AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU vs NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows no direct head-to-head benchmark results between the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU and the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation. Both processors hold a 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs in the database, with identical average benchmark scores of zero. Without measured performance deltas, the comparison relies entirely on architectural specifications and theoretical throughput figures.

The FP32 compute figures establish the clearest performance gap. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation delivers 23.04 TFLOPS, which is 14 times the 1.638 TFLOPS of the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU. This raw compute advantage translates directly to workloads that depend on shader throughput, such as real-time rendering, simulation, and general-purpose GPU compute.

Texture and pixel throughput further reinforce NVIDIA's dominance. The RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation reaches 360.0 GTexel/s and 144.0 GPixel/s, compared to 51.20 GTexel/s and 25.60 GPixel/s for the AMD part. The texture rate advantage is roughly 7x, while the pixel rate advantage is approximately 5.6x. These figures indicate substantially faster fill-rate-bound operations, including complex scene composition and high-resolution texture mapping.

Memory bandwidth tells a similar story. The NVIDIA GPU uses a 192-bit GDDR6 interface with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the AMD GPU uses a 128-bit LPDDR5 interface with 102.4 GB/s. The NVIDIA part provides 4.2x the memory bandwidth, which matters for data-intensive workloads such as large model inference, video processing, and high-resolution texture streaming.

The FP16 comparison shows an interesting asymmetry. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation maintains 23.04 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 1:1 ratio, matching its FP32 throughput. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU reaches 3.277 TFLOPS FP16 via a 2:1 rate, which is only about 14% of NVIDIA's FP16 output. For mixed-precision workloads, NVIDIA holds a substantial lead.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU does hold advantages in memory capacity and power efficiency. It offers 16 GB of LPDDR5 versus 12 GB of GDDR6, a 33% capacity advantage. Its 15 W TDP is dramatically lower than the 100 W TDP of the NVIDIA part, indicating a fundamentally different power envelope suited to different deployment scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from opposite ends of the design spectrum. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses the Van Gogh chip built on RDNA 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm TSMC process. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip built on Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm TSMC process. The process node difference gives NVIDIA a density advantage, with 121.8M transistors per mm² versus 14.7M per mm² for AMD.

Transistor counts differ enormously. The NVIDIA chip packs 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, while the AMD chip uses 2,400 million transistors on a 163 mm² die. This 14.9x transistor disparity reflects both the process advantage and the fundamentally different scale of the two designs.

Shader resources show NVIDIA's much larger execution engine. The RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation contains 5,120 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU contains 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. NVIDIA provides 10x the shading units, 5x the TMUs, and 4x the ROPs.

Ray tracing and tensor hardware further separate the architectures. The NVIDIA GPU includes 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, enabling dedicated hardware acceleration for ray tracing and AI inference. The AMD GPU lists 8 RT cores and no tensor cores, limiting its capabilities in those specific workloads.

Clock speeds favor NVIDIA as well. The RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation runs at a base clock of 1725 MHz with a boost clock of 2250 MHz. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU operates at 1000 MHz base and 1600 MHz boost. NVIDIA's boost clock is 40.6% higher, and its base clock is 72.5% higher.

Memory architecture differs in type and organization. The AMD GPU uses LPDDR5 with 16 GB capacity across a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA GPU uses GDDR6 with 12 GB across a 192-bit bus. The NVIDIA memory clock runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective data rate, while the AMD memory runs at 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective.

The form factor and integration approach also differ. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation is an integrated GPU package (IGP) with no display outputs, no power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. It connects via PCIe 4.0 x16. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU provides a single USB Type-C display output and has no specified bus interface or power connector requirements.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation wins in every measured compute and throughput category. Its 23.04 TFLOPS FP32 output, 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate, 144.0 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth position it for demanding professional workloads. The 160 tensor cores support AI acceleration, while the 40 RT cores handle ray-traced rendering. The 12 GB GDDR6 frame buffer, combined with the high bandwidth, suits applications that move large datasets through the GPU rapidly.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU wins in capacity and power efficiency. Its 16 GB memory capacity exceeds the NVIDIA part by 4 GB, which matters for workloads that require larger resident datasets or higher-resolution textures. Its 15 W TDP represents a 6.7x reduction in power draw compared to the NVIDIA GPU's 100 W TDP. This power profile enables deployment in thermally constrained or battery-powered environments where the NVIDIA part would be impractical.

