AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data presents a stark contrast between these two products. The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU has no benchmark entries in the database, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 has ten recorded scores across multiple test suites. Consequently, the RTX 5090 claims every measured win, with the Ryzen Z2 GPU holding zero wins in the head-to-head comparison. This is not a close contest in any measured category; it is a complete sweep by the NVIDIA part based on available measurements.

The RTX 5090 delivers its strongest relative performance in compute-oriented workloads. Its PassMark GPU Compute score of 26,756 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,370 indicate substantial throughput for general-purpose and compute-heavy tasks. The Geekbench Vulkan result of 376,728 further reinforces that the card handles modern graphics APIs with high efficiency. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 places it well ahead of typical GPU results, suggesting strong DirectX 12 gaming performance.

The Ryzen Z2 GPU, by contrast, has an average benchmark score of zero and a percentile ranking of 50 among all GPUs. The percentile value indicates it sits at the median of the database, but without actual benchmark data, its practical performance cannot be quantified from the recorded measurements. The absence of scores means no use-case wins can be attributed to this part in the database. Its 50th percentile placement appears to reflect its position in the product hierarchy rather than measured performance.

The RTX 5090's PassMark scores show a consistent pattern across DirectX versions. The DirectX 9 score of 395, DirectX 10 score of 226, DirectX 11 score of 341, and DirectX 12 score of 185 demonstrate that older API workloads perform differently than newer ones. Notably, the DirectX 9 score is the highest among the DirectX tests, while DirectX 12 shows the lowest. This suggests the card's architecture handles legacy rendering paths efficiently, though the newer API results remain respectable.

For 2D and general graphics tasks, the PassMark G2D score of 1,413 indicates solid desktop and 2D rendering capability. The G3D score of 39,650 represents the card's overall 3D graphics performance in that benchmark suite. These results, combined with the compute scores, paint a picture of a GPU that wins across every workload category where measurements exist.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs share a manufacturing relationship but differ fundamentally in design philosophy. Both use TSMC as the foundry, but the process nodes differ: the Ryzen Z2 GPU uses a 4 nm node while the RTX 5090 uses a 5 nm node. The transistor counts diverge dramatically, with the Ryzen Z2 GPU containing 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die, while the RTX 5090 packs 92,200 million transistors onto a 750 mm² die. The transistor density tells an interesting story: the Ryzen Z2 GPU achieves 142.6 million transistors per square millimeter, while the RTX 5090 has 122.9 million per square millimeter. The smaller node and denser packing give the AMD part a density advantage, but the NVIDIA chip's sheer size provides vastly more total resources.

The architectures themselves represent different generations and design targets. The Ryzen Z2 GPU uses RDNA 3.0 architecture under the Hawk Point chip, classified as a Console GPU generation. The RTX 5090 uses Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip, part of the GeForce 50 generation. These are different architectural families with different feature sets and performance characteristics.

Core counts show the scale of the difference. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 32 render output units, and 12 ray tracing cores. The RTX 5090 has 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 ray tracing cores, and 680 tensor cores. The NVIDIA card also includes tensor cores, which the AMD part lacks entirely. This gives the RTX 5090 dedicated hardware for AI and machine learning workloads that the Ryzen Z2 GPU cannot access.

Clock speeds follow an unexpected pattern. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2,700 MHz, while the RTX 5090 has a higher base of 2,017 MHz but a lower boost of 2,407 MHz. The AMD part's boost clock exceeds the NVIDIA card's boost clock, which reflects its lower-power design and different thermal envelope. The memory clocks also differ: the Ryzen Z2 GPU runs at 937 MHz with 7.5 Gbps effective, while the RTX 5090 runs at 1,750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective.

Memory configurations could hardly be more different. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5X on a 128-bit bus, delivering 119.9 GB/s of bandwidth. The RTX 5090 has 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card has twice the capacity and roughly 15 times the bandwidth. This directly impacts texture streaming, high-resolution rendering, and compute workloads that depend on memory throughput.

Power characteristics reflect the design targets. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has a TDP of 28 W and requires no power connectors, indicating a low-power integrated or compact solution. The RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575 W, uses a single 16-pin connector, and requires a 950 W suggested power supply. The physical dimensions also differ: the NVIDIA card measures 304 mm in length, 137 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, occupying dual slots, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has no recorded dimensions.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion: for anyone seeking maximum measured performance, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the only choice with recorded benchmarks. Its average benchmark score of 79,842 places it at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals show how close the competition sits. The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB trails by 0.3 percent, the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB trails by 0.6 percent, and the Radeon RX 6850M XT trails by 1.1 percent. The Radeon Pro Vega 64X leads by 1.4 percent, but the RTX 5090 remains within a narrow band of top-tier performers.

The Ryzen Z2 GPU, with its 50th percentile ranking and zero benchmark scores, cannot be evaluated on the same performance scale from the database. Its 28 W power envelope and lack of power connectors suggest a fundamentally different use case, likely for embedded, handheld, or low-power systems rather than desktop gaming or workstation tasks. The RTX 5090's 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested power supply indicate it targets high-end desktop systems with substantial cooling and power delivery.

