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

FAQ

Q: What are the core specifications of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU and the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU uses the Rembrandt+ chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 6 nm process, featuring 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 12 RT cores. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture on a 5 nm process, featuring 5120 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 160 tensor cores.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ between the two GPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA part delivers significantly higher memory bandwidth despite having less capacity.

Q: What are the power requirements for each GPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has a TDP of 28 W and requires no power connectors. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation has a TDP of 100 W, also requires no power connectors, but has a suggested PSU rating of 300 W.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation has a pixel rate of 144.0 GPixel/s, which is substantially higher than the 86.40 GPixel/s of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU. This indicates a 66.7% advantage for the NVIDIA part in pixel throughput.

Q: What is the difference in FP32 compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation delivers 23.04 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU delivers 4.147 TFLOPS. This represents a 5.6x advantage for the NVIDIA part in raw single-precision floating-point performance.

Q: What are the display output capabilities of each GPU?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU provides one USB Type-C display output. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation has no display outputs, indicating it is designed for compute or rendering workloads where display output is handled separately.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different architectural approaches. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU is built on the Rembrandt+ chip using RDNA 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 6 nm process at TSMC. It packs 13,100 million transistors into a 208 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 63.0 million transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation uses the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, also from TSMC but on a more advanced 5 nm process. This part contains 35,800 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 121.8 million transistors per square millimeter, nearly double that of the AMD part.

The AMD GPU belongs to the Console GPU generation and carries 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. Ray tracing is handled by 12 dedicated RT cores. The NVIDIA GPU, classified under the Ada-MW generation and the GeForce 30-series, features 5120 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. It also includes 40 RT cores and 160 tensor cores, which the AMD part lacks entirely. Tensor cores enable accelerated AI and deep learning workloads, a capability the AMD GPU does not offer.

Clock behavior also differs notably. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2700 MHz, while the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation has a much higher base clock of 1725 MHz but a lower boost clock of 2250 MHz. The AMD part's boost clock exceeds its base by a wide margin, indicating a design tuned for variable workloads with aggressive boosting. The NVIDIA part runs closer to its maximum clock at all times.

Memory architecture diverges as well. The AMD GPU uses 16 GB of LPDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, while the NVIDIA GPU uses 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The NVIDIA memory clock runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective data rate, versus 800 MHz with 6.4 Gbps effective for the AMD part. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

The NVIDIA GPU connects via PCIe 4.0 x16 and has an IGP slot width, while the AMD part lists no bus interface and no slot width data. The NVIDIA predecessor is Ampere-MW with successor Blackwell-MW, while the AMD part has no listed predecessor or successor. The AMD release date is 2024-12-31, and the NVIDIA release date is 2023-03-20, meaning the AMD part launched later.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows no direct head-to-head benchmark entries, but specification-derived metrics provide a clear performance picture. The most striking difference appears in FP32 compute. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation delivers 23.04 TFLOPS, which is 5.6 times the 4.147 TFLOPS of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU. This is a massive gap in raw shader throughput, indicating that the NVIDIA part is in a completely different performance class for general compute tasks.

Texture throughput follows a similar pattern. The NVIDIA GPU achieves 360.0 GTexel/s, while the AMD GPU reaches 129.6 GTexel/s. The NVIDIA part is 2.8 times faster in texture fill rate, driven by its higher TMU count (160 versus 48) and higher clock speeds. Pixel rate shows a 66.7% advantage for NVIDIA at 144.0 GPixel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s, a smaller but still significant margin.

Memory bandwidth is where the NVIDIA part demonstrates its clearest advantage in absolute terms. The 432.0 GB/s bandwidth of the RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation is 4.2 times the 102.4 GB/s of the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU. This difference directly impacts data-heavy workloads like high-resolution textures, large scene geometry, and compute kernels that stream data through memory.

