AMD Radeon RX 7700 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile occupy entirely different tiers of the graphics hardware spectrum, and the recorded data reflects a decisive performance separation. The RX 7700, a desktop Radeon RX 7000 series part, delivers substantially higher scores across every benchmark in the database, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile, an end-of-life GeForce 30-series laptop chip, trails significantly in all measured workloads. This analysis examines the benchmark results, architectural differences, and the implications of the recorded data for each product's intended use case.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows a clean sweep for the AMD Radeon RX 7700, winning all 8 head-to-head comparisons against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile. There are no workloads in the recorded results where the mobile NVIDIA part takes the lead, making the use-case split a matter of performance magnitude rather than functional specialization.

The RX 7700 delivers its most dominant results in compute-heavy and general-purpose tasks. Its Passmark GPU Compute score of 10,963 is 148.1% higher than the RTX 3050 A Mobile's 4,419, indicating a substantial advantage for workloads that stress parallel processing. Similarly, the Geekbench OpenCL result shows the RX 7700 at 106,028 against 52,998 for the mobile part, a 100.1% delta. These figures suggest the desktop card is far better suited for GPU-accelerated computation, rendering, or any task that leverages raw shading throughput.

For conventional graphics workloads, the RX 7700 also holds a commanding lead. The Passmark G3D score of 20,974 versus 11,664 represents a 79.8% advantage, and the DirectX 11 result shows a 97.9% gap (186 vs 94). The DirectX 12 test records a 74.5% difference (96 vs 55), while DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 show 71.7% and 50.8% deltas respectively. The RX 7700 also wins the 2D graphics test by 129.3% (1,206 vs 526), though this is less relevant for modern gaming.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile, with its 45 W TDP and IGP form factor, is designed for portable devices where power constraints dominate. Its scores, while lower, remain functional for lighter gaming or general desktop use in a laptop context. However, the data does not show any benchmark category where the mobile part's lower power draw translates into a performance win.

Architecture Differences

The two products diverge fundamentally in their architectural foundations. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 uses the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm TSMC process. It contains 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 81.2M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile uses the GA106 chip with Ampere architecture, built on Samsung's 8 nm process, with 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die and a density of 43.5M per mm².

The RX 7700's compute configuration is substantially larger: 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation pipelines. It also includes 40 ray tracing cores. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 1,792 shading units, 56 TMUs, 32 ROPs, 14 ray tracing cores, and adds 56 tensor cores, a feature the AMD part lacks. The tensor cores provide the NVIDIA chip with dedicated AI acceleration hardware, though the recorded benchmarks do not specifically test this capability.

Memory configurations differ sharply. The RX 7700 features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. This 4x capacity and 3.25x bandwidth gap directly impacts texture-heavy workloads and higher resolution rendering.

Clock speeds also favor the desktop part. The RX 7700 runs at a 1900 MHz base and 2459 MHz boost, with a game clock of 2041 MHz. The mobile NVIDIA chip operates at 1065 MHz base and 1343 MHz boost. Memory clocks follow the same pattern: 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) for AMD versus 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA.

The power envelopes are categorically different. The RX 7700 has a 200 W TDP, requires a dual-slot cooler with 2x 8-pin power connectors, and suggests a 550 W power supply. The RTX 3050 A Mobile is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 45 W TDP, no dedicated power connectors, and no suggested PSU, reflecting its mobile integration.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test produces the second-largest performance gap in the dataset. The RX 7700 scores 106,028 against 52,998 for the RTX 3050 A Mobile, a 100.1% advantage. This result likely reflects the massive differences in shading units, memory bandwidth, and clock speeds, all of which contribute to raw compute throughput.

The Passmark GPU Compute benchmark shows the largest relative delta at 148.1%. The RX 7700's 10,963 score versus 4,419 for the mobile part suggests that the desktop card's higher transistor count and memory bandwidth provide outsized benefits in compute-oriented workloads. This 2.48x difference in compute score exceeds the 1.43x difference in shading units, indicating that memory bandwidth or other architectural factors amplify the advantage.

