AMD Radeon 890M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon 890M and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile are two very different approaches to mobile graphics, and the benchmark data reflects that split clearly. The NVIDIA part wins the vast majority of head-to-head tests, but the AMD integrated graphics chip posts a decisive victory in one specific area that reveals its distinct design philosophy. The data shows a 7-to-1 win split in favor of the GeForce, but the single AMD win is the largest margin of any test, making the comparison more nuanced than a simple tally.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile dominates the compute and 3D rendering workloads. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA part scores 52998 against the AMD Radeon 890M's 37254, a 29.7% advantage. This is a substantial lead in raw compute throughput, and it sets the tone for the rest of the comparison. The gap narrows somewhat in Passmark's GPU Compute test, where the NVIDIA part wins 4419 to 4157, a much smaller 5.9% margin. This suggests that while the NVIDIA architecture has a clear edge in general compute, the AMD chip is not far behind in specific compute-oriented tasks.

DirectX legacy performance is another area of complete NVIDIA dominance, though the margins vary by API version. In Passmark DirectX 9, the GeForce scores 152 versus the Radeon's 97, a 36.2% lead. The DirectX 10 test shows an even larger disparity, with NVIDIA winning 61 to 33, a 45.9% margin — the second-largest gap in the entire comparison. DirectX 11 is closer, with NVIDIA ahead 94 to 73, a 22.3% difference, while DirectX 12 sees NVIDIA win 55 to 37, a 32.7% margin. The pattern is consistent: the NVIDIA part is faster across every legacy DirectX workload, but the relative performance gap varies significantly depending on the API generation.

The most important gaming-oriented metric, Passmark G3D, also goes to NVIDIA. The GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 11664, while the Radeon 890M manages 8076. This 30.8% deficit is a decisive loss for the AMD integrated graphics part in the overall 3D performance ranking. This single score is the primary driver of the overall benchmark average, and it places the NVIDIA part in a different performance tier for gaming workloads.

However, the AMD Radeon 890M has one clear triumph: the Passmark G2D test. Here, the AMD part scores 979, while the NVIDIA part manages only 526. This is an 86.1% advantage for AMD, the largest delta of any test in the entire comparison. This is a massive win and indicates that the Radeon 890M's 2D graphics engine, likely tied to its role as an integrated graphics processor, is significantly more efficient at traditional desktop and interface rendering tasks. The NVIDIA part's lower score suggests its 2D performance is not a primary focus, likely because it is designed primarily for discrete 3D workloads.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for most users: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile. It wins seven out of eight head-to-head benchmarks, including the crucial Passmark G3D test that typically correlates with gaming performance. Its 30.8% lead in G3D, combined with wins in every DirectX test and a 29.7% lead in OpenCL, makes it the superior choice for any workload that relies on 3D rendering, modern game APIs, or general-purpose GPU compute. The NVIDIA part also sits at the 44th percentile of all GPUs, just one point below the AMD part's 45th percentile, but its average benchmark score of 8746 is higher than the Radeon 890M's 9210 average is misleading; the NVIDIA part's wins are in the tests that matter more for demanding applications.

The Radeon 890M is not without its merits, but they are specific. Its 86.1% lead in the Passmark G2D test is a massive advantage for 2D desktop workloads. This makes it a better choice for productivity tasks that involve heavy 2D interface rendering, such as complex spreadsheets, high-resolution photo editing in a 2D context, or software development environments with dense text and UI elements. The AMD part's 45th percentile ranking, which is actually one point higher than the NVIDIA part's 44th, is likely buoyed by this exceptional G2D score. Users who prioritize pure 2D interface responsiveness over 3D performance will find the Radeon 890M to be the stronger option.

For anyone planning to game, render 3D scenes, or run GPU-accelerated compute tasks, the choice is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the superior part. The AMD Radeon 890M is a capable integrated solution that wins decisively in 2D, but it cannot match the discrete NVIDIA part in the 3D and compute workloads that define modern graphics performance.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The AMD Radeon 890M uses the RDNA 3.5 architecture on a 4 nm process from TSMC, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile uses the older Ampere architecture on Samsung's 8 nm node. This process difference is significant; the AMD chip packs 34,000 million transistors into a 233 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 145.9M per mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA chip has only 12,000 million transistors on a larger 276 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 43.5M per mm². The AMD part's modern node allows for a far more compact and dense design.

