AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT records an average benchmark score of 11627, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M records 9959. The RX 7800 XT sits in the 51st percentile of all GPUs, compared to the GTX 870M's 48th percentile.

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT in OpenCL performance?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 7800 XT scores 18290 versus the GTX 870M's 12630, a 44.8% advantage. This is the only direct head-to-head benchmark recorded in the database.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each card?

A: The RX 7800 XT's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, with an average score of 11680 and a delta of -0.5%. The GTX 870M's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, with an average score of 10013 and a delta of -0.5%.

Q: Which GPU has the higher transistor density?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT has a transistor density of 81.2 million transistors per square millimeter, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M has a density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. The RX 7800 XT packs 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, versus 3,540 million on 294 mm² for the GTX 870M.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT has an active production status, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M is listed as end-of-life.

Q: Which card has a larger memory bus width?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT uses a 256-bit memory bus with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M uses a 192-bit bus with 3 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is built on the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, codenamed Wheat Nas, and belongs to the Navi III (RX 7000) generation. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M uses the GK104 chip with Kepler architecture and belongs to the GeForce 800M generation. The process nodes differ substantially: the RX 7800 XT uses a 5 nm process at TSMC, while the GTX 870M uses a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. This process difference is reflected in transistor density, with the RX 7800 XT achieving 81.2 million transistors per square millimeter versus 12.0 million for the GTX 870M. The RX 7800 XT contains 28,100 million transistors on a 346 mm² die, while the GTX 870M has 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die.

The shading units differ by a factor of nearly three: the RX 7800 XT has 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, while the GTX 870M has 1344 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The RX 7800 XT also features 60 ray tracing cores, whereas the GTX 870M has no ray tracing cores. The RX 7800 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 870M supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Clock speeds show a significant gap. The RX 7800 XT has a base clock of 1295 MHz, a boost clock of 2430 MHz, and a game clock of 2124 MHz, with memory clocked at 2438 MHz for 19.5 Gbps effective. The GTX 870M has a base clock of 941 MHz and a boost clock of 967 MHz, with memory at 1250 MHz for 5 Gbps effective. The RX 7800 XT's memory subsystem is substantially larger: 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus delivering 624.1 GB/s bandwidth, versus 3 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus delivering 120.0 GB/s. The RX 7800 XT connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, while the GTX 870M uses MXM-B (3.0). The RX 7800 XT is a dual-slot card with 2x 8-pin power connectors and a suggested PSU of 600 W, whereas the GTX 870M is an MXM module with no power connectors and no suggested PSU listed.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records exactly one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two GPUs: Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT scores 18290 against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M's 12630, producing a 44.8% delta in favor of the RX 7800 XT. This represents the largest measured performance gap in the comparison, and the RX 7800 XT wins the only recorded head-to-head test.

Beyond the direct comparison, the average benchmark scores reinforce this dominance. The RX 7800 XT averages 11627 across all recorded tests, while the GTX 870M averages 9959. The RX 7800 XT's percentile ranking of 51 places it just above the midpoint of all GPUs, while the GTX 870M's 48th percentile places it just below. The RX 7800 XT's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, scores 11680 with a delta of -0.5%, meaning the RX 7800 XT is essentially tied with that card. The GTX 870M's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, scores 10013 with a delta of -0.5%, again a near-tie.

The RX 7800 XT also shows a wider benchmark profile. It has recorded scores across ten tests, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 at 4157, Geekbench Vulkan at 54228, Passmark G3D at 24176, and Passmark GPU Compute at 13473. The GTX 870M has only two recorded benchmarks: Geekbench Metal at 7288 and Geekbench OpenCL at 12630. This disparity in test coverage means the RX 7800 XT's average score is based on a broader set of workloads, while the GTX 870M's average is drawn from a narrower sample.

In terms of raw throughput numbers from the architecture data, the RX 7800 XT delivers 233.3 GPixel/s pixel rate and 583.2 GTexel/s texture rate, while the GTX 870M delivers 27.08 GPixel/s and 108.3 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute figures are 37.32 TFLOPS for the RX 7800 XT versus 2.599 TFLOPS for the GTX 870M, a difference of roughly 14 times. The RX 7800 XT also lists FP16 at 37.32 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, while the GTX 870M has no FP16 data recorded.

