AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU vs NVIDIA RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits these two mobile GPUs into clearly different performance classes. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 6 nm process, delivers 4.147 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 8.294 TFLOPS of FP16 compute. The NVIDIA RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation, using the Ada Lovelace architecture on a 5 nm process, delivers 15.62 TFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 at a 1:1 ratio. That is a 3.77x advantage in FP32 throughput for the NVIDIA part, and a 1.88x advantage in FP16 throughput.

The AMD part wins in efficiency per watt. Its thermal design power is 28 W, while the NVIDIA part draws 115 W. The AMD chip produces 0.148 TFLOPS per watt of FP32, the NVIDIA chip produces 0.136 TFLOPS per watt. The AMD GPU also has a higher pixel fill rate at 86.40 GPixel/s versus 81.36 GPixel/s, despite having fewer ROPs (32 versus 48). That pixel rate advantage comes from the higher boost clock of 2700 MHz versus 1695 MHz.

The NVIDIA part wins on memory bandwidth. Its GDDR6 memory runs at 16 Gbps effective across a 128-bit bus, yielding 256.0 GB/s. The AMD part uses LPDDR5 at 6.4 Gbps effective on the same 128-bit bus, yielding 102.4 GB/s. The NVIDIA memory subsystem provides 2.5x the bandwidth. The NVIDIA part also has far more raw resources: 4608 shading units versus 768, 144 texture mapping units versus 48, 36 ray tracing cores versus 12, and 144 tensor cores versus none on the AMD side.

The AMD GPU wins on transistor efficiency in the pixel pipeline, but the NVIDIA chip wins on transistor density overall. TSMC fabricates both at their respective nodes. The AMD die measures 208 mm² with 13,100 million transistors, a density of 63.0M per mm². The NVIDIA die measures 188 mm² with 22,900 million transistors, a density of 121.8M per mm². The NVIDIA chip packs 1.93x more transistors per square millimeter.

The AMD part has a larger memory capacity at 16 GB versus 8 GB. That doubles the frame buffer, which matters for texture-heavy workloads and larger data sets. The AMD part also uses a single USB Type-C display output, while the NVIDIA part is marked "Portable Device Dependent" for display outputs, meaning its video output configuration depends on the host laptop design.

The Verdict

The data indicates two distinct use cases. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU suits low-power portable consoles and handheld devices where the 28 W envelope is the binding constraint. Its 16 GB memory capacity and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth support modern game assets, and its 4.147 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is adequate for 1080p-class rendering at reduced settings.

The NVIDIA RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation suits larger laptops with adequate cooling and power delivery. Its 115 W TDP and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, combined with 15.62 TFLOPS FP32, provide roughly 3.8x the compute throughput of the AMD part. The NVIDIA GPU also includes 144 tensor cores and 36 ray tracing cores, enabling hardware-accelerated DLSS and ray-traced effects that the AMD part cannot match.

The percentile data places both at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, indicating they sit near the median of the database's tracked graphics processors. That is a broad classification, not a head-to-head ranking. The nearest rivals list is empty for both, so no direct competitive deltas are recorded.

For a handheld or fanless design, the AMD part is the logical choice: it delivers 86.40 GPixel/s and 129.6 GTexel/s within a 28 W budget. For a performance laptop with a discrete GPU socket, the NVIDIA part dominates: 244.1 GTexel/s texture throughput is 1.88x higher, and the FP32 delta is decisive. The NVIDIA part also has the predecessor "Ampere-MW" and successor "Blackwell-MW" recorded, confirming it is a mid-generation refresh in an active product line.

The AMD part's release date is 2024-12-31, roughly 21 months after the NVIDIA part's 2023-03-20 release. Both remain in active production.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark array is empty, so no direct benchmark scores exist in the database for these two GPUs against each other. The analysis must rely on the architectural specifications and derived throughput figures.

The largest win for the NVIDIA part is FP32 compute. The RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation delivers 15.62 TFLOPS versus 4.147 TFLOPS for the AMD part. That is a 3.77x advantage, meaning the NVIDIA GPU can process roughly four times as many floating-point operations per second. In FP16, the NVIDIA part maintains 15.62 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio, while the AMD part reaches 8.294 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio. The NVIDIA advantage narrows to 1.88x in FP16, but it still leads.

Texture throughput favors NVIDIA by a similar margin. The NVIDIA part achieves 244.1 GTexel/s versus 129.6 GTexel/s for AMD, a 1.88x advantage. That delta comes from the NVIDIA part's 144 TMUs versus 48, combined with its 1695 MHz boost clock versus 2700 MHz. The AMD part's higher clock rate compensates for its lower TMU count, but not enough to close the gap.

Pixel fill rate is the closest contest. The AMD part achieves 86.40 GPixel/s, the NVIDIA part achieves 81.36 GPixel/s. The AMD part wins by 6.2%. That is notable because the NVIDIA part has 48 ROPs versus 32, a 50% ROP advantage. The AMD part's 2700 MHz boost clock, which is 59% higher than the NVIDIA part's 1695 MHz, flips the pixel rate in AMD's favor.

Memory bandwidth strongly favors NVIDIA. The GDDR6 implementation yields 256.0 GB/s, which is 2.5x the AMD part's 102.4 GB/s from LPDDR5. That bandwidth differential is critical for high-resolution textures and compute workloads that stream data. The AMD part's 16 GB capacity partially offsets the bandwidth disadvantage for capacity-bound scenarios, but throughput-bound scenarios favor NVIDIA.

Ray tracing and tensor throughput are exclusive to the NVIDIA part. The RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation includes 36 ray tracing cores and 144 tensor cores. The AMD part has 12 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The NVIDIA part supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI-based upscaling through its tensor cores; the AMD part has no equivalent tensor hardware.

The transistor and die measurements also favor NVIDIA. The NVIDIA chip uses 22,900 million transistors on a 188 mm² die, yielding 121.8M transistors per mm². The AMD chip uses 13,100 million transistors on a 208 mm² die, yielding 63.0M per mm². The NVIDIA die is smaller by 20 mm², yet contains 74.8% more transistors. This reflects the more advanced 5 nm process versus 6 nm, and the denser Ada Lovelace architecture.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation delivers 15.62 TFLOPS of FP32, which is 3.77x higher than the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU's 4.147 TFLOPS.

Q: Which GPU consumes less power?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has a TDP of 28 W, while the NVIDIA RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation has a TDP of 115 W. The AMD part uses 24.3% of the NVIDIA part's power budget.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The AMD part has 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA part has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA part has 2.5x higher bandwidth, while the AMD part has 2x more capacity.

Q: Does the AMD GPU support hardware ray tracing?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU includes 12 ray tracing cores under the RDNA 2.0 architecture. However, the NVIDIA part includes 36 ray tracing cores, three times as many.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The AMD part is fabricated on a 6 nm TSMC process, and the NVIDIA part is fabricated on a 5 nm TSMC process. The NVIDIA chip has a higher transistor density at 121.8M per mm² versus 63.0M per mm² for AMD.

Q: Which GPU has tensor cores?

A: Only the NVIDIA RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation has tensor cores, with 144 of them. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has no tensor cores in its specification.

Architecture Differences

The architecture split is fundamental. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture, which is the same graphics instruction set family used in console-class GPUs. The chip is codenamed "Rembrandt+" and is classified under "Console GPU (AMD)" generation. It is built on a 6 nm TSMC process with 13,100 million transistors across a 208 mm² die. The transistor density is 63.0M per mm².

The NVIDIA RTX 3000 Mobile Ada Generation uses the Ada Lovelace architecture, specifically the AD106 chip. It belongs to the "Ada-MW" generation and the GeForce 30-series family. The die is 188 mm² with 22,900 million transistors on a 5 nm TSMC process, giving a density of 121.8M per mm². The NVIDIA part has a recorded predecessor, "Ampere-MW," and a successor, "Blackwell-MW," indicating an established product lineage.

Core counts diverge sharply. The AMD part has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 ray tracing cores. The NVIDIA part has 4608 shading units, 144 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 36 ray tracing cores, and 144 tensor cores. The NVIDIA part has 6x the shading units, 3x the TMUs, 1.5x the ROPs, and 3x the ray tracing cores. The tensor cores exist only on the NVIDIA side.

Clock behavior differs by design. The AMD part runs at a base clock of 800 MHz and boosts to 2700 MHz, a 3.375x boost ratio. The NVIDIA part runs at 1395 MHz base and 1695 MHz boost, a 1.215x boost ratio. The AMD part relies on aggressive boosting to reach its throughput targets, while the NVIDIA part runs closer to its base clock.

Memory architecture is also distinct. The AMD part uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 at 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective data rate, yielding 102.4 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA part uses 8 GB of GDDR6 at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective data rate, yielding 256.0 GB/s over the same 128-bit bus. The memory type difference explains the bandwidth gap: GDDR6 transfers data at 2.5x the rate per pin.

Power delivery and interface differ. The AMD part has no power connectors and no recorded bus interface; the NVIDIA part also has no power connectors but uses PCIe 4.0 x16 as its bus interface. The NVIDIA part is classified as "IGP" for slot width, meaning it is designed as an integrated graphics processor in a mobile package, despite its 115 W TDP. The AMD part has no slot width recorded.

Display output differs. The AMD part specifies a single USB Type-C output. The NVIDIA part specifies "Portable Device Dependent," meaning the display outputs are determined by the laptop manufacturer's design rather than fixed by the GPU itself.

API support is identical: both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Both are listed as active in production status. The AMD part released on 2024-12-31, and the NVIDIA part released on 2023-03-20. Neither has a recorded launch MSRP in the database.