexel/s is 3.5 times the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's 51.20 GTexel/s. The Radeon 8040S also has twice the shading units, twice the TMUs, twice the ROPs, and twice the RT cores of the Ryzen Z2 A GPU.

The process and power differences explain the performance split. The Radeon 8040S uses a 4 nm process with a 308 mm² die and a 55 W TDP. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses a 7 nm process with a 163 mm² die and a 15 W TDP. The Radeon 8040S's boost clock of 2800 MHz exceeds the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's 1600 MHz by a wide margin. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU does hold one advantage in the recorded data: its 16 GB of dedicated LPDDR5 memory with 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth is a fixed, known quantity, whereas the Radeon 8040S's system shared memory has bandwidth listed as system dependent. That fixed memory configuration gives the Ryzen Z2 A GPU a predictable memory environment, but it does not translate into any recorded benchmark win.

The database shows one clear performance leader. The Radeon 8040S wins every recorded benchmark category, holds a substantial lead in raw compute resources, and posts a G3D score that places it among a tight cluster of older discrete and integrated parts. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU offers a lower power draw and a dedicated memory pool, but its lack of recorded benchmark scores means the data cannot support any performance claims for it.