The RTX 5090 leads by 12.6 times in FP32 throughput (104.8 TFLOPS versus 8.294 TFLOPS), by 14.9 times in texture rate (1,636.8 GTexel/s versus 129.6 GTexel/s), and by 4.9 times in pixel rate (423.6 GPixel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s). These ratios quantify the performance gap across fundamental rendering operations. The RTX 5090 also has 28.3 times more shading units, 14.2 times more TMUs, and 5.5 times more ROPs than the Ryzen Z2 GPU.

The production status of both parts is Active, and both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API compatibility does not differentiate them. The release dates show the Ryzen Z2 GPU launched on 2024-12-31, while the RTX 5090 launched on 2025-01-29, less than a month later. The RTX 5090 has a listed predecessor in the GeForce 40 series, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has no predecessor recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has better raw compute performance?

A: The RTX 5090 delivers 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU delivers 8.294 TFLOPS in both. The RTX 5090 also has recorded compute benchmarks, including a PassMark GPU Compute score of 26,756 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,370.

Q: How do the memory systems compare?

A: The Ryzen Z2 GPU uses 16 GB of LPDDR5X on a 128-bit bus with 119.9 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 5090 uses 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both GPUs support the same graphics APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RTX 5090 also has tensor cores for AI workloads, which the Ryzen Z2 GPU lacks.

Q: What are the power requirements for each?

A: The Ryzen Z2 GPU has a 28 W TDP and no power connectors. The RTX 5090 has a 575 W TDP, uses a 16-pin connector, and requires a 950 W suggested power supply.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 5090's average score of 79,842 is 0.3 percent ahead of the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, 0.6 percent ahead of the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB, and 1.1 percent ahead of the Radeon RX 6850M XT. The Radeon Pro Vega 64X leads by 1.4 percent.

Q: What is the RTX 5090's launch MSRP?

A: The launch MSRP is 1,999 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark list contains no entries, so direct same-test comparisons between the two GPUs are unavailable. However, the RTX 5090's ten recorded benchmark scores provide a performance profile, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has none. The largest wins for the RTX 5090 come from its compute and API-specific tests. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,728 is the highest single recorded result, followed by the Geekbench OpenCL score of 334,370. These represent the card's strongest measured outputs.

The PassMark suite shows a different ordering. The G3D score of 39,650 dominates the other PassMark results, while the compute score of 26,756 follows. Among the DirectX tests, DirectX 9 leads with 395, DirectX 11 follows with 341, DirectX 10 scores 226, and DirectX 12 trails at 185. The G2D score of 1,413 rounds out the set. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 18,355 provides a modern gaming-oriented measurement.

The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79,842 and its position 0.3 percent above the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB demonstrate that it competes at the top of the database. The 92nd percentile ranking confirms this, though the 1.4 percent gap to the Radeon Pro Vega 64X shows that leadership is not absolute. The Ryzen Z2 GPU's zero benchmark scores and zero wins in the head-to-head comparison leave it without any measured victories.

Specification Differences

The table below lists only the fields where the two GPUs differ. Shared specifications such as DirectX 12 Ultimate support, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4, production status, and TSMC foundry are excluded.

| Specification | AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 |

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

| Series | None | GeForce 50-series |

| Chip | Hawk Point | GB202 |

| Architecture | RDNA 3.0 | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Generation | Console GPU (AMD) | GeForce 50 |

| Process node | 4 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 25,390 million | 92,200 million |

| Die size | 178 mm² | 750 mm² |

| Transistor density | 142.6M / mm² | 122.9M / mm² |

| Base clock | 800 MHz | 2017 MHz |

| Boost clock | 2700 MHz | 2407 MHz |

| Memory clock | 937 MHz 7.5 Gbps effective | 1750 MHz 28 Gbps effective |

| Memory size | 16 GB | 32 GB |

| Memory type | LPDDR5X | GDDR7 |

| Memory bus | 128 bit | 512 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 119.9 GB/s | 1.79 TB/s |

| Shading units | 768 | 21760 |

| TMUs | 48 | 680 |

| ROPs | 32 | 176 |

| RT cores | 12 | 170 |

| Tensor cores | None | 680 |

| Pixel rate | 86.40 GPixel/s | 423.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 129.6 GTexel/s | 1,636.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 8.294 TFLOPS | 104.8 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 8.294 TFLOPS (1:1) | 104.8 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 28 W | 575 W |

| Slot width | None | Dual-slot |

| Power connectors | None | 1x 16-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None | 950 W |

| Bus interface | None | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display outputs | 1x USB Type-C | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b |

| Dimensions | None | 304 mm x 137 mm x 40 mm |

| Release date | 2024-12-31 | 2025-01-29 |

| Predecessor | None | GeForce 40 |

| Successor | None | GeForce 60 |

| Launch MSRP | None | 1,999 USD |

| Percentile vs all GPUs | 50 | 92 |

| Avg benchmark score | 0 | 79,842 |

| Benchmark scores | None | 10 recorded scores |