AMD Radeon Vega 11 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Comparison

NVIDIA's GeForce GTX TITAN and AMD's Radeon Vega 11 represent two vastly different approaches to graphics hardware, separated by over six years of technological evolution. The GTX TITAN is a 2013 flagship discrete GPU built on a 28 nm process, while the Vega 11 is a 2019 integrated graphics processor (IGP) on a 12 nm node. Despite their differences, benchmark data shows they land in a remarkably similar performance tier, with average scores of 14,373 and 14,352 respectively — a margin of just 0.1%. This near-parity, however, masks significant architectural and workload-specific divergences that define their respective strengths.

Where Each One Wins

The performance split between these two GPUs is starkly defined by the compute API in use. AMD's Radeon Vega 11 takes the win in two of the three head-to-head benchmark categories, while NVIDIA's GTX TITAN dominates the third with an overwhelming margin.

The GTX TITAN's single victory comes in Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 24,873 against Vega 11's 13,392. This represents a 85.7% advantage, the largest delta in any test. This result indicates that the TITAN's raw compute throughput — driven by its 2,688 shading units and 4.709 TFLOPS FP32 performance — is exceptionally well-suited to OpenCL workloads that can fully utilize its massive parallel array.

The Radeon Vega 11, conversely, shows its strength in Geekbench Metal and Vulkan tests. In Metal, Vega 11 scores 17,392 versus the TITAN's 8,218, a 52.7% lead. This gap is particularly notable given that Metal is Apple's graphics API, where AMD's GCN architecture has historically demonstrated strong optimization. The Vega 11 also wins in Vulkan, scoring 12,273 against 10,027, an 18.3% advantage. These results suggest that while the TITAN excels in general-purpose compute via OpenCL, the Vega 11's more modern architecture handles lower-level, driver-optimized APIs more efficiently.

The percentile rankings tell a similar story of overall parity: both GPUs sit at the 56th percentile among all GPUs. This means that despite their architectural differences, they occupy the same mid-range performance bracket in aggregate, even though their individual benchmark profiles are nearly inverted.

Architecture Differences

The architectural chasm between these two parts is vast. The GTX TITAN uses NVIDIA's GK110 chip, built on the Kepler architecture at TSMC's 28 nm process. It packs 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. This is a massive, power-hungry discrete design with a 250 W TDP, dual-slot cooler, and requiring both a 6-pin and 8-pin power connector.

In contrast, the Radeon Vega 11 is AMD's Picasso chip, built on the GCN 5.0 architecture at GlobalFoundries' 12 nm process. It contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, achieving a much higher density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. As an IGP, it integrates directly into the motherboard with a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, and system-shared memory. The Vega 11's 12 nm process is significantly more advanced, allowing nearly double the transistor density despite having fewer total transistors.

The memory subsystems could not be more different. The TITAN features 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 11 uses system-shared memory with a bus width and bandwidth described as "System Dependent" — its performance is tied directly to the host system's RAM configuration. This gives the TITAN a massive bandwidth advantage in memory-intensive tasks, though the Vega 11's shared memory model allows for flexible allocation.

Clock speeds also diverge sharply. The TITAN runs at a base of 836 MHz with a boost of 876 MHz, while the Vega 11 has a 300 MHz base but boosts to 1,400 MHz. The Vega 11's higher boost clock partially compensates for its fewer execution units, but its pixel rate of 11.20 GPixel/s and texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s are far below the TITAN's 49.06 GPixel/s and 196.2 GTexel/s. The TITAN also supports FP16 at 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), whereas the TITAN has no listed FP16 capability.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL result is where the GTX TITAN makes its case. Scoring 24,873 versus 13,392, the TITAN leads by 85.7% — a near-doubling of performance. This is the clearest statement of raw compute capability, reflecting the TITAN's 4.709 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput against the Vega 11's 1.971 TFLOPS. The TITAN's 224 texture mapping units and 48 ROPs provide substantial geometry and pixel processing headroom that the Vega 11's 44 TMUs and 8 ROPs cannot match.

