AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data for these two GPUs is strikingly asymmetrical. The AMD Radeon 860M carries two benchmark scores from the Geekbench suite: 22,759 in OpenCL and 30,043 in Vulkan. Its average benchmark score across the database is 26,401. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB, by contrast, has a much larger set of recorded results, spanning 3DMark and PassMark tests, with an average benchmark score of only 2,329.

That average score difference is enormous: the 860M’s 26,401 average is roughly 11.3 times higher than the RTX 3050 6 GB’s 2,329. However, this comparison is misleading because the two GPUs were tested under different workloads. The 860M’s scores come exclusively from Geekbench’s compute tests, while the RTX 3050 6 GB’s scores come from a mix of DirectX and compute benchmarks. The RTX 3050 6 GB’s PassMark G3D score of 10,738 and its PassMark GPU compute score of 5,192 are its strongest recorded results. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,515. The 860M has no recorded DirectX gaming benchmark scores in the database, so a direct head-to-head in gaming workloads is not possible from the data available.

Percentile rankings tell a contradictory story. The 860M sits at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, which places it well above the median. The RTX 3050 6 GB sits at only the 15th percentile. This suggests the 860M is generally the stronger performer in the database’s overall ranking. But the nearest rival data complicates that. The 860M’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (average score 26,421, delta -0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (26,331, delta 0.3%), and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary (26,553, delta -0.6%). The 860M is essentially tied with these GPUs, within a margin of about 1%. This indicates the 860M performs at a level comparable to a mainstream discrete GPU from a previous generation.

The RTX 3050 6 GB’s nearest rivals are much lower-end parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M (2,335, delta -0.3%), the NVIDIA Quadro P620 (2,339, delta -0.4%), the Intel HD Graphics 510 (2,305, delta 1%), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 550M (2,363, delta -1.4%). These are all older integrated or entry-level mobile GPUs. The RTX 3050 6 GB is within 1.4% of these parts, which suggests its average score in the database is dragged down by the inclusion of many low-score PassMark tests. Its individual scores vary widely, from 59 in PassMark DirectX 10 to 10,738 in PassMark G3D. This variance makes the average score less representative of its gaming capability.

The data indicates that the 860M wins on raw compute throughput in the recorded Geekbench tests. Its Vulkan score of 30,043 is particularly strong. The RTX 3050 6 GB has no Vulkan score recorded. The 860M’s OpenCL score of 22,759 is far above the RTX 3050 6 GB’s PassMark GPU compute score of 5,192. These are different testing methodologies, but the magnitude of the difference suggests the 860M delivers substantially higher compute performance in these specific workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon 860M has an average benchmark score of 26,401, compared to 2,329 for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in their percentile rankings?

A: The 860M ranks at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 3050 6 GB ranks at the 15th percentile.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to each GPU?

A: The 860M’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 with an average score of 26,421 and a delta of -0.1%. The RTX 3050 6 GB’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M with an average score of 2,335 and a delta of -0.3%.

Q: Does the RTX 3050 6 GB have any benchmark scores that exceed the 860M?

A: The database does not contain overlapping benchmark tests for both GPUs. The 860M only has Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores, while the RTX 3050 6 GB only has 3DMark and PassMark scores. No direct comparison on the same test is possible.

Q: What is the RTX 3050 6 GB’s best recorded benchmark score?

A: Its highest recorded score is 10,738 in PassMark G3D, followed by 5,192 in PassMark GPU compute.

Q: What is the 860M’s strongest benchmark result?

A: Its Vulkan score of 30,043 is the higher of its two recorded results, with its OpenCL score at 22,759.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon 860M is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Krackan Point chip, using the RDNA 3.5 architecture. It belongs to the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile. It is fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB is a discrete graphics card based on the GA107 chip, using the older Ampere architecture. It is built on an 8 nm process at Samsung.

The transistor counts and die sizes are only recorded for the RTX 3050 6 GB. That chip contains 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 43.5 million transistors per square millimeter. The 860M’s transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database.

Compute resources differ sharply. The 860M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, 16 raster operation units, and 8 ray tracing cores. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 2,304 shading units, 72 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 18 ray tracing cores, and 72 tensor cores. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 4.5 times as many shading units and more than double the TMUs and ROPs. The RTX 3050 6 GB also includes tensor cores, which the 860M lacks entirely.

Clock speeds are recorded differently. The 860M has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz. The RTX 3050 6 GB has a base clock of 1042 MHz and a boost clock of 1470 MHz. The 860M’s boost clock is more than double the RTX 3050 6 GB’s, but the RTX 3050 6 GB compensates with far more shading units.

Memory architecture is completely different. The 860M uses system shared memory, with a system dependent bandwidth. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 96-bit bus, delivering 168.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock for the RTX 3050 6 GB is listed as 1750 MHz, or 14 Gbps effective.

Power characteristics are also divergent. The 860M has a TDP of 15 W and is an IGP with no power connectors. The RTX 3050 6 GB has a TDP of 70 W, is a dual-slot card, and also has no power connectors, but its suggested PSU rating is 250 W.

The Verdict

The database’s recorded data points to the AMD Radeon 860M as the stronger overall performer. Its 72nd percentile ranking versus the RTX 3050 6 GB’s 15th percentile is a clear separation. Its average benchmark score of 26,401 is over eleven times higher than the RTX 3050 6 GB’s 2,329. In the compute workloads that are recorded, the 860M delivers far higher scores. Its Vulkan score of 30,043 and OpenCL score of 22,759 both dwarf the RTX 3050 6 GB’s best compute result of 5,192 in PassMark GPU compute.

