AMD Radeon HD 8730M vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Comparison

The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server and the AMD Radeon HD 8730M represent two extremes of the GPU landscape, separated by over a decade of architectural evolution and targeting entirely different segments. The former is a 5 nm server-class compute monster with 96 GB of GDDR7 memory, while the latter is a 28 nm mobile chip from 2013 with 2 GB of DDR3. Benchmark results, however, show both landing at the 34th percentile among all GPUs, with the RTX PRO 6000 scoring 5996 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and the HD 8730M scoring 5955 in Geekbench OpenCL. This near-identical percentile placement is curious, given the massive disparity in specifications, and hints that the benchmark data available may not capture the full scope of each card’s intended workload.

Where Each One Wins

The data reveals a clear split in use cases based on the available benchmark results. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server wins in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, a modern DirectX 12 Ultimate workload that stresses ray tracing, mesh shaders, and high-resolution rendering. Its score of 5996 places it just 0.1% behind the GeForce GTX 770M and RX 6400, and 0.2% ahead of the FirePro W4100 and Quadro K4000M. This suggests the RTX PRO 6000 is designed for contemporary 3D workloads where its Blackwell 2.0 architecture, 188 RT cores, and 752 tensor cores can be fully utilized. The presence of DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support and Vulkan 1.4 further reinforces its readiness for next-generation graphics APIs.

The AMD Radeon HD 8730M, conversely, wins in the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 5955. This is a compute-oriented benchmark that measures general-purpose GPU processing through the OpenCL framework. The HD 8730M sits 0.3% behind the Radeon HD 8750M, 0.4% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics 730, and essentially tied with the Quadro K620M (0% delta). While its GCN 1.0 architecture from 2013 lacks dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores, the OpenCL result indicates it can still handle compute tasks reasonably well for its era. However, the HD 8730M’s DirectX 12 support is limited to the 11_1 feature level, meaning it cannot run many modern DirectX 12 titles that require 12_0 or higher.

Thus, the RTX PRO 6000 wins on modern gaming and workstation graphics benchmarks, while the HD 8730M shows relative strength in legacy OpenCL compute scenarios. The wins are not comparable across tests, as each benchmark targets different capabilities.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is immense. The RTX PRO 6000 is built on NVIDIA’s Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors packed into a 750 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 122.9 million per mm². In contrast, the HD 8730M uses AMD’s GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process, with just 950 million transistors on a 77 mm² die, giving a density of 12.3 million per mm². The RTX PRO 6000 has nearly 97 times more transistors and a die that is almost 10 times larger.

The compute resources differ by orders of magnitude. The RTX PRO 6000 features 24,064 shading units, 752 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, along with 188 RT cores and 752 tensor cores. The HD 8730M has 384 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, with no RT or tensor cores. Clock speeds also diverge: the RTX PRO 6000 runs at a base of 1590 MHz and boosts to 2617 MHz, while the HD 8730M operates at a base of 650 MHz and boosts to 700 MHz. Memory configurations are similarly disparate, with the RTX PRO 6000 using 96 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus (1.79 TB/s bandwidth) versus the HD 8730M’s 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus (28.80 GB/s bandwidth).

The RTX PRO 6000 supports PCIe 5.0 x16, while the HD 8730M uses PCIe 3.0 x8. API support also reflects the generational difference: the RTX PRO 6000 offers DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6; the HD 8730M provides DirectX 12 (11_1), Vulkan 1.2.170, and OpenGL 4.6. The production status differs as well, with the RTX PRO 6000 listed as Active and the HD 8730M as End-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

There are no direct head-to-head benchmark entries in the data, so a direct comparison must rely on the individual scores from different tests. The RTX PRO 6000’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5996 is a current-generation gaming and ray-tracing benchmark. The HD 8730M’s Geekbench OpenCL score of 5955 is a compute throughput test. When looking at nearest rivals, the RTX PRO 6000 is 0.1% behind the GTX 770M and RX 6400, and 0.2% ahead of the FirePro W4100 and Quadro K4000M. The HD 8730M is 0.3% behind the HD 8750M, 0.4% ahead of the Intel UHD Graphics 730, and 0.5% behind the Quadro K4000.

