AMD Radeon 820M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains no direct benchmark scores for either the AMD Radeon 820M or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q. Both entries show an average benchmark score of 0, and the head-to-head benchmark table is empty. As a result, there are no exact frame rates, synthetic scores, or performance percentages to compare between these two parts. The absence of measured data means that any quantitative comparison must rely entirely on the architectural and specification differences recorded in the database, rather than on observed test results.

What the data does confirm is that both GPUs occupy the same percentile position relative to all GPUs, with each listed at the 50th percentile. This is a statistical placeholder rather than a measured performance ranking, since neither part has benchmark entries. The wins counter also shows zero wins for each side, which is consistent with the lack of benchmark data. The most meaningful head-to-head information available comes from the raw compute specifications, where the RTX 4090 Max-Q shows a dominant lead in every measured throughput metric. The NVIDIA part records 28.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the AMD part records 716.8 GFLOPS. That places the RTX 4090 Max-Q roughly 39 times ahead in raw floating-point throughput, though this ratio is derived from the recorded clock and shading unit counts rather than from any benchmark run.

Pixel and texture rates tell a similar story. The RTX 4090 Max-Q delivers 163.0 GPixel/s and 442.3 GTexel/s, while the Radeon 820M delivers 11.20 GPixel/s and 22.40 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA part is about 14.5 times faster in pixel fill and nearly 20 times faster in texture fill. Memory bandwidth compounds the gap: the RTX 4090 Max-Q records 576.0 GB/s from its 256 bit GDDR6 interface, whereas the Radeon 820M relies on system shared memory with bandwidth described only as "System Dependent." No exact figure exists for the AMD part's bandwidth, so the quantitative comparison stops at the recorded 576.0 GB/s versus a dependent value.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The AMD Radeon 820M uses RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on TSMC's 4 nm process, and belongs to the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile. Its chip carries the name "Krackan Point 2." The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q uses Ada Lovelace architecture, built on TSMC's 5 nm process, and belongs to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation. Its chip is AD103. Both parts are fabricated by TSMC, but the AMD part uses a smaller 4 nm node versus the 5 nm node for the NVIDIA part.

The die characteristics differ sharply. The RTX 4090 Max-Q records 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, with a transistor density of 121.1M per mm². The Radeon 820M lists its transistor count and die size as unknown, so no direct density comparison is possible. The AMD part is an integrated graphics processor, as indicated by its "IGP" slot width and "System Shared" memory configuration. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also carries an "IGP" slot width entry, which reflects its mobile integration rather than a discrete card format, but it uses dedicated 16 GB GDDR6 memory.

Ray tracing and tensor hardware separate the two designs. The Radeon 820M has 2 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so the API feature set is identical on paper. The NVIDIA part records a boost clock of 1455 MHz and a base clock of 930 MHz, while the AMD part records a boost clock of 2800 MHz and a base clock of 400 MHz. The AMD clock speeds are higher, but the NVIDIA part compensates with 9728 shading units versus 128, 304 texture mapping units versus 8, and 112 ROPs versus 4.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded specifications, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q wins in every category where a measurable comparison exists. Its FP32 throughput of 28.31 TFLOPS dwarfs the 716.8 GFLOPS of the Radeon 820M. Its texture rate of 442.3 GTexel/s overwhelms the 22.40 GTexel/s of the AMD part. Its pixel rate of 163.0 GPixel/s compares favorably to 11.20 GPixel/s. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also holds advantages in shading units (9728 vs 128), texture mapping units (304 vs 8), ROPs (112 vs 4), ray tracing cores (76 vs 2), and tensor cores (304 vs none). Memory capacity favors the NVIDIA part at 16 GB of GDDR6 versus system shared memory for the AMD part, and the bus width is 256 bit versus system shared.

