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

The AMD Radeon RX 7700S and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile are both mobile graphics processors aimed at laptops, but the benchmark data shows they occupy completely different performance tiers. The RX 7700S wins two of the three head-to-head benchmarks, including a decisive victory in the modern DirectX 12 test, while the RTX 3050 Mobile counters with a single win in a Vulkan workload. Despite the RTX 3050 Mobile's narrower loss in that one test, the overall average benchmark score and the magnitude of the DirectX 12 delta make the AMD part the clear performance leader in this comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant result in this comparison comes from the 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 test, where the AMD Radeon RX 7700S scores 2185 against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile's 421. This represents a massive 419% advantage for the AMD part, indicating that in modern DirectX 12 workloads, the RX 7700S delivers over five times the performance of the RTX 3050 Mobile. This is not a marginal difference; it is a generational gap that places the two GPUs in entirely different performance classes for current-generation gaming and compute tasks.

In the geekbench_opencl benchmark, the RX 7700S again takes the lead, scoring 62983 versus the RTX 3050 Mobile's 50038. The 25.9% delta shows a substantial but less extreme advantage for AMD. This result suggests that in general-purpose OpenCL compute workloads, the RX 7700S maintains a healthy lead, though not as overwhelming as in the DirectX 12 test. The higher shading unit count and significantly higher clock speeds of the AMD chip likely contribute to this outcome, but the data alone confirms the performance gap without needing to speculate on architectural causes.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile's only victory comes in the geekbench_vulkan test, where it scores 49051 against the RX 7700S's 36380. The -25.8% delta means NVIDIA wins this round by roughly a quarter, showing that in Vulkan API workloads, the RTX 3050 Mobile can outperform its AMD rival. This is a notable result because it breaks the pattern of AMD dominance and demonstrates that NVIDIA's architecture handles Vulkan particularly well. However, this single win is insufficient to offset the enormous DirectX 12 deficit, and the overall benchmark picture remains heavily tilted toward AMD.

Looking at the broader performance context, the RX 7700S has an average benchmark score of 33849, while the RTX 3050 Mobile sits at 33170. Both GPUs share the same 78th percentile ranking among all GPUs, which places them in similar overall standing despite the RX 7700S's higher raw average. The RX 7700S's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7950 with a -0.3% delta and the AMD Radeon RX 480 at -0.4%, while the RTX 3050 Mobile's closest competitors are the NVIDIA T550 Mobile at 0% delta and the AMD Radeon Pro 570 at -0.1%. These rankings show that while the RX 7700S has a higher average score, both parts sit in the same performance neighborhood when considering the full spectrum of GPUs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the most head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700S wins 2 of the 3 head-to-head benchmarks, taking victories in 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 and geekbench_opencl, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile wins only the geekbench_vulkan test.

Q: How large is the DirectX 12 performance gap between the two?

A: In the 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 benchmark, the RX 7700S scores 2185 while the RTX 3050 Mobile scores 421, resulting in a 419% delta in favor of AMD.

Q: Does the RTX 3050 Mobile win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the RTX 3050 Mobile wins the geekbench_vulkan test with a score of 49051 compared to the RX 7700S's 36380, a -25.8% delta in NVIDIA's favor.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each GPU?

A: The RX 7700S has an average benchmark score of 33849, while the RTX 3050 Mobile has an average of 33170.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in OpenCL performance?

A: The RX 7700S leads in geekbench_opencl with 62983 points versus the RTX 3050 Mobile's 50038 points, a 25.9% advantage for AMD.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same overall GPU ranking?

A: Yes, both the RX 7700S and the RTX 3050 Mobile are ranked in the 78th percentile among all GPUs, despite the RX 7700S having a higher average benchmark score.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon RX 7700S is built on the Navi 33 chip using the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the codename Hotpink Bonefish, and it belongs to the Navi Mobile (RX 7000M) generation. It is manufactured on a 6 nm process at TSMC, packing 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile uses the GA107 chip with the Ampere architecture and belongs to the GeForce 30 Mobile generation. It is built on an 8 nm process at Samsung, containing 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die.

The AMD chip features 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output pipelines, along with 32 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA chip also has 2048 shading units but only 64 TMUs and 32 ROPs, with 16 ray tracing cores and 64 tensor cores. The RX 7700S has no tensor cores listed, while the RTX 3050 Mobile's tensor cores are a key architectural feature for NVIDIA-specific workloads. The transistor density differs significantly, with the AMD chip achieving 65.2M / mm² compared to NVIDIA's 43.5M / mm².

