AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data includes a single direct comparison between the AMD Radeon Vega 3 and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545, specifically in the Geekbench OpenCL test. In this matchup, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 scores 3963, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 scores 3594. This gives the AMD part a 10.3% advantage, a decisive margin in a compute-focused workload. The delta is significant enough to place the Vega 3 clearly ahead, and it reflects the newer architecture's ability to extract more throughput from its shading units.

Looking at the broader average benchmark scores, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 carries an average of 4268 across all recorded tests, whereas the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 averages 3594. That is a difference of 674 points, or roughly 18.8% in favor of the AMD part when considering the entirety of their respective benchmark profiles. The Vega 3 also sits at the 25th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the GT 545 sits at the 21st percentile, meaning the AMD part is positioned slightly higher in the overall distribution of recorded hardware.

In terms of nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is clustered with a mix of mobile and workstation parts. It is 0.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (average score 4282), 0.6% behind the AMD FirePro W2100 (average score 4295), and 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro K3000M (average score 4241). Interestingly, the database also lists the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 as a nearby rival, with an average score of 4335, making the Vega 3 1.5% slower than that much newer part. For the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545, its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX 5000 Mobile Ada Generation (average score 3596, delta of -0.1%), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 735M (average score 3616, delta of -0.6%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (average score 3629, delta of -1%), and the AMD Radeon HD 6770 (average score 3649, delta of -1.5%). The GT 545 is the slowest of that group, trailing the HD 6770 by 1.5%.

The head-to-head data shows a single win for the AMD Radeon Vega 3 and zero wins for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545. That outcome aligns with the average score gap and the percentile positioning. While the GT 545 does have a higher pixel rate in raw specifications, the actual compute benchmark favors the Vega 3 by a meaningful margin. The OpenCL test is a general-purpose compute workload, so the result speaks to the overall execution efficiency of the Vega 3's shader array rather than a specialized feature advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the recorded Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 scores 3963, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 scores 3594. The AMD part wins with a 10.3% higher score.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 has an average benchmark score of 4268, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 has an average of 3594. That places the Vega 3 roughly 18.8% higher on average.

Q: What percentile ranking does each GPU hold in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 is at the 25th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 is at the 21st percentile.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 have a dedicated memory advantage?

A: Yes, the GT 545 has 1536 MB of DDR3 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 38.40 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 3 uses system-shared memory with bandwidth described as system dependent.

Q: Which GPU has better API support for Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 has no Vulkan support listed in the database.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545?

A: The launch MSRP is 149 USD. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 has no launch MSRP recorded, as it is an integrated graphics processor.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 3 wins in compute performance, as demonstrated by the 10.3% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test. It also wins in the broader average score comparison, holding a 674-point advantage over the GT 545. For users running OpenCL workloads, general compute tasks, or any application that leverages shader throughput, the Vega 3 is the stronger option based on the recorded data.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 does not win any recorded benchmark matchup. However, it does have a distinct advantage in memory configuration: it features 1536 MB of dedicated DDR3 memory with a 192-bit bus and 38.40 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the Vega 3 relies on system-shared memory. In scenarios where dedicated video memory is preferable, such as older games or certain legacy applications that require a fixed frame buffer, the GT 545's memory architecture could be relevant. The GT 545 also has more texture mapping units (24 vs. 12) and more ROPs (16 vs. 4), which gives it a higher texture rate of 17.28 GTexel/s compared to 13.20 GTexel/s. That suggests the GT 545 may handle texture-heavy workloads better, though this is not reflected in the recorded benchmark scores.

The Vega 3 also wins on API support, offering DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, while the GT 545 lists DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 but no Vulkan. For modern applications that rely on Vulkan, the Vega 3 is the only viable choice between the two.

Specification Differences

The process node differs substantially: the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is built on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 uses a 40 nm process at TSMC. Transistor counts reflect this gap: the Vega 3's Picasso chip contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, yielding a density of 23.5M per mm². The GT 545's GF116 chip contains 1,170 million transistors on a 238 mm² die, a density of 4.9M per mm².