The AMD Radeon 820M does hold advantages in a few specific areas. Its process node is smaller at 4 nm versus 5 nm. Its boost clock is higher at 2800 MHz versus 1455 MHz. Its base clock is lower at 400 MHz versus 930 MHz, which suggests a wider clock range. The AMD part also has a lower TDP at 15 W versus 80 W. The PCIe interface is narrower for the AMD part (PCIe 4.0 x8) compared to the NVIDIA part (PCIe 4.0 x16). Both use the same bus generation, but the NVIDIA part has double the lane width. The AMD part's memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which means it varies with the host system's memory configuration, whereas the NVIDIA part has a fixed 576.0 GB/s.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field recorded in the database. The Radeon 820M uses the Krackan Point 2 chip with RDNA 3.5 architecture, while the RTX 4090 Max-Q uses the AD103 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture. The process node is 4 nm for AMD and 5 nm for NVIDIA. Transistor count is unknown for AMD and 45,900 million for NVIDIA. Die size is unknown for AMD and 379 mm² for NVIDIA. Transistor density is not listed for AMD and 121.1M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Clocks differ as follows: base clock 400 MHz for AMD versus 930 MHz for NVIDIA, boost clock 2800 MHz for AMD versus 1455 MHz for NVIDIA. Memory is system shared for AMD versus 16 GB GDDR6 for NVIDIA. Bus width is system shared for AMD versus 256 bit for NVIDIA. Bandwidth is system dependent for AMD versus 576.0 GB/s for NVIDIA. Shading units are 128 for AMD versus 9728 for NVIDIA. Texture mapping units are 8 versus 304. ROPs are 4 versus 112. Ray tracing cores are 2 versus 76. Tensor cores are not listed for AMD versus 304 for NVIDIA. Pixel rate is 11.20 GPixel/s versus 163.0 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 22.40 GTexel/s versus 442.3 GTexel/s. FP32 is 716.8 GFLOPS versus 28.31 TFLOPS. FP16 is 716.8 GFLOPS (1:1) versus 28.31 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP is 15 W versus 80 W. The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Release dates are 2025-02-28 for AMD and 2023-01-02 for NVIDIA. The AMD predecessor is Navi II IGP, while the NVIDIA predecessor is GeForce 30 Mobile. The NVIDIA successor is GeForce 50 Mobile; the AMD successor is not listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q has 9728 shading units, while the AMD Radeon 820M has 128.

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256 bit bus with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon 820M uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

Q: How do the FP32 performance figures compare?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q records 28.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The Radeon 820M records 716.8 GFLOPS.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What are the TDP ratings?

A: The Radeon 820M has a TDP of 15 W, while the RTX 4090 Max-Q has a TDP of 80 W.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RTX 4090 Max-Q has 76 ray tracing cores. The Radeon 820M has 2.

The Verdict

The recorded data presents a clear hierarchy. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Max-Q is the substantially more capable GPU in every measured compute, memory, and feature category. Its 9728 shading units, 304 tensor cores, 76 ray tracing cores, and 28.31 TFLOPS FP32 throughput place it in an entirely different performance class from the AMD Radeon 820M. The 16 GB GDDR6 memory with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth versus system shared memory removes any ambiguity about memory-bound workloads. The RTX 4090 Max-Q also carries a wider PCIe 4.0 x16 interface versus the x8 interface on the AMD part.

The AMD Radeon 820M is defined by its integration and efficiency. Its 15 W TDP, 4 nm process node, and 2800 MHz boost clock indicate a design focused on low power consumption and compact systems. The 128 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 ROPs position it as an entry-level integrated solution. The 2 ray tracing cores provide minimal ray tracing capability, but the absence of tensor cores removes any AI acceleration hardware.

The choice between them depends entirely on the intended workload and system constraints. For applications requiring high FP32 throughput, large dedicated memory bandwidth, ray tracing, or tensor operations, the RTX 4090 Max-Q is the clear selection based on the specification data. For systems where power draw is the limiting factor, the Radeon 820M's 15 W TDP versus 80 W offers a five-fold advantage in recorded power consumption. The RTX 4090 Max-Q's higher TDP reflects its much larger compute and memory resources. The data does not include benchmark scores, so the performance gap is inferred from raw specifications rather than measured results.