AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data does not include any direct benchmark scores for either the AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE. Both entries show an average benchmark score of zero and no entries in their respective benchmark lists. The head-to-head benchmark section is also empty, with zero wins recorded for each product.

Without measured performance data, the comparison must rely entirely on the architectural and specification differences documented in the database. The raw compute figures, however, illustrate a substantial gap in theoretical throughput. The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU delivers 8.294 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE delivers 66.94 TFLOPS. That represents an 8.07x difference in raw shader throughput, meaning the NVIDIA part processes roughly eight times more floating-point operations per second.

Texture and pixel throughput follow a similar pattern. The RTX 5090 SE reaches 1,045.9 GTexel/s compared to 129.6 GTexel/s for the Ryzen Z2 GPU, a difference of roughly 8.07x. Pixel fill rates show 380.3 GPixel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s, which narrows the gap to approximately 4.4x. The smaller pixel rate difference reflects the RTX 5090 SE's higher ROP count of 160 versus 32, but the ratio is still decisive in favor of the NVIDIA card.

Memory bandwidth is another area where the RTX 5090 SE dominates. The NVIDIA card uses a 384-bit bus with GDDR7 memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective), producing 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth. The AMD part uses a 128-bit bus with LPDDR5X at 937 MHz (7.5 Gbps effective), yielding 119.9 GB/s. That is an 11.2x difference, the largest proportional gap among the major specifications. For workloads that are bandwidth-bound, such as high-resolution texturing or large data sets, this disparity will be the most impactful.

The RTX 5090 SE also carries dedicated hardware that the Ryzen Z2 GPU lacks entirely. The NVIDIA card includes 440 tensor cores, while the AMD part reports no tensor core count. Ray tracing hardware shows 110 RT cores on the NVIDIA side versus 12 on the AMD side. These features do not directly translate to the FP32 figures, but they indicate that the RTX 5090 SE is designed for workloads involving AI acceleration and ray-traced rendering, whereas the Ryzen Z2 GPU has more limited dedicated support.

The Verdict

The data shows two products aimed at completely different use cases. The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU is a 28 W part with 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory, a 128-bit bus, and no power connectors. It is built for low-power, embedded, or handheld-style systems where thermal and power constraints are paramount. Its 8.294 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 119.9 GB/s of bandwidth are modest figures, but they come in a package that draws only 28 W.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE is a 500 W dual-slot card with a 16-pin power connector and a suggested 900 W power supply. It uses 24 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivers 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth, and produces 66.94 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. This is a desktop-class component intended for maximum performance, with no consideration for low power draw.

For users who need raw compute, bandwidth, or ray tracing capability, the RTX 5090 SE is the clear choice based on every measured specification. For users who need a GPU that operates within a 28 W power envelope, with no external power connector, and still provides 16 GB of memory, the Ryzen Z2 GPU is the only option that fits that profile. The two products do not compete on price or performance; they occupy separate segments of the market entirely.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU uses the Hawk Point chip, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture. It is manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC, with 25,390 million transistors on a 178 mm² die. The transistor density works out to 142.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE uses the GB202 chip, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It is manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. The transistor density is 122.9 million per square millimeter. The API support is identical: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The process node difference is notable. The Ryzen Z2 GPU uses a 4 nm process, which is a smaller node than the 5 nm process used by the RTX 5090 SE. However, the NVIDIA chip packs more than 3.6x the transistor count onto a die that is roughly 4.2x larger. The AMD chip achieves a higher transistor density, but the NVIDIA chip has far more total transistors.

The RTX 5090 SE includes 440 tensor cores, which are absent from the Ryzen Z2 GPU's specifications. These tensor cores are designed for AI and machine learning workloads. The RTX 5090 SE also has 110 RT cores for ray tracing, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has only 12. The AMD part does provide some ray tracing capability, but the dedicated hardware is much less extensive.

Specification Differences

The most direct specification comparison shows significant differences in nearly every category.

Memory capacity: the RTX 5090 SE has 24 GB of GDDR7, while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has 16 GB of LPDDR5X. Memory type, bus width, and bandwidth all favor the NVIDIA card, with a 384-bit bus and 1.34 TB/s versus a 128-bit bus and 119.9 GB/s.

