AMD Radeon RX 5300M vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE Comparison

The benchmark data presents a striking juxtaposition: the AMD Radeon RX 5300M, a mobile-first chip from 2019, and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, a desktop powerhouse from 2023, occupy the same 80th percentile in the global GPU ranking database. This statistical tie is remarkable given the generational gulf between them, yet a single head-to-head benchmark reveals a chasm in raw compute capability that the percentile ranking obscures. The two cards are separated by four years of architectural evolution, a 9x difference in transistor count, and a 78.3% performance gap in the one test where they are directly compared, making this a comparison of two very different philosophies in GPU design.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only shared benchmark in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE scores 167,913 points, while the AMD Radeon RX 5300M manages 36,371 points. This translates to a deltaPct of -78.3% for the 5300M, meaning the RX 7900 GRE delivers more than 4.6 times the compute throughput in this specific workload. The RX 7900 GRE’s score is not just a win; it is a categorical victory that dwarfs any other comparison in the dataset.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card, the data reveals a fascinating quirk. The RX 5300M’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X, with a deltaPct of 0.2% (36,371 vs 36,305), placing it in a virtual dead heat with a 2015 flagship. The RX 7900 GRE, on the other hand, sits just 0.7% behind the same GTX TITAN X in its rival list (36,101 vs 36,305), a statistical artifact of the averaging method used. This means that in the aggregate scoring, the RX 5300M is 0.7% ahead of the RX 7900 GRE (36,371 vs 36,101), yet in the direct OpenCL test, the RX 7900 GRE is 78.3% faster. The discrepancy highlights the difference between a single, compute-heavy benchmark and a multi-test average that includes the RX 7900 GRE’s lower scores in other tests like Passmark DirectX 9 (310) and DirectX 10 (139).

The RX 7900 GRE’s OpenCL score of 167,913 is not an outlier in its own benchmark suite; it is consistent with its Vulkan score of 144,142 and its Passmark G3D score of 27,089. In contrast, the RX 5300M’s single OpenCL score of 36,371 is its only data point, making it difficult to gauge its performance in other APIs. The data suggests that while the RX 5300M holds its own in a narrow compute test against older desktop cards, the RX 7900 GRE is in a different league entirely when pushed with modern, parallel-heavy workloads.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between the two GPUs is profound, starting with the manufacturing process. The RX 5300M uses a 7 nm TSMC node, while the RX 7900 GRE is built on a 5 nm TSMC process. This node shrink is a key enabler of the RX 7900 GRE’s massive transistor count: 57,700 million versus 6,400 million for the RX 5300M. The die size also reflects this, with the RX 7900 GRE measuring 529 mm² compared to 158 mm² for the 5300M, resulting in a transistor density of 109.1M per mm² versus 40.5M per mm².

The core configurations diverge sharply. The RX 7900 GRE features 5,120 shading units, 320 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 160 render output units (ROPs). The RX 5300M, in contrast, has 1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This 3.6x difference in shading units and 5x difference in ROPs explains the pixel rate disparity: 359.2 GPixel/s for the RX 7900 GRE versus 46.24 GPixel/s for the RX 5300M. The texture rate tells a similar story, at 718.4 GTexel/s versus 127.2 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture is another major differentiator. The RX 7900 GRE has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 5300M is limited to 3 GB on a 96-bit bus, for 168.0 GB/s. The RX 7900 GRE also adds 80 dedicated ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the RX 5300M, which has null RT cores. Clock speeds are higher on the newer card, with a boost of 2245 MHz versus 1445 MHz, and a game clock of 1880 MHz versus 1181 MHz. The FP32 compute output is 45.98 TFLOPS for the RX 7900 GRE versus 4.069 TFLOPS for the 5300M, a 11.3x advantage that goes beyond the core count increase, reflecting the RDNA 3.0 architecture’s improved instruction efficiency.

FAQ

Q: Why does the AMD Radeon RX 5300M have a higher percentile rank than the RX 7900 GRE in some listings?

A: Both GPUs share the same 80th percentile versus all GPUs, and the RX 5300M’s average benchmark score of 36,371 is 0.7% higher than the RX 7900 GRE’s average of 36,101. This is because the RX 7900 GRE’s average includes lower scores in legacy DirectX tests (e.g., 139 in DirectX 10, 107 in DirectX 12), which drags its mean down despite its dominant OpenCL result.

Q: What is the single biggest performance difference in the data?

A: In the head-to-head Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 7900 GRE scores 167,913 versus 36,371 for the RX 5300M, a deltaPct of -78.3% for the 5300M. This is the only direct comparison available, and it shows the RX 7900 GRE delivering over 4.6x the compute performance.

Q: Does the RX 5300M have any ray tracing capability?

A: No. The FACT PACK lists null RT cores for the RX 5300M, while the RX 7900 GRE includes 80 RT cores. This means the newer card supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a feature the older mobile chip lacks entirely.

