AMD Radeon RX 470 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two GPUs neatly by workload type. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile wins two of the three head-to-head benchmark comparisons, while the AMD Radeon RX 470 takes one decisive victory. The NVIDIA part dominates compute-oriented and cross-platform API tests, whereas the AMD card pulls ahead in a specific DX12 rasterization workload.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RTX 3050 Mobile scores 50,038 against 33,568 for the RX 470, a 49.1% advantage. That is the largest margin in the entire comparison. The same card also wins the Geekbench Vulkan test, posting 49,051 versus 39,884, a 23% lead. These two results suggest the NVIDIA architecture extracts more performance from general compute workloads and from Vulkan’s explicit control model.

The RX 470 counters in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, scoring 842 versus 421 for the RTX 3050 Mobile. That is a 50% deficit for the NVIDIA part, meaning the AMD card is exactly twice as fast in this particular test. This is a stark reversal, indicating that the RX 470’s older GCN design still handles certain DX12 rasterization paths with greater efficiency than the newer Ampere mobile chip.

Looking at aggregate scores, the RTX 3050 Mobile averages 33,170 across all recorded benchmarks, placing it in the 78th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 470 averages 28,996, sitting in the 74th percentile. So while the NVIDIA card leads overall, the RX 470’s single benchmark win is substantial enough to matter for specific applications.

For users targeting pure compute throughput or Vulkan-based workloads, the RTX 3050 Mobile is the clear pick. For DX12 gaming scenarios that resemble the Steel Nomad test, the RX 470 holds an undeniable edge. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports a workload-dependent choice.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different eras and fundamentally different design philosophies. The RTX 3050 Mobile uses the GA107 chip built on Ampere architecture, fabricated by Samsung on an 8 nm process. It packs 8,700 million transistors into a 200 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 43.5 million per square millimeter. The RX 470 uses the Ellesmere chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, built by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. It contains 5,700 million transistors across a larger 232 mm² die, giving a density of 24.6 million per square millimeter.

The NVIDIA part features 2,048 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output pipelines. It also includes 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores, which the RX 470 lacks entirely. The AMD card matches the shading unit count at 2,048 but doubles the TMUs to 128 while keeping 32 ROPs. This higher TMU count helps explain the RX 470’s texture throughput advantage: 154.4 GTexel/s versus 85.95 GTexel/s for the RTX 3050 Mobile.

Clock behavior differs as well. The RTX 3050 Mobile runs at a 1065 MHz base clock and 1343 MHz boost. The RX 470 starts lower at 926 MHz base but boosts to 1206 MHz. The NVIDIA chip’s higher boost clock, combined with its newer architecture, drives its FP32 throughput to 5.501 TFLOPS, slightly ahead of the RX 470’s 4.940 TFLOPS. Both cards list 1:1 FP16 performance, meaning neither has a dedicated half-precision accelerator.

Memory subsystems diverge sharply. The RTX 3050 Mobile uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 470 also has 4 GB, but uses GDDR5 on a wider 256-bit bus, achieving 211.2 GB/s. The RX 470’s 10% bandwidth advantage likely contributes to its DX12 win, where memory throughput often matters more than raw compute.

Power and physical design show the mobile versus desktop split. The RTX 3050 Mobile consumes 45 W and is an integrated graphics package (IGP) with no power connectors. The RX 470 draws 120 W, uses a dual-slot cooler, and requires a single 6-pin power connector with a 300 W suggested PSU. The RX 470 measures 240 mm in length, 95 mm in height, and 35 mm in width. The RTX 3050 Mobile’s dimensions are portable-device dependent.

API support also differs. The RTX 3050 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 470 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA card’s newer DirectX feature level and Vulkan revision align with its stronger Vulkan benchmark showing.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test produces the most lopsided result in this comparison. The RX 470 scores 842, exactly double the RTX 3050 Mobile’s 421. The delta is -50% from the NVIDIA card’s perspective. This is not a marginal difference; it is a complete rout. The RX 470’s wider memory bus and higher TMU count appear to give it a decisive edge in this particular DX12 workload, despite its older architecture and lower FP32 throughput.

Geekbench OpenCL flips the script entirely. The RTX 3050 Mobile scores 50,038 against 33,568 for the RX 470, a 49.1% advantage. This test rewards the NVIDIA card’s higher shading unit clock, tensor core presence, and newer instruction set. The gap is nearly as large as the RX 470’s DX12 win, but in the opposite direction.

