AMD Radeon Pro Vega II vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti and AMD Radeon Pro Vega II represent two very different approaches to high-end graphics, separated by architecture generation, target platform, and memory strategy. Benchmark data from the pack shows the RTX 3090 Ti leading in every head-to-head test, but the Radeon Pro Vega II retains a distinct niche. This analysis walks through the numbers, architectural differences, and practical implications strictly from the provided facts.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has an average benchmark score of 131,938, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II scores 109,617. The RTX 3090 Ti sits at the 95th percentile among all GPUs, whereas the Radeon Pro Vega II is at the 94th percentile.

Q: How large is the gap in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RTX 3090 Ti scores 174,441 in Geekbench OpenCL, compared to 99,048 for the Radeon Pro Vega II. This gives the NVIDIA card a 76.1% lead in that specific test.

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and what type?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has 32 GB of HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus. The AMD card’s memory capacity is larger, but the NVIDIA card’s bandwidth is higher at 1.01 TB/s versus 825.3 GB/s.

Q: What is the transistor count difference between the two chips?

A: The NVIDIA GA102 chip contains 28,300 million transistors on an 8 nm Samsung process, while the AMD Vega 20 chip has 13,230 million transistors on a 7 nm TSMC process. The NVIDIA chip also has a larger die at 628 mm² compared to 331 mm².

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The RTX 3090 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Radeon Pro Vega II supports DirectX 12 (12_1). The NVIDIA card also lists Vulkan 1.4 support, versus Vulkan 1.3 for the AMD card.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has a boost clock of 1720 MHz, slightly higher than the RTX 3090 Ti’s 1860 MHz boost. However, the base clock of the AMD card is 1574 MHz versus 1560 MHz for the NVIDIA card.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is stark. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture using the GA102 chip, fabricated on Samsung’s 8 nm process. It packs 28,300 million transistors into a 628 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II uses the GCN 5.1 architecture with the Vega 20 chip, manufactured on TSMC’s 7 nm process. That chip holds 13,230 million transistors on a 331 mm² die, for a density of 40.0M per mm².

Core configurations differ massively. The RTX 3090 Ti has 10,752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units. It also includes 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores, features entirely absent from the Radeon Pro Vega II, which lists no RT or tensor cores. The AMD card has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs.

The memory subsystem is another major divergence. NVIDIA uses 24 GB of GDDR6X with a 384-bit bus, achieving 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. AMD counters with 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus, but bandwidth drops to 825.3 GB/s. The NVIDIA memory clock is listed at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective), while the AMD memory runs at 806 MHz (1612 Mbps effective).

Clock speeds are close but not identical. The RTX 3090 Ti has a 1560 MHz base and 1860 MHz boost. The Radeon Pro Vega II has a 1574 MHz base and 1720 MHz boost. Despite the slightly higher base clock on AMD, the NVIDIA card’s higher boost and vastly larger core count drive its performance lead.

The RTX 3090 Ti also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Radeon Pro Vega II only reaches DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA card uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while the AMD card uses Apple MPX, reflecting its design for Mac Pro systems. Display outputs also differ: the RTX 3090 Ti offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, whereas the Radeon Pro Vega II has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 4x Thunderbolt.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data includes two benchmark tests, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti wins both. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3090 Ti scores 174,441 against the Radeon Pro Vega II’s 99,048, a delta of 76.1%. This is a substantial margin, reflecting the NVIDIA card’s higher shading unit count and raw FP32 throughput of 40.00 TFLOPS versus 14.09 TFLOPS for the AMD card.

The second test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows an even larger gap. The RTX 3090 Ti scores 215,633, while the Radeon Pro Vega II scores 99,621. That translates to a 116.5% delta, meaning the NVIDIA card more than doubles the AMD card’s Vulkan performance. The AMD card’s best result in the pack is its Geekbench Metal score of 130,183, but the head-to-head tests do not include Metal, so it cannot offset the losses in OpenCL and Vulkan.

These benchmark wins align with the specification sheet. The RTX 3090 Ti’s pixel rate is 208.3 GPixel/s versus 110.1 GPixel/s for the AMD card. Its texture rate is 625.0 GTexel/s versus 440.3 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA card also has a higher FP16 throughput at 40.00 TFLOPS (1:1), while the AMD card achieves 28.18 TFLOPS (2:1). In every measured compute metric, the RTX 3090 Ti leads.