The architecture generation gap also matters. The NVIDIA part belongs to the Ada Lovelace generation with a successor in Blackwell-MW and a predecessor in Ampere-MW, indicating an established product line. The AMD part is classified as a Console GPU with RDNA 2.0 architecture, reflecting a different design lineage and target market. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

The release timeline shows the NVIDIA part launched earlier, on March 21, 2023, while the AMD part followed on January 1, 2025. Both remain in active production status.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation delivers 23.04 TFLOPS FP32, which is 14x the 1.638 TFLOPS of the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: The NVIDIA part uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD part uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. NVIDIA provides 4.2x the bandwidth, while AMD provides 33% more capacity.

Q: What are the TDP requirements for each GPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU has a 15 W TDP, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation has a 100 W TDP. The NVIDIA part also lists a suggested PSU of 300 W.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. There is no difference in API support.

Q: Which GPU has dedicated tensor cores?

A: Only the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation has tensor cores, with 160 of them. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU lists no tensor cores.

Q: What process nodes are used?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses a 7 nm TSMC process, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation uses a 5 nm TSMC process.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in the following recorded specifications:

• Process Node: AMD uses 7 nm; NVIDIA uses 5 nm
• Transistors: AMD has 2,400 million; NVIDIA has 35,800 million
• Die Size: AMD is 163 mm²; NVIDIA is 294 mm²
• Transistor Density: AMD is 14.7M per mm²; NVIDIA is 121.8M per mm²
• Base Clock: AMD is 1000 MHz; NVIDIA is 1725 MHz
• Boost Clock: AMD is 1600 MHz; NVIDIA is 2250 MHz
• Memory Clock: AMD is 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective); NVIDIA is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective)
• Memory Size: AMD has 16 GB; NVIDIA has 12 GB
• Memory Type: AMD uses LPDDR5; NVIDIA uses GDDR6
• Memory Bus Width: AMD is 128 bit; NVIDIA is 192 bit
• Memory Bandwidth: AMD is 102.4 GB/s; NVIDIA is 432.0 GB/s
• Shading Units: AMD has 512; NVIDIA has 5,120
• TMUs: AMD has 32; NVIDIA has 160
• ROPs: AMD has 16; NVIDIA has 64
• RT Cores: AMD has 8; NVIDIA has 40
• Tensor Cores: AMD has none; NVIDIA has 160
• Pixel Rate: AMD is 25.60 GPixel/s; NVIDIA is 144.0 GPixel/s
• Texture Rate: AMD is 51.20 GTexel/s; NVIDIA is 360.0 GTexel/s
• FP32 Performance: AMD is 1.638 TFLOPS; NVIDIA is 23.04 TFLOPS
• FP16 Performance: AMD is 3.277 TFLOPS (2:1); NVIDIA is 23.04 TFLOPS (1:1)
• TDP: AMD is 15 W; NVIDIA is 100 W
• Slot Width: AMD has none specified; NVIDIA is IGP
• Power Connectors: AMD has none specified; NVIDIA is None
• Suggested PSU: AMD has none specified; NVIDIA is 300 W
• Bus Interface: AMD has none specified; NVIDIA is PCIe 4.0 x16
• Display Outputs: AMD has 1x USB Type-C; NVIDIA has no outputs
• Release Date: AMD is January 1, 2025; NVIDIA is March 21, 2023
• Architecture: AMD is RDNA 2.0; NVIDIA is Ada Lovelace
• Chip: AMD is Van Gogh; NVIDIA is AD104

The Verdict

The database shows two GPUs engineered for entirely different purposes. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation is the clear performance leader in every compute metric. Its 23.04 TFLOPS FP32 output, 5,120 shading units, 160 tensor cores, and 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth make it suitable for demanding professional graphics, AI inference, and compute-intensive tasks. The 12 GB GDDR6 memory provides sufficient capacity for most professional workloads, and the higher bandwidth ensures data can feed the large execution engine efficiently.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU targets a different use case entirely. Its 15 W TDP and 16 GB memory capacity indicate a design focused on power efficiency and memory capacity over raw throughput. The 1.638 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for lighter workloads but fall far short of the NVIDIA part in compute-heavy scenarios. The single USB Type-C display output suggests a compact, integrated deployment rather than a multi-monitor workstation configuration.

Users requiring maximum compute throughput, ray tracing performance, or AI acceleration should select the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation. The data shows no scenario where the AMD part outperforms it in shader, texture, pixel, or bandwidth metrics. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU suits applications where power draw is the primary constraint and memory capacity takes priority over bandwidth and compute throughput.