AMD Radeon 8050S vs AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 and the AMD Radeon 8050S represent two distinct philosophies in mobile graphics, separated by nearly eight years of architectural evolution. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, but the underlying design choices tell a more nuanced story. The Pro Vega 64, a 2017 high-end part, dominates in raw benchmark scores, while the 8050S, a 2025 integrated solution, achieves surprising efficiency with a fraction of the power draw. The benchmark results indicate that the older discrete-class GPU holds a decisive edge in compute workloads, yet the newer chip’s feature set and power profile suggest a fundamental shift in what mobile graphics can offer.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion for pure performance: the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 is the faster GPU. Its average benchmark score of 72379 places it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon 8050S trails significantly with an average of 62108, landing in the 89th percentile. In direct head-to-head testing, the Pro Vega 64 wins both available benchmarks, with an 8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and a substantial 27% lead in Geekbench Vulkan. For users prioritizing raw compute horsepower, the Pro Vega 64 is the clear choice.

However, the Radeon 8050S is not without its merits. Its 55 W TDP is drastically lower than the Pro Vega 64’s 250 W, making it a compelling option for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermals are paramount. The 8050S also offers modern features like DirectX 12 Ultimate support and ray tracing cores, which the older GCN-based card lacks entirely. A user who values efficiency, modern API support, and portability should favor the 8050S, accepting a significant performance deficit in exchange for a much more power-frugal design. The choice is between uncompromising performance and modern, efficient engineering.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 wins decisively in raw compute and graphics throughput. Its 11.06 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 402.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth provide a substantial advantage in heavy workloads like 3D rendering, scientific simulation, and high-resolution video processing. The head-to-head Vulkan benchmark, where it leads by 27%, suggests it also holds an edge in gaming and other graphics-intensive applications that leverage this API. The data shows this is a card built for maximum throughput, not efficiency.

The AMD Radeon 8050S wins in efficiency and feature support. Its 55 W TDP is a fraction of the Pro Vega 64’s 250 W draw, making it suitable for systems without dedicated cooling solutions or large power supplies. It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which includes features like ray tracing and variable rate shading, whereas the Pro Vega 64 is limited to DirectX 12_1. The 8050S’s PCIe 5.0 interface is also twice as fast as the Pro Vega 64’s PCIe 3.0 connection, potentially reducing data transfer bottlenecks in compatible systems. This is a GPU designed for modern, power-conscious platforms.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast. The Pro Vega 64 uses the Vega 10 chip on the GCN 5.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It is a massive 495 mm² die containing 12,500 million transistors. In contrast, the Radeon 8050S uses the Strix Halo chip on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on TSMC’s 4 nm process. Its die size is 308 mm², and its transistor count is listed as unknown, but the smaller process node and newer architecture allow for significant efficiency gains.

The core configurations differ dramatically as well. The Pro Vega 64 has 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The 8050S has half the shading units (2048), half the TMUs (128), but retains 64 ROPs. The newer chip also includes 32 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the older Vega design. Clock speeds tell a similar story: the Pro Vega 64 boosts to 1350 MHz, while the 8050S boosts to 2800 MHz, more than double. This higher clock speed on the 8050S allows it to achieve similar FP32 throughput (11.47 TFLOPS vs 11.06 TFLOPS) with far fewer execution units.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 has a significantly higher average benchmark score of 72379, compared to 62108 for the AMD Radeon 8050S. The Pro Vega 64 also sits in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, while the 8050S is in the 89th.

Q: How does the power consumption compare between the two?

A: The AMD Radeon 8050S has a TDP of just 55 W, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 has a TDP of 250 W. This represents a dramatic difference in power efficiency, with the 8050S drawing less than a quarter of the power of the Pro Vega 64.

Q: Does the Radeon 8050S support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon 8050S features 32 ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 has no ray tracing cores at all, as its GCN 5.0 architecture predates this feature.

Q: What is the performance difference in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 scores 74174 in the Geekbench Vulkan test, compared to 58398 for the Radeon 8050S. This results in a 27% performance advantage for the Pro Vega 64 in this specific workload.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 has a dedicated 16 GB HBM2 memory pool with a 2048-bit bus and 402.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 8050S uses System Shared memory, meaning its bandwidth is system dependent and not specified.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a clear winner in both tested scenarios. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 scores 71094, defeating the Radeon 8050S’s score of 65818 by a margin of 8%. This is a meaningful but not overwhelming lead, suggesting that the 8050S’s higher clock speeds help it compete in general-purpose compute tasks despite having half the shading units.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a much more pronounced gap. The Pro Vega 64 achieves a score of 74174, while the 8050S manages only 58398. This 27% delta indicates that the older architecture is significantly more efficient at handling Vulkan graphics workloads. The Pro Vega 64’s higher memory bandwidth (402.4 GB/s vs system dependent) and larger memory pool likely contribute to this substantial advantage. The data shows the Pro Vega 64 wins both head-to-head benchmarks, giving it a 2-0 record in direct comparisons, while the 8050S fails to secure a single win.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every measurable specification. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 uses the Vega 10 chip on a 14 nm process, while the Radeon 8050S uses the Strix Halo chip on a 4 nm process. The Pro Vega 64 has a larger die (495 mm² vs 308 mm²) and a known transistor count of 12,500 million, whereas the 8050S’s transistor count is unknown. Clock speeds are drastically different: the Pro Vega 64 runs at a base of 1250 MHz and boosts to 1350 MHz, while the 8050S has a base of 1295 MHz and boosts to 2800 MHz.

Core counts are halved on the newer chip, with the 8050S featuring 2048 shading units and 128 TMUs compared to the Pro Vega 64’s 4096 shading units and 256 TMUs. Both have 64 ROPs, but the 8050S adds 32 ray tracing cores. Memory configurations are entirely different, with the Pro Vega 64 using 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, while the 8050S relies on System Shared memory. The Pro Vega 64 has a TDP of 250 W, while the 8050S is rated at just 55 W. The bus interface also differs, with the Pro Vega 64 using PCIe 3.0 x16 and the 8050S using PCIe 5.0 x16. Finally, API support varies, with the 8050S supporting DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, while the Pro Vega 64 is limited to DirectX 12_1 and Vulkan 1.3.