AMD Radeon Pro 5700 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile occupy nearly the same performance tier, with average benchmark scores of 18189 and 18159 respectively, a difference of just 0.2%. Both cards sit at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, placing them in direct competition despite their very different design philosophies. The head-to-head data reveals a clear split: NVIDIA dominates compute and graphics workloads, while AMD holds a single, significant victory in 2D operations.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile takes an overwhelming 8 out of 9 head-to-head benchmark victories, and the margins are frequently substantial. The largest gap appears in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where NVIDIA scores 80344 against AMD's 51289, a 36.2% advantage. This pattern repeats in Geekbench OpenCL, with NVIDIA at 79483 versus 52787 for the Radeon Pro 5700, a 33.6% lead. These compute-oriented results suggest the RTX 3060 Mobile has a significant throughput advantage in general-purpose GPU workloads.

The DirectX benchmarks tell a similar story, though with smaller margins. In Passmark DirectX 11, NVIDIA leads 110 to 78, a 29.1% difference, while DirectX 10 shows a 21.1% gap (90 vs 71). The DirectX 12 test narrows to 58 versus 48, a 17.2% advantage for NVIDIA. Even the legacy DirectX 9 benchmark favors NVIDIA, albeit narrowly, at 146 versus 143, a 2.1% edge. The overall graphics score in Passmark G3D reinforces this trend, with NVIDIA at 13230 compared to AMD's 11583, a 12.4% margin.

The GPU compute benchmark follows suit, with NVIDIA scoring 5718 against AMD's 4961, a 13.2% lead. This consistent pattern across multiple APIs and test methodologies indicates that the RTX 3060 Mobile is not just faster in isolated tests but broadly more capable in 3D rendering and compute tasks.

The single exception to NVIDIA's dominance is the Passmark G2D test, where the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scores 805 against NVIDIA's 588. This 36.9% advantage is the largest margin in either direction across all benchmarks. While 2D performance is often considered less critical for gaming, it is relevant for desktop workloads, multi-monitor setups, and GUI acceleration, where AMD's card demonstrates clear superiority.

Where Each One Wins

The data paints a clear picture of use-case separation. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile is the choice for any workload involving 3D graphics, modern game APIs, or general-purpose compute. Its wins span DirectX 9 through 12, Vulkan, and OpenCL, meaning it handles both legacy and contemporary rendering pipelines with greater efficiency. The 12.4% lead in Passmark G3D makes it the stronger candidate for gaming, while the 13.2% advantage in GPU compute suggests better performance in rendering, simulation, and other compute-heavy tasks.

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700's sole victory in 2D performance is notable but isolated. The 36.9% lead in Passmark G2D indicates superior texture handling and 2D acceleration, which can benefit productivity applications, desktop environments, and any workflow that does not rely heavily on 3D rendering. However, this single win does not offset the eight losses in other categories.

For users prioritizing raw 3D performance, the RTX 3060 Mobile is the clear winner based on the benchmark data. For those whose workloads are predominantly 2D or involve minimal 3D acceleration, the Radeon Pro 5700 offers a distinct advantage in that specific area, but it comes at the cost of substantial deficits everywhere else.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different architectural approaches. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is built on the Navi 10 chip using RDNA 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It contains 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 41.0 million per mm². In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile uses the GA106 chip with Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It packs 12,000 million transistors into a 276 mm² die, with a density of 43.5 million per mm².

The clock speeds reveal a strategic difference. AMD runs higher base clocks at 1243 MHz, while NVIDIA's base is just 900 MHz. However, NVIDIA's boost clock reaches 1425 MHz, slightly higher than AMD's 1350 MHz. Memory clocks also differ, with AMD at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) and NVIDIA at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). These specifications suggest NVIDIA is designed to operate more aggressively under load.

The compute unit configurations are starkly different. AMD fields 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. NVIDIA counters with 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. Despite having fewer TMUs and ROPs, NVIDIA's much higher shader count drives its compute advantage. NVIDIA also includes 30 ray tracing cores and 120 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the AMD chip. This makes the RTX 3060 Mobile capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads, neither of which the Radeon Pro 5700 can perform natively.

Memory configurations differ as well. AMD offers 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. NVIDIA provides 6 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 336.0 GB/s. While AMD has more capacity and bandwidth, NVIDIA's higher effective memory speed partially compensates. The power profiles are also distinct, with AMD rated at 130 W TDP versus NVIDIA's 80 W, indicating the Radeon Pro 5700 consumes significantly more power for its performance level.

The API support shows a generation gap. AMD supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while NVIDIA supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), the more advanced feature set. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. NVIDIA's inclusion of tensor and RT cores positions it for future workloads that AMD cannot accelerate.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile is the superior performer in nearly every measurable category. It wins 8 out of 9 head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 2.1% to 36.2%. The largest advantages appear in compute and modern API workloads, where NVIDIA leads by 33.6% in OpenCL and 36.2% in Vulkan. These are not marginal differences; they represent substantial performance gaps that would be noticeable in real-world applications.

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700's only victory is in 2D performance, where it leads by 36.9%. For users whose primary workload involves 2D graphics, desktop rendering, or non-3D acceleration, this advantage is meaningful. However, the overall score difference between the two cards is negligible at 0.2%, meaning the AMD card is not inherently slower on average—it just loses in the specific 3D and compute tests that dominate most modern workloads.

The architectural differences reinforce the benchmark results. NVIDIA's 3840 shading units versus AMD's 2304 explain the compute advantage, while AMD's higher TMU and ROP counts contribute to its 2D strength. The inclusion of RT and tensor cores in NVIDIA's chip makes it more future-proof for ray-traced games and AI-assisted features, which AMD cannot match. The lower 80 W TDP of the RTX 3060 Mobile also suggests better efficiency, though the data does not include direct power consumption benchmarks.

For gamers, 3D artists, or compute-focused users, the RTX 3060 Mobile is the clear choice. For 2D-centric workflows or users prioritizing that specific metric, the Radeon Pro 5700 offers a compelling niche advantage, but it requires accepting significant 3D performance deficits. The data does not support choosing AMD for any mixed workload, as its single win cannot compensate for eight losses across the board.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 has an average benchmark score of 18189, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile scores 18159. The difference is 0.2% in AMD's favor.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The largest gap is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile scores 80344 versus 51289 for the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, a 36.2% advantage.

Q: Does the AMD card win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 wins the Passmark G2D test with a score of 805, compared to 588 for the NVIDIA card, a 36.9% lead.

Q: How many shading units does each GPU have?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 has 2304 shading units, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile has 3840 shading units.

Q: Which card supports hardware ray tracing?

A: Only the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile includes 30 ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 has no RT cores listed.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth figures for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 offers 384.0 GB/s bandwidth with 8 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile provides 336.0 GB/s with 6 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro 5700 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | RDNA 1.0 | Ampere |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 8 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Samsung |

| Transistors | 10,300 million | 12,000 million |

| Die Size | 251 mm² | 276 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1243 MHz | 900 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1350 MHz | 1425 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 6 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 384.0 GB/s | 336.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 144 | 120 |

| ROPs | 64 | 48 |

| RT Cores | None | 30 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 120 |

| Pixel Rate | 86.40 GPixel/s | 68.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 194.4 GTexel/s | 171.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 6.221 TFLOPS | 10.94 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 12.44 TFLOPS (2:1) | 10.94 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 130 W | 80 W |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Release Date | 2020-08-03 | 2021-01-11 |

| Predecessor | None | GeForce 20 Mobile |