The AMD part does hold advantages in specific areas. It has 16 GB of memory versus 12 GB for NVIDIA, a 33% capacity advantage that matters for workloads requiring large working sets that fit in VRAM. The AMD GPU also has a higher boost clock of 2700 MHz versus 2250 MHz for NVIDIA, although the NVIDIA base clock is far higher at 1725 MHz versus 800 MHz. The AMD part also has a significantly lower TDP at 28 W versus 100 W, representing a 3.6x efficiency gap in favor of AMD when considering power draw per unit of performance.

FP16 performance shows the architectural difference in precision handling. The AMD GPU achieves 8.294 TFLOPS at FP16 with a 2:1 ratio relative to FP32, meaning it uses the same hardware with reduced precision. The NVIDIA GPU achieves 23.04 TFLOPS at FP16 with a 1:1 ratio, meaning it has dedicated or equal-throughput FP16 execution. For AI inference or mixed-precision workloads, the NVIDIA part is both faster in absolute terms and more efficient in its FP16 implementation.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU | NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | Ada Lovelace |

| Process node | 6 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistor count | 13,100 million | 35,800 million |

| Die size | 208 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Transistor density | 63.0M / mm² | 121.8M / mm² |

| Base clock | 800 MHz | 1725 MHz |

| Boost clock | 2700 MHz | 2250 MHz |

| Memory size | 16 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory type | LPDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory bus width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 102.4 GB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 768 | 5120 |

| TMUs | 48 | 160 |

| ROPs | 32 | 64 |

| RT cores | 12 | 40 |

| Tensor cores | None | 160 |

| Pixel rate | 86.40 GPixel/s | 144.0 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 129.6 GTexel/s | 360.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 performance | 4.147 TFLOPS | 23.04 TFLOPS |

| FP16 performance | 8.294 TFLOPS (2:1) | 23.04 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 28 W | 100 W |

| Bus interface | Not listed | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | 1x USB Type-C | No outputs |

| Release date | 2024-12-31 | 2023-03-20 |

| Predecessor | None | Ampere-MW |

| Successor | None | Blackwell-MW |

The Verdict

The data shows a clear performance hierarchy. The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation dominates in nearly every raw performance metric: FP32 compute is 5.6x higher, texture rate is 2.8x higher, pixel rate is 66.7% higher, and memory bandwidth is 4.2x higher. The NVIDIA part also carries tensor cores, which the AMD GPU lacks entirely, making it the only one of the two suited for AI-accelerated workloads.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU wins on power efficiency and memory capacity. Its 28 W TDP versus 100 W for NVIDIA means it draws 72% less power, and its 16 GB memory versus 12 GB provides 33% more capacity. The AMD part also has a higher boost clock, though its base clock is much lower.

For workloads that prioritize raw throughput, high memory bandwidth, or tensor core acceleration, the NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation is the superior choice based on the recorded specifications. For workloads that prioritize low power draw, larger memory capacity, or a compact embedded form factor without display outputs, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU holds the advantage.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA RTX 3500 Embedded Ada Generation wins in scenarios that demand maximum compute throughput. Its 23.04 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS of FP16 performance make it suitable for heavy rendering, simulation, and data-parallel compute. The 160 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for AI inference and training workloads that the AMD part cannot handle. The 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports data-intensive workloads with large texture sets or complex scene geometry. The 144.0 GPixel/s pixel rate and 360.0 GTexel/s texture rate indicate strong rasterization and texturing capabilities.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Go GPU wins in scenarios where power draw is a limiting factor. Its 28 W TDP allows deployment in thermally constrained environments, and its 16 GB memory capacity supports workloads with large working sets that fit entirely in VRAM. The single USB Type-C display output provides a direct display path, which the NVIDIA part lacks. The higher boost clock of 2700 MHz suggests responsive performance for bursty workloads. The lower transistor count and smaller die size also indicate a simpler, more power-efficient design for embedded applications where sustained performance at low power is the priority.

The release dates also differentiate the two. The AMD part launched on 2024-12-31, while the NVIDIA part launched on 2023-03-20, meaning the AMD GPU is the newer introduction. The NVIDIA part has a defined successor in Blackwell-MW, while the AMD part has no successor listed, suggesting it may be a terminal design in its lineage.