These delta percentages are all within a narrow band, indicating that both GPUs cluster around the same performance tier in their respective benchmarks. However, the tests measure different things: the Steel Nomad DX12 test likely incorporates features like ray tracing that the HD 8730M cannot even attempt, while the OpenCL test may favor the simpler compute architecture of GCN 1.0. The RTX PRO 6000’s FP32 throughput of 126.0 TFLOPS dwarfs the HD 8730M’s 537.6 GFLOPS, yet the benchmark scores are nearly identical, suggesting that the Steel Nomad test is not purely compute-bound or that the RTX PRO 6000 is heavily underutilized in that particular workload. Similarly, the HD 8730M’s pixel rate of 5.600 GPixel/s and texture rate of 16.80 GTexel/s are minuscule compared to the RTX PRO 6000’s 502.5 GPixel/s and 1,968.0 GTexel/s, yet the OpenCL score holds up.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server has an average benchmark score of 5996, while the AMD Radeon HD 8730M has an average score of 5955. The RTX PRO 6000 leads by 41 points.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 offers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth from 96 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus. The HD 8730M provides 28.80 GB/s from 2 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus. The RTX PRO 6000 has roughly 62 times more bandwidth.

Q: What is the difference in transistor count?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 contains 92,200 million transistors, whereas the HD 8730M contains 950 million. This is a difference of approximately 97 times.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing hardware?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 features 188 RT cores, providing dedicated ray tracing hardware. The HD 8730M has no RT cores listed, meaning it lacks hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No. The RTX PRO 6000 is listed as Active production, while the HD 8730M is End-of-life.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: The RTX PRO 6000 uses a 5 nm process at TSMC. The HD 8730M uses a 28 nm process at TSMC.

The Verdict

The data indicates that these two GPUs should not be considered competitors in any real sense. The RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server is an active, modern server-class accelerator with 126.0 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, 96 GB of GDDR7 memory, and full DirectX 12 Ultimate support. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5996, while modest relative to its theoretical capabilities, places it in the same performance band as mid-range consumer cards like the RX 6400 and GTX 770M, which is surprising for a flagship server product. This suggests that the Steel Nomad test may not be representative of its intended server workloads, or that the benchmark is heavily driver-limited.

The AMD Radeon HD 8730M, on the other hand, is an end-of-life mobile GPU from 2013. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 5955 shows that even a decade-old 28 nm chip with 384 shading units can hold its own in compute-oriented legacy benchmarks. However, its DirectX 12 (11_1) support, 2 GB of DDR3 memory, and lack of RT or tensor cores make it unsuitable for any modern gaming or professional 3D application.

Who should pick which? For any workload involving modern graphics APIs, ray tracing, tensor operations, or large memory footprints, the RTX PRO 6000 is the only viable choice. Its 188 RT cores, 752 tensor cores, and 96 GB of GDDR7 memory are non-negotiable for contemporary AI, rendering, or scientific computing tasks. The HD 8730M is strictly a legacy compute curiosity, only relevant for running very old OpenCL applications or serving as a benchmark baseline for historical comparisons. The data shows no scenario where the HD 8730M outperforms the RTX PRO 6000 in a meaningful modern workload, despite their similar percentile rankings.

Specification Differences

• Process Node: RTX PRO 6000 uses 5 nm; HD 8730M uses 28 nm
• Transistors: 92,200 million vs 950 million
• Die Size: 750 mm² vs 77 mm²
• Transistor Density: 122.9M / mm² vs 12.3M / mm²
• Base Clock: 1590 MHz vs 650 MHz
• Boost Clock: 2617 MHz vs 700 MHz
• Memory Clock: 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) vs 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective)
• Memory Size: 96 GB vs 2 GB
• Memory Type: GDDR7 vs DDR3
• Memory Bus Width: 512 bit vs 128 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: 1.79 TB/s vs 28.80 GB/s
• Shading Units: 24,064 vs 384
• TMUs: 752 vs 24
• ROPs: 192 vs 8
• RT Cores: 188 vs None
• Tensor Cores: 752 vs None
• Pixel Rate: 502.5 GPixel/s vs 5.600 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: 1,968.0 GTexel/s vs 16.80 GTexel/s
• FP32: 126.0 TFLOPS vs 537.6 GFLOPS
• TDP: 600 W vs Not specified
• Slot Width: Dual-slot vs Not specified
• Power Connectors: 1x 16-pin vs Not specified
• Suggested PSU: 1000 W vs Not specified
• Bus Interface: PCIe 5.0 x16 vs PCIe 3.0 x8
• Display Outputs: 4x DisplayPort 2.1b vs Not specified
• DirectX Support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) vs 12 (11_1)
• Vulkan Support: 1.4 vs 1.2.170
• OpenGL Support: 4.6 vs 4.6 (same)
• Dimensions: 267 mm x 111 mm x 40 mm vs Not specified
• Production Status: Active vs End-of-life
• Release Date: 2025-03-17 vs 2013-03-31
• Predecessor: Server Hopper vs London
• Successor: Server Rubin vs Gem System