NVIDIA A2 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is the clear performance leader in this pairing, winning the only shared benchmark in the database. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 84,171 against the NVIDIA A2's 35,357, a lead of 138.1%. That is not a marginal advantage; the RTX 5050 Mobile more than doubles the A2's compute output in this workload.

The RTX 5050 Mobile also holds a higher percentile ranking overall, sitting at the 83rd percentile of all GPUs versus the A2's 79th. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 43,268, while the A2 averages 34,690. The difference in average score (about 8,578 points) is smaller than the OpenCL gap because the RTX 5050 Mobile's other recorded test, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, is a demanding modern workload where it posts 2,365 points, a score that places it near the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262 average, 0% delta) and the GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER (43,223 average, 0.1% delta). The A2 has no equivalent DirectX 12 test in the database, so its average is pulled entirely from OpenCL and Vulkan results.

Where the A2 can claim a win is in memory capacity. It offers 16 GB of GDDR6, double the RTX 5050 Mobile's 8 GB of GDDR7. For workloads that are capacity-bound rather than compute-bound, the A2 has more headroom to hold larger datasets. However, the RTX 5050 Mobile's memory bandwidth is 384.0 GB/s versus 200.1 GB/s for the A2, so the A2's larger pool is paired with significantly lower throughput. The data does not show any benchmark where the A2's capacity advantage translates into a performance win; in the only head-to-head test, it loses decisively.

The RTX 5050 Mobile is also the newer product, released on 2025-06-23, while the A2 launched on 2021-11-09. The A2 is marked end-of-life in the database, while the RTX 5050 Mobile is active. For any use case where raw compute or modern API support matters, the RTX 5050 Mobile wins outright.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different generations and foundries. The RTX 5050 Mobile uses the GB207 chip built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The A2 uses the GA107 chip on Ampere architecture, fabricated by Samsung on an 8 nm process. The process node difference is substantial: 5 nm versus 8 nm, which helps explain the RTX 5050 Mobile's higher transistor density of 113.4 million per square millimeter versus 43.5 million for the A2.

Despite the A2 having a larger die (200 mm² versus 149 mm²), it packs fewer transistors: 8,700 million versus 16,900 million for the RTX 5050 Mobile. The RTX 5050 Mobile also doubles the shading units (2,560 versus 1,280), TMUs (80 versus 40), and tensor cores (80 versus 80). Both have 32 ROPs, but the RTX 5050 Mobile has 20 ray tracing cores versus 10 on the A2.

The FP32 compute figures reflect the architectural gap. The RTX 5050 Mobile delivers 7.680 TFLOPS, while the A2 delivers 4.531 TFLOPS. FP16 is identical to FP32 on both parts (1:1 ratio), so the same 7.680 versus 4.531 TFLOPS applies to half-precision work. Texture rate follows the same pattern: 120.0 GTexel/s for the RTX 5050 Mobile versus 70.80 GTexel/s for the A2. Pixel rate is the one rasterization metric where the A2 is ahead: 56.64 GPixel/s versus 48.00 GPixel/s, likely due to its higher boost clock.

Clock speeds differ notably. The A2 runs at a base of 1440 MHz and boosts to 1770 MHz, while the RTX 5050 Mobile sits at 1020 MHz base and 1500 MHz boost. The A2's higher clocks help its pixel rate but do not overcome the RTX 5050 Mobile's massive shader and tensor core advantage. Memory clocks also differ: the RTX 5050 Mobile uses 1500 MHz (24 Gbps effective) GDDR7, while the A2 uses 1563 MHz (12.5 Gbps effective) GDDR6.

The bus interfaces diverge: the RTX 5050 Mobile uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the A2 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The RTX 5050 Mobile is an integrated-class part (IGP slot width) with no power connectors and a 50 W TDP, while the A2 is a single-slot card with no power connectors but a 60 W TDP and a suggested 250 W PSU. The A2 has no display outputs; the RTX 5050 Mobile's outputs are portable-device dependent. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark shared between the two is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is lopsided. The RTX 5050 Mobile scores 84,171, while the A2 scores 35,357. That is a 138.1% delta in favor of the RTX 5050 Mobile. This is a compute-oriented workload that stresses raw FP32 and memory throughput, and the RTX 5050 Mobile's 7.680 TFLOPS and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth overwhelm the A2's 4.531 TFLOPS and 200.1 GB/s.

