AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE vs AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU Comparison

The Verdict

The data in this comparison presents two fundamentally different AMD GPU parts, and the choice between them is dictated entirely by the workload and power envelope. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE is a high-performance desktop graphics card designed for demanding gaming and compute tasks, while the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU is a low-power mobile processor aimed at portable consoles.

Benchmark results strongly favor the RX 7900 GRE across every recorded test. It holds a 77th percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database, whereas the Ryzen Z2 A GPU sits at the 50th percentile with no recorded benchmark scores. For users building a desktop system with a dedicated graphics card and access to a standard power supply, the RX 7900 GRE is the clear choice based on its superior compute and rendering capabilities. Conversely, the Ryzen Z2 A GPU is the appropriate pick for an ultra-portable, fanless or low-power device where the 15 W power draw and compact integrated design are the primary considerations, despite its lack of recorded performance data. The data shows that these are not direct competitors; they serve different segments of the market.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two parts is substantial. The RX 7900 GRE is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, with the Navi 31 chip and the Plum Bonito codename. It belongs to the Navi III (RX 7000) generation and packs 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 109.1M per mm².

The Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses the older RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 7 nm process, also at TSMC, with the Van Gogh chip and no codename listed. It is classified under Console GPU (AMD) generation and contains only 2,400 million transistors on a 163 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 14.7M per mm². This represents a massive difference in complexity and raw compute resources.

Core counts differ dramatically. The RX 7900 GRE features 5,120 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, 160 render output units, and 80 ray tracing cores. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has just 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, 16 ROPs, and 8 ray tracing cores. Clock speeds also diverge: the RX 7900 GRE has a base clock of 1287 MHz, a boost clock of 2245 MHz, and a game clock of 1880 MHz, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU runs at a base of 1000 MHz and a boost of 1600 MHz.

The memory subsystems are entirely different. The RX 7900 GRE uses 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 576.0 GB/s, operating at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, operating at 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective). Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows a clear division of strengths. The RX 7900 GRE wins in every benchmark category present in the database, including 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan, and all PassMark tests (DirectX 10, 11, 12, 9, G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute). Its average benchmark score is 32,456, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no recorded scores and an average of 0.

The Ryzen Z2 A GPU's only advantages are in power consumption and physical integration. It draws 15 W compared to the RX 7900 GRE's 260 W, and it requires no external power connectors or dedicated slot width, as it is an integrated part with only a USB Type-C display output. The RX 7900 GRE needs a dual-slot cooler, two 8-pin power connectors, and a suggested 600 W power supply.

For desktop gaming, rendering, and compute workloads, the RX 7900 GRE is the only viable option based on the benchmark evidence. For handheld or ultra-mobile devices where power draw is the limiting factor, the Ryzen Z2 A GPU's low 15 W envelope is its sole recorded advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE has an average benchmark score of 32,456, while the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no recorded benchmark scores with an average of 0.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?

A: The RX 7900 GRE has a memory bandwidth of 576.0 GB/s using GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 102.4 GB/s using LPDDR5 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: How do the transistor counts compare?

A: The RX 7900 GRE contains 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU contains 2,400 million transistors on a 163 mm² die.

Q: Which part consumes less power?

A: The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has a TDP of 15 W, whereas the RX 7900 GRE has a TDP of 260 W and requires a suggested 600 W power supply.

Q: Do both support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the release date difference?

A: The RX 7900 GRE was released on 2023-07-26, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU was released on 2024-12-31.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

There are no direct head-to-head benchmark entries recorded in the database for these two parts, and the win counts are zero for both. However, the available individual benchmark scores for the RX 7900 GRE provide a clear quantitative picture of its dominance.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7900 GRE scores 4,814. This is a demanding modern rendering test, and the score indicates strong performance for current-generation titles. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no corresponding score, so a direct comparison cannot be made numerically.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the RX 7900 GRE at 175,758, which is a high compute result reflecting its 45.98 TFLOPS FP32 throughput. The Geekbench Vulkan score is 99,850. These results place the RX 7900 GRE well above the 50th percentile baseline of the Ryzen Z2 A GPU. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU's FP32 compute is only 1.638 TFLOPS, which is roughly 28 times lower than the RX 7900 GRE's 45.98 TFLOPS, based on the recorded figures.

