AMD Radeon RX 5700 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile Comparison
AMD Radeon RX 5700
GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Radeon RX 5700 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile and AMD Radeon RX 5700 represent two distinct approaches to graphics processing, separated by several generations of architecture. The benchmark data shows the RTX 4060 Mobile winning 8 of 9 head-to-head tests, with an average benchmark score of 22,729 against the RX 5700’s 22,170. Both cards sit at the 67th percentile of all GPUs, placing them in the same performance tier overall, yet the pattern of wins reveals significant differences in specific workloads. The data suggests the RTX 4060 Mobile is the stronger choice for modern DirectX 12 and Vulkan applications, while the RX 5700 retains a single notable advantage in 2D graphics throughput.
The Verdict
The benchmark results indicate that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile is the superior performer for most modern gaming and compute tasks, but the choice depends heavily on the user's software priorities. In the head-to-head data, the RTX 4060 Mobile leads by 28.5% in Geekbench OpenCL (89,420 vs 69,603) and by 39.6% in Geekbench Vulkan (89,569 vs 64,166), showing a decisive edge in cross-platform compute and modern graphics APIs. For DirectX 11, the lead expands to 55.4% (157 vs 101), and in DirectX 12, the RTX 4060 Mobile is 35.2% ahead (73 vs 54). These are not marginal differences; they represent a generational leap in efficiency and feature support.
However, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 wins the Passmark G2D test by 16.8% (877 vs 730), indicating stronger raw 2D rendering performance. For users whose primary workload involves desktop compositing, 2D applications, or legacy 2D games, the RX 5700 offers a measurable advantage. Yet, for anyone running modern 3D games, especially those using Vulkan or DirectX 12, the RTX 4060 Mobile is categorically faster. The RTX 4060 Mobile also edges out the RX 5700 in Passmark GPU Compute (6,816 vs 6,517, a 4.6% lead), making it the safer choice for general-purpose GPU compute tasks. The verdict is clear: the RTX 4060 Mobile is the more capable modern GPU, while the RX 5700 is a niche pick for 2D-focused workloads.
Architecture Differences
The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial, explaining the benchmark disparity. The RTX 4060 Mobile uses the AD107 chip on TSMC’s 5 nm process, packing 18,900 million transistors into a 159 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 118.9 million per mm². In contrast, the RX 5700 uses the Navi 10 chip on TSMC’s 7 nm process, with 10,300 million transistors spread across a larger 251 mm² die, resulting in just 41.0 million transistors per mm². The RTX 4060 Mobile’s newer process node allows for significantly higher complexity in a smaller physical footprint.
The RTX 4060 Mobile features 3,072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, alongside 24 dedicated ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores. The RX 5700 has fewer shading units at 2,304, but more TMUs (144) and ROPs (64), and it lacks dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores entirely. This explains why the RTX 4060 Mobile achieves 11.61 TFLOPS FP32 performance versus the RX 5700’s 7.949 TFLOPS. The RTX 4060 Mobile also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 5700 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, but the RTX 4060 Mobile’s hardware ray tracing and tensor core support give it a feature advantage in modern titles.
Memory configurations also differ fundamentally. Both have 8 GB of GDDR6, but the RTX 4060 Mobile uses a 128-bit bus delivering 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 5700 uses a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s. This means the RX 5700 has 75% more memory bandwidth, a critical factor in certain high-resolution or texture-heavy scenarios. The RTX 4060 Mobile compensates with higher clocks (1,545 MHz base / 1,890 MHz boost vs 1,465 MHz base / 1,725 MHz boost) and a much lower TDP of 115 W versus the RX 5700’s 180 W, highlighting the efficiency gains of the 5 nm process.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The most decisive wins for the RTX 4060 Mobile come in API-specific tests. In Passmark DirectX 11, the RTX 4060 Mobile scores 157 against the RX 5700’s 101, a 55.4% advantage. This is the largest delta in the entire comparison and suggests the NVIDIA architecture handles legacy DirectX 11 workloads with far greater efficiency, likely due to its newer driver optimizations and shader core design. DirectX 12 shows a similar story, with the RTX 4060 Mobile scoring 73 versus 54, a 35.2% lead, indicating strong asynchronous compute and modern API utilization.
In Geekbench Vulkan, the RTX 4060 Mobile’s 39.6% lead (89,569 vs 64,166) is particularly notable, as Vulkan is the foundation for many modern cross-platform engines and Linux gaming. The OpenCL result reinforces this compute advantage: 89,420 vs 69,603, a 28.5% margin. These are not minor wins; they show the RTX 4060 Mobile is categorically faster in GPU compute tasks, likely benefiting from its tensor cores and higher FP32 throughput (11.61 vs 7.949 TFLOPS).