Clock speeds are recorded differently. The Vega 3 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1100 MHz. The GT 545 has no base or boost clock listed, only a memory clock of 800 MHz (1600 Mbps effective). The Vega 3's memory is system shared, with type, bus width, and bandwidth all described as system dependent. The GT 545 has 1536 MB of DDR3 memory on a 192-bit bus with 38.40 GB/s bandwidth.

Shader resources differ: the Vega 3 has 192 shading units, 12 TMUs, and 4 ROPs, while the GT 545 has 144 shading units, 24 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Pixel rates are nearly identical, 4.400 GPixel/s for the Vega 3 and 4.320 GPixel/s for the GT 545. Texture rates differ, 13.20 GTexel/s versus 17.28 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is close: 422.4 GFLOPS for the Vega 3 and 414.7 GFLOPS for the GT 545. The Vega 3 also lists FP16 performance of 844.8 GFLOPS (2:1), while the GT 545 has no FP16 data.

Power draw is a major difference: the Vega 3 is rated at 15 W TDP and is an IGP with no power connectors, while the GT 545 is rated at 70 W TDP, is a single-slot card with no power connectors, and has a suggested PSU of 250 W. The bus interface also differs: the Vega 3 is IGP, while the GT 545 uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The GT 545 has a length of 145 mm (5.7 inches), while the Vega 3 has no dimensions recorded. Display outputs differ: the Vega 3 is motherboard dependent, while the GT 545 offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x VGA.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Radeon Vega 3 is based on the GCN 5.0 architecture, specifically the Picasso chip, and belongs to the Vega IGP generation. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 uses the Fermi 2.0 architecture, built around the GF116 chip, and belongs to the GeForce 500 generation. These are fundamentally different design philosophies separated by roughly eight years of development.

The Vega 3 is a 12 nm part with a much higher transistor density, 23.5M per mm², compared to the GT 545's 4.9M per mm². That density advantage allows the Vega 3 to pack 4,940 million transistors into a smaller die area, despite being an integrated processor. The GT 545, in contrast, uses a larger 238 mm² die with only 1,170 million transistors, reflecting the older 40 nm process.

The Vega 3 supports FP16 compute at a 2:1 ratio, indicating it can process half-precision workloads at twice the rate of FP32. The GT 545 has no FP16 support listed, suggesting it is limited to FP32 or lower precision formats. The Vega 3 also supports Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1), while the GT 545 lists DirectX 12 (11_0) and no Vulkan support, indicating a much older driver and hardware feature set.

The Vega 3 has a boost clock of 1100 MHz, which is a dynamic frequency mechanism absent from the GT 545's recorded specifications. The GT 545's memory clock is explicitly listed, while the Vega 3's memory clock is described as system shared. These architectural differences explain why the Vega 3, despite having fewer TMUs and ROPs, still wins in compute benchmarks: its newer architecture, higher density, and modern feature set allow it to execute workloads more efficiently.

The Verdict

The data points clearly toward the AMD Radeon Vega 3 for anyone prioritizing compute performance. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 10.3%, holds a higher average score (4268 vs. 3594), and sits at a higher percentile (25th vs. 21st). For OpenCL workloads, modern API support, and power efficiency, the Vega 3 is the stronger choice. Its 15 W TDP versus the GT 545's 70 W TDP also makes it far more suitable for low-power or integrated systems.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 is the better option only if the use case specifically requires a dedicated frame buffer. Its 1536 MB of DDR3 memory and 38.40 GB/s bandwidth are fixed, whereas the Vega 3 depends on system memory. The GT 545 also has a higher texture rate (17.28 GTexel/s vs. 13.20 GTexel/s) and more ROPs, which could matter for older texture-bound applications. However, no recorded benchmark reflects those advantages, and the GT 545 loses the only compute test.

For a modern system, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is the recommended part based on the recorded numbers. For a legacy system or a scenario where dedicated video memory is a hard requirement, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 545 remains a functional fallback, but the benchmark data does not support it as a performance winner anywhere. The Vega 3's 10.3% lead in OpenCL and its 674-point average score advantage make it the definitive choice in this comparison.