AMD Radeon RX 5700 vs NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile are close competitors in aggregate benchmark scores, with the former holding a slight average lead (22170 vs 21379), yet the latter wins the majority of direct head-to-head tests (6 vs 3). The data shows a clear split: NVIDIA dominates modern DirectX 12, Vulkan, and compute-adjacent workloads, while AMD counters with decisive wins in legacy DirectX 9 and 2D tasks. The RTX A4000 Mobile also brings hardware ray tracing and tensor cores, features entirely absent from the RX 5700, making it the more future-proof option despite its lower overall percentile ranking (66th vs 67th).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 leads with an average benchmark score of 22170, compared to the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile's 21379 — a margin of about 3.7%.

Q: How does the RX 5700 perform in DirectX 9 compared to the RTX A4000 Mobile?

A: The RX 5700 wins DirectX 9 decisively, scoring 209 versus 157 in Passmark's DirectX 9 test, a 33.1% advantage for AMD.

Q: Does the RTX A4000 Mobile support hardware ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RTX A4000 Mobile features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores, while the RX 5700 has none, as it predates RDNA 2's ray tracing support.

Q: Which GPU has the higher FP32 compute throughput?

A: The RTX A4000 Mobile is far ahead, delivering 17.20 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus the RX 5700's 7.949 TFLOPS — more than double the raw compute power.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The RX 5700 has higher bandwidth at 448.0 GB/s, while the RTX A4000 Mobile offers 384.0 GB/s — a 16.7% gap in favor of AMD, despite both using 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Which GPU wins the Passmark G3D (overall gaming) test?

A: The RTX A4000 Mobile edges out a win in Passmark G3D with a score of 14796 versus 14314, a narrow 3.3% margin.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is substantial, spanning process nodes, compute resources, and feature sets. The RX 5700 is built on AMD's RDNA 1.0 architecture using a 7 nm TSMC process, packing 10,300 million transistors into a 251 mm² die. In contrast, the RTX A4000 Mobile uses NVIDIA's Ampere architecture on an 8 nm Samsung process, with 17,400 million transistors across a 392 mm² die — a 69% increase in transistor count and a 56% larger physical footprint.

The compute core disparity is stark. The RX 5700 fields 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the RTX A4000 Mobile deploys 5120 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. This translates to a massive FP32 throughput difference: 17.20 TFLOPS for NVIDIA versus 7.949 TFLOPS for AMD. The RTX A4000 Mobile also includes 40 ray tracing cores and 160 tensor cores, neither of which exist on the RX 5700. AMD's FP16 rate is 15.90 TFLOPS using a 2:1 ratio, while NVIDIA matches its FP32 at 17.20 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, indicating better general-purpose compute flexibility.

Memory subsystems are similar in capacity (both 8 GB GDDR6, 256-bit bus) but differ in speed, with AMD achieving 448.0 GB/s versus NVIDIA's 384.0 GB/s. The RX 5700's pixel rate is lower at 110.4 GPixel/s compared to 134.4 GPixel/s for the RTX A4000 Mobile, and texture rates follow suit (248.4 GTexel/s vs 268.8 GTexel/s). Process node advantages are mixed: AMD uses a smaller 7 nm node but with lower transistor density (41.0M / mm² vs 44.4M / mm²). The RX 5700 is a desktop card requiring a 450 W suggested PSU and dual-slot cooling, while the RTX A4000 Mobile is a mobile part with no power connectors and a lower 115 W TDP.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation for most users: choose the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile for modern workloads. It wins the majority of head-to-head tests (6 of 9), including all DirectX 10, 11, and 12 tests, Vulkan, and OpenCL. Its 17.20 TFLOPS FP32 compute and hardware ray tracing/tensor cores make it the superior choice for current-generation gaming, content creation, and any workload leveraging DX12 Ultimate features. The RX 5700's wins are concentrated in legacy APIs (DirectX 9) and 2D tasks, which are less relevant for contemporary software.

