AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 Comparison

AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 occupy opposite ends of the graphics hardware spectrum. The Ryzen Z2 GPU, an integrated-class part from AMD's Hawk Point chip, targets power-conscious console-style usage, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 is a discrete, dual-slot desktop card built on Ada Lovelace. The recorded data shows a dramatic performance gap, but the Ryzen Z2 GPU holds distinct advantages in power draw, memory capacity, and physical footprint that matter for specific use cases. This analysis relies solely on the available specifications and benchmark results.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains one direct benchmark score for the RTX 4070 GDDR6, the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where it records 4334.5 points. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has no recorded benchmark entries, so comparative scoring relies on the RTX 4070 GDDR6's nearest rivals to contextualize its performance tier. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 ranks in the 25th percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU sits at the 50th percentile. This percentile gap indicates that the RTX 4070 GDDR6 outperforms a majority of recorded graphics hardware, whereas the Ryzen Z2 GPU's position suggests mid-pack standing, though without a benchmark score its exact placement remains undefined.

Against its nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 GDDR6 trades closely with several older cards. It trails the Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 by 0.6% (4360 vs 4334.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce 930M by 1.2% (4388 vs 4334.5). Conversely, it leads the AMD FirePro W2100 by 0.9% (4295 vs 4334.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M by 1.2% (4282 vs 4334.5). These deltas, all under 1.5%, suggest the RTX 4070 GDDR6's Steel Nomad result sits in a tightly clustered performance band among these legacy parts, which is unusual for a modern card and likely reflects the test's specific workload characteristics.

The compute throughput numbers paint a clearer picture. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 delivers 29.15 TFLOPS FP32, which is 3.5 times the Ryzen Z2 GPU's 8.294 TFLOPS. Both parts maintain a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio, so the same multiplier applies across both precision formats. Texture and pixel rates follow suit: the RTX 4070 GDDR6 achieves 455.4 GTexel/s versus 129.6 GTexel/s for the Ryzen Z2 GPU, and 158.4 GPixel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also carries 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has only 12 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores listed.

Memory bandwidth heavily favors the RTX 4070 GDDR6, with 480.0 GB/s compared to the Ryzen Z2 GPU's 119.9 GB/s, a fourfold difference. However, the Ryzen Z2 GPU offers 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory versus the RTX 4070 GDDR6's 12 GB of GDDR6, giving AMD's part a 4 GB capacity advantage despite the narrower 128-bit bus versus the 192-bit bus on the NVIDIA card.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more memory capacity?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory. The Ryzen Z2 GPU leads by 4 GB in capacity.

Q: What is the power draw difference between the two cards?

A: The Ryzen Z2 GPU has a TDP of 28 W, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 has a TDP of 200 W. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 consumes over seven times the power and requires a 550 W suggested PSU with a single 16-pin connector, whereas the Ryzen Z2 GPU uses no power connectors.

Q: How do the FP32 performance figures compare?

A: The RTX 4070 GDDR6 delivers 29.15 TFLOPS FP32, which is 3.5 times the Ryzen Z2 GPU's 8.294 TFLOPS. Both parts maintain a 1:1 FP16 to FP32 ratio.

Q: What are the production statuses of these GPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU is listed as Active in production, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 is marked End-of-life. The RTX 4070 GDDR6's predecessor is the GeForce 30 series and its successor is the GeForce 50 series.

Q: Which GPU has better memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 480.0 GB/s bandwidth, four times the Ryzen Z2 GPU's 119.9 GB/s. The NVIDIA card uses a 192-bit bus with 20 Gbps effective memory speed, while the AMD part uses a 128-bit bus at 7.5 Gbps effective.

Q: What are the physical dimensions of the RTX 4070 GDDR6?

A: The RTX 4070 GDDR6 measures 240 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, with a dual-slot form factor. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has no listed dimensions or slot width.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4070 GDDR6 wins decisively in raw compute performance. Its 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 output, 455.4 GTexel/s texture rate, and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate position it as a high-throughput part for demanding rendering tasks. The 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores provide dedicated hardware for ray-traced workloads and AI-accelerated features, which the Ryzen Z2 GPU lacks in tensor core form. The 480.0 GB/s memory bandwidth supports high-resolution textures and large data sets without bottlenecking the GPU's compute units.