Geekbench Vulkan lands somewhere in between. The RTX 3050 Mobile scores 49,051, beating the RX 470’s 39,884 by 23%. Vulkan’s lower-level access to hardware appears to favor the NVIDIA architecture, though not as decisively as OpenCL. The RX 470 still posts a respectable score, but it cannot match the Ampere chip’s efficiency in this API.

Aggregate benchmark scores reinforce the NVIDIA card’s overall lead. The RTX 3050 Mobile averages 33,170, placing it at the 78th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA T550 Mobile at 33,161 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro 570 at 33,207 (-0.1% delta), the NVIDIA P104-100 at 32,982 (0.6% delta), and the NVIDIA T600 Mobile at 32,849 (1% delta). The RX 470 averages 28,996, sitting at the 74th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6800M at 28,874 (0.4% delta), Intel Arc A370M at 29,175 (-0.6% delta), AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH at 29,197 (-0.7% delta), and AMD FirePro W8000 at 29,211 (-0.7% delta). The RTX 3050 Mobile sits 14.4% above the RX 470 in average score, a meaningful gap that reflects its broader strength across mixed workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 470 wins decisively with a score of 842, exactly double the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile’s 421. The NVIDIA card trails by 50% in this test.

Q: Which GPU has higher compute throughput?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile leads in FP32 performance at 5.501 TFLOPS versus 4.940 TFLOPS for the RX 470. It also wins Geekbench OpenCL by 49.1%, scoring 50,038 to 33,568.

Q: Does the RX 470 have ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The RX 470 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The RTX 3050 Mobile includes 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores.

Q: How do memory bandwidths compare?

A: The RX 470 has higher memory bandwidth at 211.2 GB/s using GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The RTX 3050 Mobile delivers 192.0 GB/s using GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile consumes 45 W and uses no power connectors. The RX 470 consumes 120 W, requires a 6-pin power connector, and lists a 300 W suggested PSU.

Q: Which GPU has better Vulkan performance?

A: The RTX 3050 Mobile wins Geekbench Vulkan with 49,051 points, a 23% lead over the RX 470’s 39,884. The NVIDIA card also supports Vulkan 1.4 versus 1.3 on the AMD card.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but context-dependent recommendation. For users running compute-heavy or Vulkan-based applications, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile is the stronger choice. It leads by 49.1% in OpenCL and by 23% in Vulkan, and it posts a higher average benchmark score at 33,170 versus 28,996. Its 78th percentile ranking versus 74th for the RX 470 confirms its overall superiority in the recorded tests.

However, for DX12 workloads that resemble 3DMark Steel Nomad, the AMD Radeon RX 470 is unequivocally faster. Its 842 score versus 421 represents a 100% performance advantage in that specific test. Users whose primary application is DX12 rasterization may prefer the RX 470 despite its lower aggregate scores.

The architectural differences explain the split. The RTX 3050 Mobile’s newer Ampere design, higher clocks, and tensor cores give it compute advantages. The RX 470’s wider memory bus, double TMU count, and higher bandwidth give it an edge in texture-heavy DX12 scenes. Neither card dominates across the board.

The RTX 3050 Mobile also offers features the RX 470 cannot match: ray tracing cores, tensor cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and Vulkan 1.4. These are meaningful for modern workloads, even if the RX 470 wins one benchmark outright. The RX 470’s higher power draw and desktop form factor may also matter for system integration.

In short, the RTX 3050 Mobile is the better all-around GPU based on average scores and feature set. The RX 470 is the better choice only if the target workload is specifically DX12 rasterization where its Steel Nomad advantage applies. The recorded data does not support any other conclusion.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile | AMD Radeon RX 470 |

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

| Chip | GA107 | Ellesmere |

| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 8 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 8,700 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 200 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 43.5M / mm² | 24.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1065 MHz | 926 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1343 MHz | 1206 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz, 12 Gbps effective | 1650 MHz, 6.6 Gbps effective |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.0 GB/s | 211.2 GB/s |

| TMUs | 64 | 128 |

| RT Cores | 16 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 64 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 42.98 GPixel/s | 38.59 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 85.95 GTexel/s | 154.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.501 TFLOPS | 4.940 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 5.501 TFLOPS (1:1) | 4.940 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 45 W | 120 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 300 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2021-05-10 | 2016-08-03 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 20 Mobile | Pirate Islands |

| Successor | None | Polaris |

| Launch MSRP | None | 179 USD |