However, the RX 5700 is not without merit. Its higher memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) and strong DirectX 9 performance (33.1% ahead) make it a viable option for older game libraries or 2D-heavy applications. It also has a slight edge in Passmark GPU compute (6517 vs 6394, a 1.9% win) and a 3.7% higher average benchmark score overall. For users prioritizing legacy compatibility or raw bandwidth over modern feature sets, the RX 5700 remains competitive. Yet, given the RTX A4000 Mobile's dominance in modern APIs and its 115 W TDP (vs 180 W for AMD), NVIDIA is the data-driven pick for forward-looking buyers.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category, with the most critical distinctions being compute resources and power. The RX 5700 has a base clock of 1465 MHz and boost of 1725 MHz, while the RTX A4000 Mobile runs lower at 1140 MHz base and 1680 MHz boost — yet NVIDIA still achieves higher throughput due to its 2.2x shading unit count. Memory clocks favor AMD (1750 MHz / 14 Gbps effective vs 1500 MHz / 12 Gbps), yielding 448.0 GB/s versus 384.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Transistor counts diverge sharply: 10,300 million (AMD, 7 nm TSMC) versus 17,400 million (NVIDIA, 8 nm Samsung). Die sizes are 251 mm² for AMD and 392 mm² for NVIDIA. The RTX A4000 Mobile adds 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, both absent on the RX 5700. Power envelopes are opposite: the RX 5700 draws 180 W with 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connectors, while the RTX A4000 Mobile sips 115 W with no power connectors. Display outputs differ: AMD offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while NVIDIA's are "Portable Device Dependent." API support also differs, with NVIDIA reaching DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus AMD's DirectX 12 (12_1). The RX 5700 has defined dimensions (268 mm length, 111 mm height, 36 mm width) and a launch MSRP of 349 USD, while the RTX A4000 Mobile has no listed dimensions or MSRP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RTX A4000 Mobile's biggest victory comes in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 97178 versus 69603 for the RX 5700 — a 28.4% advantage that reflects its superior FP32 compute. In Geekbench Vulkan, NVIDIA wins again (73002 vs 64166, a 12.1% gap). Passmark's DirectX tests show consistent NVIDIA leads: DX10 (105 vs 87, 17.1% ahead), DX11 (127 vs 101, 20.5% ahead), and DX12 (66 vs 54, 18.2% ahead). The closest modern-API contest is Passmark G3D, where NVIDIA edges out 14796 to 14314, a modest 3.3% win.

AMD's counterattacks are equally decisive in their domains. The RX 5700 crushes the RTX A4000 Mobile in Passmark DirectX 9, scoring 209 versus 157 — a 33.1% blowout. Its 2D performance is even more lopsided: 877 versus 585 in Passmark G2D, a 49.9% margin. The RX 5700 also takes Passmark GPU compute (6517 vs 6394) by 1.9%, though this is the smallest win of the entire comparison. Notably, the RX 5700's 33.1% DX9 win and 49.9% G2D win are the two largest deltas across all nine tests, dwarfing NVIDIA's largest margin (28.4% in OpenCL).

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile is the clear winner for any workload targeting modern graphics APIs. It wins all DirectX 10, 11, and 12 tests, plus Vulkan and OpenCL — a sweep of every current-generation API benchmark. Its 17.20 TFLOPS FP32 compute, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores make it the pick for ray-traced games, AI-assisted rendering, and compute-heavy professional tasks. The 3.3% G3D win, while narrow, confirms its gaming competitiveness. For users running DX12 Ultimate titles or Vulkan-based engines, the RTX A4000 Mobile is the data-backed choice.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 wins where legacy and simplicity matter. Its 49.9% lead in Passmark G2D makes it ideal for 2D desktop work, spreadsheet-heavy multi-monitor setups, or any application that stresses 2D acceleration. The 33.1% DirectX 9 advantage covers older game libraries and legacy software that still rely on DX9. Its 448.0 GB/s bandwidth also provides a theoretical edge for bandwidth-sensitive tasks, and the 1.9% Passmark GPU compute win shows it can hold its own in some compute scenarios. For users with a backlog of DX9-era games or workflows centered on 2D interfaces, the RX 5700 offers measurable benefits. However, its wins are concentrated in declining API categories, making the RTX A4000 Mobile the more versatile and future-proof option.