AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 Comparison

AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is a 2019 integrated graphics processor for laptops and desktops, built on the 12 nm GCN 5.0 architecture. AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is a 2022 discrete graphics card based on the 5 nm RDNA 3.0 architecture. Benchmark results indicate that the RX 7900 XT is overwhelmingly faster in compute and graphics workloads, while the RX Vega 11 holds a slight edge in one OpenCL test. The data does not support any scenario where the RX Vega 11 is the better choice for gaming or rendering, but it does show a narrow win in a single compute benchmark.

The Verdict

The verdict is unambiguous from the data: the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the superior product in virtually every measurable way. In the head-to-head Geekbench Vulkan test, the RX 7900 XT scores 71,068 versus the RX Vega 11’s 13,543, a delta of -80.9% (meaning the RX Vega 11 trails by that margin). This is a 5.2x performance advantage in the GPU-centric Vulkan API, which is the most representative test for gaming workloads in the provided data. The RX 7900 XT also wins the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 12,756 versus 12,525, a narrow 1.8% lead for the newer card.

However, the RX Vega 11 is not without its own statistical merits. Its average benchmark score of 14,385 is higher than the RX 7900 XT’s 13,745. This is driven by the RX Vega 11’s strong Geekbench Metal score of 17,086, a test the RX 7900 XT did not participate in. The RX Vega 11 also sits at the 56th percentile of all GPUs, slightly above the RX 7900 XT’s 55th percentile. For any user strictly looking at the two head-to-head tests, the RX 7900 XT wins 2-0. For users considering the full benchmark suite, the RX Vega 11’s higher average is a statistical anomaly, not a performance endorsement.

Who should pick which? From the data, the RX 7900 XT is the choice for anyone running DirectX 12, Vulkan, or heavy compute workloads. The RX Vega 11 is the choice for users constrained to an integrated GPU with a 15 W TDP, or for those running Metal-based applications where its 17,086 score is the highest single result in its profile. There is no evidence in the fact pack that the RX Vega 11 can compete in modern gaming, as its best cross-API result is 13,543 in Vulkan, which is less than one-fifth of the RX 7900 XT’s score.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are separated by three generations of design philosophy. The RX Vega 11 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture on a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the RX 7900 XT uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture on a 5 nm process from TSMC. The transistor counts reflect this gap: the RX Vega 11 has 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a density of 23.5M transistors per mm². The RX 7900 XT packs 57,700 million transistors into a 529 mm² die, achieving a density of 109.1M transistors per mm² — over 4.6x denser.

The RX Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no dedicated memory, sharing system RAM. Its memory bus width, size, and type are all listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The RX 7900 XT has 5,376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs — representing a 7.6x, 7.6x, and 24x increase, respectively.

The RX 7900 XT also introduces 84 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the RX Vega 11. The RX 7900 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX Vega 11 only reaches DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The RX 7900 XT is a dual-slot card measuring 276 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 51 mm in width, requiring a 700 W PSU and two 8-pin connectors. The RX Vega 11 is an IGP with no power connectors and a 15 W TDP, compared to the RX 7900 XT’s 300 W TDP.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data provides two direct comparisons. The first is Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 7900 XT scores 12,756 against the RX Vega 11’s 12,525. The delta is only -1.8% from the RX Vega 11’s perspective, meaning the two are nearly identical in this OpenCL compute test. This is surprising given the massive architectural differences, but the data is clear: the RX Vega 11 is only marginally slower in this specific workload.

The second head-to-head is Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 7900 XT dominates with a score of 71,068 versus 13,543. The delta is -80.9%, which means the RX Vega 11 retains only 19.1% of the RX 7900 XT’s performance. This is the single largest performance gap in the entire dataset and is the definitive evidence that the RX 7900 XT is in a different performance class for graphics-heavy workloads.

