AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA L4 Comparison

AMD Radeon 860M vs NVIDIA L4

The database comparison between the AMD Radeon 860M and the NVIDIA L4 presents a stark contrast between an integrated graphics processor and a dedicated server accelerator. The AMD Radeon 860M, built on the Krackan Point chip with RDNA 3.5 architecture, is positioned as an IGP for portable devices. The NVIDIA L4, using the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, is a single-slot server solution. Their average benchmark scores, 26,401 for the AMD part and 131,072 for the NVIDIA part, indicate fundamentally different performance tiers. The recorded data shows the NVIDIA L4 holds the 95th percentile among all GPUs, while the AMD Radeon 860M sits at the 72nd percentile.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark results are decisive in favor of the NVIDIA L4. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon 860M scores 22,759, while the NVIDIA L4 achieves 140,838. This represents an 83.8% deficit for the AMD part. The gap narrows somewhat in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the AMD Radeon 860M scores 30,043 against the NVIDIA L4's 121,306, a 75.2% difference. The NVIDIA L4 wins both recorded head-to-head tests, giving it a 2-0 record in the database's direct comparison.

The scale of these differences is substantial. In OpenCL, the NVIDIA L4 delivers more than six times the score of the AMD Radeon 860M. In Vulkan, the NVIDIA L4's score is roughly four times higher. The AMD Radeon 860M's Vulkan score of 30,043 is actually higher than its OpenCL score of 22,759, suggesting a relative strength in that API, but it still falls well short of the NVIDIA part in both metrics. The 83.8% and 75.2% deltas are the largest performance gaps recorded in this comparison, and no benchmark in the database favors the AMD Radeon 860M.

The average benchmark score reinforces this hierarchy. The AMD Radeon 860M's average of 26,401 places it near rivals such as the NVIDIA GeForce MX550, which scores 26,421 with a -0.1% delta, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which scores 26,331 with a 0.3% delta. The NVIDIA L4's average of 131,072 sits near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which scores 131,938 with a -0.7% delta, and the RTX 4000 Ada Generation, which scores 135,218 with a -3.1% delta. These nearest-rival comparisons show that each product competes in a completely different performance class.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows no wins for the AMD Radeon 860M in the head-to-head comparison. Every recorded test, both OpenCL and Vulkan, goes to the NVIDIA L4. The AMD part's role is defined entirely by its integration into portable devices, not by benchmark superiority. Its performance profile is consistent with an IGP, where power constraints and thermal limits shape the design.

The NVIDIA L4 wins across both tested APIs. Its OpenCL result of 140,838 indicates strong general compute throughput, while its Vulkan result of 121,306 shows capable graphics processing. The L4's 24 GB of GDDR6 memory with 300.1 GB/s bandwidth provides a memory subsystem that the AMD Radeon 860M cannot match, since the AMD part relies on system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth. The NVIDIA L4's dedicated memory and 192-bit bus allow it to maintain high scores in memory-intensive workloads, while the AMD Radeon 860M's performance is tied to the host system's memory configuration.

For use-case analysis, the NVIDIA L4 is the clear choice for any workload that prioritizes raw compute scores. The AMD Radeon 860M, with no dedicated memory and a 15 W TDP, is designed for scenarios where the host device's portability and power efficiency take precedence over peak performance. The data does not record any workload category where the AMD part outperforms the NVIDIA part.

Architecture Differences

The architecture gap between these two GPUs is fundamental. The AMD Radeon 860M uses RDNA 3.5, part of the Navi III IGP generation for Strix Point Mobile, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA L4 uses Ada Lovelace, part of the Server Ada generation, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. Both use TSMC as the foundry, but the process nodes differ, with AMD's 4 nm offering a smaller lithography.

The NVIDIA L4's AD104 chip contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.8 million per mm². The AMD Radeon 860M's transistor count and die size are recorded as unknown in the database. The NVIDIA part also has a distinct memory architecture: 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 300.1 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 860M uses system shared memory, with its bandwidth dependent on the host system.

Compute resources differ sharply. The NVIDIA L4 has 7,424 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. The AMD Radeon 860M has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA L4 also includes 60 ray tracing cores and 240 tensor cores, while the AMD Radeon 860M has 8 ray tracing cores and no recorded tensor cores. The NVIDIA L4's pixel rate is 163.2 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 489.6 GTexel/s, compared to 48.00 GPixel/s and 96.00 GTexel/s for the AMD part.