PassMark results for the RX 7900 GRE include a G3D score of 27,089, a GPU Compute score of 15,016, and a G2D score of 1,180. In the older DirectX tests, it scores 310 in DirectX 9, 300 in DirectX 11, 139 in DirectX 10, and 107 in DirectX 12. These numbers show consistent performance across legacy and modern APIs, though the DirectX 12 score appears lower relative to the G3D aggregate, which likely reflects a specific workload type.

The nearest rivals for the RX 7900 GRE in the database are the AMD FirePro S10000 with an average score of 32,388 and a delta of 0.2%, the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 with 32,540 and a delta of -0.3%, the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME with 32,601 and a delta of -0.4%, and the AMD Radeon Pro 570X with 32,176 and a delta of 0.9%. The RX 7900 GRE's average score of 32,456 sits within a narrow band of these rivals, differing by less than 1% in each case. This indicates that, in aggregate database scoring, the RX 7900 GRE performs on par with these older or specialized parts, despite its modern architecture and higher individual test scores in some areas.

The pixel rate of the RX 7900 GRE is 359.2 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 718.4 GTexel/s. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU offers 25.60 GPixel/s and 51.20 GTexel/s, respectively. These figures confirm that the RX 7900 GRE delivers over 14 times the pixel throughput and over 14 times the texture throughput of the Ryzen Z2 A GPU, based on the recorded specifications.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences between the two parts are extensive and define their separate roles.

• Architecture: RX 7900 GRE uses RDNA 3.0, Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses RDNA 2.0.
• Process node: RX 7900 GRE is 5 nm, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 7 nm.
• Transistors: RX 7900 GRE has 57,700 million, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 2,400 million.
• Die size: RX 7900 GRE is 529 mm², Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 163 mm².
• Base clock: RX 7900 GRE is 1287 MHz, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 1000 MHz.
• Boost clock: RX 7900 GRE is 2245 MHz, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 1600 MHz.
• Memory type: RX 7900 GRE uses GDDR6, Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses LPDDR5.
• Memory bus width: RX 7900 GRE is 256 bit, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 128 bit.
• Memory bandwidth: RX 7900 GRE is 576.0 GB/s, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 102.4 GB/s.
• Memory clock: RX 7900 GRE is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective).
• Shading units: RX 7900 GRE has 5,120, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 512.
• TMUs: RX 7900 GRE has 320, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 32.
• ROPs: RX 7900 GRE has 160, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 16.
• RT cores: RX 7900 GRE has 80, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 8.
• Pixel rate: RX 7900 GRE is 359.2 GPixel/s, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 25.60 GPixel/s.
• Texture rate: RX 7900 GRE is 718.4 GTexel/s, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 51.20 GTexel/s.
• FP32: RX 7900 GRE is 45.98 TFLOPS, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 1.638 TFLOPS.
• FP16: RX 7900 GRE is 91.96 TFLOPS (2:1), Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 3.277 TFLOPS (2:1).
• TDP: RX 7900 GRE is 260 W, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 15 W.
• Slot width: RX 7900 GRE is dual-slot, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no slot width.
• Power connectors: RX 7900 GRE uses 2x 8-pin, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has none.
• Suggested PSU: RX 7900 GRE is 600 W, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has none.
• Bus interface: RX 7900 GRE is PCIe 4.0 x16, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has none.
• Display outputs: RX 7900 GRE has 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C; Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 1x USB Type-C.
• Dimensions: RX 7900 GRE is 276 mm long, 110 mm high, 51 mm wide; Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no recorded dimensions.
• Release date: RX 7900 GRE is 2023-07-26, Ryzen Z2 A GPU is 2024-12-31.
• Launch MSRP: RX 7900 GRE is 549 USD, Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no launch MSRP.