In the DirectX API tests, the gaps vary by generation. DirectX 11 shows a 97.9% delta (186 vs 94), nearly double the performance. DirectX 12 records a 74.5% delta (96 vs 55), while DirectX 10 shows 50.8% (92 vs 61) and DirectX 9 shows 71.7% (261 vs 152). The smaller DirectX 10 gap may reflect the older API's reduced reliance on the features where the RX 7700 excels, such as higher memory bandwidth or newer shading capabilities.

The Passmark G3D test, which aggregates DirectX and OpenGL gaming performance, shows a 79.8% delta (20,974 vs 11,664). This is the most representative overall gaming score in the dataset, and it confirms that the RX 7700 delivers nearly 1.8x the 3D performance of the RTX 3050 A Mobile. The G2D test shows a 129.3% delta (1,206 vs 526), though 2D performance is less critical for modern workloads.

The RX 7700's average benchmark score of 15,852 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16,014, 1% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129, 1.7% higher), and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679, 1.1% lower). The RTX 3050 A Mobile, with an average score of 8,746, sits in the 44th percentile, near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8,743, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon R9 M265X (8,851, 1.2% higher). This percentile gap, from 58th to 44th, places the two products in different performance brackets entirely.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15,852, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 8,746. The RX 7700 also sits in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the 44th percentile for the mobile part.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the most important gaming benchmark?

A: In the Passmark G3D test, the RX 7700 scores 20,974 versus 11,664 for the RTX 3050 A Mobile, a 79.8% difference. This is the closest of the major gaming-oriented benchmarks, but still represents a substantial advantage for the desktop card.

Q: Do the two GPUs use the same memory configuration?

A: No. The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 3050 A Mobile has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has 40 ray tracing cores, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile has 14. However, the NVIDIA part also includes 56 tensor cores, which the AMD part does not have.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RX 7700 has a TDP of 200 W and requires a 550 W suggested PSU, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile has a 45 W TDP and no suggested PSU. The mobile part is designed as an IGP, whereas the desktop card is a dual-slot solution with 2x 8-pin power connectors.

Q: How does each GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 7700 is within 1.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129) and within 1% of the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16,014). The RTX 3050 A Mobile is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 v2 (8,743, 0% delta) and within 1.3% of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8,863).

The Verdict

The recorded data indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the superior performer in every measured category. Its 79.8% advantage in Passmark G3D and 148.1% advantage in GPU compute make it the clear choice for any workload that prioritizes raw graphics or compute performance. The 58th percentile ranking places it in the upper-middle range of all GPUs, near the RTX 3060 Ti, while the RTX 3050 A Mobile's 44th percentile position reflects its more modest capabilities.

The RTX 3050 A Mobile's primary advantage lies not in performance but in its form factor and power profile. As an IGP with a 45 W TDP and no power connectors, it fits into portable devices where the 200 W, dual-slot RX 7700 cannot physically exist. The mobile part's tensor cores provide dedicated AI hardware, though the recorded benchmarks do not show a workload where this translates into a win.

For desktop users building a system with a 550 W PSU or better, the RX 7700 delivers more than double the compute performance and nearly double the 3D performance of the mobile chip. For laptop users who require an integrated GPU with modest gaming capability, the RTX 3050 A Mobile offers functional performance within strict power and thermal constraints. The data does not support any scenario where the mobile part outperforms the desktop card; the choice is entirely dictated by system form factor and power availability.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7700 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile |

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

| Process Node | 5 nm (TSMC) | 8 nm (Samsung) |

| Transistors | 28,100 million | 12,000 million |

| Die Size | 346 mm² | 276 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1900 MHz | 1065 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2459 MHz | 1343 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 624.1 GB/s | 192.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 1792 |

| TMUs | 160 | 56 |

| ROPs | 96 | 32 |

| RT Cores | 40 | 14 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 56 |

| FP32 Performance | 25.18 TFLOPS | 4.813 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 200 W | 45 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | None |

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

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |