AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile occupy the same performance percentile (73rd) according to the aggregate data, yet their benchmark results reveal a dramatic divergence in raw compute capability. The RTX 4070 Mobile dominates the shared Geekbench tests, posting scores roughly four times higher than the Vega 20, while the Vega 20’s average benchmark score of 27839 edges out the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 27435. This paradox—where a slower GPU in direct comparisons holds a higher aggregate average—stems from the fact that the Vega 20’s three benchmark results cluster tightly together, whereas the RTX 4070 Mobile’s nine results span a wider range, including low DirectX 10 and 12 scores that drag its average down. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 Mobile is the superior compute performer in modern APIs, while the Vega 20’s consistency across older and cross-platform tests keeps its aggregate standing competitive.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear split: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is the definitive choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute throughput in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 109197 is 75.6% ahead of the Vega 20’s 26679, and its Vulkan score of 108367 similarly beats the Vega 20’s 26410 by the same margin. For users running applications that leverage these APIs—such as GPU-accelerated rendering, machine learning inference, or modern game engines—the RTX 4070 Mobile is categorically superior. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, by contrast, offers no benchmark wins in the head-to-head data, meaning that in every directly comparable test, it loses. However, the Vega 20’s aggregate average of 27839 is actually 1.5% higher than the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 27435, according to the nearestRivals deltaPct values. This suggests that the Vega 20 performs more consistently across its available tests, making it a viable option for legacy workloads or environments where Vulkan/OpenCL support is limited. The RTX 4070 Mobile’s percentile ranking (73rd) matches the Vega 20’s, but its higher peak performance in modern APIs makes it the logical pick for current-generation software, while the Vega 20 remains relevant for compatibility-focused tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different design philosophies separated by roughly four years of silicon evolution. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 uses the Vega 12 chip built on GCN 5.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. In contrast, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile employs the AD106 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process. This process shrink is monumental: the RTX 4070 Mobile packs 22,900 million transistors into a 188 mm² die, yielding a density of 121.8M transistors per mm², while the Vega 20’s transistor count and die size are not listed—a telling omission that suggests a far less dense design. The RTX 4070 Mobile also introduces dedicated hardware that the Vega 20 lacks entirely: 36 ray tracing cores and 144 tensor cores. These enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-accelerated features like DLSS, which the Vega 20 cannot perform in hardware. The memory subsystems diverge as well: the Vega 20 uses 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus, while the RTX 4070 Mobile uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. Despite the narrower bus, the RTX 4070 Mobile achieves higher bandwidth (256.0 GB/s vs 189.4 GB/s) thanks to faster memory clocks (2000 MHz vs 740 MHz). The RTX 4070 Mobile also supports newer API standards, including DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Vega 20 tops out at DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The shared benchmark suite consists of only two tests: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In both, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile wins decisively. The OpenCL test shows the RTX 4070 Mobile scoring 109197 against the Vega 20’s 26679, a deltaPct of -75.6% from the Vega 20’s perspective—meaning the AMD GPU trails by over three-quarters. The Vulkan test mirrors this exactly: RTX 4070 Mobile scores 108367, Vega 20 scores 26410, again a -75.6% delta. These results are remarkable for their consistency; the RTX 4070 Mobile achieves nearly identical scores across both APIs (109197 vs 108367), while the Vega 20 also shows minimal API sensitivity (26679 vs 26410). This suggests both GPUs have well-optimized drivers for these cross-platform APIs, but the RTX 4070 Mobile’s raw compute resources—4608 shading units versus 1280, 144 TMUs versus 80, and 15.62 TFLOPS FP32 versus 3.284 TFLOPS—deliver roughly 4.75x the theoretical throughput, which aligns with the observed benchmark gap. The Vega 20’s only consolation is that its average benchmark score of 27839 is higher than the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 27435, but this is driven by the RTX 4070 Mobile’s inclusion of nine tests (including low-scoring PassMark DirectX 10 and 12 results of 116 and 85) versus the Vega 20’s three. In the tests that matter for modern workloads, the RTX 4070 Mobile is unequivocally faster.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal stark contrasts across nearly every measurable parameter. The process node differs: 14 nm for AMD versus 5 nm for NVIDIA. The RTX 4070 Mobile lists 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die, while the Vega 20 provides no transistor or die size data. Clock speeds favor NVIDIA: base 1395 MHz versus 815 MHz, boost 1695 MHz versus 1283 MHz, and memory 2000 MHz versus 740 MHz. Memory capacity doubles from 4 GB to 8 GB, and type shifts from HBM2 to GDDR6, with bus width dropping from 1024-bit to 128-bit but bandwidth rising from 189.4 GB/s to 256.0 GB/s. Compute resources balloon: shading units jump from 1280 to 4608, TMUs from 80 to 144, ROPs from 32 to 48, and the RTX 4070 Mobile adds 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores. Pixel rate more than doubles (81.36 GPixel/s vs 41.06 GPixel/s), texture rate more than doubles (244.1 GTexel/s vs 102.6 GTexel/s), and FP32 throughput leaps from 3.284 TFLOPS to 15.62 TFLOPS. FP16 performance also differs: the Vega 20 offers 6.569 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, while the RTX 4070 Mobile offers 15.62 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. Power draw increases modestly from 100 W to 115 W, despite the massive performance gain. The bus interface upgrades from PCIe 3.0 x16 to PCIe 4.0 x8. API support improves: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (12_1), and Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.3. Production status flips from End-of-life to Active, and release dates differ by over four years (November 2018 versus January 2023). The RTX 4070 Mobile lists a predecessor (GeForce 30 Mobile) and successor (GeForce 50 Mobile), while the Vega 20 has none.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 has an average benchmark score of 27839, which is 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile’s 27435, according to the nearestRivals deltaPct.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4070 Mobile in OpenCL?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile scores 109197 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Vega 20 scores 26679, giving NVIDIA a 75.6% advantage.

Q: Does the Vega 20 support ray tracing?

A: No. The Vega 20 has no ray tracing cores listed, while the RTX 4070 Mobile includes 36 RT cores.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The Vega 20 has 4 GB of HBM2 memory, while the RTX 4070 Mobile has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile has a boost clock of 1695 MHz, compared to the Vega 20’s 1283 MHz.

Q: Are both GPUs in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile rank in the 73rd percentile against all GPUs.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile wins in every directly comparable benchmark, making it the clear victor for compute-heavy workloads. Its 75.6% lead in both OpenCL and Vulkan Geekbench tests positions it as the superior choice for GPU-accelerated applications that rely on these APIs, including scientific computing, video encoding, 3D rendering, and modern game engines that use Vulkan. The RTX 4070 Mobile’s 15.62 TFLOPS FP32 performance, 36 RT cores, and 144 tensor cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI features that the Vega 20 cannot match. Its 8 GB of VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth provide more headroom for large datasets and high-resolution textures. The RTX 4070 Mobile also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, ensuring compatibility with the latest software standards. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, despite losing all head-to-head tests, holds its own in aggregate performance due to its consistent scoring across its three benchmarks. Its higher average score (27839 vs 27435) suggests it delivers predictable performance without the wide variance seen in the RTX 4070 Mobile’s nine-test suite, which includes low DirectX 10 (116) and DirectX 12 (85) scores. For users running legacy applications that rely on older DirectX versions or for whom cross-platform consistency is paramount, the Vega 20’s stable performance profile—coupled with its lower 100 W power draw—could be preferable. However, the data overwhelmingly favors the RTX 4070 Mobile for any modern, demanding workload, with the Vega 20’s only statistical advantage being its aggregate average, which is an artifact of test selection rather than real-world superiority.