Both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, meaning they are feature-compatible at the API level. The AMD part has a production status of Active, while the NVIDIA part is listed as End-of-life, reflecting their respective positions in their product lifecycles. The RX 7700S was released on 2023-01-03, while the RTX 3050 Mobile came earlier on 2021-05-10, making the AMD part newer by nearly two years in the data.

Specification Differences

The clock speeds differ substantially between the two GPUs. The RX 7700S has a base clock of 1500 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a game clock of 2200 MHz. The RTX 3050 Mobile operates at a base clock of 1065 MHz and a boost clock of 1343 MHz, with no game clock specified. Memory clocks also differ, with the AMD part running at 2250 MHz ( 18 Gbps effective ) while the NVIDIA part runs at 1500 MHz ( 12 Gbps effective ).

Memory configuration is another major differentiator. The RX 7700S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128 bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 3050 Mobile has only 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, also on a 128 bit bus, but with 192.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD GPU's pixel rate is 160.0 GPixel/s and texture rate is 320.0 GTexel/s, while the NVIDIA GPU achieves 42.98 GPixel/s and 85.95 GTexel/s respectively.

In terms of compute performance, the RX 7700S delivers 20.48 TFLOPS of FP32 and 40.96 TFLOPS of FP16 (with a 2:1 ratio), while the RTX 3050 Mobile provides 5.501 TFLOPS of both FP32 and FP16 (at a 1:1 ratio). The thermal design power differs significantly, with the AMD part rated at 100 W and the NVIDIA part at 45 W. Both use an IGP slot width with no power connectors, and both have portable device dependent display outputs. The bus interface also differs, with the RX 7700S using PCIe 4.0 x16 and the RTX 3050 Mobile using PCIe 4.0 x8.

The Verdict

The data makes the conclusion straightforward: the AMD Radeon RX 7700S is the superior performer in this matchup, winning two of three benchmarks including the most demanding DirectX 12 test by a 419% margin. The RTX 3050 Mobile's Vulkan victory is real but narrow in the context of overall performance, and it cannot compensate for the massive deficit in the DirectX 12 workload. For users prioritizing modern gaming performance and general compute throughput, the RX 7700S is the clear choice based on the benchmark evidence.

The RTX 3050 Mobile does have one advantage in Vulkan workloads, scoring 49051 versus the RX 7700S's 36380, which could be relevant for specific applications that rely heavily on Vulkan. However, the RX 7700S also offers double the memory capacity at 8 GB versus 4 GB, higher bandwidth at 288.0 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s, and over three times the FP32 compute throughput at 20.48 TFLOPS versus 5.501 TFLOPS. The higher TDP of 100 W versus 45 W suggests the AMD part requires more power, but the performance returns are substantial.

Both GPUs occupy the 78th percentile in the overall GPU ranking, but the RX 7700S's higher average score of 33849 versus 33170 confirms its edge in aggregate performance. The AMD part is also newer (released 2023-01-03 versus 2021-05-10) and still in Active production, while the NVIDIA part is End-of-life. Given the data, the RX 7700S is the better choice for most scenarios, with the RTX 3050 Mobile only preferable in Vulkan-specific use cases or where its lower 45 W TDP is a critical constraint.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 7700S wins in DirectX 12 gaming and general compute workloads, as evidenced by its 2185 score in 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 and 62983 in geekbench_opencl. This makes it the better option for modern game titles that leverage DirectX 12 features, as well as OpenCL-based applications such as video encoding, physics simulation, and other compute-heavy tasks. Its higher memory capacity of 8 GB and bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s also make it more suitable for larger textures and higher-resolution gaming scenarios.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile wins specifically in Vulkan API workloads, scoring 49051 in geekbench_vulkan compared to the RX 7700S's 36380. This makes it the preferred choice for applications or games that are optimized for Vulkan, where its -25.8% delta advantage can be leveraged. The RTX 3050 Mobile's lower TDP of 45 W also makes it a more power-efficient option for thin-and-light laptops where battery life and thermal management are primary concerns, though this comes at the cost of significantly lower raw performance.

For users who need the absolute best frame rates in current DirectX 12 games, the RX 7700S is the overwhelming winner with its 419% advantage in the Steel Nomad benchmark. For users running Vulkan-based workloads or prioritizing power efficiency in a slim chassis, the RTX 3050 Mobile has a legitimate case. However, the RX 7700S's wins in two of three benchmarks, combined with its superior specifications in memory, compute, and bandwidth, make it the stronger overall choice for most laptop buyers.