The Geekbench Metal benchmark flips the script entirely. The Vega 11 scores 17,392 while the TITAN manages only 8,218, resulting in a 52.7% deficit for NVIDIA. This is a surprising result given the TITAN's superior theoretical specs, but it highlights how driver maturity and API-level optimizations can overcome raw hardware advantages. The Metal API, being Apple's proprietary interface, appears to favor the GCN architecture's design philosophies.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the Vega 11 again prevails, scoring 12,273 against 10,027 — an 18.3% lead. While this margin is smaller than the other two tests, it reinforces the pattern that the Vega 11 handles modern, low-overhead APIs more effectively. The TITAN's Vulkan support is listed as version 1.2.175, while the Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3, which may contribute to the latter's advantage in this test.

When compared to their nearest rivals, both GPUs sit in a tight cluster. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (a separate, slightly different variant) scores 14,385, just 0.1% above the TITAN. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M scores 14,404, 0.2% above the TITAN, while the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics scores 14,315, 0.4% below. This indicates that all four GPUs are functionally equivalent in aggregate performance, despite their wildly different architectures and target markets.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The GTX TITAN, with 4.709 TFLOPS FP32, is roughly 2.4 times the Vega 11's 1.971 TFLOPS. This is reflected in the OpenCL benchmark where the TITAN leads by 85.7%.

Q: Why does the Radeon Vega 11 win in Metal and Vulkan despite lower specs?

A: The Vega 11's GCN 5.0 architecture and newer 12 nm process, combined with Vulkan 1.3 support, appear to handle these APIs more efficiently. The TITAN's older Kepler architecture and Vulkan 1.2.175 support may limit its performance in these tests.

Q: How do their memory systems compare?

A: The TITAN has 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 11 uses system-shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent" — meaning it varies based on the host system's RAM.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The TITAN has a 250 W TDP and requires a 600 W power supply, while the Vega 11 has a 15 W TDP and is an IGP requiring no additional power connectors.

Q: Are they in the same performance tier?

A: Yes, both sit at the 56th percentile among all GPUs, and their average benchmark scores differ by only 0.1% (14,373 vs 14,352). Their nearest rivals also cluster within a 0.4% range.

Q: Which supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3, while the TITAN supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The choice between these two GPUs depends entirely on the target workload and platform constraints. For OpenCL-based compute tasks — such as scientific simulations, data processing, or any application that leverages general-purpose GPU computing — the GTX TITAN is the clear winner. Its 85.7% OpenCL advantage is decisive, and its 6 GB of dedicated memory with 288.4 GB/s bandwidth provides a substantial buffer for large datasets. The TITAN's 2688 shading units and 224 TMUs also make it better suited for high-resolution texture-heavy workloads, provided the software uses OpenCL or traditional graphics pipelines.

However, for modern gaming or applications built on Metal or Vulkan, the Radeon Vega 11 is the more capable part. Its 52.7% lead in Metal and 18.3% lead in Vulkan demonstrate that its GCN 5.0 architecture, 12 nm process, and newer API support translate to better real-world performance in contemporary software. The Vega 11's 15 W TDP also makes it viable for compact, low-power systems where the TITAN's 250 W requirement and dual-slot cooler are impractical.

The data does not support a universal winner. The GTX TITAN is a compute monster that has aged poorly in API-specific workloads, while the Radeon Vega 11 is a power-efficient IGP that punches above its weight in modern benchmarks. Users with existing discrete GPU slots and OpenCL-centric workflows should favor the TITAN; those building integrated systems for Metal or Vulkan applications should choose the Vega 11. The near-identical average scores and 56th percentile rankings for both suggest that, in aggregate, either will deliver similar overall performance — but the specific benchmark results reveal where each excels.