AMD Radeon RX 7700S vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE Comparison

The Verdict

The database comparison between the AMD Radeon RX 7700S and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE is defined by two entirely different market positions. The RX 7700S is a mobile-focused GPU, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with a 100 W TDP, designed for portable devices. The RTX 5090 SE is a desktop-class powerhouse, a Blackwell 2.0 flagship with a 500 W TDP and a dual-slot cooler, intended for high-end stationary systems. The recorded data shows no direct head-to-head benchmark entries, meaning the comparison rests on architectural specifications, memory configurations, and the available benchmark scores for the AMD part. The RTX 5090 SE has no recorded benchmark scores in the database, and its average score is listed as zero, with no nearest rivals. The RX 7700S, by contrast, holds a percentile rank of 78 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 33,849. Given the absence of empirical performance data for the NVIDIA card, the verdict is straightforward: the RTX 5090 SE is the superior hardware on paper by a massive margin, but the RX 7700S is the only one with actual measured results in the database. Users requiring verified performance data should look at the RX 7700S; users requiring maximum theoretical capability, especially with 24 GB of memory, should favor the RTX 5090 SE.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational and physical. The AMD Radeon RX 7700S uses the Navi 33 chip, fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC, with 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The transistor density is 65.2 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE uses the GB202 chip, built on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, achieving a density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. The RTX 5090 SE packs nearly seven times the transistor count into a die that is roughly 3.7 times larger, indicating a far more complex design.

Core counts differ drastically. The RX 7700S has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, and 32 ray tracing cores. It has no tensor cores listed. The RTX 5090 SE has 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, 160 ROPs, 110 RT cores, and 440 tensor cores. The NVIDIA GPU delivers 66.94 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and the same 66.94 TFLOPS for FP16, running at a 1:1 ratio. The AMD GPU delivers 20.48 TFLOPS FP32 and 40.96 TFLOPS FP16 at a 2:1 ratio. Pixel rate for the RTX 5090 SE is 380.3 GPixel/s versus 160.0 GPixel/s for the RX 7700S. Texture rate is 1,045.9 GTexel/s versus 320.0 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture is another major divider. The RX 7700S uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5090 SE uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus, yielding 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth, which is over 4.6 times the bandwidth of the AMD part. Clock speeds show the RX 7700S boosting to 2500 MHz with a game clock of 2200 MHz and a base of 1500 MHz. The RTX 5090 SE has a base of 1740 MHz and a boost of 2377 MHz, with no game clock listed. The AMD memory clock runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective, while the NVIDIA memory runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective.

Other distinctions include the bus interface: the RX 7700S uses PCIe 4.0 x16, the RTX 5090 SE uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The power delivery is also different: the RX 7700S is an integrated GPU (IGP) with no power connectors and a 100 W TDP, while the RTX 5090 SE is dual-slot, requires a single 16-pin connector, has a 500 W TDP, and a suggested PSU of 900 W. The NVIDIA card measures 267 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 40 mm in width. The AMD card has no listed dimensions, as it is portable-device dependent. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains no head-to-head benchmark entries between the AMD Radeon RX 7700S and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE. The wins counter shows zero for both cards. Consequently, any comparison of measured performance must rely on the standalone benchmark scores for the RX 7700S, since the RTX 5090 SE has no recorded scores. The RX 7700S achieved 2,185 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, 62,983 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 36,380 in Geekbench Vulkan.

Contextualizing the RX 7700S, its average benchmark score of 33,849 places it just slightly below the AMD Radeon HD 7950, which averages 33,951, a delta of -0.3%. It is also marginally behind the AMD Radeon RX 480, which averages 33,997, a delta of -0.4%. Conversely, the RX 7700S edges ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB, which averages 33,694, a delta of +0.5%, and the NVIDIA RTX A5000, which averages 33,622, a delta of +0.7%. These deltas are all within roughly a single percentage point, indicating that the RX 7700S, in its recorded measurements, performs in a tightly clustered band around these older desktop cards.

