AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data contains a single benchmark comparison: Geekbench OpenCL. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998 points, while the AMD Radeon 860M scores 22,759 points. The delta is a decisive 57.1% advantage for the NVIDIA part, making this a substantial performance gap in raw compute throughput. When interpreting this score, the context of the two products matters greatly. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is a discrete-class GPU from NVIDIA’s GeForce 30-series, built on the Ampere architecture, and the data confirms it delivers more than double the OpenCL performance of the integrated Radeon 860M.

However, the broader database context complicates the picture. The Radeon 860M holds an average benchmark score of 26,401 across all recorded tests, which places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs in the database. The RTX 3050 A Mobile, despite its OpenCL victory, has an average benchmark score of only 8,746 and sits in the 44th percentile. This discrepancy arises because the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s benchmark suite includes multiple PassMark tests with low scores, including a DirectX 9 score of 152, a DirectX 10 score of 61, a DirectX 11 score of 94, a DirectX 12 score of 55, a G2D score of 526, a G3D score of 11,664, and a GPU compute score of 4,419. The Radeon 860M, by contrast, only has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 30,043 alongside its OpenCL result. The average score thus reflects different test sets, so the percentile gap (72 vs 44) should be read as a measure of overall standing in the database rather than a direct comparison of identical workloads.

The nearest rivals for each product reinforce this split. The Radeon 860M’s closest competitors by average score include the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26,421 (a 0.1% difference), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 at 26,331 (0.3% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary at 26,553 (0.6% higher), and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 at 26,683 (1.1% higher). These are all within a narrow band, indicating the 860M’s average score is tightly clustered with mid-range discrete GPUs. The RTX 3050 A Mobile’s nearest rivals, however, are much older or lower-tier parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 at 8,743 (0.0% difference), the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 at 8,686 (0.7% lower), the AMD Radeon R9 M265X at 8,851 (1.2% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 at 8,863 (1.3% higher). This shows the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s average score is dragged down by its PassMark results, which are far below the OpenCL figure.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench OpenCL score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998, which is 57.1% higher than the AMD Radeon 860M’s 22,759.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon 860M has an average score of 26,401, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has an average score of 8,746.

Q: How do their database percentiles compare?

A: The Radeon 860M ranks in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, whereas the RTX 3050 A Mobile ranks in the 44th percentile.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each GPU by average score?

A: The Radeon 860M’s closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 at 26,421 (0.1% lower). The RTX 3050 A Mobile’s closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 at 8,743 (0.0% difference).

Q: Does the RTX 3050 A Mobile have any PassMark results?

A: Yes, the RTX 3050 A Mobile has seven PassMark scores: DirectX 9 at 152, DirectX 10 at 61, DirectX 11 at 94, DirectX 12 at 55, G2D at 526, G3D at 11,664, and GPU compute at 4,419.

Q: Which GPU has a higher Geekbench Vulkan score?

A: The AMD Radeon 860M has a Geekbench Vulkan score of 30,043. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has no recorded Vulkan score in the database.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon 860M is built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 4 nm process node. Its chip is codenamed Krackan Point, and it belongs to the Navi III IGP generation, specifically for Strix Point Mobile. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile uses the Ampere architecture, manufactured by Samsung on an 8 nm node, with a GA106 chip from the GeForce 30 Mobile generation. The process node difference is significant: 4 nm versus 8 nm, which typically allows for higher transistor density and lower power draw, though the Radeon 860M’s transistor count and die size are listed as unknown. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, yielding a density of 43.5 million transistors per mm².