The API support is identical for both products: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA L4 has no display outputs, reflecting its server role, while the AMD Radeon 860M's display outputs are portable device dependent, reflecting its mobile integration. Both parts are currently listed as Active in production status.

Specification Differences

Several specifications differ between the two products. The clock speeds show a notable divergence: the AMD Radeon 860M has a base clock of 600 MHz and a boost clock of 3000 MHz, while the NVIDIA L4 has a base clock of 795 MHz and a boost clock of 2040 MHz. The AMD part's boost clock is higher, but the NVIDIA part's larger compute resource count compensates.

Memory specifications are entirely different. The NVIDIA L4 has 24 GB of GDDR6 memory, a 192-bit bus width, and 300.1 GB/s bandwidth, with a memory clock of 1563 MHz and 12.5 Gbps effective. The AMD Radeon 860M has system shared memory in both size and type, with a system shared bus width and system-dependent bandwidth. This is the single most significant specification gap for workloads that rely on memory capacity or bandwidth.

The TDP differs by a wide margin. The AMD Radeon 860M is rated at 15 W, while the NVIDIA L4 is rated at 72 W. The NVIDIA L4 also lists a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the AMD part has no such figure. The slot width differs: the AMD Radeon 860M is an IGP with no slot width, while the NVIDIA L4 is single-slot. The NVIDIA L4's dimensions are 169 mm in length and 56 mm in height, while the AMD part's dimensions are not recorded.

The bus interface also differs. The AMD Radeon 860M uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the NVIDIA L4 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Neither product requires power connectors, with the AMD part listed as IGP and the NVIDIA part as single-slot with no connectors. The release dates are 2025-02-28 for the AMD Radeon 860M and 2023-03-20 for the NVIDIA L4. The predecessor and successor fields also differ: the AMD part lists Navi II IGP as predecessor and no successor, while the NVIDIA L4 lists Server Ampere as predecessor and Server Hopper as successor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA L4 has an average benchmark score of 131,072, while the AMD Radeon 860M has an average of 26,401.

Q: What is the performance gap in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The NVIDIA L4 scores 140,838 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon 860M scores 22,759, a deficit of 83.8% for the AMD part.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 860M win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The database records 0 wins for the AMD Radeon 860M and 2 wins for the NVIDIA L4 across the two head-to-head tests.

Q: How much memory does each GPU have?

A: The NVIDIA L4 has 24 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus and 300.1 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 860M uses system shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon 860M is rated at 15 W, and the NVIDIA L4 is rated at 72 W, with a suggested PSU of 250 W for the NVIDIA part.

Q: How do these GPUs compare in percentile ranking?

A: The NVIDIA L4 is in the 95th percentile among all GPUs, while the AMD Radeon 860M is in the 72nd percentile.

The Verdict

The benchmark data directs a clear choice based on workload. The NVIDIA L4 outperforms the AMD Radeon 860M in every recorded test, with a 83.8% advantage in OpenCL and a 75.2% advantage in Vulkan. Its average score of 131,072 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, while the AMD Radeon 860M's average of 26,401 places it near the NVIDIA GeForce MX550. The NVIDIA L4's 24 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory, 300.1 GB/s bandwidth, and 7,424 shading units provide a compute foundation that the AMD Radeon 860M cannot approach, given its 512 shading units and system shared memory.

The AMD Radeon 860M's role is defined by its integration. As an IGP with a 15 W TDP, it is suited for portable devices where power draw and system integration matter more than raw scores. Its 3000 MHz boost clock and 8 ray tracing cores provide some capability, but its performance ceiling is far below the NVIDIA L4. The NVIDIA L4, with its 72 W TDP, single-slot design, and no display outputs, is built for server deployments where compute density and memory capacity are the priorities. The data shows no scenario where the AMD part wins a benchmark, so the NVIDIA L4 is the correct selection for any application that requires the highest recorded scores. The AMD Radeon 860M is the only option when the requirement is an integrated GPU for a portable device, given that the NVIDIA L4 cannot serve that role.