AMD Radeon RX 7800M vs NVIDIA RTX A5000 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall win for the NVIDIA RTX A5000, taking 9 of the 10 head-to-head benchmarks. The most lopsided result is in Passmark DirectX 10, where the A5000 scores 153 against 99 for the RX 7800M, a 54.5% advantage. That is a huge gap for a legacy API test, indicating the A5000's driver stack and architecture handle older workloads with far more efficiency.

In Passmark DirectX 9, the A5000 again dominates, scoring 251 versus 174, a 44.3% lead. This pattern suggests that for older games or legacy applications, the NVIDIA card is the clear choice. The A5000 also wins Passmark GPU Compute by 33.3% (12455 vs 9342), which points to a significant edge in general-purpose compute tasks.

The Geekbench OpenCL result shows a 30.7% win for the A5000 (157905 vs 120778), reinforcing its compute strength. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the A5000 scores 3783 against 2994, a 26.4% margin. That is a modern DirectX 12 workload, so the A5000 is not just a legacy specialist; it also leads in current gaming-level tests.

Passmark G3D, which is the aggregate gaming-style metric, shows the A5000 ahead by 28% (22541 vs 17613). The A5000 also wins Passmark G2D by 15.7% (1032 vs 892), covering 2D desktop and windowing performance.

The Vulkan test is closer, with the A5000 leading by 8.8% (137828 vs 126668), and Passmark DirectX 11 is tight as well, with only a 6.3% gap (187 vs 176). The sole benchmark where the AMD card wins is Passmark DirectX 12, where the RX 7800M scores 89 versus 87, a 2.2% margin. That is a narrow victory, but it is the only one that goes AMD's way.

Looking at the overall average benchmark score, the A5000 sits at 33622, while the RX 7800M averages 27883. That is a substantial gap. The A5000's nearest rivals in the database include the GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB (avg 33694, -0.2%) and the RX 7700S (avg 33849, -0.7%), meaning the A5000 sits right at that performance tier. The RX 7800M, by contrast, is near the Radeon Pro Vega 20 (avg 27839, +0.2%) and the GTX 980 Ti (avg 28020, -0.5%). In percentile terms, the A5000 ranks in the 78th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7800M sits in the 73rd.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The NVIDIA RTX A5000 uses the GA102 chip built on Ampere architecture, manufactured by Samsung on an 8 nm process. The die is 628 mm² and packs 28,300 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 45.1 million per mm². The AMD Radeon RX 7800M uses the Navi 32 chip with RDNA 3.0 architecture, manufactured by TSMC on a 5 nm process. Its die is much smaller at 346 mm², but it holds 28,100 million transistors, yielding a density of 81.2 million per mm². That is nearly double the density, a clear sign of the newer, more compact process.

The memory configurations are very different. The A5000 has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 768.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7800M has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, with 432.0 GB/s. The A5000 has double the memory and nearly 78% more bandwidth. That matters for large datasets and high-resolution textures.

Core counts also differ sharply. The A5000 has 8192 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, plus 64 ray tracing cores and 256 tensor cores. The RX 7800M has 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, with 60 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores listed. Despite having fewer than half the shading units, the RX 7800M achieves higher FP32 throughput: 35.87 TFLOPS versus 27.77 TFLOPS. That is because the RDNA 3.0 design runs at a much higher boost clock: 2335 MHz versus 1695 MHz for the A5000. The RX 7800M also has a higher game clock of 2145 MHz, while the A5000 does not list a game clock. The pixel rate favors AMD (224.2 GPixel/s vs 162.7), and so does the texture rate (560.4 GTexel/s vs 433.9).

Power and physical design are also starkly different. The A5000 is a dual-slot card with a 230 W TDP, requiring a single 8-pin power connector and a 550 W suggested PSU. It is 267 mm long and 112 mm high. The RX 7800M is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with a 180 W TDP, no power connectors, and dimensions listed as portable device dependent. Its display outputs are also portable device dependent, whereas the A5000 has four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. Both cards support PCIe 4.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX A5000 is the winner in almost every scenario the data covers. Its largest margins come from legacy DirectX APIs (54.5% in DX10, 44.3% in DX9), so it is the better choice for older games, legacy CAD applications, or any software that relies on those interfaces. Its 33.3% lead in GPU compute and 30.7% lead in OpenCL make it the stronger option for rendering, scientific computing, or any workload that offloads math to the GPU. The 24 GB memory pool and 768 GB/s bandwidth give it a clear advantage for large models, big textures, or multi-app workflows.

