AMD Radeon R7 250 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark recorded in the database for both parts is the Geekbench OpenCL compute test. In this test, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998 points, while the AMD Radeon R7 250 scores 7,557 points. The NVIDIA part leads by 601.3% in this single head-to-head comparison. That is a decisive margin, and it reflects the fundamental performance gap between a modern mobile Ampere part and a desktop GCN 1.0 card that launched a decade earlier. The RTX 3050 A Mobile also holds a higher overall benchmark average: 8,746 points versus 7,557 points. The percentile ranking data reinforces the same picture, with the NVIDIA part sitting at the 44th percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the AMD Radeon R7 250 sits at the 41st percentile.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a richer benchmark profile overall. Its recorded results span eight separate tests: Geekbench OpenCL at 52,998, Passmark DirectX 10 at 61, DirectX 11 at 94, DirectX 12 at 55, DirectX 9 at 152, G2D at 526, G3D at 11,664, and GPU compute at 4,419. The Radeon R7 250 has only a single recorded benchmark score, the Geekbench OpenCL result of 7,557. This means the database contains no comparable DirectX results for the R7 250, so the head-to-head comparison in those APIs cannot be quantified. The data that does exist is unambiguous: the RTX 3050 A Mobile's OpenCL result is roughly seven times higher than the R7 250's.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each part provides additional context. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has an average score of 8,746, which places it essentially level with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 at 8,743 (0% delta), slightly ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 at 8,686 (0.7% ahead), and slightly behind the AMD Radeon R9 M265X at 8,851 (1.2% behind) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 at 8,863 (1.3% behind). The R7 250, by contrast, has an average score of 7,557, which places it just ahead of the Intel Arc A310 at 7,550 (0.1% ahead), just behind the AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 at 7,580 (0.3% behind), ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 at 7,472 (1.1% ahead), and ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 8850M at 7,447 (1.5% ahead). The RTX 3050 A Mobile competes in a higher performance tier, while the R7 250 sits in a lower one.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 3050 A Mobile wins the only recorded head-to-head benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test. The data also shows that the NVIDIA part carries a substantially higher raw compute capability. Its FP32 throughput is 4.813 TFLOPS, compared to 947.2 GFLOPS for the R7 250. That gap in floating-point performance is consistent with the OpenCL result. The NVIDIA part also has a much higher texture rate at 75.21 GTexel/s versus 29.60 GTexel/s, and a higher pixel rate at 42.98 GPixel/s versus 14.80 GPixel/s. These are not minor differences; they represent a multi-generational leap in shader throughput and memory bandwidth.

The R7 250 does not win any recorded benchmark against the RTX 3050 A Mobile. Its advantages are limited to different characteristics that are not directly measured in the benchmark suite. It is a desktop card with a single-slot form factor and a 168 mm length (6.6 inches), whereas the RTX 3050 A Mobile is an integrated graphics package for portable devices. The R7 250 also has a lower TDP of 55 W compared to 45 W for the NVIDIA part, which is a counterintuitive result: the older desktop card draws more power while delivering far less performance. The R7 250 does support a wider PCIe interface at PCIe 3.0 x16, versus PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RTX 3050 A Mobile, but this does not translate into any recorded performance advantage.

The use-case split is therefore straightforward. For any compute-heavy workload, particularly OpenCL-based applications, the RTX 3050 A Mobile is the clear choice based on the recorded data. The R7 250 would only be preferable in scenarios where a desktop card with its own display outputs and a fixed physical footprint is required, since the RTX 3050 A Mobile's display outputs are listed as portable-device dependent. The R7 250 provides 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, which are concrete connectivity options that the mobile part does not offer.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural lineages entirely. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile uses the GA106 chip built on Ampere architecture, manufactured by Samsung on an 8 nm process node. It integrates 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 43.5 million transistors per mm². The AMD Radeon R7 250 uses the Cape Verde chip built on GCN 1.0 architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 28 nm process node. It integrates 1,500 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 12.2 million transistors per mm². The manufacturing process difference alone, 8 nm versus 28 nm, explains a large part of the performance gap.

The execution resources differ just as dramatically. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 1,792 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. It also includes 14 ray tracing cores and 56 tensor cores, features that the R7 250 lacks entirely. The R7 250 has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, with no ray tracing or tensor core support. The NVIDIA part's FP16 throughput matches its FP32 throughput at a 1:1 ratio (4.813 TFLOPS each), while the R7 250 has no recorded FP16 capability. Memory configuration is another differentiator: the RTX 3050 A Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the R7 250 uses 1 GB of DDR3 on the same 128-bit bus with only 28.80 GB/s of bandwidth.

