AMD Radeon Vega 3 vs NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M Comparison

AMD Radeon Vega 3 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M are both end-of-life mobile graphics solutions, but they come from different eras and design philosophies. The Vega 3 is a modern IGP built into AMD's Picasso APU, while the GT 745M is a discrete notebook GPU from NVIDIA's Kepler generation. Benchmark data shows the AMD part wins two of three head-to-head tests, but the NVIDIA card takes a decisive victory in Vulkan, making the choice heavily dependent on the applications you run.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 has an average benchmark score of 4268, compared to 3953 for the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M. This places the Vega 3 at the 25th percentile of all GPUs, while the GT 745M sits at the 23rd percentile.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the Geekbench Metal test?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 scores 4880 in Geekbench Metal, which is 75.7% higher than the GT 745M's 2777. This is the largest single-test margin in the head-to-head comparison.

Q: Does the NVIDIA GPU win any benchmark?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M wins the Geekbench Vulkan test decisively, scoring 5502 compared to the AMD part's 3961. That is a 28% advantage for the NVIDIA card in this specific API.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each GPU based on average score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M (4282 average, 0.3% lower). The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon R5 M420 (3956 average, 0.1% lower).

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 3 integrates 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M has 1,270 million transistors on a 118 mm² die. The AMD chip uses a 12nm process at GlobalFoundries, whereas the NVIDIA part uses TSMC's 28nm process.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 uses System Shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent" and a bus width of "System Shared".

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different approaches to mobile graphics. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on the GCN 5.0 architecture, using the Picasso chip. It shares system memory and its performance is tied to the host CPU's memory subsystem. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M is a discrete GPU based on the Kepler architecture, using the GK107 chip. It has its own dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, which is a significant architectural advantage for memory bandwidth consistency.

Process technology differs substantially. The AMD part is manufactured on a 12nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the NVIDIA chip uses a 28nm process at TSMC. This translates to a major difference in transistor density: the AMD chip packs 23.5 million transistors per mm², more than double the NVIDIA chip's 10.8 million per mm². The AMD GPU also has a much higher total transistor count (4,940 million vs 1,270 million), though this includes the entire Picasso APU die, not just the graphics portion.

Compute resources are allocated differently. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 has 192 shading units, 12 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 4 render output units (ROPs). The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M has 384 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the AMD part achieves similar raw throughput due to its higher clock behavior and architectural efficiency. The AMD GPU's boost clock is 1100 MHz, while the NVIDIA card's clock specifications are not listed.

API support differs notably. The AMD part supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The NVIDIA card supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD GPU's newer Vulkan version and higher DirectX feature level reflect its later release date of November 2019, compared to March 2013 for the NVIDIA part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison shows a split decision across three Geekbench tests. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 wins two of the three tests, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M takes the remaining one.

The most dramatic result is in Geekbench Metal, where the AMD part scores 4880 against the NVIDIA card's 2777. This represents a 75.7% advantage for the AMD GPU, making it nearly twice as fast in this Apple-backed API. This is the largest delta between the two cards in any test, and it significantly boosts the AMD part's average score.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 again comes out ahead, scoring 3963 versus 3580 for the NVIDIA card. The margin is 10.7%, a comfortable but not overwhelming win. This test is more representative of general compute workloads, and the AMD part's higher transistor count and newer architecture likely contribute to this edge.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M strikes back in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 5502 against the AMD part's 3961. This is a 28% victory for the NVIDIA card, which is a substantial reversal. The Vulkan test result is particularly notable because the AMD GPU supports a newer version of the Vulkan API (1.3 vs 1.2.175), yet still loses by a wide margin. This suggests the NVIDIA card has a more efficient Vulkan driver stack or hardware implementation for this specific workload.

Overall, the AMD part wins two of three tests, giving it a 2-1 head-to-head record. However, the NVIDIA card's Vulkan win is so large that it partially compensates for its losses in the other two tests.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear but nuanced picture. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 is the better overall performer, with a higher average benchmark score (4268 vs 3953) and wins in two of three head-to-head tests. Its advantage in Metal (75.7%) and OpenCL (10.7%) makes it the stronger choice for general compute and Apple-centric workloads.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M, despite being six years older, remains highly competitive in Vulkan, where it beats the AMD part by 28%. This suggests that if your primary applications use Vulkan, the NVIDIA card may actually provide better performance, despite its lower average score.

Power consumption is another differentiator. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 has a TDP of 15 W, while the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M draws 45 W. For battery life and thermal management in thin notebooks, the AMD part is clearly more efficient. However, the NVIDIA card's dedicated memory and discrete design may offer more consistent performance in memory-bandwidth-sensitive tasks.

For most users, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is the better choice due to its higher overall scores, lower power draw, and newer architecture. But if Vulkan performance is a priority, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M deserves serious consideration.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 5.0 | Kepler |

| Process Node | 12 nm | 28 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 4,940 million | 1,270 million |

| Die Size | 210 mm² | 118 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 23.5M / mm² | 10.8M / mm² |

| Shading Units | 192 | 384 |

| TMUs | 12 | 32 |

| ROPs | 4 | 16 |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 64.00 GB/s |

| Pixel Rate | 4.400 GPixel/s | 4.392 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 13.20 GTexel/s | 17.57 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 422.4 GFLOPS | 421.6 GFLOPS |

| TDP | 15 W | 45 W |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.2.175 |

| Release Date | 2019-11-19 | 2013-03-31 |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 3 wins in scenarios that favor its newer architecture and lower power envelope. It dominates in Geekbench Metal with a 75.7% lead, making it the clear choice for macOS environments or applications that leverage Metal. Its 10.7% advantage in OpenCL also makes it suitable for general-purpose GPU compute tasks. The 15 W TDP means it can be integrated into ultraportable designs without active cooling, and its system-shared memory model eliminates the need for separate VRAM.

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M wins in Vulkan-based workloads, where its 28% lead over the AMD part is substantial. This makes it preferable for games and applications that use the Vulkan API, particularly on Windows or Linux platforms. Its dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with 64.00 GB/s bandwidth provides more predictable memory performance compared to the AMD part's system-dependent memory. The NVIDIA card also has higher texture rate (17.57 GTexel/s vs 13.20 GTexel/s) and more TMUs, which may benefit texture-heavy workloads.

For users prioritizing battery life and low heat output, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 is the obvious pick. For those running Vulkan-based software on a machine with sufficient power headroom, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M offers a meaningful performance advantage in that specific API. The choice ultimately comes down to which APIs and workloads matter most in your daily usage.