AMD Radeon RX 7800M vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data is decisive: the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE wins 9 of 10 recorded tests, and by wide margins in most cases. The only exception is Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 7800M takes a 21.2% lead (126,668 vs. 99,850). That single win does not offset the pattern of dominance elsewhere.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7900 GRE scores 4,814 against 2,994 for the RX 7800M, a 60.8% advantage. This is a modern DirectX 12 workload, and the gap is substantial. PassMark DirectX 9 shows an even larger spread: 310 vs. 174, a 78.2% difference. Legacy API performance favors the desktop card heavily, which suggests the extra shading units and memory bandwidth matter even in older titles.

Compute workloads tell a similar story. Geekbench OpenCL gives the RX 7900 GRE 175,758 points, 45.5% ahead of the RX 7800M’s 120,778. PassMark GPU Compute shows 15,016 vs. 9,342, a 60.7% delta. The RX 7900 GRE’s FP32 throughput of 45.98 TFLOPS, compared to 35.87 TFLOPS for the RX 7800M, aligns with these results.

DirectX 11 and 12 tests reinforce the trend. PassMark DirectX 11: 300 vs. 176, a 70.5% win for the RX 7900 GRE. PassMark DirectX 12: 107 vs. 89, a narrower 20.2% margin, but still a clear victory. The DirectX 10 test shows 139 vs. 99, a 40.4% lead.

The overall PassMark G3D score, which aggregates 3D performance across multiple APIs, is 27,089 for the RX 7900 GRE against 17,613 for the RX 7800M, a 53.8% difference. Even the 2D test goes to the RX 7900 GRE: 1,180 vs. 892, a 32.3% advantage.

The RX 7800M’s Vulkan win is worth examining. A 21.2% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is not trivial. It may reflect driver optimization or the RX 7800M’s higher boost clock of 2335 MHz versus 2245 MHz. However, no other Vulkan test appears in the database, so this single result carries limited weight compared to the nine-test sweep.

Average benchmark scores confirm the hierarchy. The RX 7900 GRE averages 32,456 across all recorded tests, while the RX 7800M averages 27,883. That is a 16.4% overall gap. Percentile ranking also separates them: the RX 7900 GRE sits at the 77th percentile of all GPUs, the RX 7800M at the 73rd.

Architecture Differences

Both cards use RDNA 3.0 architecture and TSMC’s 5 nm process, but they are built on different dies. The RX 7900 GRE uses the Navi 31 chip, codenamed Plum Bonito, while the RX 7800M uses Navi 32, codenamed Wheat Nas. This is a desktop versus mobile split within the same generation.

Transistor counts reveal the scale difference. Navi 31 packs 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, giving a density of 109.1M per mm². Navi 32 has 28,100 million transistors on 346 mm², at 81.2M per mm². The RX 7900 GRE has more than double the transistor budget, which explains its larger resource pool.

Core counts follow the die hierarchy. The RX 7900 GRE has 5,120 shading units, 320 TMUs, 160 ROPs, and 80 ray tracing cores. The RX 7800M has 3,840 shading units, 240 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 60 RT cores. The desktop card leads by 33% in shading units and RT cores, and by 67% in ROPs.

Clock speeds differ in an interesting way. The RX 7800M has a higher base clock (1295 MHz vs. 1287 MHz) and a higher boost clock (2335 MHz vs. 2245 MHz). Its game clock is also higher at 2145 MHz versus 1880 MHz. This is typical for a mobile part designed to run at lower power, where higher clocks partially compensate for fewer cores. Yet the RX 7900 GRE still wins most tests, so the core advantage outweighs the clock advantage.

Memory configuration is a major differentiator. The RX 7900 GRE has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7800M has 12 GB on a 192-bit bus, at 432.0 GB/s. That is a 33% bandwidth deficit for the mobile card. The RX 7900 GRE also has a higher pixel rate (359.2 GPixel/s vs. 224.2 GPixel/s) and texture rate (718.4 GTexel/s vs. 560.4 GTexel/s).

FP16 performance reveals an architectural quirk. The RX 7900 GRE achieves 91.96 TFLOPS FP16 via a 2:1 ratio to FP32. The RX 7800M manages only 35.87 TFLOPS FP16, at a 1:1 ratio. This means the desktop card has a massive advantage in FP16 workloads, while the mobile card treats FP16 and FP32 equally. For AI or compute tasks using FP16, this is a decisive gap.

Power and physical design differ completely. The RX 7900 GRE has a 260 W TDP, a dual-slot cooler, two 8-pin power connectors, and a suggested 600 W PSU. The RX 7800M is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 180 W TDP, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. It is designed for portable devices. The RX 7900 GRE measures 276 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 51 mm in width; the RX 7800M has no recorded dimensions because it is meant to be soldered onto a board.

Both cards support PCIe 4.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Display outputs differ: the RX 7900 GRE offers 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C, while the RX 7800M is listed as “Portable Device Dependent,” meaning outputs vary by laptop design.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in DirectX 12?