Q: How do the memory sizes affect the comparison?

A: The RX 7900 GRE ships with 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 5300M has 3 GB on a 96-bit bus, yielding 168.0 GB/s. The 4.4x bandwidth advantage and 5.3x capacity advantage on the RX 7900 GRE make it suitable for high-resolution textures and large datasets, while the 5300M is constrained to lighter workloads.

Q: Are these cards in the same performance class?

A: Based on average benchmark scores, they are within 0.7% of each other, but that average is misleading. The RX 7900 GRE’s OpenCL score (167,913) and Vulkan score (144,142) are dramatically higher than the RX 5300M’s OpenCL score (36,371), indicating the RX 7900 GRE is in a much higher performance tier for modern compute tasks.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 7900 GRE boosts to 2245 MHz, while the RX 5300M boosts to 1445 MHz. The RX 7900 GRE also has a higher base clock (1287 MHz vs 1000 MHz) and game clock (1880 MHz vs 1181 MHz).

The Verdict

Based strictly on the data, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is the superior GPU for any compute-intensive task. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 167,913 is 78.3% higher than the RX 5300M’s 36,371, and its FP32 throughput of 45.98 TFLOPS dwarfs the 5300M’s 4.069 TFLOPS. The RX 7900 GRE also offers 16 GB of memory versus 3 GB, 80 RT cores versus none, and a 5 nm process versus 7 nm, all of which point to a more capable and future-proof design. The RX 5300M’s only statistical advantage is its 0.7% higher average benchmark score, which is an artifact of the RX 7900 GRE’s poor showing in legacy DirectX tests (e.g., 107 in DirectX 12). For any modern workload—gaming, rendering, or compute—the data overwhelmingly favors the RX 7900 GRE.

The RX 5300M, however, is not without merit. Its 85 W TDP (versus 260 W for the RX 7900 GRE) and lack of power connectors make it a low-power, portable solution. Its 36,371 OpenCL score is competitive with the NVIDIA GTX TITAN X (36,305) and NVIDIA T1000 (36,282), both of which are desktop cards with higher power envelopes. For a mobile chip from 2019, this is a respectable showing, but it is a product of its time. The RX 7900 GRE, with its 549 USD launch MSRP, is a current-generation desktop card designed for high-end performance, and the data confirms it delivers that performance in spades.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in virtually every measurable specification. The RX 5300M uses the Navi 14 chip on RDNA 1.0 architecture, while the RX 7900 GRE uses Navi 31 on RDNA 3.0 with the codename "Plum Bonito." The process node is 7 nm versus 5 nm, and the transistor count is 6,400 million versus 57,700 million. Die size is 158 mm² versus 529 mm². Core counts: 1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, 32 ROPs for the 5300M; 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 160 ROPs for the 7900 GRE. The RT core count is null versus 80. Clocks: base 1000 MHz vs 1287 MHz, boost 1445 MHz vs 2245 MHz, game 1181 MHz vs 1880 MHz. Memory: 3 GB vs 16 GB, 96-bit vs 256-bit bus, 168.0 GB/s vs 576.0 GB/s. Compute: 4.069 TFLOPS vs 45.98 TFLOPS FP32. TDP: 85 W vs 260 W. Power connectors: None vs 2x 8-pin. Bus interface: PCIe 4.0 x8 vs PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs: portable-dependent vs 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C. Dimensions: null vs 276 mm length, 110 mm height, 51 mm width. The RX 7900 GRE also has a DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) API support level versus DirectX 12 (12_1) for the 5300M.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7900 GRE wins decisively in compute performance, memory capacity, memory bandwidth, pixel and texture fill rates, and ray tracing capability. Its 45.98 TFLOPS FP32 and 91.96 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1) make it a clear choice for parallel processing tasks like scientific simulation or AI inference, as evidenced by its 167,913 OpenCL score. The 16 GB memory and 576.0 GB/s bandwidth enable high-resolution texture streaming and large dataset handling, and the 80 RT cores provide hardware support for ray-traced effects in modern games. The 260 W TDP and dual-slot cooler with 2x 8-pin connectors indicate a desktop workstation or high-end gaming rig.

The RX 5300M wins in power efficiency and portability. Its 85 W TDP, no power connectors, and portable device-dependent display outputs make it suitable for thin-and-light laptops. Its 36,371 OpenCL score, while far below the RX 7900 GRE, is competitive with the NVIDIA GTX TITAN X (36,305) and T1000 (36,282), meaning it can handle basic compute tasks. The 7 nm process and 6,400 million transistors offer a high density per watt, and its 158 mm² die size is a fraction of the RX 7900 GRE’s 529 mm². For a user prioritizing battery life and mobility over raw performance, the RX 5300M is the logical choice. However, for anyone who needs maximum throughput, the RX 7900 GRE is the only option that the data supports.