The compute configurations are starkly different. The AMD Radeon 890M features 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. It also includes 16 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, on the other hand, has 1792 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, along with 14 ray tracing cores and 56 tensor cores. The NVIDIA part has significantly more shading units, but the AMD part has more TMUs and RT cores. The AMD chip also runs at a much higher boost clock of 2900 MHz compared to the NVIDIA part's 1343 MHz, which helps it achieve a higher FP32 throughput of 5.939 TFLOPS versus the NVIDIA part's 4.813 TFLOPS. The AMD part also has a higher pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s and texture rate of 185.6 GTexel/s compared to the NVIDIA part's 42.98 GPixel/s and 75.21 GTexel/s.

Memory is another major differentiator. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has a dedicated 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 890M, being an integrated graphics processor, uses system shared memory, with its bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a fundamental architectural difference: the NVIDIA part has its own fast, dedicated memory, while the AMD part must share system memory bandwidth with the CPU.

The power envelopes are also very different. The AMD Radeon 890M has a TDP of just 15 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has a TDP of 45 W. This threefold difference in power consumption is a direct consequence of the NVIDIA part being a discrete GPU with dedicated memory, while the AMD part is an integrated solution. The AMD part is also built on a more efficient 4 nm process, which contributes to its lower power draw. The NVIDIA part is marked as end-of-life, while the AMD part is active, and the NVIDIA part was released in late 2023, while the AMD part was released in mid-2024.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 52998, which is 29.7% higher than the AMD Radeon 890M's score of 37254. However, the AMD part has a higher theoretical FP32 throughput at 5.939 TFLOPS versus 4.813 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA part.

Q: How do they compare in 3D gaming performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is decisively ahead, scoring 11664 in the Passmark G3D test compared to the AMD Radeon 890M's 8076, a 30.8% difference. The NVIDIA part also wins all DirectX tests, with margins ranging from 22.3% in DirectX 11 to 45.9% in DirectX 10.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 890M better at anything?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon 890M wins the Passmark G2D test by a huge margin, scoring 979 versus the NVIDIA part's 526, an 86.1% advantage. This indicates significantly better 2D desktop and interface rendering performance.

Q: What are the key memory differences?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon 890M uses system shared memory, with bandwidth that is system-dependent.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M has a TDP of 15 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has a TDP of 45 W, making the AMD part much more power-efficient.

Q: Which GPU has a higher overall benchmark average?

A: The AMD Radeon 890M has a higher average benchmark score of 9210, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile averages 8746. This average is skewed by the AMD part's massive G2D win.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is the clear winner for any task involving 3D graphics. Its 30.8% lead in the Passmark G3D test makes it the obvious choice for gaming, 3D modeling, and any application that uses DirectX 9, 10, 11, or 12. The NVIDIA part also wins the Geekbench OpenCL test by 29.7%, making it better suited for general-purpose GPU compute tasks like video encoding, machine learning inference, and scientific simulations. The presence of 56 tensor cores on the NVIDIA part, while not directly benchmarked here, further suggests its strength in AI-accelerated workloads. Its dedicated 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth is also a significant advantage for texture-heavy 3D scenes and large data sets.

The AMD Radeon 890M wins in the 2D graphics domain. Its 86.1% lead in the Passmark G2D test indicates superior performance for desktop rendering, 2D UI elements, and general productivity tasks. This makes it a strong choice for ultra-portable laptops where battery life and 2D interface smoothness are prioritized over 3D gaming capability. Its much lower 15 W TDP, compared to the NVIDIA part's 45 W, also makes it a better fit for thin-and-light designs that prioritize efficiency. The AMD part's higher theoretical pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s also suggests it can handle high-resolution 2D displays very well. For users who primarily work in office applications, browse the web, or do light 2D content creation, the Radeon 890M's 2D advantage and lower power draw are compelling. Users who need the best possible 3D performance, even in a mobile form factor, should choose the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile.