AMD Radeon RX 7800M vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell Comparison
AMD Radeon RX 7800M
RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: AMD Radeon RX 7800M vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell
The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 7800M in every single head-to-head test recorded, and the margins are often substantial. Across nine direct comparisons, NVIDIA secures nine wins, with the narrowest gap being a modest 8.2% in the DirectX 12 test and the widest exceeding 50% in a legacy DirectX 9 workload. While the AMD part holds its own in raw compute density per watt, the NVIDIA card is the definitive performance leader in this matchup.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The most decisive victory for the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell comes in the Passmark DirectX 9 test, where it scores 354 against the AMD Radeon RX 7800M's 174, a delta of -50.8% for the AMD part. This is more than double the performance, indicating that NVIDIA's architecture handles legacy API workloads with far greater efficiency. Similarly, in the DirectX 10 benchmark, NVIDIA leads 173 to 99, a -42.8% gap, and in DirectX 11, the lead is 276 versus 176, a -36.2% margin. These results suggest that across the board, NVIDIA's driver and hardware implementation for older graphics APIs is significantly stronger.
In modern workloads, the story remains consistent. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows NVIDIA scoring 4648 against AMD's 2994, a -35.6% difference. This is a critical result for current gaming and content creation, as it reflects DirectX 12 performance. The Vulkan benchmark tells a similar tale: NVIDIA hits 194168 while AMD manages 126668, a -34.8% gap. This consistency across both modern APIs reinforces that NVIDIA's advantage is not limited to legacy code but extends to the latest rendering paths.
The Passmark G3D test, which serves as a general 3D graphics performance indicator, shows NVIDIA at 28427 versus AMD's 17613, a -38% lead. For compute-intensive tasks, the Passmark GPU Compute score has NVIDIA at 14805 against AMD's 9342, a -36.9% margin. Even in the 2D graphics test (G2D), NVIDIA wins 1265 to 892, a -29.5% gap. The only test where AMD comes close is Passmark DirectX 12, with NVIDIA winning 97 to 89, a mere -8.2% difference. While this remains a win for NVIDIA, it suggests that in this specific DX12 scenario, the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is far more competitive than in any other workload.
The data also places both cards in a similar overall percentile ranking, with the AMD card at the 73rd percentile and the NVIDIA card at the 72nd percentile, despite NVIDIA's clear head-to-head wins. This is explained by the average benchmark scores: AMD's average is 27883, while NVIDIA's average is 27135, meaning that when looking at the entire suite of benchmarks, the AMD card actually has a slightly higher average score due to its performance in tests not included in this head-to-head comparison. However, in every test where they are directly compared, NVIDIA is the victor.
Architecture Differences
The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures, which explains their divergent performance profiles. AMD uses the Navi 32 chip based on RDNA 3.0 architecture, codenamed "Wheat Nas," while NVIDIA employs the GB203 chip based on Blackwell 2.0 architecture. Both are fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC, but the similarities end there. NVIDIA's chip is significantly larger, with a die size of 378 mm² and 45,600 million transistors, compared to AMD's 346 mm² die with 28,100 million transistors. This translates to a much higher transistor density for NVIDIA at 120.6M / mm² versus AMD's 81.2M / mm².
The core configurations differ drastically. The NVIDIA GPU features 8960 shading units, 280 texture mapping units, and 280 tensor cores, alongside 70 ray tracing cores. AMD counters with 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 60 ray tracing cores, but notably has no tensor core count listed. This gives NVIDIA a massive raw compute advantage in shader count, which is reflected in its higher FP32 performance of 36.83 TFLOPS versus AMD's 35.87 TFLOPS. Despite having more than double the shading units, NVIDIA's FP32 lead is surprisingly small, suggesting that AMD's RDNA 3.0 architecture achieves higher per-shader efficiency in some scenarios.
Memory is another major differentiator. NVIDIA ships with 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. AMD offers 12 GB of GDDR6 on the same 192-bit bus, providing 432.0 GB/s. This is a 55.6% bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA and double the memory capacity, which is crucial for professional workloads and high-resolution textures. Clock speeds favor AMD, with a base clock of 1295 MHz and boost of 2335 MHz, compared to NVIDIA's 1230 MHz base and 2055 MHz boost. However, NVIDIA's memory clock runs at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) versus AMD's 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), which helps NVIDIA achieve its bandwidth lead.
Power consumption also favors NVIDIA. The RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has a TDP of 140 W, while the Radeon RX 7800M is rated at 180 W. This is notable because NVIDIA delivers superior performance while drawing 40 W less power. The NVIDIA card is a single-slot design requiring a 1x 16-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU, whereas the AMD part is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, designed for portable devices. The bus interface also differs: NVIDIA uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while AMD uses PCIe 4.0 x16.
The Verdict
The data leads to a straightforward conclusion: the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the superior performer in every direct comparison. If the task is to maximize graphics performance, whether in legacy DirectX 9 applications or modern DirectX 12 and Vulkan titles, NVIDIA wins every time. The margins are not trivial—often exceeding 35% and reaching up to 50.8% in the DirectX 9 test. For users who rely on compute performance, the NVIDIA card's 36.9% lead in GPU compute benchmarks makes it the clear choice for rendering, simulation, or any GPU-accelerated task.
However, the AMD Radeon RX 7800M is not without merit. Its status as an IGP with no power connectors and a lower 180 W TDP makes it a viable option for compact or portable systems where a discrete card cannot be installed. The data shows that in the Passmark DirectX 12 test, AMD is only 8.2% behind, indicating that in the most current API, the gap narrows significantly. Furthermore, the AMD card has a higher average benchmark score (27883 vs 27135) and a slightly better percentile ranking (73 vs 72), suggesting that in benchmarks not directly compared here, it may have strengths in other areas.
For a desktop workstation or a high-performance laptop that can accommodate a single-slot card, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell is the unequivocal choice based on performance data alone. For a portable device with strict power and space constraints, the AMD Radeon RX 7800M offers a competitive option, especially in DirectX 12 workloads, but it cannot match NVIDIA's overall dominance.
FAQ
Q: Which GPU wins the most head-to-head benchmarks?
A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell wins all 9 head-to-head benchmarks against the AMD Radeon RX 7800M, with zero wins for the AMD card.
Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two cards?
A: The largest margin is in the Passmark DirectX 9 test, where the NVIDIA card scores 354 versus AMD's 174, representing a -50.8% difference for the AMD part.
Q: How do the two GPUs compare in memory capacity?
A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell has 24 GB of GDDR7 memory, while the AMD Radeon RX 7800M has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, giving NVIDIA double the capacity.
Q: Which card has a higher power consumption rating?
A: The AMD Radeon RX 7800M has a higher TDP at 180 W, compared to the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell's 140 W TDP.
Q: Are the two cards in the same performance percentile?
A: They are close, with the AMD card at the 73rd percentile and the NVIDIA card at the 72nd percentile, despite NVIDIA's wins in all direct comparisons.
Q: In which test is the AMD card closest to NVIDIA?
A: The AMD card is closest in the Passmark DirectX 12 test, where NVIDIA scores 97 and AMD scores 89, a difference of only -8.2%.
Where Each One Wins
The NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell wins in every category where direct comparison data exists. For legacy API compatibility, it is the clear victor, dominating DirectX 9 by 50.8% and DirectX 10 by 42.8%. For modern gaming, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result shows a 35.6% lead, and the Vulkan benchmark shows a 34.8% lead. In professional 3D rendering, the Passmark G3D score of 28427 versus 17613 gives NVIDIA a 38% advantage. Compute workloads also favor NVIDIA, with a 36.9% lead in GPU compute scores. The NVIDIA card’s higher bandwidth (672.0 GB/s vs 432.0 GB/s) and double the VRAM (24 GB vs 12 GB) make it the superior choice for high-resolution textures and large datasets.
The AMD Radeon RX 7800M’s wins are more nuanced. While it loses every direct benchmark, it posts a higher average benchmark score (27883 vs 27135) and a higher percentile rank (73 vs 72), indicating that in the broader benchmark universe, it may outperform NVIDIA in tests not listed here. Its lower TDP of 180 W, while higher than NVIDIA’s 140 W, is paired with an IGP form factor that requires no power connectors, making it the only option for systems that cannot support a discrete PCIe card. Its higher boost clock (2335 MHz vs 2055 MHz) and game clock of 2145 MHz (which NVIDIA lacks) suggest it may have advantages in specific, short-duration workloads that are not captured in these longer benchmark runs. For users constrained to an integrated graphics solution, the AMD card is the only choice, even if the data shows it is slower.
Specification Differences
| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7800M | NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | Navi 32 | GB203 |
| Transistors | 28,100 million | 45,600 million |
| Die Size | 346 mm² | 378 mm² |
| Transistor Density | 81.2M / mm² | 120.6M / mm² |
| Base Clock | 1295 MHz | 1230 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2335 MHz | 2055 MHz |
| Game Clock | 2145 MHz | N/A |
| Memory Size | 12 GB | 24 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR7 |
| Memory Speed | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) |
| Memory Bandwidth | 432.0 GB/s | 672.0 GB/s |
| Shading Units | 3840 | 8960 |
| TMUs | 240 | 280 |
| ROPs | 96 | 96 |
| RT Cores | 60 | 70 |
| Tensor Cores | N/A | 280 |
| Pixel Rate | 224.2 GPixel/s | 197.3 GPixel/s |
| Texture Rate | 560.4 GTexel/s | 575.4 GTexel/s |
| FP32 Performance | 35.87 TFLOPS | 36.83 TFLOPS |
| TDP | 180 W | 140 W |
| Slot Width | IGP | Single-slot |
| Power Connectors | None | 1x 16-pin |
| Suggested PSU | N/A | 300 W |
| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| Release Date | 2024-09-10 | 2025-03-17 |