Outside the head-to-head, the RX 7900 XT posts a Passmark G3D score of 29,009 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 16,828, while the RX Vega 11 has no Passmark results. The RX 7900 XT also scores 5,623 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, a test the RX Vega 11 lacks. The RX Vega 11’s strongest benchmark is Geekbench Metal at 17,086, which is higher than any score the RX 7900 XT achieved in OpenCL or Vulkan, but Metal is not a cross-vendor comparison in the head-to-head data.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 has an average benchmark score of 14,385, which is higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT’s 13,745. This is due to the RX Vega 11’s strong Geekbench Metal score of 17,086, which the RX 7900 XT did not run.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 7900 XT scores 71,068 versus the RX Vega 11’s 13,543, a delta of -80.9% for the RX Vega 11. This represents a 5.2x advantage for the RX 7900 XT.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the RX Vega 11 wins?

A: In the provided head-to-head data, the RX Vega 11 does not win any test. The RX 7900 XT wins both the Geekbench OpenCL test (12,756 vs 12,525) and the Geekbench Vulkan test (71,068 vs 13,543). The RX Vega 11’s wins are limited to benchmarks the RX 7900 XT did not run, such as Geekbench Metal.

Q: How do the memory systems differ?

A: The RX Vega 11 uses system-shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, and its bandwidth is system-dependent. The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus with a fixed 800.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The RX Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W, while the RX 7900 XT has a TDP of 300 W. The RX 7900 XT requires a 700 W power supply and two 8-pin connectors, while the RX Vega 11 has no power connectors as an IGP.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor density?

A: The RX 7900 XT has a transistor density of 109.1M per mm², compared to the RX Vega 11’s 23.5M per mm². This is due to the RX 7900 XT’s smaller 5 nm process from TSMC versus the RX Vega 11’s 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT wins in every workload that requires raw graphics throughput. Its 800.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 5,376 shading units make it the clear choice for DirectX 12 and Vulkan gaming, as evidenced by its 71,068 Vulkan score. It also wins in compute tasks that use OpenCL, though by a much smaller margin (12,756 vs 12,525). For 3D rendering, the RX 7900 XT’s 51.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 84 ray tracing cores give it capabilities the RX Vega 11 cannot match. The RX 7900 XT also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which enables hardware ray tracing and mesh shaders, features absent from the RX Vega 11’s feature set.

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins in scenarios where power consumption is critical. Its 15 W TDP is 20x lower than the RX 7900 XT’s 300 W, making it suitable for thin-and-light devices without dedicated power connectors. It also wins in the Geekbench Metal benchmark, scoring 17,086 — the highest single score in its entire benchmark profile. This suggests that for macOS-compatible Metal workloads, the RX Vega 11 outperforms its own OpenCL and Vulkan results, though no direct comparison to the RX 7900 XT exists. The RX Vega 11 also has a higher percentile rank (56th vs 55th) and a higher average score (14,385 vs 13,745), though this is driven by the Metal result.

For users building a desktop gaming PC, the RX 7900 XT’s wins in Vulkan and DirectX 12 are decisive. For users with a motherboard that supports integrated graphics and a preference for low power draw, the RX Vega 11 is the only option in this pair. The data does not support any scenario where the RX Vega 11 outperforms the RX 7900 XT in a shared workload.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification field. The RX Vega 11 uses a 12 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the RX 7900 XT uses 5 nm from TSMC. The RX Vega 11 has 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die; the RX 7900 XT has 57,700 million on 529 mm². Clock speeds differ: the RX Vega 11 has a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 1400 MHz, while the RX 7900 XT has a base of 1387 MHz, a boost of 2394 MHz, and a game clock of 2025 MHz.

Memory is the most stark difference: the RX Vega 11 uses system-shared memory with no dedicated VRAM, while the RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus. The RX 7900 XT’s bandwidth is 800.0 GB/s; the RX Vega 11’s is system-dependent. The RX Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, producing a pixel rate of 11.20 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s. The RX 7900 XT has 5,376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, producing a pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s.

The RX 7900 XT has 84 ray tracing cores; the RX Vega 11 has none. FP32 performance is 1.971 TFLOPS for the RX Vega 11 versus 51.48 TFLOPS for the RX 7900 XT. TDP is 15 W versus 300 W. The RX Vega 11 is an IGP with no power connectors and a motherboard-dependent display output. The RX 7900 XT is a dual-slot card with 2x 8-pin connectors, a 700 W suggested PSU, and outputs of 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C. The RX Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3; the RX 7900 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4.