AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU vs NVIDIA RTX A1000 Comparison

AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU and NVIDIA RTX A1000 occupy different corners of the hardware spectrum, yet both are active products in the database. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU is a 15 W console-class part built around AMD’s Van Gogh chip, while the RTX A1000 is a 50 W workstation GPU from NVIDIA’s Ampere generation. Benchmark data exists only for the RTX A1000, but the specification sheets provide enough contrast for a meaningful comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains three recorded benchmark results for the NVIDIA RTX A1000: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 969, a Geekbench OpenCL score of 52078, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 49574. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no benchmark entries, so direct numerical comparisons cannot be made from the recorded data.

The RTX A1000’s average benchmark score across those three tests is 34207, placing it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs tracked by the database. For context, its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB with an average score of 34154 (0.2% lower), the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT at 34133 (0.2% lower), the NVIDIA TITAN V at 34355 (0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon RX 480 at 33997 (0.6% lower). The RTX A1000 sits essentially in the middle of this cluster, with the TITAN V slightly ahead and the RX 480 slightly behind.

The Geekbench OpenCL result of 52078 is notably higher than the Vulkan score of 49574, a gap of roughly 5%. This suggests the RTX A1000’s compute performance is well optimized for OpenCL workloads, which are common in professional applications. The Vulkan score, while lower, still reflects strong graphics capability for a 50 W card.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 969 indicates moderate performance in modern DirectX 12 gaming workloads. This is consistent with the card’s workstation positioning, where gaming is not the primary focus. The RTX A1000’s raw compute figures from the specification sheet, 6.737 TFLOPS FP32 and 6.737 TFLOPS FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, align with its benchmark results.

Since the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no benchmark scores, the head-to-head comparison relies entirely on theoretical specifications. The RTX A1000 delivers 6.737 TFLOPS FP32 versus the Ryzen Z2 A GPU’s 1.638 TFLOPS, a factor of 4.1. In FP16, the RTX A1000 again outputs 6.737 TFLOPS, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU reaches 3.277 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, making the NVIDIA part roughly 2.1 times faster in half-precision work.

Pixel throughput favors the RTX A1000 at 46.78 GPixel/s versus 25.60 GPixel/s for the Ryzen Z2 A GPU. Texture throughput shows an even larger gap: 105.3 GTexel/s versus 51.20 GTexel/s. These numbers indicate that the RTX A1000 can process geometry and textures at a much higher rate, which matters for both professional rendering and gaming.

The Verdict

The data clearly positions the RTX A1000 as the more powerful GPU in absolute terms. Its 79th percentile ranking, supported by an average benchmark score of 34207, places it above the Ryzen Z2 A GPU, which has no recorded benchmarks but sits at the 50th percentile based on the database’s classification. The RTX A1000’s nearest rivals all score within 0.6% of its average, confirming that it performs in a consistent tier with mid-range workstation and older enthusiast cards.

The Ryzen Z2 A GPU is not without merit. Its 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory doubles the RTX A1000’s 8 GB GDDR6, and its 15 W TDP makes it far more power-efficient in terms of raw wattage. However, the memory bandwidth tells a different story: the RTX A1000 offers 192.0 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s for the Ryzen Z2 A GPU. The higher capacity on the AMD part does not compensate for the lower bandwidth in most compute-heavy scenarios.

For users who need maximum compute throughput, the RTX A1000 is the clear choice from the recorded data. Its shading units number 2304 versus 512, its TMUs total 72 versus 32, and its ROPs reach 32 versus 16. The RTX A1000 also includes 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU lists 8 RT cores and no tensor cores. These architectural advantages translate directly into the benchmark performance that the database records.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A1000 has an average benchmark score of 34207 across three tests. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no recorded benchmark scores in the database.

Q: How does the RTX A1000 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX A1000’s average score of 34207 is 0.2% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (34154) and the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT (34133), 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA TITAN V (34355), and 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 480 (33997).

Q: What is the memory configuration of each GPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The NVIDIA RTX A1000 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A1000 has 2304 shading units, while the AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 512 shading units.

