AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT vs NVIDIA P102-100 Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear hierarchy between these two GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT is the superior performer in every recorded benchmark, winning both head-to-head tests decisively. Its average benchmark score of 78,940 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA P102-100 trails with an average score of 58,528, sitting in the 88th percentile.

For users seeking raw compute performance in OpenCL and Vulkan workloads, the RX 6850M XT is the unambiguous choice. The database shows a 71.4% lead in OpenCL and a 47.5% lead in Vulkan over the P102-100. The P102-100, however, belongs to a different era and purpose. Its Pascal architecture, 5 GB of GDDR5X memory, and 250 W power draw indicate it was designed for mining operations, not general-purpose graphics. The lack of display outputs and the PCIe 1.0 x4 interface further confirm its specialized nature.

The RX 6850M XT, despite being a mobile part with an IGP slot width and no power connectors, outperforms the desktop-oriented P102-100 in every measurable way. The verdict is straightforward: for any application requiring compute throughput, the RX 6850M XT wins. The P102-100 only makes sense in scenarios where its specific mining-oriented design is relevant, and even then, the data does not support its use for general benchmarking or graphics tasks.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT uses the Navi 22 chip built on RDNA 2.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. It packs 17,200 million transistors into a 335 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 51.3 million per square millimeter. In contrast, the NVIDIA P102-100 uses the GP102 chip based on Pascal architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 16 nm process. It contains 11,800 million transistors spread across a larger 471 mm² die, resulting in a much lower density of 25.1 million per square millimeter.

Clock speeds reflect the process advantage. The RX 6850M XT runs at a base clock of 2321 MHz, a game clock of 2463 MHz, and a boost clock of 2581 MHz. The P102-100 operates at a base of 1582 MHz and boosts to 1683 MHz. The AMD part also uses faster memory: 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective transfer, compared to 1376 MHz with 11 Gbps effective on the NVIDIA card.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The RX 6850M XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The P102-100 has 5 GB of GDDR5X on a 320-bit bus, delivering 440.3 GB/s. Despite the smaller bus, the NVIDIA card achieves slightly higher bandwidth due to its wider interface. However, the AMD card has more than double the capacity.

Compute resources tell a similar story. The RX 6850M XT has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, 64 raster operations pipelines, and 40 ray tracing cores. The P102-100 has 3200 shading units, 200 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, but no ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The AMD card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the NVIDIA card only supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The P102-100's power requirements are notably higher at 250 W TDP with two 8-pin power connectors and a suggested 600 W power supply. The RX 6850M XT draws 165 W and uses no external power connectors, as it is an integrated graphics package (IGP). The AMD card connects via PCIe 4.0 x16, while the NVIDIA card uses PCIe 1.0 x4, a severe limitation for data transfer.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6850M XT wins in every benchmark category where both cards have recorded results. In Geekbench OpenCL, the AMD card scores 85,040 against the NVIDIA card's 49,602, a 71.4% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the AMD card scores 99,483 against 67,454, a 47.5% lead. The RX 6850M XT also has additional benchmark data: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,257 and a Geekbench Metal score of 128,981, tests the P102-100 does not have recorded results for.

The P102-100 has no wins in the head-to-head comparison. Its only advantage appears in memory bandwidth, where its 440.3 GB/s slightly exceeds the AMD card's 432.0 GB/s. However, this marginal 1.9% bandwidth advantage does not translate into any benchmark victory. The NVIDIA card also has more shading units, TMUs, and ROPs, but these architectural advantages are negated by its older Pascal design, lower clocks, and limited 5 GB memory capacity.

For compute-heavy workloads such as machine learning inference, OpenCL-based rendering, or Vulkan games, the RX 6850M XT is the clear winner. The P102-100's mining-oriented design, with no display outputs and a restricted PCIe interface, makes it unsuitable for interactive tasks. The data shows that the AMD card delivers more than double the OpenCL performance in real terms, a gap that no architectural advantage can close.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has an average benchmark score of 78,940, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The NVIDIA P102-100 has an average score of 58,528, placing it in the 88th percentile.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 99,483 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is 47.5% higher than the NVIDIA P102-100's score of 67,454.

Q: What memory configurations do these cards use?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The NVIDIA P102-100 has 5 GB of GDDR5X memory on a 320-bit bus with 440.3 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both cards support ray tracing?

A: No. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has 40 dedicated ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The NVIDIA P102-100 has no ray tracing cores and only supports DirectX 12 (12_1).

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT has a 165 W TDP with no external power connectors. The NVIDIA P102-100 has a 250 W TDP, requires two 8-pin power connectors, and suggests a 600 W power supply.

Q: Which card has better OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 85,040 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 71.4% higher than the NVIDIA P102-100's score of 49,602.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a decisive victory for the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT across both shared benchmark tests. These are the only two tests where both cards have recorded scores, and the results are unambiguous.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows the largest gap. The RX 6850M XT scores 85,040, while the P102-100 scores 49,602. This represents a 71.4% delta in favor of the AMD card. In practical terms, the AMD GPU delivers nearly 60% more raw compute throughput in OpenCL workloads. The P102-100's higher shading unit count (3200 versus 2560) cannot compensate for its older Pascal architecture, lower clock speeds, and smaller memory capacity. The RX 6850M XT's FP32 performance of 13.21 TFLOPS dwarfs the P102-100's 10.77 TFLOPS, and its FP16 performance of 26.43 TFLOPS versus 168.3 GFLOPS is a 157-fold advantage.

The Geekbench Vulkan test reinforces this pattern. The RX 6850M XT scores 99,483 against the P102-100's 67,454, a 47.5% delta. This narrower but still substantial gap suggests that the AMD card's newer architecture handles Vulkan's modern API features more efficiently. The P102-100's lack of ray tracing support and its DirectX 12 (12_1) limitation may contribute to its lower Vulkan performance.

Beyond the shared tests, the RX 6850M XT has additional benchmark data that underscores its superiority. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2,257. In Geekbench Metal, it scores 128,981. These scores, combined with its 92nd percentile ranking, place it among high-performing GPUs. The P102-100, with no results for these tests and an 88th percentile ranking, cannot match this breadth of capability.

The texture and pixel rates tell a consistent story. The RX 6850M XT achieves 413.0 GTexel/s and 165.2 GPixel/s, while the P102-100 manages 336.6 GTexel/s and 134.6 GPixel/s. The AMD card leads by 22.7% in texture fill rate and 22.7% in pixel fill rate. These metrics directly impact gaming and rendering performance, where the RX 6850M XT maintains a clear edge.

The P102-100's only numeric advantage is its memory bandwidth of 440.3 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s, a 1.9% difference. This does not translate into any benchmark win. Its PCIe 1.0 x4 interface, compared to the RX 6850M XT's PCIe 4.0 x16, severely limits data transfer speeds, potentially bottlenecking any workload that requires frequent CPU-GPU communication.

In summary, the RX 6850M XT wins both head-to-head benchmarks by margins ranging from 47.5% to 71.4%, and it has superior performance in every recorded metric except a negligible memory bandwidth difference. The P102-100, designed for mining with no display outputs and a restricted bus interface, cannot compete with the mobile RDNA 2.0 part in any general-purpose benchmark.