AMD Radeon RX 7900M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 7900M represent two very different approaches to high-end graphics, separated by a generation and a form factor. The data shows a clear and consistent performance advantage for the NVIDIA card across all recorded benchmarks, but the AMD part counters with significant architectural and efficiency advantages that change the context of that victory. This analysis breaks down the head-to-head results, interprets what they mean against respective rivals, and examines the specification differences that define their respective identities.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are unambiguous in their outcome, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti winning all three recorded comparisons. The largest margin comes in the 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 test, where the NVIDIA card scores 5,741 points against the AMD card’s 4,201 points. This translates to a delta of 36.7%, making it the single biggest performance gap observed between the two. This indicates that in a demanding DirectX 12 workload, the desktop-class NVIDIA GPU holds a substantial lead.

The compute-oriented benchmarks tell a similar story. In geekbench_opencl, the RTX 3090 Ti scores 174,441, which is 34.7% higher than the RX 7900M’s 129,499. The geekbench_vulkan result is closer in percentage terms but still decisive: NVIDIA posts 215,633 versus AMD’s 158,760, a 35.8% advantage. Across all three tests, the NVIDIA card wins by a margin ranging from roughly a third to over a third, establishing a consistent pattern of superiority in raw performance metrics.

To understand the magnitude of these wins, it helps to look at the broader competitive landscape. The RTX 3090 Ti’s average benchmark score is 131,938, which places it at the 95th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA L4, which scores 131,072 (a delta of only 0.7%), and the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation, which scores 135,218 (a delta of -2.4%). This means the RTX 3090 Ti is not just beating the RX 7900M; it is positioned in a performance tier where it trades blows with professional workstation cards.

On the AMD side, the RX 7900M’s average benchmark score is 97,487, placing it at the 94th percentile. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro VII, which scores 97,131, a delta of just 0.4%. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 is 4.3% higher at 101,872. The data shows that while the RX 7900M is also a high-percentile performer, its average score is significantly lower than the RTX 3090 Ti’s, which aligns with the head-to-head results. The 36.7% lead in the 3DMark test is particularly telling, as it suggests the NVIDIA architecture has a distinct advantage in this specific rendering workload.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward verdict for raw performance: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is the faster card. Benchmark results indicate it holds a decisive lead in every recorded test, with a minimum advantage of 34.7% and a maximum of 36.7%. For any user whose primary criterion is maximum frame rates or compute throughput in these specific workloads, the RTX 3090 Ti is the clear choice based on the evidence.

However, the verdict is not solely about performance. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is an active, mobile-focused part with a dramatically lower power draw. The RTX 3090 Ti has a TDP of 450 W and is a triple-slot card requiring an 850 W power supply, while the RX 7900M has a TDP of 180 W and is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, designed for portable devices. The RTX 3090 Ti is also end-of-life, while the RX 7900M is active. This shifts the context: the NVIDIA card is a high-power desktop behemoth, whereas the AMD card is an efficiency-oriented mobile solution. The data suggests that the RTX 3090 Ti wins on absolute performance, but the RX 7900M wins on power efficiency and mobility.

Who should pick which? A user building a desktop workstation with a high-wattage power supply and space for a large, triple-slot card should pick the RTX 3090 Ti, as its performance lead is substantial and well-documented. A user who needs this level of performance in a laptop or other compact, power-constrained system should pick the RX 7900M, as it is the only viable option in this comparison for that use case. The data does not support a recommendation for the RX 7900M based on performance alone, but it does support a recommendation based on form factor and power requirements.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti wins in every single benchmark category recorded. It is superior in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is a DirectX 12 test, and it is superior in both OpenCL and Vulkan compute workloads. There is no benchmark in the data where the AMD card wins. This means the NVIDIA card is the pick for any application that relies on the performance measured by these tests, which typically includes gaming, 3D rendering, and general-purpose GPU compute.

The AMD Radeon RX 7900M wins in areas not measured by these benchmarks: power consumption and physical footprint. Its 180 W TDP is less than half that of the RTX 3090 Ti, and its IGP form factor means it can be integrated into a portable device. The AMD card also has a higher pixel rate (401.3 GPixel/s versus 208.3 GPixel/s) and a higher texture rate (601.9 GTexel/s versus 625.0 GTexel/s, though this is a narrow margin in NVIDIA’s favor). The data shows AMD’s win is in efficiency and mobility, not in the raw scores.

For use cases, the RTX 3090 Ti is the choice for a desktop workstation where power delivery and cooling are not constraints, and where the 24 GB of memory provides a capacity advantage. The RX 7900M is the choice for a high-performance gaming laptop, where the 16 GB of memory is still ample, but the 180 W power draw and IGP form factor are essential for thermal and battery life considerations. The data supports this split: the RTX 3090 Ti is a performance leader, while the RX 7900M is a mobile leader.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has an average benchmark score of 131,938, which is higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7900M’s average of 97,487. This is consistent with the RTX 3090 Ti winning all head-to-head benchmarks by a margin of at least 34.7%.

Q: What is the biggest performance difference between the two cards?

A: The biggest performance difference is in the 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 test, where the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti scores 5,741 against the AMD Radeon RX 7900M’s 4,201, a delta of 36.7%. This is the largest margin of victory for either card in any test.

Q: How does the power consumption compare between the two?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has a TDP of 450 W and requires a 1x 16-pin power connector and an 850 W suggested PSU. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M has a TDP of 180 W, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU, as it is designed as an IGP for portable devices.

Q: Which card is better for a laptop?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is the only viable option for a laptop, as it is an IGP with a 180 W TDP. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is a triple-slot desktop card with a 450 W TDP and a length of 336 mm, making it unsuitable for portable systems.

Q: Are these cards from the same generation?

A: No. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is from the GeForce 30 generation, released on 2022-01-26, and is end-of-life. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M is from the Radeon RX 7000 series, released on 2023-10-18, and is currently active.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between the two GPUs is fundamental. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture using the GA102 chip, manufactured on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It contains 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 45.1M per mm². The AMD Radeon RX 7900M, in contrast, uses the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 31 chip, codenamed Plum Bonito, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. This chip packs 57,700 million transistors onto a 529 mm² die, for a much higher transistor density of 109.1M per mm².

These differences extend to the core configurations. The RTX 3090 Ti has 10,752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. It also includes 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores. The RX 7900M has 4,608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, along with 72 RT cores but no tensor cores. The NVIDIA card’s FP32 performance is 40.00 TFLOPS, while the AMD card’s is 38.52 TFLOPS. However, the AMD card’s FP16 performance is 77.05 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), which is significantly higher than the NVIDIA card’s 40.00 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). This suggests the AMD architecture has a distinct advantage in FP16 workloads, despite losing in the recorded FP32-based benchmarks.

The memory subsystems also differ. The RTX 3090 Ti uses 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, achieving 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7900M uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, achieving 576.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA card’s memory clock is 21 Gbps effective, while the AMD card’s is 18 Gbps effective. Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and both use a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface.

Specification Differences

The clearest differences between the two cards are in their physical and power characteristics. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti has a TDP of 450 W, requires a 1x 16-pin power connector, and suggests an 850 W PSU. It is a triple-slot card with dimensions of 336 mm in length, 140 mm in height, and 61 mm in width. The AMD Radeon RX 7900M, conversely, has a TDP of 180 W, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU. Its slot width is listed as "IGP," indicating it is an integrated part for portable devices, and it has no listed dimensions.

The output capabilities also diverge. The RTX 3090 Ti offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The RX 7900M’s display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," meaning they vary by the laptop or device it is integrated into. The NVIDIA card’s production status is end-of-life, with a release date of January 2022 and a launch MSRP of 1,999 USD. The AMD card is active, released in October 2023, with no launch MSRP listed. The bus interface is identical (PCIe 4.0 x16), but the memory type, bus width, and bandwidth all favor the NVIDIA card, while the process node, transistor count, and power efficiency favor the AMD card.