The Verdict

The data shows a decisive overall advantage for the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 44.8%, holds a higher average score, and ranks in a higher percentile of all GPUs. The architecture comparison reinforces the benchmark results: the RX 7800 XT has more shading units, more TMUs, more ROPs, ray tracing support, a larger memory bus, more memory capacity, and significantly higher bandwidth. The GTX 870M's only recorded strengths are its lower power draw at 100 W versus 263 W, its MXM form factor for portable devices, and its older release date.

The RX 7800 XT is the appropriate choice for workloads that stress compute, texture throughput, and pixel fill rate. Its 16 GB memory and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for memory-intensive tasks, while its ray tracing cores add hardware support for that feature. The GTX 870M, being a mobile MXM module from the Kepler generation, fits a different use case: portable systems where power consumption and physical size are primary constraints. Its 100 W TDP and lack of power connectors reflect its mobile design intent.

The percentile data shows both cards sit near the middle of the database distribution, but the RX 7800 XT's 51st percentile versus the GTX 870M's 48th percentile indicates the RX 7800 XT performs above the median, while the GTX 870M sits just below it. The nearest rival comparisons show both cards are closely matched with their direct competitors: the RX 7800 XT is within 0.5% of the GTX 1660, and the GTX 870M is within 0.5% of the Radeon Pro 5300M.

Users considering a desktop GPU with active production support should select the RX 7800 XT. Users with a portable system requiring an MXM module should consider that the GTX 870M is end-of-life, and its benchmark coverage is limited to two tests. The RX 7800 XT's launch MSRP is 499 USD, stated once here for reference.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The process node differs: 5 nm for the RX 7800 XT versus 28 nm for the GTX 870M. Transistor count differs: 28,100 million versus 3,540 million. Die size differs: 346 mm² versus 294 mm². Transistor density differs: 81.2 million per square millimeter versus 12.0 million. Base clock differs: 1295 MHz versus 941 MHz. Boost clock differs: 2430 MHz versus 967 MHz. The RX 7800 XT has a game clock of 2124 MHz, while the GTX 870M has no game clock. Memory clock differs: 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) versus 1250 MHz (5 Gbps effective). Memory size differs: 16 GB versus 3 GB. Memory type differs: GDDR6 versus GDDR5. Bus width differs: 256-bit versus 192-bit. Bandwidth differs: 624.1 GB/s versus 120.0 GB/s. Shading units differ: 3840 versus 1344. TMUs differ: 240 versus 112. ROPs differ: 96 versus 24. The RX 7800 XT has 60 RT cores; the GTX 870M has none. Pixel rate differs: 233.3 GPixel/s versus 27.08 GPixel/s. Texture rate differs: 583.2 GTexel/s versus 108.3 GTexel/s. FP32 differs: 37.32 TFLOPS versus 2.599 TFLOPS. The RX 7800 XT has FP16 at 37.32 TFLOPS; the GTX 870M has none. TDP differs: 263 W versus 100 W. Slot width differs: dual-slot versus MXM module. Power connectors differ: 2x 8-pin versus none. Suggested PSU differs: 600 W versus none. Bus interface differs: PCIe 4.0 x16 versus MXM-B (3.0). Display outputs differ: 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1 versus portable device dependent. DirectX support differs: 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (11_0). Vulkan support differs: 1.4 versus 1.2.175. Dimensions differ: the RX 7800 XT measures 267 mm by 111 mm by 50 mm, while the GTX 870M has no recorded dimensions. Production status differs: active versus end-of-life. Release dates differ: 2023-09-05 versus 2014-03-11. Predecessors differ: Navi II versus GeForce 700M. Successors differ: Navi IV versus GeForce 900M. The RX 7800 XT has a launch MSRP of 499 USD; the GTX 870M has no recorded launch MSRP.