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these GPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU has a TDP of 15 W. The NVIDIA RTX A1000 has a TDP of 50 W.

Q: Which GPU supports tensor cores?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A1000 includes 72 tensor cores. The AMD Ryzen Z2 A GPU does not list any tensor cores.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every measured specification. The RTX A1000 uses an 8 nm process from Samsung, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses a 7 nm process from TSMC. Transistor counts diverge sharply: the RTX A1000 packs 8,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, giving a density of 43.5M per mm². The Ryzen Z2 A GPU contains 2,400 million transistors on a 163 mm² die, with a density of 14.7M per mm².

Clock speeds favor the AMD part in base frequency: 1000 MHz versus 727 MHz. The boost clocks are closer, with the RTX A1000 at 1462 MHz and the Ryzen Z2 A GPU at 1600 MHz. Memory clocks differ substantially, as the RTX A1000 runs at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU runs at 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective).

The RTX A1000 has a single-slot form factor with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W. It uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface and offers four mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no listed slot width, power connectors, suggested PSU, or bus interface, and provides a single USB Type-C display output. Physical dimensions are only recorded for the RTX A1000: 163 mm in length and 69 mm in height.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

Architecture Differences

The architectural split is fundamental. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU uses AMD’s RDNA 2.0 architecture on the Van Gogh chip, classified as a Console GPU. The RTX A1000 uses NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture on the GA107 chip, classified as a Workstation Ampere part. These different lineages explain most of the performance gap.

RDNA 2.0 emphasizes efficiency and delivers FP16 at a 2:1 ratio relative to FP32, meaning half-precision throughput is double the single-precision rate. Ampere, by contrast, provides FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, matching FP32 throughput exactly. The RTX A1000’s FP16 value of 6.737 TFLOPS is identical to its FP32 figure, while the Ryzen Z2 A GPU’s FP16 of 3.277 TFLOPS doubles its FP32 of 1.638 TFLOPS.

Ray tracing hardware exists on both, but with different counts: the RTX A1000 has 18 RT cores, the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has 8. Tensor cores appear only on the RTX A1000, with 72 units available. These tensor cores enable AI-accelerated workloads that the Ryzen Z2 A GPU cannot handle through dedicated hardware.

The RTX A1000’s predecessor is listed as Quadro Turing, and its successor as Workstation Ada. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no predecessor or successor in the database. Both parts are marked as Active in production status, with the Ryzen Z2 A GPU released on 2024-12-31 and the RTX A1000 on 2024-04-15.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX A1000 wins in every raw compute category recorded. Its FP32 throughput is 4.1 times higher, its texture rate is more than double, and its pixel rate is nearly double. The 18 RT cores and 72 tensor cores give it capabilities that the Ryzen Z2 A GPU lacks entirely. For workstation tasks such as 3D rendering, scientific computing, or AI inference, the RTX A1000’s benchmark scores and specification sheet point decisively in its favor.

The Ryzen Z2 A GPU wins on memory capacity, offering 16 GB versus 8 GB. This larger pool could benefit workloads that require holding large datasets in local memory, though the lower bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s limits how quickly that data can be accessed. Its 15 W TDP also makes it suitable for power-constrained environments, although the RTX A1000’s 50 W TDP is already low by discrete GPU standards.

The Ryzen Z2 A GPU’s single USB Type-C output suggests a compact, integrated design, while the RTX A1000’s four mini-DisplayPort outputs support multi-monitor professional setups. The RTX A1000’s PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides a modern connection pathway, whereas the Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no listed bus interface.

For gaming, the RTX A1000’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 969, combined with its higher shading unit count, points to better performance in DirectX 12 titles. The Ryzen Z2 A GPU has no gaming benchmarks, so its capabilities in that area remain unquantified by the database. Users prioritizing compute density, multi-display output, or AI features should select the RTX A1000. Users requiring twice the memory capacity in a lower-power package might consider the Ryzen Z2 A GPU, but they must accept substantially lower throughput across all measured metrics.