The RTX 3050 A Mobile features 1,792 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, 32 raster operation units, 14 ray tracing cores, and 56 tensor cores. The Radeon 860M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores, with no tensor cores listed. This is a fundamental architectural divergence: NVIDIA’s Ampere includes dedicated tensor cores for AI workloads, while AMD’s RDNA 3.5 relies on its compute units for similar tasks, with no equivalent hardware. The RTX 3050 A Mobile also has its own discrete memory subsystem with 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon 860M uses system shared memory, with its bandwidth dependent on the host system’s memory configuration.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The Radeon 860M has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz, which is a very high boost relative to its base. The RTX 3050 A Mobile runs at a base of 1065 MHz and a boost of 1343 MHz, with memory at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The Radeon 860M’s memory clock is listed as system shared, and its memory type and bus width are also system dependent. The pixel rate for the 860M is 48.00 GPixel/s, slightly higher than the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s 42.98 GPixel/s. The texture rate favors the 860M at 96.00 GTexel/s versus 75.21 GTexel/s. However, the FP32 compute throughput favors the RTX 3050 A Mobile: 4.813 TFLOPS versus 3.072 TFLOPS for the Radeon. Both have identical FP16 performance ratios at 1:1, with the RTX 3050 A Mobile again at 4.813 TFLOPS and the Radeon at 3.072 TFLOPS.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The Radeon 860M is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 15 W TDP, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile is also listed as an IGP slot width but carries a 45 W TDP. Neither uses external power connectors, and both use a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface. The Radeon 860M has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz; the RTX 3050 A Mobile has a base of 1065 MHz and a boost of 1343 MHz. Memory is the most stark contrast: the Radeon 860M uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The shading unit count is 512 for the Radeon versus 1,792 for the NVIDIA. TMUs are 32 versus 56, and ROPs are 16 versus 32. Ray tracing cores are 8 versus 14, and the RTX 3050 A Mobile adds 56 tensor cores, which the Radeon lacks entirely. Pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s for the AMD part and 42.98 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA part. Texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s versus 75.21 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 3.072 TFLOPS versus 4.813 TFLOPS. The production status also differs: the Radeon 860M is Active, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile is End-of-life. The release dates are also distinct, with the Radeon 860M releasing later than the RTX 3050 A Mobile. The Radeon 860M’s predecessor is Navi II IGP, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s predecessor is GeForce 20 Mobile. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by 57.1%. This indicates a clear advantage in raw OpenCL compute workloads, which often scale with shading unit count and FP32 throughput. The RTX 3050 A Mobile’s 1,792 shading units and 4.813 TFLOPS FP32 performance support this result. It also offers dedicated 4 GB GDDR6 memory with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is beneficial for memory-intensive tasks that cannot rely on pooled system memory. Its tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for AI and machine learning inference, a feature the Radeon 860M does not have.

The AMD Radeon 860M wins in several derived metrics. Its average benchmark score of 26,401 is roughly three times higher than the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s 8,746, and its 72nd percentile standing versus the 44th percentile shows it ranks much higher in the overall database. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 30,043 is not directly compared, but it is a strong result on its own. The Radeon 860M also has a higher pixel rate (48.00 GPixel/s vs 42.98 GPixel/s) and texture rate (96.00 GTexel/s vs 75.21 GTexel/s), suggesting better rasterization throughput per clock. Its 3000 MHz boost clock is more than double the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s 1343 MHz, which helps close the gap in certain workloads despite fewer shading units.

The Radeon 860M’s 4 nm process node and 15 W TDP versus the RTX 3050 A Mobile’s 8 nm node and 45 W TDP indicate a power efficiency advantage. The Radeon delivers its performance at one-third the power draw, which is critical for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermals are priorities. The RTX 3050 A Mobile, with its higher TDP and discrete memory, is better suited for sustained heavy workloads where power is available, but it requires more cooling and energy. The Radeon 860M also has an Active production status, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile is End-of-life, so the AMD part is the current product in the market.

The Verdict

The data suggests a clear split in use cases. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the choice for applications that depend on OpenCL compute, given its 57.1% lead in that specific benchmark. Its 1,792 shading units, 56 tensor cores, and 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth make it more capable for compute-heavy tasks such as rendering, scientific simulation, and AI inference. The 45 W TDP indicates it is designed for laptops that can manage higher heat output, and its 4.813 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is a significant advantage over the Radeon’s 3.072 TFLOPS. Its End-of-life status, however, means it is not a forward-looking purchase.

The AMD Radeon 860M is the better overall performer according to the database’s aggregate metrics. Its 26,401 average score and 72nd percentile rank show it competes with discrete GPUs like the MX550 and RTX 5060, while doing so at a 15 W TDP and using system shared memory. It wins on pixel rate, texture rate, and Vulkan performance, and its 4 nm process node gives it a power efficiency edge that matters in portable devices. For users who prioritize battery life, low heat, and a strong all-around GPU for daily tasks and moderate gaming, the Radeon 860M is the more balanced choice. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is a specialist for raw compute, but its low average score and poor percentile standing, driven by weak PassMark results, indicate it is not a well-rounded performer. The verdict from the recorded data is that the Radeon 860M is the superior all-purpose GPU, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile wins only in the narrow OpenCL compute domain.