API support also diverges. The RTX 3050 A Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R7 250 supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. The DirectX feature level difference, 12_2 versus 11_1, is significant for modern gaming workloads. The NVIDIA part also has a higher memory clock at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective), while the R7 250's memory runs at 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective). The bus interface differs as well: PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RTX 3050 A Mobile versus PCIe 3.0 x16 for the R7 250. Power delivery is notable: the RTX 3050 A Mobile draws 45 W with no power connectors, while the R7 250 draws 55 W with no power connectors but a suggested PSU of 250 W.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher recorded OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 52,998 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 601.3% higher than the AMD Radeon R7 250's score of 7,557.

Q: Do both cards support ray tracing?

A: No. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 14 ray tracing cores and 56 tensor cores. The R7 250 has no ray tracing or tensor core support.

Q: Which GPU has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. The R7 250 has 28.80 GB/s from 1 GB of DDR3 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: Are there any benchmark results where the R7 250 wins?

A: No. In the only head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database, the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RTX 3050 A Mobile wins. The R7 250 has no recorded wins in any test.

Q: What are the physical form factor differences?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile is an integrated graphics package with no slot width, designed for portable devices. The R7 250 is a single-slot desktop card measuring 168 mm (6.6 inches) in length with 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RTX 3050 A Mobile has a transistor density of 43.5 million transistors per mm² on an 8 nm Samsung process. The R7 250 has 12.2 million transistors per mm² on a 28 nm TSMC process.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a clear winner for compute performance: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile. Its OpenCL score is 601.3% higher than the R7 250, its FP32 throughput is 4.813 TFLOPS versus 947.2 GFLOPS, and its memory bandwidth is 192.0 GB/s versus 28.80 GB/s. The NVIDIA part also supports modern features like ray tracing, tensor cores, and DirectX 12 Ultimate, none of which are available on the R7 250. Its average benchmark score of 8,746 places it in a higher tier than the R7 250's 7,557.

The R7 250 is not without a niche, however. It is a desktop card with fixed display outputs, a single-slot form factor, and a 168 mm length. For a system that requires those physical characteristics, the R7 250 remains functional. Its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is wider than the RTX 3050 A Mobile's PCIe 4.0 x8, but no benchmark data shows a benefit from that. The R7 250's lower absolute performance, 947.2 GFLOPS FP32, is adequate for basic 2D workloads but far behind the RTX 3050 A Mobile in every measurable metric.

For anyone choosing between these two specific parts, the choice depends on whether a desktop card form factor is required. If it is, the R7 250 is the only one of the pair that fits in a desktop slot. If compute performance is the priority, the RTX 3050 A Mobile wins on every recorded benchmark and specification comparison. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is also more power-efficient in terms of TDP, using 45 W versus 55 W for the R7 250, while delivering far higher performance.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile | AMD Radeon R7 250 |

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

| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 1.0 |

| Process node | 8 nm (Samsung) | 28 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | 12,000 million | 1,500 million |

| Die size | 276 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor density | 43.5M / mm² | 12.2M / mm² |

| Memory size | 4 GB GDDR6 | 1 GB DDR3 |

| Memory bus width | 128 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 192.0 GB/s | 28.80 GB/s |

| Memory clock | 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) | 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective |

| Shading units | 1,792 | 512 |

| TMUs | 56 | 32 |

| ROPs | 32 | 16 |

| RT cores | 14 cores | - |

| Tensor cores | 56 | - |

| Pixel rate | 42.42 GPixel/s | 14.80 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 75.21 GTexel/s | 29.60 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.813 TFLOPS | 947.2 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 4.813 TFLOPS (1:1 | - |

| TDP | 45 W | 55 W |

| Slot width | IGP | Single-slot | 168 mm (6.6 inches) | - |

| Power connectors | None | None | 250 W suggested PSU | - |

| Bus interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 | - |

| Display outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.0 | - | - |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12.0 (11_1) | - |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 | - |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.2.170 | - |

| Release date | 2023-12-31 | 2013-10-07 | - |

| Predecessor | GeForce 20 Mobile | Sea Islands | - |

| Successor | - | Pirate Islands | - |