AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Max-Q Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark database separates these two mobile graphics solutions clearly by usage profile. The AMD Radeon 860M is an integrated graphics processor built for thin-and-light laptops. Its recorded Geekbench OpenCL score of 22,759 and Vulkan score of 30,043 give it an average benchmark score of 26,401, placing it at the 72nd percentile of all GPUs in the database. That percentile figure indicates it outperforms roughly three-quarters of all recorded graphics processors, a strong result for an IGP.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Max-Q has no recorded benchmark scores in the database. Its average benchmark score sits at zero, and its percentile versus all GPUs is 50, which is the baseline median position. The absence of measured performance data means the database cannot assign it any direct wins in head-to-head comparisons. The head-to-head benchmark list is empty, and both win counters remain at zero.

The distinction between these two parts is not about raw performance parity. The 860M uses system-shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This means its real-world speed scales with the laptop's RAM configuration. The RTX 4070 Max-Q uses dedicated 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. That dedicated memory pool gives the NVIDIA part a structural advantage in memory-intensive workloads, though without recorded scores the database cannot quantify the gap.

The 860M wins in the integrated efficiency category. Its 15 W TDP is less than half of the RTX 4070 Max-Q's 35 W TDP. Both parts are classified as IGP slot width, meaning they are soldered to the motherboard rather than installed as removable cards. Neither requires external power connectors. The AMD part uses PCIe 4.0 x8, and so does the NVIDIA part.

For compute workloads, the Radeon 860M delivers 3.072 TFLOPS of FP32 and FP16 performance, with the FP16 rate at a 1:1 ratio with FP32. The RTX 4070 Max-Q delivers 11.34 TFLOPS in both FP32 and FP16, also at 1:1. The NVIDIA part's raw compute throughput is approximately 3.7 times higher in theory, but this is a specification comparison, not a measured benchmark result.

The AMD part wins on architectural efficiency. It is built on TSMC's 4 nm process, whereas the NVIDIA chip uses TSMC's 5 nm process. The 860M has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 render output units. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 4,608 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. These are large structural differences, but they do not translate into recorded wins because the NVIDIA part has no benchmark entries.

The Verdict

The database's recorded measurements point to a single clear conclusion: the AMD Radeon 860M is the only one of these two parts with verified performance data. Any user selecting between them based on measured results will find data only for the AMD side. The 860M's 72nd percentile ranking, supported by its 26,401 average score, makes it a known quantity.

The RTX 4070 Max-Q cannot be evaluated from benchmark results. Its lack of recorded scores means the database treats it as an unmeasured part. The 50th percentile baseline assigned to it is a neutral placeholder, not a performance claim. Users who prioritize verifiable data should consider the 860M.

For users who prioritize theoretical specifications, the RTX 4070 Max-Q offers substantially higher shading unit counts, texture units, ROPs, ray tracing cores, and tensor cores. Its 11.34 TFLOPS FP32 figure dwarfs the 860M's 3.072 TFLOPS. Its dedicated 8 GB GDDR6 memory with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth removes the dependency on system memory that constrains the AMD part.

The 860M suits systems where power draw is the limiting factor. Its 15 W TDP allows for fanless or low-noise designs in compact laptops. The RTX 4070 Max-Q at 35 W requires more thermal headroom but stays within the mobile IGP form factor.

The production status of both parts is listed as Active. The AMD part released on 2025-02-28, while the NVIDIA part released on 2023-01-02. The NVIDIA part has a predecessor in GeForce 30 Mobile and a successor in GeForce 50 Mobile. The AMD part's predecessor is Navi II IGP, with no successor listed.

The verdict from the data is straightforward: the 860M is the only part with measurable benchmark performance in this comparison. The RTX 4070 Max-Q remains a specification-only entry until benchmark data is recorded.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for these two parts. The winsA and winsB counters are both zero. The headToHeadBenchmarks list is empty. This means there are no direct comparison scores to walk through.