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M wins exactly one benchmark: Passmark DirectX 12, by 2.2%. That is a small margin, but it indicates that in modern DX12 titles, the AMD card is at least competitive, and in some cases slightly ahead. Its higher FP32 throughput (35.87 TFLOPS) and faster pixel and texture rates suggest that in pure rasterization throughput, it has raw speed. The 180 W TDP also makes it a more power-efficient part on paper, and since it is an IGP, it is designed for portable devices where the A5000's dual-slot form factor would never fit.

For gaming specifically, the A5000 wins the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test and the Passmark G3D test. The RX 7800M's single DX12 win does not translate to an overall gaming victory. For compute, the A5000 is clearly ahead. For portability, the RX 7800M is the only option, since the A5000 is a full-size card.

FAQ

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5000 has 24 GB of GDDR6, while the AMD Radeon RX 7800M has 12 GB.

Q: Is the AMD card faster in any test?

A: Yes, the RX 7800M wins Passmark DirectX 12 with a score of 89 versus 87 for the A5000, a 2.2% margin.

Q: Which card has higher FP32 compute?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800M has 35.87 TFLOPS, while the NVIDIA RTX A5000 has 27.77 TFLOPS.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The A5000 has 768.0 GB/s, and the RX 7800M has 432.0 GB/s. The A5000 has nearly 78% more bandwidth.

Q: Which card is designed for a desktop workstation?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5000 is a dual-slot card with 4x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the RX 7800M is an IGP with portable device dependent outputs.

Q: How do their overall average benchmark scores compare?

A: The A5000 averages 33622, and the RX 7800M averages 27883. The A5000 is ahead by roughly 20%.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every major specification. The process node is 8 nm (Samsung) for the A5000 versus 5 nm (TSMC) for the RX 7800M. Die size is 628 mm² versus 346 mm². Transistor count is nearly identical (28,300 million vs 28,100 million), but density differs (45.1M/mm² vs 81.2M/mm²). Base clocks are 1170 MHz versus 1295 MHz, and boost clocks are 1695 MHz versus 2335 MHz. The RX 7800M has a game clock of 2145 MHz; the A5000 has none listed. Memory size is 24 GB versus 12 GB, bus width is 384-bit versus 192-bit, and bandwidth is 768.0 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s. Shading units are 8192 versus 3840, TMUs are 256 versus 240, ROPs are the same at 96. Ray tracing cores are 64 versus 60, tensor cores are 256 versus none. Pixel rate is 162.7 GPixel/s versus 224.2, texture rate is 433.9 GTexel/s versus 560.4. TDP is 230 W versus 180 W. Slot width is dual-slot versus IGP. Power connectors are 1x 8-pin versus none. Suggested PSU is 550 W versus not listed. Display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 1.4a versus portable device dependent. The A5000 is 267 mm long and 112 mm high; the RX 7800M has no listed dimensions. Production status is end-of-life versus active. Release dates are April 2021 versus September 2024.

The Verdict

The data points to the NVIDIA RTX A5000 as the stronger performer in almost every measurable way. It wins 9 of 10 benchmarks, often by large margins, and it holds a significant lead in compute, legacy API support, and memory capacity and bandwidth. The 78th percentile ranking versus the 73rd for the RX 7800M puts it in a higher overall tier. For anyone building a workstation that needs to handle a mix of old and new software, heavy compute, and large memory workloads, the A5000 is the clear pick from the recorded results.

The AMD Radeon RX 7800M is not without merit. It wins the DX12 test, has higher FP32 throughput, faster pixel and texture rates, and a lower TDP. It is an active product designed for portable devices, whereas the A5000 is end-of-life. For a mobile or compact system where the A5000's dual-slot, 267 mm physical footprint is impossible, the RX 7800M is the only viable choice between these two. Its single DX12 win suggests that in modern, well-optimized titles, it can hold its own.

The choice comes down to use case. If the system is a desktop workstation with room for a full-size card, the A5000 wins on nearly every benchmark and offers double the memory. If the system is a portable device that needs an integrated GPU, the RX 7800M is the answer, with the advantage of being current and more power-efficient. The data does not support picking the RX 7800M for raw performance, but it does support picking it for form factor and modern process technology.