A: The RX 7900 GRE wins PassMark DirectX 12 by 20.2% (107 vs. 89) and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 by 60.8% (4,814 vs. 2,994).

Q: Does the RX 7800M win any benchmark?

A: Yes, Geekbench Vulkan. The RX 7800M scores 126,668 versus 99,850 for the RX 7900 GRE, a 21.2% lead. This is the only test the mobile card wins out of ten.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The RX 7900 GRE has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 576.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7800M has 12 GB on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The RX 7900 GRE has a 260 W TDP and requires two 8-pin connectors plus a 600 W suggested PSU. The RX 7800M has a 180 W TDP, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU, as it is an IGP for portable devices.

Q: Are they on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use RDNA 3.0 and TSMC 5 nm. However, the RX 7900 GRE uses the Navi 31 die (Plum Bonito), while the RX 7800M uses Navi 32 (Wheat Nas).

Q: Which card has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RX 7900 GRE has 80 RT cores, 33% more than the RX 7800M’s 60 RT cores.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE | AMD Radeon RX 7800M |

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

| Chip | Navi 31 | Navi 32 |

| Codename | Plum Bonito | Wheat Nas |

| Generation | Navi III (RX 7000) | Navi Mobile (RX 7000M) |

| Transistors | 57,700 million | 28,100 million |

| Die Size | 529 mm² | 346 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 109.1M / mm² | 81.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1287 MHz | 1295 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2245 MHz | 2335 MHz |

| Game Clock | 1880 MHz | 2145 MHz |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Bandwidth | 576.0 GB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 5120 | 3840 |

| TMUs | 320 | 240 |

| ROPs | 160 | 96 |

| RT Cores | 80 | 60 |

| Pixel Rate | 359.2 GPixel/s | 224.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 718.4 GTexel/s | 560.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 45.98 TFLOPS | 35.87 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 91.96 TFLOPS (2:1) | 35.87 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 260 W | 180 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

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

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | None |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DP 2.1, 1x USB-C | Portable Device Dependent |

| Dimensions | 276 x 110 x 51 mm | None recorded |

| Release Date | 2023-07-26 | 2024-09-10 |

| Predecessor | Navi II | Polaris Mobile |

| Successor | Navi IV | None |

| Launch MSRP | 549 USD | None |

The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the RX 7900 GRE is the stronger GPU in almost every measurable way. It wins 9 of 10 benchmarks, with margins ranging from 20.2% (DirectX 12) to 78.2% (DirectX 9). Its average benchmark score of 32,456 is 16.4% higher than the RX 7800M’s 27,883. It sits at the 77th percentile of all GPUs, four points higher than the RX 7800M’s 73rd.

The RX 7900 GRE’s advantages are structural, not incidental. It has 33% more shading units, 67% more ROPs, 33% more RT cores, and 33% more memory bandwidth. It offers 16 GB of VRAM versus 12 GB, and its FP16 throughput is more than double due to the 2:1 ratio. For any workload that scales with raw compute, texture throughput, or memory bandwidth, the desktop card is the clear choice.

The RX 7800M is not without merit. It wins Vulkan by 21.2%, and it achieves this with a higher boost clock (2335 MHz) and a lower TDP (180 W versus 260 W). It is an IGP, meaning it requires no separate power connectors and fits into portable devices. Its average score of 27,883 still places it at the 73rd percentile, which is respectable for a mobile part. But the performance gap to the RX 7900 GRE is too large to ignore.

The only reason to prefer the RX 7800M is form factor. If the system must be a laptop or a compact portable device, the IGP design is mandatory. If the system can accommodate a dual-slot, 276 mm long card with two 8-pin connectors and a 600 W PSU, the RX 7900 GRE is superior across the board.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE wins: DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, DirectX 12, 3DMark Steel Nomad, Geekbench OpenCL, PassMark G2D, PassMark G3D, and PassMark GPU Compute. The largest win is DirectX 9 at 78.2%, followed by DirectX 11 at 70.5% and 3DMark at 60.8%. It is the choice for high-resolution gaming, compute-heavy workloads, and any application that benefits from 16 GB of VRAM or 576.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its FP16 performance of 91.96 TFLOPS makes it markedly better for FP16-accelerated tasks.

AMD Radeon RX 7800M wins: Geekbench Vulkan by 21.2% (126,668 vs. 99,850). This is the only recorded victory. It also offers a lower TDP of 180 W, higher clocks (1295 MHz base, 2335 MHz boost), and an IGP form factor with no power connectors. It suits portable systems where power delivery and physical space are constrained, and where Vulkan performance is the priority. Its 12 GB memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for many games, but the data shows it trails the RX 7900 GRE in every other recorded test.

In short: the RX 7900 GRE is the performance king, the RX 7800M is the efficiency and portability specialist. The 9-to-1 benchmark split makes the hierarchy unambiguous.