What the database does provide is the 860M's individual benchmark results. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 22,759. Its Geekbench Vulkan score is 30,043. These two scores produce an average of 26,401. The Vulkan result is about 32% higher than the OpenCL result, indicating the RDNA 3.5 architecture scales well with Vulkan's lower overhead.

The nearest rivals for the 860M provide context for its performance. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26,421, which is 0.1% higher than the 860M's average. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 scores 26,331, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26,553, which is 0.6% higher. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 scores 26,683, which is 1.1% higher. All four rivals are within 1.1% of the 860M's average score, placing them in a tight performance cluster.

The RTX 4070 Max-Q has no nearest rivals listed and no average score to compare. Its recorded data is entirely absent.

The practical takeaway from the available numbers is that the 860M sits in a competitive band with several discrete mobile and desktop GPUs. The RTX 4070 Max-Q cannot be placed in any similar band because the database has no measurements for it.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon 860M has an average benchmark score of 26,401. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Max-Q has an average benchmark score of 0, as no benchmark results are recorded for it.

Q: What is the Radeon 860M's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The 860M is at the 72nd percentile versus all GPUs in the database, meaning it outperforms roughly 72% of recorded graphics processors.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does the RTX 4070 Max-Q have?

A: The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 256.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth, delivered through 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus.

Q: What are the power draw figures for both parts?

A: The Radeon 860M has a TDP of 15 W. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has a TDP of 35 W.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 4,608 shading units. The Radeon 860M has 512 shading units.

Q: Do both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, both the Radeon 860M and the RTX 4070 Max-Q support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Architecture Differences

The Radeon 860M uses the RDNA 3.5 architecture on a chip called Krackan Point, belonging to the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile. It is built on TSMC's 4 nm process. Its transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database.

The RTX 4070 Max-Q uses the Ada Lovelace architecture on the AD106 chip, part of the GeForce 40 Mobile generation. It is built on TSMC's 5 nm process. The database records 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 121.8M per mm².

The ray tracing configurations differ substantially. The 860M has 8 RT cores. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 36 RT cores. The NVIDIA part also includes 144 tensor cores, while the AMD part has no tensor core listing.

The compute unit organization differs in scale. The 860M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 4,608 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The NVIDIA part's texture rate is 177.1 GTexel/s versus 96.00 GTexel/s for the AMD part. Pixel rates are 59.04 GPixel/s versus 48.00 GPixel/s.

The memory architecture is fundamentally different. The 860M uses system-shared memory with a system-dependent bandwidth figure. The RTX 4070 Max-Q uses dedicated GDDR6 memory with fixed specifications.

Both parts use PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interfaces. Both support the same API set: DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both have display outputs described as "Portable Device Dependent."

Specification Differences

The clock speeds differ significantly. The Radeon 860M has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has a base clock of 735 MHz and a boost clock of 1230 MHz. The AMD part's boost clock is more than double the NVIDIA part's boost clock, though the NVIDIA part compensates with far more execution units.

Memory specifications show the largest gap. The 860M has system-shared memory with a system-dependent bus width. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and a 2000 MHz memory clock running at 16 Gbps effective.

The FP32 compute figures are 3.072 TFLOPS for the 860M and 11.34 TFLOPS for the RTX 4070 Max-Q. Both run FP16 at a 1:1 ratio with FP32.

The power envelope differs by more than double. The 860M draws 15 W, while the RTX 4070 Max-Q draws 35 W. Both are IGP slot width with no power connectors.

The release dates show a two-year gap. The RTX 4070 Max-Q launched on 2023-01-02. The Radeon 860M launched on 2025-02-28.

The production status for both is Active. The RTX 4070 Max-Q has a predecessor (GeForce 30 Mobile) and a successor (GeForce 50 Mobile). The 860M has a predecessor (Navi II IGP) but no successor listed. Neither part has a launch MSRP in the database.