AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Max-Q Comparison

AMD Radeon 860M and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Max-Q occupy different ends of the mobile graphics spectrum, yet both are integrated into portable devices. The 860M is a 15 W IGP from AMD’s Krackan Point chip, built on a 4 nm TSMC process with RDNA 3.5 architecture. The RTX 4080 Max-Q is a 60 W mobile discrete GPU from NVIDIA’s GeForce 40-series, using the AD104 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process with Ada Lovelace architecture. The database records a single benchmark average for the 860M at 26,401, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, while the RTX 4080 Max-Q has no recorded benchmark scores and sits in the 50th percentile with an average score of 0. This creates an unusual comparison: one part is fully characterized by measurements, the other has no measured entries in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon 860M wins in the measured benchmark domain. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 22,759 and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 30,043, producing an average benchmark score of 26,401. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Max-Q has no recorded benchmark entries, so the 860M holds every quantitative win available in the database. The 860M’s percentile rank of 72 versus the RTX 4080 Max-Q’s 50 also favors the AMD part in terms of standing against all other GPUs in the database.

The RTX 4080 Max-Q wins in raw hardware capability as described by its specifications. It carries 7,424 shading units, 232 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, compared to 512, 32, and 16 for the 860M. The NVIDIA part also has 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores, while the 860M lists 8 RT cores and no tensor core count. The RTX 4080 Max-Q delivers 20.04 TFLOPS FP32 and 20.04 TFLOPS FP16, versus 3.072 TFLOPS for both precision types on the 860M. In memory, the RTX 4080 Max-Q has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the 860M uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth. Pixel rate is 108.0 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA part versus 48.00 GPixel/s for the AMD part, and texture rate is 313.2 GTexel/s versus 96.00 GTexel/s.

The use-case split follows the data. For workloads that rely on measured compute performance, the 860M is the only part with verified results. For workloads that depend on raw throughput numbers, the RTX 4080 Max-Q’s specification sheet is far ahead.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturers, process nodes, and architectural families. AMD’s 860M uses RDNA 3.5, fabricated by TSMC on a 4 nm process, and is part of the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile. NVIDIA’s RTX 4080 Max-Q uses Ada Lovelace, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process, and belongs to the GeForce 40 Mobile generation. The process node difference is small but present: 4 nm for AMD, 5 nm for NVIDIA.

The transistor and die data are only available for the NVIDIA part. The AD104 chip contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 121.8M per mm². The 860M’s transistor count and die size are listed as unknown in the database, so no direct density comparison is possible.

Shader resources differ by an order of magnitude. The 860M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has 7,424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. The NVIDIA part’s 232 tensor cores are absent from the AMD specification, which lists no tensor core count. RT core counts are 8 for the 860M and 58 for the RTX 4080 Max-Q.

Clock behavior also diverges. The 860M has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has a base clock of 795 MHz and a boost clock of 1350 MHz. Despite lower boost clocks, the NVIDIA part achieves far higher throughput due to its larger execution resource pool. Memory architecture is fundamentally different: the 860M uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth, while the RTX 4080 Max-Q uses 12 GB of GDDR6 at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed, on a 192-bit bus for 432.0 GB/s.

Power envelopes are also distinct. The 860M is rated at 15 W TDP, while the RTX 4080 Max-Q is rated at 60 W TDP. Both use no power connectors and are classified as IGP slot width, reflecting their integration into portable devices. The bus interface differs: PCIe 4.0 x8 for the AMD part, PCIe 4.0 x16 for the NVIDIA part. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 860M was released on 2025-02-28, while the RTX 4080 Max-Q was released on 2023-01-02.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries for these two GPUs, and the RTX 4080 Max-Q has an empty benchmark list. The only measured results belong to the AMD Radeon 860M. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 22,759 and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 30,043, yielding an average benchmark score of 26,401.

The 860M’s nearest rivals in the database provide useful context. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 has an average score of 26,421, which is 0.1% higher than the 860M. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average score of 26,331, which is 0.3% lower than the 860M. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26,553, 0.6% higher than the 860M, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 scores 26,683, 1.1% higher. These deltas place the 860M in a tight cluster where the largest gap to any rival is only 1.1%. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has no rivals listed and no average score, so it cannot be positioned in this manner.

The specification differences between the two parts are stark. The RTX 4080 Max-Q’s FP32 throughput of 20.04 TFLOPS is 6.5 times the 860M’s 3.072 TFLOPS. Its texture rate of 313.2 GTexel/s is 3.3 times the 860M’s 96.00 GTexel/s. Its pixel rate of 108.0 GPixel/s is 2.25 times the 860M’s 48.00 GPixel/s. Memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s versus system dependent bandwidth for the 860M cannot be expressed as a ratio, but the NVIDIA part’s dedicated GDDR6 allocation is a clear structural advantage.

Yet none of those specifications translate into recorded benchmark results for the RTX 4080 Max-Q in this database. The 860M, despite its lower raw numbers, is the only part with measured performance data, and it ranks in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. The RTX 4080 Max-Q ranks in the 50th percentile with an average score of 0, which reflects the absence of measurements rather than actual performance.

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 4080 Max-Q has an average score of 0, with no recorded benchmark entries.

Q: What are the recorded Geekbench scores for each GPU?

A: The 860M records 22,759 in Geekbench OpenCL and 30,043 in Geekbench Vulkan. The RTX 4080 Max-Q has no Geekbench scores in the database.

Q: How do the shading unit counts compare?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q has 7,424 shading units, while the 860M has 512 shading units.

Q: What memory configurations do the two GPUs use?

A: The RTX 4080 Max-Q uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 860M uses system shared memory with system dependent bandwidth.

Q: What are the TDP ratings?

A: The 860M is rated at 15 W TDP. The RTX 4080 Max-Q is rated at 60 W TDP.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

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

The Verdict

The data presents a split verdict. For measured performance, the AMD Radeon 860M is the only part with any recorded scores. Its 26,401 average places it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are within 1.1% of its average score. Any user relying on database measurements would have to choose the 860M, because the RTX 4080 Max-Q has no benchmark entries to evaluate.

For raw hardware specifications, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Max-Q dominates. It has 14.5 times the shading units, 7.25 times the RT cores, 6.5 times the FP32 throughput, and dedicated 12 GB GDDR6 memory with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. Its 60 W TDP is four times the 860M’s 15 W TDP, reflecting a much larger execution resource pool. The RTX 4080 Max-Q also uses a wider PCIe 4.0 x16 interface versus x8 for the 860M.

The release timeline shows the 860M launched on 2025-02-28, while the RTX 4080 Max-Q launched on 2023-01-02. The 860M’s predecessor is Navi II IGP, and the RTX 4080 Max-Q’s predecessor is GeForce 30 Mobile with a successor of GeForce 50 Mobile. The 860M’s production status is Active, as is the RTX 4080 Max-Q’s.

The practical choice depends on whether the analysis prioritizes recorded benchmark results or specification-derived capability. The database contains measurements only for the AMD part, and those measurements place it in the 72nd percentile. The NVIDIA part’s specifications suggest much higher throughput, but with zero recorded scores, its performance cannot be confirmed from the available data. The 860M is the verified performer in the database; the RTX 4080 Max-Q is the specification leader that remains unmeasured.