AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains no direct head-to-head benchmark results between the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q. Both products sit at the 50th percentile when measured against the broader GPU database, and neither carries an average benchmark score in the current records. Without matching test runs, the comparison shifts to the specification sheet and the architectural differences that define each part.

The largest measurable advantage for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q is raw compute throughput. The RTX 4050 Max-Q delivers 8.218 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is nearly double the 4.147 TFLOPS produced by the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU. That gap is substantial for any workload that scales with shader count. The RTX 4050 Max-Q uses 2,560 shading units, while the AMD part uses 768. The NVIDIA GPU also has 80 texture mapping units versus 48 on the AMD side, and 48 ROPs versus 32. Pixel fill rate favors the AMD part slightly at 86.40 GPixel/s against 77.04 GPixel/s for the NVIDIA GPU, but texture fill rate is nearly identical: 129.6 GTexel/s for AMD and 128.4 GTexel/s for NVIDIA.

Memory bandwidth is another decisive split. The RTX 4050 Max-Q reaches 192.0 GB/s over a 96-bit bus using GDDR6 memory at 16 Gbps effective. The Ryzen Z2 Go GPU uses LPDDR5 at 6.4 Gbps effective across a 128-bit bus, producing 102.4 GB/s. The NVIDIA GPU holds a 1.875x bandwidth advantage. This matters for texture-heavy scenes, high-resolution rendering, and any data movement that saturates memory. The AMD part counters with a larger memory pool: 16 GB versus 6 GB, which benefits capacity-sensitive workloads such as large asset loading or multitasking within a single session.

Ray tracing hardware differs in count and generation. The RTX 4050 Max-Q carries 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores, while the Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has 12 RT cores and no tensor core entry in the database. FP16 throughput also diverges: the AMD GPU delivers 8.294 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio relative to FP32, while the NVIDIA GPU delivers 8.218 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. The AMD part can exceed its FP32 rate in half-precision tasks, but the NVIDIA GPU maintains consistent throughput across precision modes.

Clock behavior sets the two apart as well. The AMD GPU runs a base clock of 800 MHz and boosts to 2700 MHz. The NVIDIA GPU runs a base clock of 1140 MHz and boosts to 1605 MHz. The AMD part relies on a much higher boost ceiling to reach its performance levels, while the NVIDIA GPU operates from a higher floor. Power draw differs, with the AMD part rated at 28 W and the NVIDIA part at 35 W. Both use no external power connectors, which indicates they are designed for integrated or low-power mobile implementations.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q delivers 8.218 TFLOPS of FP32, which is roughly 1.98x the 4.147 TFLOPS of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU.

Q: How much memory does each GPU offer?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: Which GPU provides higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q provides 192.0 GB/s over a 96-bit bus, compared to 102.4 GB/s over a 128-bit bus for the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU.

Q: What are the power ratings of these two GPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU is rated at 28 W, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q is rated at 35 W. Neither requires external power connectors.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same DirectX and Vulkan versions?

A: Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing cores?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q has 20 RT cores, while the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has 12 RT cores. The NVIDIA GPU also includes 80 tensor cores, a feature not listed for the AMD part.

The Verdict

The data points to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q as the stronger performer in compute-heavy and bandwidth-sensitive workloads. Its FP32 output is nearly double the AMD part, its memory bandwidth is 87.5% higher, and it carries more shading units, TMUs, ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores. For gaming at typical laptop resolutions, ray tracing, and applications that lean on CUDA-style tensor acceleration, the NVIDIA GPU has the clear edge.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU wins on memory capacity and power efficiency. Its 16 GB frame buffer is more than double the 6 GB on the NVIDIA part, which matters for workloads that exceed 6 GB of working set. Its 28 W TDP is 7 W lower than the NVIDIA GPU, and its pixel fill rate is slightly higher at 86.40 GPixel/s versus 77.04 GPixel/s. The AMD part also boosts to a much higher clock, 2700 MHz versus 1605 MHz, and uses a larger 128-bit memory bus.

For users who prioritize raw performance and modern feature sets such as tensor cores, the RTX 4050 Max-Q is the better pick. For users who need a larger memory pool or lower power draw, the Ryzen Z2 Go GPU is the more suitable option. Both cards sit at the same 50th percentile in the all-GPU database, which suggests they are positioned in the same performance tier overall, but the distribution of strengths is heavily skewed toward NVIDIA in compute and toward AMD in capacity and efficiency.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU uses a 6 nm process node from TSMC, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q uses a 5 nm node, also from TSMC. Transistor counts differ as well: the AMD part packs 13,100 million transistors on a 208 mm² die, while the NVIDIA part contains 18,900 million transistors on a smaller 159 mm² die. Transistor density reflects this, with the NVIDIA GPU at 118.9M per mm² versus 63.0M per mm² for AMD.

Memory configuration is a major differentiator. The AMD GPU uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA GPU uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 96-bit bus with 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. Clock speeds also diverge: AMD lists an 800 MHz base and 2700 MHz boost, while NVIDIA lists a 1140 MHz base and 1605 MHz boost. Memory clocks are listed at 800 MHz (6.4 Gbps effective) for AMD and 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) for NVIDIA.

Core counts favor NVIDIA heavily. Shading units are 2,560 versus 768. TMUs are 80 versus 48. ROPs are 48 versus 32. RT cores are 20 versus 12. Tensor cores are 80 on the NVIDIA part, with no tensor core count listed for AMD. Pixel rate favors AMD at 86.40 GPixel/s versus 77.04 GPixel/s, while texture rate is nearly even at 129.6 GTexel/s versus 128.4 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 8.218 TFLOPS for NVIDIA and 4.147 TFLOPS for AMD. FP16 performance is 8.218 TFLOPS (1:1) for NVIDIA and 8.294 TFLOPS (2:1) for AMD.

Power and physical characteristics differ. The AMD part is rated at 28 W, and the NVIDIA part at 35 W. Neither uses external power connectors. The NVIDIA GPU is classified as an IGP with a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, while the AMD part has no listed bus interface and uses a single USB Type-C display output. The NVIDIA display output is listed as portable device dependent. The NVIDIA GPU belongs to the GeForce 40-series and uses the AD107 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture. The AMD part uses the Rembrandt+ chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture and is classified as a Console GPU. The NVIDIA GPU has a predecessor in GeForce 30 Mobile and a successor in GeForce 50 Mobile; the AMD part has no predecessor or successor listed.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU is built on RDNA 2.0, AMD's second-generation RDNA architecture, implemented on the Rembrandt+ chip. It uses a 6 nm TSMC process and a 208 mm² die with 13,100 million transistors. The architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The AMD part has 12 RT cores for hardware ray tracing but no tensor core equivalent in the database. Its FP16 throughput runs at a 2:1 ratio, meaning half-precision operations execute at roughly double the FP32 rate.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q is built on Ada Lovelace, NVIDIA's latest consumer architecture, using the AD107 chip. It is manufactured on a 5 nm TSMC process with an 18,900 million transistor count on a 159 mm² die. The architecture includes 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores, providing dedicated hardware for ray tracing and AI-accelerated workloads. FP16 throughput runs at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, so there is no half-precision boost. The NVIDIA GPU also uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 bus interface, while the AMD part has no bus interface listed.

The memory subsystem reflects the architectural direction of each vendor. AMD pairs RDNA 2.0 with a 128-bit LPDDR5 interface and 16 GB capacity, prioritizing capacity and low power. NVIDIA pairs Ada Lovelace with a 96-bit GDDR6 interface and 6 GB capacity, prioritizing bandwidth per pin and overall throughput. The result is a bandwidth advantage for NVIDIA (192.0 GB/s versus 102.4 GB/s) despite a narrower bus.

The transistor density gap is stark. The NVIDIA GPU achieves 118.9M transistors per mm², nearly double the 63.0M per mm² of the AMD GPU. This is consistent with the 5 nm node versus 6 nm node and the denser Ada Lovelace design. Despite the higher transistor count and smaller die, the NVIDIA part draws only 7 W more than the AMD part, which indicates a favorable performance-per-watt profile for Ada Lovelace in this mobile implementation.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Max-Q wins in every compute-heavy category. Its FP32 throughput of 8.218 TFLOPS is nearly double the AMD part, its memory bandwidth of 192.0 GB/s is 87.5% higher, and its core counts exceed the AMD GPU in shading units, TMUs, ROPs, RT cores, and tensor cores. Any workload that scales with raw shader throughput, ray tracing, or tensor operations will favor the NVIDIA GPU. The 80 tensor cores provide dedicated AI acceleration that the AMD part lacks entirely in the recorded data. The 1:1 FP16 ratio also means the NVIDIA GPU does not lose precision throughput when running half-precision tasks, whereas the AMD part only reaches 8.294 TFLOPS FP16 through a 2:1 conversion.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU wins on memory capacity, power efficiency, and pixel fill rate. Its 16 GB frame buffer is 10 GB larger than the NVIDIA GPU, which allows it to hold larger textures, more assets, or higher-resolution buffers without spilling. The 28 W TDP is 7 W lower than the NVIDIA part, which can translate to longer battery life or simpler thermal solutions in a thin chassis. The AMD part also has a higher pixel fill rate at 86.40 GPixel/s, which can benefit fill-limited scenarios such as lower-resolution rendering with heavy overdraw. Its 2700 MHz boost clock is substantially higher than the 1605 MHz boost on the NVIDIA GPU, and the 128-bit memory bus is wider, even though the effective bandwidth is lower due to the slower LPDDR5 memory.

For real-world use, the split is clear. The RTX 4050 Max-Q is the choice for gaming at higher settings, ray tracing, and any application that uses NVIDIA's tensor cores. The Ryzen Z2 Go GPU is the choice for large-memory workloads, power-constrained designs, and scenarios where a 28 W envelope is mandatory. The database shows both at the 50th percentile, so neither is an outlier in overall performance, but the strengths are distributed in opposite directions.