The Ryzen Z2 GPU wins in power efficiency and portability. Its 28 W TDP is dramatically lower than the RTX 4070 GDDR6's 200 W, and it requires no power connectors, making it suitable for compact or battery-powered systems. The 16 GB memory capacity tops the RTX 4070 GDDR6 by 4 GB, which can benefit workloads that prioritize frame buffer size over bandwidth, such as certain compute or large-model tasks. The Ryzen Z2 GPU also uses a smaller die (178 mm² versus 294 mm²) and fewer transistors (25,390 million versus 35,800 million), contributing to its lower power profile.

For display connectivity, the Ryzen Z2 GPU offers a single USB Type-C output, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 provides one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The RTX 4070 GDDR6's multiple outputs support multi-monitor setups, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU's single output limits it to one display. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 bus interface, whereas the Ryzen Z2 GPU has no listed bus interface, indicating an integrated or proprietary connection.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification field. The process node differs: the Ryzen Z2 GPU uses TSMC's 4 nm process, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 uses TSMC's 5 nm process. Transistor counts vary significantly, with the RTX 4070 GDDR6 at 35,800 million versus 25,390 million for the Ryzen Z2 GPU. Die size also differs, with the RTX 4070 GDDR6 at 294 mm² and the Ryzen Z2 GPU at 178 mm². Transistor density favors the Ryzen Z2 GPU at 142.6M per mm² versus 121.8M per mm² for the NVIDIA part.

Clock speeds show different profiles. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2700 MHz, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The AMD part has a higher boost clock despite a much lower base clock. Memory clocks also differ: the Ryzen Z2 GPU runs at 937 MHz (7.5 Gbps effective), while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 runs at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective).

Shader resources are far apart. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 has 5888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Ray tracing cores number 46 on the RTX 4070 GDDR6 versus 12 on the Ryzen Z2 GPU, and the NVIDIA card adds 184 tensor cores that the AMD part does not list.

Power and physical attributes diverge sharply. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 is dual-slot with dimensions of 240 mm by 110 mm by 40 mm, uses a single 16-pin power connector, and requires a 550 W suggested PSU. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has no slot width, no dimensions, and no power connectors. Display outputs differ, with the RTX 4070 GDDR6 offering one HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports versus a single USB Type-C on the Ryzen Z2 GPU.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and uses the Hawk Point chip, which is part of the Console GPU generation. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GDDR6 uses the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD104 chip and belongs to the GeForce 40 series. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility is identical.

The memory architectures reflect different design priorities. The Ryzen Z2 GPU uses LPDDR5X memory with a 128-bit bus, which is a low-power, high-capacity configuration suited for integrated or power-constrained designs. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 uses GDDR6 memory with a 192-bit bus, prioritizing bandwidth over capacity. This aligns with their respective TDPs: 28 W for the AMD part versus 200 W for the NVIDIA card.

The RTX 4070 GDDR6 integrates tensor cores, which are absent from the Ryzen Z2 GPU's specification list. These tensor cores enable AI-accelerated features that the AMD part cannot match. The RTX 4070 GDDR6 also has nearly four times the ray tracing cores (46 versus 12), giving it a substantial advantage in ray-traced workloads. The Ryzen Z2 GPU's higher boost clock (2700 MHz versus 2475 MHz) partially offsets its lower shader count, but the sheer difference in shading units (768 versus 5888) makes the clock adjustment insufficient to close the compute gap.

The production lifecycle differs as well. The Ryzen Z2 GPU is Active with a release date of 2024-12-31, while the RTX 4070 GDDR6 is End-of-life with a release date of 2024-08-19 and a launch MSRP of 599 USD. The RTX 4070 GDDR6's predecessor is the GeForce 30 series and its successor is the GeForce 50 series, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU lists no predecessor or successor. The RTX 4070 GDDR6's end-of-life status contrasts with the Ryzen Z2 GPU's ongoing production, suggesting different market positioning despite the performance gulf between them.