AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition vs NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive advantage for the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation across all shared benchmark tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA card scores 124,812, which is a 64% higher result than the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition's 76,111. This is the largest margin observed in the head-to-head comparison, indicating a substantial raw compute advantage for the newer NVIDIA architecture in this workload.

The Vulkan test tells a similar story, though with a slightly narrower gap. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation achieves 109,364 points, while the Vega Frontier Edition manages 71,937. This represents a 52% delta in favor of NVIDIA. Both wins are consistent, and the data records a total of 2 wins for the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation, with 0 wins for the AMD part. The average benchmark score for the NVIDIA card sits at 117,088, compared to 73,370 for the AMD card, reinforcing the performance hierarchy observed in the individual tests.

When contextualizing these scores against the broader database, the RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation sits in the 95th percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega Frontier Edition is in the 91st percentile. This means both are high performers, but the NVIDIA card is positioned clearly above its rival in the overall distribution.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent fundamentally different eras of GPU design. The NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 121.8 million per mm². The AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition, in contrast, uses the Vega 10 chip based on GCN 5.0, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with 12,500 million transistors spread across a much larger 495 mm² die, resulting in a density of 25.3 million per mm². The process node advantage is significant, allowing NVIDIA to pack nearly three times the transistor density into a smaller physical footprint.

Memory configurations differ sharply as well. The NVIDIA card offers 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 280.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD card provides 16 GB of HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus, which produces a much higher 483.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega Frontier Edition's memory bandwidth is superior, a direct consequence of its wide HBM2 interface, whereas the RTX 4000 relies on a narrower but newer GDDR6 setup.

Compute resources also diverge. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation packs 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It also includes dedicated ray tracing cores (48) and tensor cores (192), features completely absent from the Vega Frontier Edition, which has no ray tracing or tensor core hardware. The AMD card has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The NVIDIA card posts a higher FP32 throughput at 19.17 TFLOPS, while the AMD card achieves 13.11 TFLOPS FP32 but doubles its FP16 rate to 26.21 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, versus the NVIDIA card's 1:1 FP16 at 19.17 TFLOPS.

Power and physical specifications are starkly different. The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation consumes 70 W TDP with no external power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W. It measures 168 mm in length and 69 mm in height. The Vega Frontier Edition draws a much higher 300 W, requires two 8-pin power connectors, and needs a 700 W PSU. It is larger, at 267 mm long and 111 mm tall. Both are dual-slot cards, but the NVIDIA card is clearly designed for small-form-factor systems, while the AMD card is a full-sized desktop component. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 4.0 x16 on the NVIDIA card versus PCIe 3.0 x16 on the AMD card.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows no category where the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition comes out ahead. In Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan, the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation wins by 64% and 52%, respectively. These are the only shared tests recorded, and the AMD card fails to secure a single victory in either.

However, the AMD card does possess characteristics that could be relevant in specific workflows, even if they do not translate to benchmark wins. Its memory bandwidth of 483.8 GB/s is significantly higher than the NVIDIA card's 280.0 GB/s, which could benefit memory-intensive tasks that are not captured in these particular tests. Its FP16 performance of 26.21 TFLOPS exceeds the NVIDIA card's 19.17 TFLOPS, potentially offering an edge in half-precision compute workloads.

The NVIDIA card, by contrast, wins on raw compute in both tested APIs, delivers a much higher average benchmark score, and includes hardware features like ray tracing and tensor cores that the AMD card entirely lacks. Its lower power draw and smaller physical dimensions make it viable for compact builds, a category where the AMD card's size and power requirements are prohibitive.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded data, the choice is clear for most users. The NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation outperforms the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition in every shared benchmark, with a 64% margin in OpenCL and a 52% margin in Vulkan. Its average score of 117,088 versus 73,370, combined with its 95th percentile ranking versus 91st, positions it as the superior performer overall.

Users who prioritize raw compute performance, modern API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4), ray tracing, and tensor core acceleration should select the NVIDIA card. It also fits in smaller systems, consumes far less power, and does not require external power connectors. The AMD card, while still a capable GPU at the 91st percentile, is an end-of-life product with no wins in the recorded tests. Its only potential advantages are higher memory bandwidth and higher FP16 throughput, but neither translates to a win in the available benchmarks.

The RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation is the recommended option for anyone whose workload is represented by OpenCL or Vulkan performance. The Vega Frontier Edition should only be considered if specific, unmeasured requirements demand its higher bandwidth or FP16 capabilities, but the data provides no evidence of a performance win for the AMD card.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation scores 124,812, which is 64% higher than the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition's 76,111.

Q: What is the performance difference in Vulkan?

A: The NVIDIA card scores 109,364 versus 71,937 for the AMD card, a 52% advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition have any benchmark wins?

A: No, the recorded data shows 0 wins for the AMD card and 2 wins for the NVIDIA card in the head-to-head tests.

Q: How do the memory bandwidths compare?

A: The AMD card has a higher memory bandwidth of 483.8 GB/s, while the NVIDIA card provides 280.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The NVIDIA card has a density of 121.8 million transistors per mm², compared to 25.3 million per mm² for the AMD card.

Q: Which card supports ray tracing?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation includes 48 ray tracing cores, while the AMD Vega Frontier Edition has no ray tracing hardware.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation | AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition |

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

| Architecture | Ada Lovelace | GCN 5.0 |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 35,800 million | 12,500 million |

| Die Size | 294 mm² | 495 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 121.8M / mm² | 25.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 720 MHz | 1382 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1560 MHz | 1600 MHz |

| Memory Size | 20 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | HBM2 |

| Memory Bus Width | 160 bit | 2048 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 280.0 GB/s | 483.8 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 6144 | 4096 |

| TMUs | 192 | 256 |

| ROPs | 64 | 64 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 48 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 192 | None |

| FP32 Performance | 19.17 TFLOPS | 13.11 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 19.17 TFLOPS (1:1) | 26.21 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 70 W | 300 W |

| Power Connectors | None | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | 700 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Length | 168 mm (6.6 inches) | 267 mm (10.5 inches) |

| Height | 69 mm (2.7 inches) | 111 mm (4.4 inches) |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2023-03-20 | 2017-06-26 |

| Launch MSRP | Not provided | 999 USD |