The Verdict

The data points clearly to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti as the stronger performer in the shared benchmark suite. It wins both head-to-head tests, holds a higher average benchmark score (131,938 vs 109,617), and sits at a higher percentile rank. The 76.1% OpenCL lead and 116.5% Vulkan lead are decisive, driven by the Ampere architecture’s superior core count, ray tracing hardware, and higher memory bandwidth.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II is not without merit, but its strengths lie outside the tested metrics. It offers 32 GB of memory, which is 8 GB more than the NVIDIA card, and its HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus is a different design philosophy. Its Geekbench Metal score of 130,183 is its best result, though it still trails the RTX 3090 Ti’s Geekbench OpenCL score of 174,441. For users in the Mac ecosystem, the Radeon Pro Vega II’s Apple MPX interface and Thunderbolt outputs are relevant, but the benchmark data does not favor it.

The RTX 3090 Ti’s launch MSRP is 1,999 USD, and the Radeon Pro Vega II’s is 2,199 USD, but pricing should not be the deciding factor given the performance gap. The NVIDIA card is the choice for anyone prioritizing raw compute, ray tracing, and cross-platform benchmark scores.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every specification field. The RTX 3090 Ti uses the GA102 chip on an 8 nm Samsung process, while the Radeon Pro Vega II uses the Vega 20 chip on a 7 nm TSMC process. Transistors are 28,300 million versus 13,230 million, and die size is 628 mm² versus 331 mm².

Memory capacity is 24 GB GDDR6X for NVIDIA versus 32 GB HBM2 for AMD. Bus widths are 384-bit versus 4096-bit, and bandwidth is 1.01 TB/s versus 825.3 GB/s. Shading units are 10,752 versus 4,096, TMUs 336 versus 256, and ROPs 112 versus 64. The RTX 3090 Ti includes 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores; the Radeon Pro Vega II has none.

Clock speeds are close: base clocks are 1560 MHz versus 1574 MHz, and boost clocks are 1860 MHz versus 1720 MHz. Pixel rates are 208.3 GPixel/s versus 110.1 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 625.0 GTexel/s versus 440.3 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 40.00 TFLOPS versus 14.09 TFLOPS. FP16 is 40.00 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 28.18 TFLOPS (2:1).

Power draw is similar, with TDPs of 450 W for NVIDIA and 475 W for AMD, both recommending an 850 W PSU. Slot width differs: the RTX 3090 Ti is triple-slot, while the Radeon Pro Vega II is quad-slot. The NVIDIA card uses a 1x 16-pin power connector; the AMD card lists no power connector specification. Bus interfaces are PCIe 4.0 x16 versus Apple MPX. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 1x HDMI 2.0b and 4x Thunderbolt. Dimensions are provided only for the RTX 3090 Ti: 336 mm length, 140 mm height, 61 mm width. The AMD card’s dimensions are not listed.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti wins in every benchmark test that compares the two directly. In Geekbench OpenCL, it leads by 76.1%, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it leads by 116.5%. Its average benchmark score of 131,938 is 20.4% higher than the AMD card’s 109,617. The RTX 3090 Ti also wins on memory bandwidth, pixel rate, texture rate, FP32 and FP16 throughput, and includes ray tracing and tensor cores that the AMD card lacks.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II wins only in memory capacity, offering 32 GB versus 24 GB. That extra capacity could matter for workloads that need to hold very large datasets in VRAM, though the NVIDIA card’s higher bandwidth may compensate in many scenarios. The AMD card also has a higher base clock (1574 MHz versus 1560 MHz) and a lower transistor density (40.0M per mm² versus 45.1M per mm²), but these are minor advantages. Its Geekbench Metal score of 130,183 is its single highest result, but no head-to-head Metal test exists in the pack, so it cannot claim a direct win over the RTX 3090 Ti.

For users on Apple platforms, the Radeon Pro Vega II’s Apple MPX bus interface and Thunderbolt outputs make it the only option of the two for certain Mac Pro configurations. The RTX 3090 Ti, with its PCIe 4.0 x16 interface and DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, is suited to standard PC workstations. The data shows the NVIDIA card as the superior performer, while the AMD card’s value rests on its larger memory pool and Mac-specific integration.