Users who prioritize compute performance in OpenCL or Vulkan workloads should choose the 860M based on the data. The 860M also has a major efficiency advantage, with a 15 W TDP compared to 70 W for the RTX 3050 6 GB. The RTX 3050 6 GB’s higher shading unit count, larger memory bus, and dedicated GDDR6 memory suggest it is designed for gaming workloads, but the database does not contain any gaming benchmarks for the 860M to confirm whether the RTX 3050 6 GB actually wins in those scenarios.

The production status differs: the 860M is listed as Active, while the RTX 3050 6 GB is End-of-life. The 860M was released on 2025-02-28, and the RTX 3050 6 GB was released on 2024-02-01. The RTX 3050 6 GB has a recorded launch MSRP of 179 USD. The 860M has no recorded launch MSRP.

The data implies that the 860M is the better choice for compute-focused workloads and for systems with tight power budgets. The RTX 3050 6 GB is the only option with recorded DirectX gaming benchmarks, so users who rely on those specific tests may prefer it, but its low percentile ranking and weak average score relative to its nearest rivals suggest it is not a strong performer in the database’s overall assessment.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every recorded specification. The 860M is manufactured by AMD, uses the Krackan Point chip, and the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The RTX 3050 6 GB is manufactured by NVIDIA, uses the GA107 chip, and the Ampere architecture. The 860M is on a 4 nm process at TSMC; the RTX 3050 6 GB is on an 8 nm process at Samsung. The RTX 3050 6 GB has recorded transistor data (8,700 million, 200 mm², 43.5M / mm²), while the 860M’s is unknown.

Clock speeds: the 860M has a 600 MHz base and 3000 MHz boost. The RTX 3050 6 GB has a 1042 MHz base and 1470 MHz boost. The memory clock is recorded only for the RTX 3050 6 GB at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

Memory: the 860M uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 6 GB GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 168.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute units: the 860M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 8 RT cores. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 2,304 shading units, 72 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 18 RT cores, and 72 tensor cores.

Output rates: the 860M has 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate, 96.00 GTexel/s texture rate, and 3.072 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 47.04 GPixel/s pixel rate, 105.8 GTexel/s texture rate, and 6.774 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16.

Power: the 860M has a 15 W TDP and is an IGP. The RTX 3050 6 GB has a 70 W TDP, is dual-slot, and has a suggested PSU of 250 W. Both have no power connectors.

Bus and outputs: both use PCIe 4.0 x8. The 860M’s display outputs are portable device dependent. The RTX 3050 6 GB has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Physical dimensions are recorded only for the RTX 3050 6 GB: 242 mm length (9.5 inches) and 112 mm height (4.4 inches).

APIs are identical: both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Release dates differ: the 860M released on 2025-02-28, the RTX 3050 6 GB on 2024-02-01. The RTX 3050 6 GB has a launch MSRP of 179 USD; the 860M has none.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 860M wins decisively in compute performance based on recorded data. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 30,043 and OpenCL score of 22,759 are the only compute scores recorded for either GPU. The RTX 3050 6 GB’s PassMark GPU compute score of 5,192 is far lower. The 860M also wins on efficiency, with a 15 W TDP versus 70 W. Its 72nd percentile ranking versus the 15th percentile for the RTX 3050 6 GB is another clear win. The 860M is also the only one of the two that remains in active production.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6 GB wins on raw shading resources. It has 2,304 shading units versus 512, 72 TMUs versus 32, 32 ROPs versus 16, and 18 RT cores versus 8. It also has tensor cores, which the 860M lacks. Its FP32 throughput of 6.774 TFLOPS is more than double the 860M’s 3.072 TFLOPS. Its memory configuration is superior for gaming: 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 at 168.0 GB/s versus system shared memory. Its texture rate is higher at 105.8 GTexel/s versus 96.00 GTexel/s, though its pixel rate is slightly lower at 47.04 GPixel/s versus 48.00 GPixel/s.

The RTX 3050 6 GB is the only GPU with recorded DirectX benchmark scores. It has PassMark scores for DirectX 9 (124), DirectX 10 (59), DirectX 11 (72), and DirectX 12 (53), plus a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,515. These scores indicate it runs DirectX workloads, but its low PassMark DirectX scores suggest modest performance in those specific tests. Its best overall recorded score is 10,738 in PassMark G3D, which is a general 3D gaming benchmark.

The use-case split is clear from the data. For compute-heavy tasks like OpenCL or Vulkan workloads, the 860M is the stronger part. For systems where power consumption is critical, the 860M’s 15 W TDP is a major advantage. For users who need a discrete, dual-slot card with dedicated memory and a defined physical footprint, the RTX 3050 6 GB fits that role. Its 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 168.0 GB/s bandwidth are recorded advantages. The RTX 3050 6 GB also has defined display outputs, while the 860M’s outputs depend on the portable device.

The RTX 3050 6 GB’s nearest rivals are all older, lower-end GPUs, which indicates its recorded average score places it in a weak competitive position. The 860M’s nearest rivals include the RTX 5060, a much newer part, and the RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary, a high-end card from a previous generation. This suggests the 860M competes at a higher performance tier in the database’s scoring system.