Compute units: the RTX 5090 SE has 14,080 shading units, 440 TMUs, and 160 ROPs. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The NVIDIA card has 110 RT cores and 440 tensor cores, while the AMD part has 12 RT cores and no listed tensor cores.

Clock speeds: the Ryzen Z2 GPU has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2700 MHz. The RTX 5090 SE has a base clock of 1740 MHz and a boost clock of 2377 MHz. The AMD part boosts higher, but the NVIDIA part starts at a much higher base and has far more execution units.

Power and physical specs: the Ryzen Z2 GPU draws 28 W, has no power connectors, and no listed slot width or dimensions. The RTX 5090 SE draws 500 W, uses a single 16-pin connector, requires a 900 W power supply, is dual-slot, and measures 267 mm by 111 mm by 40 mm.

Display outputs: the Ryzen Z2 GPU has a single USB Type-C output. The RTX 5090 SE has one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Bus interface: the RTX 5090 SE uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has no listed bus interface.

The release dates differ by one year. The Ryzen Z2 GPU was released on 2024-12-31, and the RTX 5090 SE was released on 2025-12-31. The RTX 5090 SE has a listed predecessor (GeForce 40) and successor (GeForce 60), while the Ryzen Z2 GPU has neither. The RTX 5090 SE has a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD. The Ryzen Z2 GPU has no launch MSRP listed.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE delivers 66.94 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, compared to 8.294 TFLOPS for the AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU. That is an 8.07x difference in favor of the NVIDIA card.

Q: How do the memory subsystems compare?

A: The RTX 5090 SE uses 24 GB of GDDR7 on a 384-bit bus, producing 1.34 TB/s of bandwidth. The Ryzen Z2 GPU uses 16 GB of LPDDR5X on a 128-bit bus, producing 119.9 GB/s. The bandwidth difference is 11.2x in favor of the NVIDIA card.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the Ryzen Z2 GPU has 12 RT cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). However, the RTX 5090 SE has 110 RT cores, which is substantially more dedicated ray tracing hardware.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The Ryzen Z2 GPU has a TDP of 28 W and requires no power connectors. The RTX 5090 SE has a TDP of 500 W, requires a single 16-pin power connector, and has a suggested power supply of 900 W.

Q: What display outputs does each GPU offer?

A: The Ryzen Z2 GPU offers a single USB Type-C output. The RTX 5090 SE offers one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

Q: Which GPU has tensor cores?

A: The RTX 5090 SE has 440 tensor cores. The Ryzen Z2 GPU does not list any tensor cores in its specifications.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen Z2 GPU wins in power efficiency and compactness. Its 28 W TDP means it can run without any power connector, and it has no listed dimensions, suggesting it can fit into very small form factors. The 4 nm process node gives it a higher transistor density (142.6M per mm²) than the NVIDIA card. It also has a higher boost clock (2700 MHz versus 2377 MHz) and a faster memory clock in terms of raw frequency, though the effective data rate is much lower. For systems where power draw is the limiting factor, the Ryzen Z2 GPU is the only viable choice between these two.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 SE wins in every raw performance metric. It has 18.3x more shading units, 9.2x more TMUs, 5x more ROPs, 9.2x more RT cores, and 440 tensor cores versus none. Its FP32 throughput is 8.07x higher, texture rate is 8.07x higher, and pixel rate is 4.4x higher. Memory bandwidth is 11.2x higher. It also has a larger memory capacity (24 GB versus 16 GB), a wider bus (384-bit versus 128-bit), and a faster memory type (GDDR7 versus LPDDR5X).

The RTX 5090 SE also wins on connectivity. It offers four display outputs (one HDMI 2.1b and three DisplayPort 2.1b), while the Ryzen Z2 GPU offers only one USB Type-C. The NVIDIA card uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface, while the AMD part has no listed bus interface, which limits its potential bandwidth to the CPU.

For use cases such as high-resolution gaming, AI inference, ray-traced rendering, or any compute-heavy workload, the RTX 5090 SE is the dominant part. For ultra-low-power embedded systems, handheld devices, or any application where the total power budget is under 28 W, the Ryzen Z2 GPU is the appropriate selection. The specification gap is so wide that there is no meaningful overlap in their intended operating environments.