For the RTX 5090 SE, the lack of benchmark data means no direct numerical comparison can be made. The theoretical specifications, however, suggest an overwhelming advantage. The FP32 throughput of 66.94 TFLOPS is more than three times the RX 7700S's 20.48 TFLOPS. The texture rate of 1,045.9 GTexel/s is more than three times higher, and the pixel rate of 380.3 GPixel/s is more than double. The memory bandwidth of 1.34 TB/s is in a different class entirely. The 14080 shading units versus 2048 represents a 6.9x difference in raw shader count.

The only area where the RX 7700S shows a comparative advantage is in efficiency relative to its power envelope. The RX 7700S delivers 20.48 TFLOPS within a 100 W TDP, while the RTX 5090 SE delivers 66.94 TFLOPS within a 500 W TDP. Per watt, the AMD card produces 0.2048 TFLOPS per watt, while the NVIDIA card produces 0.1339 TFLOPS per watt, making the AMD part more power-efficient in raw FP32 terms. However, this is a narrow metric, and the NVIDIA card's absolute performance is far higher.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and what type?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus. The AMD Radeon RX 7700S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700S has a 100 W TDP, is listed as an integrated GPU (IGP), and requires no power connectors. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE has a 500 W TDP, is a dual-slot card, uses a single 16-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 900 W.

Q: How do the manufacturing processes compare?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700S uses a 6 nm process at TSMC with 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE uses a 5 nm process at TSMC with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die.

Q: Are there any recorded benchmark scores for the RTX 5090 SE?

A: No. The database lists no benchmark scores for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE, and its average benchmark score is recorded as zero.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the RTX 5090 SE?

A: The launch MSRP is 1,499 USD. The AMD Radeon RX 7700S has no listed launch MSRP.

Q: How does the RX 7700S compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The RX 7700S has an average benchmark score of 33,849. It is 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7950, 0.4% behind the AMD Radeon RX 480, 0.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB, and 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A5000.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 7700S wins in scenarios defined by mobility, integration, and power efficiency. Its 100 W TDP, lack of external power connectors, and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for laptops or portable devices. It supports PCIe 4.0, which is adequate for many mobile platforms. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory is sufficient for 1080p gaming and lighter workloads. Its benchmark performance, while clustered closely with older desktop cards like the GTX 1060 5 GB and RX 480, shows it can hold its own in that performance tier. The 78th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it outperforms the majority of recorded graphics hardware. Furthermore, the FP32 per watt calculation favors the AMD card, making it the more efficient option for constrained power budgets. Its release date of January 2023 also makes it an established, active product with a predecessor in Polaris Mobile, indicating a mature line.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE wins in every scenario that demands raw performance, memory capacity, and bandwidth. The 24 GB GDDR7 frame buffer is essential for 4K texture packs, large datasets, and professional rendering workloads. The 1.34 TB/s bandwidth ensures that massive data transfers do not bottleneck the GPU. The 14,080 shading units, 440 tensor cores, and 110 RT cores provide immense compute capability for AI inference, ray tracing, and high-resolution gaming. The FP32 throughput of 66.94 TFLOPS is over three times that of the RX 7700S, making it the clear choice for compute-heavy tasks. The PCIe 5.0 interface doubles the bus bandwidth potential compared to the RX 7700S's PCIe 4.0. The display outputs, including HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b connections, support multiple high-refresh monitors. The physical dimensions (267 mm length, 111 mm height, 40 mm width) indicate a full-sized desktop card that can sustain high clocks with a dual-slot cooler. The 500 W TDP and 900 W suggested PSU are for systems with robust power delivery. The card's predecessor is GeForce 40, and its successor is GeForce 60, placing it in the latest generation of NVIDIA's lineup.

In summary, the RX 7700S is the winner for portable, power-conscious systems that require verified, measured performance. The RTX 5090 SE is the winner for desktop workstations and enthusiast builds where absolute performance and memory capacity are paramount, based on its specifications, despite the absence of recorded benchmarks. The database data does not support a direct performance comparison, but the architectural disparity is decisive.