The RTX 5050 Mobile also has a second recorded benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, with a score of 2,365. The A2 has no entry for that test, so no direct comparison exists there. However, the RTX 5050 Mobile's average benchmark score of 43,268 places it in a cluster with the Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262, 0% delta), the Quadro M6000 (43,301, -0.1% delta), and the RTX 4070 SUPER (43,223, 0.1% delta). It trails the RTX 4090 Mobile (43,667, -0.9% delta) by less than 1%. The A2's average of 34,690 places it near the T1000 8 GB (34,561, 0.4% delta), the Radeon HD 7970 (34,541, 0.4% delta), the TITAN V (34,355, 1% delta), and the RTX A1000 (34,207, 1.4% delta). In every case, the RTX 5050 Mobile's nearest rivals are faster than the A2's nearest rivals.

The A2's only other recorded benchmark is Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 34,023. That is close to its OpenCL score of 35,357, suggesting consistent compute performance across APIs. The RTX 5050 Mobile has no Vulkan entry in the database, so cross-API behavior for the newer part cannot be assessed from the recorded data.

The Verdict

The data points to a single conclusion: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile is the faster GPU in this comparison. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by 138.1%, holds a higher overall percentile (83rd versus 79th), and has a higher average benchmark score (43,268 versus 34,690). Its architecture is two generations newer, built on a smaller process node, with double the shaders, tensor cores, and ray tracing cores. For any workload that depends on compute throughput, the RTX 5050 Mobile is the clear pick.

The A2's advantages are narrower. It has 16 GB of memory versus 8 GB, which matters for datasets that exceed the RTX 5050 Mobile's capacity. It also has a higher pixel rate (56.64 GPixel/s versus 48.00 GPixel/s), which could benefit certain rasterization tasks. But the database shows no benchmark where the A2 outperforms the RTX 5050 Mobile, and its larger memory is paired with nearly half the bandwidth.

Pick the RTX 5050 Mobile for compute-heavy tasks, modern DirectX 12 workloads, or any use case where raw performance is the priority. Pick the A2 only if the workload is strictly memory-capacity-bound or if the single-slot, no-output form factor with a 60 W TDP is a hard requirement. The A2 is end-of-life, while the RTX 5050 Mobile is active, so longevity also favors the newer part.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU won the head-to-head benchmark?

A: The RTX 5050 Mobile won the only shared test, Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 84,171 against the A2's 35,357, a delta of 138.1%.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two, and what does it mean?

A: The RTX 5050 Mobile averages 43,268, placing it near the RTX 4070 SUPER (43,223, 0.1% delta). The A2 averages 34,690, near the T1000 8 GB (34,561, 0.4% delta). This means the RTX 5050 Mobile sits in a faster performance tier overall.

Q: How does memory capacity compare, and does it matter?

A: The A2 has 16 GB GDDR6 versus 8 GB GDDR7 for the RTX 5050 Mobile. The A2 doubles the capacity but has 200.1 GB/s bandwidth versus 384.0 GB/s, so capacity is the only real A2 advantage.

Q: What are the compute specifications of each?

A: The RTX 5050 Mobile has 2,560 shading units and 80 tensor cores, delivering 7.680 TFLOPS. The A2 has 1,280 shading units and 40 tensor cores, delivering 4.531 TFLOPS. The RTX 5050 Mobile doubles compute hardware and throughput.

Q: Which part is newer, and what does production status say about it?

A: The RTX 5050 Mobile released on 2025-06-23 and is active. The A2 released on 2021-11-09 and is end-of-life. The RTX 5050 Mobile is the current product.

Q: Which GPU is more efficient based on the recorded data?

A: The RTX 5050 Mobile has a 50 W TDP versus 60 W for the A2, while delivering 138.1% higher OpenCL performance. The A2 also suggests a 250 W PSU, while the RTX 5050 Mobile lists no PSU requirement.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile | NVIDIA A2 |

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

| Architecture | Blackwell 2.0 | Ampere |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 8 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Samsung |

| Transistors | 16,900 million | 8,700 million |

| Die Size | 149 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 113.4M / mm² | 43.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1020 MHz | 1440 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1500 MHz | 1770 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR7 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 384.0 GB/s | 200.1 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 1280 |

| TMUs | 80 | 40 |

| ROPs | 32 | 32 |

| RT Cores | 20 | 10 |

| Tensor Cores | 80 | 40 |

| Pixel Rate | 48.00 GPixel/s | 56.64 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 120.0 GTexel/s | 70.80 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 7.680 TFLOPS | 4.531 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 7.680 TFLOPS (1:1) | 4.531 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 50 W | 60 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Single-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | None |

| Suggested PSU | None | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 5.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | No outputs |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2025-06-23 | 2021-11-09 |

| Predecessor | GeForce 40 Mobile | Quadro Turing |

| Successor | None | Workstation Ada |