The Passmark G3D test, which aggregates overall 3D gaming performance, shows the RTX 4060 Mobile ahead by 22% (17,469 vs 14,314). This aligns with the average benchmark scores: the RTX 4060 Mobile’s rivals include the RTX 2080 (23,895 avg, -0.7% delta) and RX 7700 XT (22,549 avg, +0.8% delta), placing it in desktop-class territory. The RX 5700’s rivals include the RX 6700S (22,154 avg, +0.1% delta) and GTX 1060 6 GB (21,856 avg, +1.4% delta), showing it competes with older or lower-tier hardware. The only RX 5700 win comes in Passmark G2D (877 vs 730, a 16.8% lead), and even in Passmark DirectX 9, the RTX 4060 Mobile wins by just 3.3% (216 vs 209), suggesting the older API narrows the gap.
FAQ
Q: Which GPU has higher raw FP32 compute performance?
A: The RTX 4060 Mobile achieves 11.61 TFLOPS FP32, while the RX 5700 delivers 7.949 TFLOPS, a difference of roughly 46% in favor of NVIDIA.
Q: Does the AMD card have any advantage in memory bandwidth?
A: Yes, the RX 5700 has a 256-bit bus providing 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, versus the RTX 4060 Mobile’s 128-bit bus at 256.0 GB/s, giving AMD a 75% bandwidth advantage.
Q: What is the power consumption difference?
A: The RTX 4060 Mobile has a TDP of 115 W, while the RX 5700 has a TDP of 180 W, making the NVIDIA card 65 W more power-efficient.
Q: Which GPU supports hardware ray tracing?
A: The RTX 4060 Mobile has 24 dedicated ray tracing cores, while the RX 5700 has no ray tracing cores listed, giving NVIDIA exclusive hardware RT support.
Q: What is the process node and die size comparison?
A: The RTX 4060 Mobile uses a 5 nm process on a 159 mm² die, while the RX 5700 uses a 7 nm process on a larger 251 mm² die.
Q: How do they compare in DirectX 12 performance?
A: The RTX 4060 Mobile scores 73 in Passmark DirectX 12 versus the RX 5700’s 54, a 35.2% advantage for NVIDIA.
Where Each One Wins
The RTX 4060 Mobile dominates in every modern 3D and compute workload. Its 55.4% lead in DirectX 11 and 35.2% lead in DirectX 12 make it the clear winner for current PC games, which predominantly use these APIs. The 39.6% Vulkan advantage is critical for Linux gamers and users of Vulkan-based engines, while the 28.5% OpenCL lead supports GPU compute in applications like video encoding, physics simulation, and machine learning inference. The Passmark G3D score of 17,469 versus 14,314 (22% higher) confirms it is the stronger all-around 3D performer. Its lower TDP (115 W vs 180 W) also makes it viable in thinner laptops, as evidenced by its IGP slot width and lack of power connectors, whereas the RX 5700 requires a dual-slot design with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors.
The RX 5700 wins only in Passmark G2D (877 vs 730, a 16.8% lead), which measures 2D graphics performance such as desktop rendering, browser compositing, and GUI acceleration. This makes it the better choice for users who prioritize 2D application responsiveness over 3D gaming. Additionally, its 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth could theoretically benefit texture-heavy workloads, but the benchmark data does not show a corresponding win in any 3D test, suggesting the RTX 4060 Mobile’s architecture overcomes this disadvantage. The RX 5700 also has a smaller lead in DirectX 9 (216 vs 209, just 3.3%), meaning legacy DirectX 9 games run nearly identically, but the NVIDIA card still edges ahead.
Specification Differences
The two GPUs differ significantly across nearly every specification. The RTX 4060 Mobile uses a 5 nm process on a 159 mm² die with 18,900 million transistors, while the RX 5700 uses a 7 nm process on a 251 mm² die with 10,300 million transistors. The RTX 4060 Mobile has 3,072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, versus the RX 5700’s 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RTX 4060 Mobile features 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores; the RX 5700 has none. Clock speeds favor NVIDIA: 1,545 MHz base and 1,890 MHz boost versus AMD’s 1,465 MHz base and 1,725 MHz boost, with the RX 5700 also listing a 1,625 MHz game clock. Memory is 8 GB GDDR6 on both, but the RTX 4060 Mobile uses a 128-bit bus (256.0 GB/s) while the RX 5700 uses a 256-bit bus (448.0 GB/s). Pixel rates are 90.72 GPixel/s for NVIDIA versus 110.4 GPixel/s for AMD, while texture rates are 181.4 GTexel/s versus 248.4 GTexel/s. The RTX 4060 Mobile has a 115 W TDP, IGP slot width, and no power connectors; the RX 5700 has a 180 W TDP, dual-slot width, and requires 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin power, plus a 450 W suggested PSU. The RTX 4060 Mobile supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 5700 supports DirectX 12 (12_1). The RX 5700 has a launch MSRP of 349 USD, while the RTX 4060 Mobile has no listed launch MSRP. The RX 5700 is end-of-life, while the RTX 4060 Mobile is active production.