AMD Radeon 860M vs AMD Radeon RX 9050 Comparison

The Verdict

The recorded data presents an unusual comparison: the AMD Radeon 860M is an integrated graphics processor with measurable benchmark results, while the AMD Radeon RX 9050 is a discrete card with no recorded benchmark scores in the database. The 860M holds an average benchmark score of 26401 across two tests, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. The RX 9050 holds a 50th percentile ranking, though this is based on zero recorded measurements, making any direct performance comparison impossible from the available data.

For the 860M, the data shows it sits within 1.1% of several discrete competitors. It trails the NVIDIA RTX A4000 by 1.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary by 0.6%, and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 by 0.1%. It leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 by 0.3%. These margins are effectively negligible, indicating the 860M competes at the level of entry discrete GPUs in the database's measurements.

The RX 9050 cannot be evaluated for performance. Its specification sheet indicates a much larger GPU, but without benchmark data, the database cannot confirm how that translates into real-world scores. Users seeking a card with recorded performance data would rely on the 860M's numbers. Users seeking a discrete card with dedicated memory and a higher power envelope would look to the RX 9050 based on its architecture alone, but any performance claims remain unverified.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations of AMD architecture. The 860M uses RDNA 3.5 and is built on the Krackan Point chip, part of the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile. The RX 9050 uses RDNA 4.0 and is built on the Navi 44 chip, part of the Navi IV generation within the Radeon RX 9000 series. Both are fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC, so the manufacturing node is identical.

The RX 9050 has a documented transistor count of 29,700 million on a die size of 199 mm², producing a transistor density of 149.2M per mm². The 860M's transistor count and die size are listed as unknown, so no density figure can be computed.

The 860M is an IGP, meaning it shares system memory and is designed for portable devices. The RX 9050 is a dual-slot discrete card with its own 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 860M's memory is system shared with bandwidth dependent on the host system.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 860M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, 16 render output units, and 8 ray tracing cores. The RX 9050 doubles or quadruples these counts: 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 16 ray tracing cores. Neither GPU lists tensor cores in the database.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries between the 860M and the RX 9050. The winsA and winsB fields are both zero, and the headToHeadBenchmarks array is empty. This means there are no direct comparative measurements to analyze.

However, the 860M has two recorded benchmark scores. In Geekbench OpenCL it scores 22759, and in Geekbench Vulkan it scores 30043. Its average benchmark score is 26401. These numbers give context for where the 860M stands relative to other GPUs in the database, but they cannot be compared to the RX 9050 because that card has no recorded scores.

The 860M's nearest rivals in the database are all discrete GPUs with similar average scores. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 averages 26421, which is 0.1% higher than the 860M. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary averages 26553, which is 0.6% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 averages 26683, which is 1.1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 averages 26331, which is 0.3% lower. These comparisons show the 860M performing in a tight cluster around the 26400 mark, with all deltas under 1.2%.

The RX 9050 has no rivals listed because it has no average score. The database cannot place it in a performance hierarchy until measurements are recorded.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The 860M uses the Krackan Point chip with RDNA 3.5 architecture, while the RX 9050 uses the Navi 44 chip with RDNA 4.0 architecture. The 860M belongs to the Navi III IGP generation, and the RX 9050 belongs to the Navi IV generation.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The 860M has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz. The RX 9050 has a base clock of 1330 MHz, a boost clock of 2600 MHz, and a game clock of 1920 MHz. The 860M's boost clock is 400 MHz higher than the RX 9050's boost clock, but the RX 9050's base clock is more than double the 860M's.

Memory configurations are entirely different. The 860M uses system shared memory with no dedicated size, type, bus width, or bandwidth. The RX 9050 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth and a memory clock of 2250 MHz, 18 Gbps effective.

Compute resources scale significantly. The RX 9050 has 1024 shading units versus 512 on the 860M, 64 TMUs versus 32, and 64 ROPs versus 16. Ray tracing cores double from 8 to 16. Pixel rate jumps from 48.00 GPixel/s on the 860M to 166.4 GPixel/s on the RX 9050. Texture rate jumps from 96.00 GTexel/s to 166.4 GTexel/s. FP32 compute goes from 3.072 TFLOPS to 10.65 TFLOPS, and FP16 follows the same pattern at 3.072 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 10.65 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical specifications differ. The 860M is rated at 15 W TDP, is an IGP with no power connectors, and uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. The RX 9050 is rated at 92 W TDP, is a dual-slot card with one 8-pin power connector, a suggested PSU of 250 W, and a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. Display outputs on the 860M are portable device dependent, while the RX 9050 has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 2x DisplayPort 2.1a.

Release dates differ by over a year. The 860M was released on 2025-02-28, and the RX 9050 on 2026-07-27. The 860M's predecessor is listed as Navi II IGP, while the RX 9050's predecessor is Navi III.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 860M has an average benchmark score of 26401. The AMD Radeon RX 9050 has no recorded benchmark scores, so its average is listed as 0.

Q: How does the 860M compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 860M trails the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 by 0.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary by 0.6%, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 by 1.1%. It leads the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 by 0.3%.

Q: What architecture does each GPU use?

A: The 860M uses RDNA 3.5 on the Krackan Point chip. The RX 9050 uses RDNA 4.0 on the Navi 44 chip.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The 860M uses system shared memory with no dedicated amount. The RX 9050 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the TDP ratings?

A: The 860M is rated at 15 W. The RX 9050 is rated at 92 W with a suggested PSU of 250 W.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RX 9050 has 1024 shading units. The 860M has 512 shading units.

Where Each One Wins

The 860M wins in the only measurable category: benchmark presence. It has two recorded scores, an average of 26401, and a 72nd percentile ranking. Its Vulkan score of 30043 is notably higher than its OpenCL score of 22759, suggesting the database's measurements show stronger performance under the Vulkan API. Its 15 W TDP makes it suitable for portable devices, and its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface reflects its integrated design.

The 860M also wins on boost clock, reaching 3000 MHz versus 2600 MHz on the RX 9050. It was released earlier, on 2025-02-28, giving it a longer presence in the market. Its performance cluster around the 26400 average places it alongside discrete GPUs like the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which is notable for an integrated processor.

The RX 9050 wins on every raw specification that indicates compute capability. Its FP32 throughput of 10.65 TFLOPS is over three times the 860M's 3.072 TFLOPS. Its pixel rate of 166.4 GPixel/s is more than triple the 860M's 48.00 GPixel/s. Its texture rate of 166.4 GTexel/s exceeds the 860M's 96.00 GTexel/s. It has double the shading units, double the TMUs, quadruple the ROPs, and double the ray tracing cores.

The RX 9050 wins on memory infrastructure. Its dedicated 8 GB of GDDR6 with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth is independent of host system memory, unlike the 860M's system shared configuration. Its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides a wider connection than the 860M's PCIe 4.0 x8. Its display outputs include HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 2.1a, whereas the 860M's outputs depend on the portable device.

The RX 9050 wins on power delivery and physical design. Its 92 W TDP with a 1x 8-pin power connector and 250 W suggested PSU indicates a card designed for desktop installation. Its dual-slot form factor allows for more substantial cooling than an IGP.

The database's verdict is split between measured reality and specification potential. The 860M has proven performance data. The RX 9050 has superior specifications on paper but zero recorded measurements. The transistor count of 29,700 million on the RX 9050 versus unknown on the 860M, and the die size of 199 mm² versus unknown, further separate the two. Until the RX 9050 receives benchmark entries, the 860M remains the only one of the two with verified performance in the database.