AMD Radeon Vega 3 Embedded

The AMD Radeon Vega 3 Embedded is an integrated graphics processor from the GCN 5.0 architecture, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1001 MHz, delivering a peak FP32 throughput of 384.4 GFLOPS. This part sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it represents a midpoint in performance distribution, though the absence of specific benchmark scores and nearest rivals in the data means its standing is defined more by its architectural capabilities than by direct competitive measurements.

How It Compares

The data does not list any nearest rivals for the Radeon Vega 3 Embedded, so a direct positional comparison against specific competing GPUs is not possible from the provided facts. Instead, its standing is defined by its percentile rank: the 50th percentile versus all GPUs suggests that half of all tracked graphics processors perform better and half perform worse. This middle-of-the-road placement is consistent with an IGP designed for basic computing rather than high-end gaming or professional workloads. Without rival scores, the analysis must rely on the internal specifications—192 shading units, 12 texture mapping units, and 4 raster output units—to infer its relative capability. The pixel rate of 4.004 GPixel/s and texture rate of 12.01 GTexel/s are modest figures, implying that it would trail dedicated discrete GPUs from the same era by a significant margin, but the lack of explicit rival data prevents quantifying that gap.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Radeon Vega 3 Embedded does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as both fields are marked null in the specifications. This absence indicates that the hardware relies entirely on traditional rasterization techniques for rendering. The architecture supports DirectX 12 with feature level 12_1, which includes support for conservative rasterization and other advanced raster-based features, but it lacks the hardware acceleration for real-time ray tracing that newer architectures provide. The API support extends to OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.3, offering software compatibility with modern graphics libraries despite the absence of specialized ray tracing hardware. This means any ray-traced effects would need to be computed via compute shaders or CPU fallbacks, which would be inefficient given the low FP32 throughput of 384.4 GFLOPS. The lack of tensor cores also rules out any AI-accelerated features like DLSS, leaving the GPU reliant on standard resolution scaling and rendering techniques.

Who Should Consider It

Benchmark data shows no scores, but the architectural specifications point to a GPU suited for light, non-demanding tasks. The 4.004 GPixel/s fill rate and 12.01 GTexel/s texture rate suggest it can handle 1080p output for desktop environments, office applications, and video playback without strain. For gaming, the low shading unit count of 192 and the absence of dedicated ray tracing hardware mean it would struggle with modern titles at high settings; users would need to lower resolutions to 720p and reduce graphical quality to achieve playable frame rates in older or less demanding games. The 15 W TDP and IGP form factor make it appropriate for embedded systems, thin-and-light laptops, or low-power mini PCs where discrete graphics are not an option. It is not suitable for content creation, 3D rendering, or competitive esports at high refresh rates, as the FP32 performance of 384.4 GFLOPS is insufficient for such workloads. Users with expectations of smooth 1080p gaming or GPU-accelerated productivity should look elsewhere, but for basic computing and multimedia consumption, it offers adequate capability.

FAQ

Q: Does the Radeon Vega 3 Embedded support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The specifications list no ray tracing cores, so any ray-traced effects must be handled via software or compute shaders, which would be severely limited by the 384.4 GFLOPS FP32 throughput.

Q: What is the maximum DirectX version supported?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 with feature level 12_1, which includes features like conservative rasterization but not the full DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set.

Q: How much VRAM does the Radeon Vega 3 Embedded have?

A: The memory size is listed as "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main RAM rather than dedicated VRAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent."

Q: Can this GPU run modern games at 1080p?

A: Based on the 4.004 GPixel/s pixel rate and 192 shading units, it would likely only handle very old or esports titles at 1080p with low settings; most modern games would require 720p or lower resolutions.

Q: What is the power consumption of this GPU?

A: The TDP is 15 W, which is very low, making it suitable for fanless or passively cooled embedded designs and battery-powered devices.

Q: Is this GPU still in production?

A: No, its production status is marked as "End-of-life," and it was released on July 15, 2018, with a successor listed as Vega II IGP.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark section is empty—no scores are recorded, and the average benchmark score is 0. This absence of data makes quantitative performance analysis impossible, but the architectural metrics provide a basis for inference. The FP32 performance of 384.4 GFLOPS is quite low by modern standards; a mid-range discrete GPU from the same era would typically offer several teraflops, representing a 10x or greater advantage. The pixel rate of 4.004 GPixel/s and texture rate of 12.01 GTexel/s are similarly constrained, reflecting the 4 ROPs and 12 TMUs available. These figures suggest that the Vega 3 Embedded would perform at roughly a quarter of the speed of a low-end discrete GPU like a GT 1030, though no direct comparison is available in the data. The 50th percentile ranking is interesting: it implies that despite the low absolute numbers, half of all GPUs track even lower, which includes older integrated graphics and very weak discrete parts. This makes the Vega 3 Embedded a capable entry-level option for basic tasks, but it would not hold up in any GPU-intensive benchmark. The FP16 rate of 768.8 GFLOPS (2:1) offers a slight boost for workloads that support half-precision, but this is rarely exploited in consumer applications.

Memory Subsystem

The memory configuration is entirely system-dependent: size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This means the GPU has no dedicated VRAM and instead borrows from the host system's RAM, which introduces latency and bandwidth limitations compared to discrete solutions. The effective memory bandwidth will vary based on the system's memory configuration—dual-channel DDR4 at typical speeds would provide far less bandwidth than dedicated GDDR5 or GDDR6 found on discrete GPUs. For high resolutions like 1440p or 4K, this is a critical bottleneck: the low fill rate of 4.004 GPixel/s already limits pixel throughput, but shared memory also competes with the CPU for bandwidth, potentially causing stutters in memory-intensive scenarios. The lack of dedicated VRAM also means texture quality and resolution are constrained by available system RAM and its speed, making the GPU unsuitable for high-resolution textures or large frame buffers. In practice, the Vega 3 Embedded is best paired with fast dual-channel memory to mitigate these limitations, but even then, the 192 shading units and 4 ROPs will cap performance well below what discrete GPUs offer.

Power and Cooling

The TDP is rated at 15 W, which is exceptionally low and allows for passive cooling in many embedded chassis or thin laptops. The power connectors are listed as "None," meaning the GPU draws all power from the motherboard via the IGP interface, eliminating the need for external PCIe power cables. However, no suggested PSU is provided in the data, which is typical for an integrated part where the system's power supply is designed around the entire platform rather than the GPU alone. The 14 nm process node from GlobalFoundries contributes to this low power draw, and the 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die result in a transistor density of 23.5 million per square millimeter—a moderate figure for the process era. The low power consumption also means thermal management is straightforward; a simple heatsink or even a well-ventilated chassis could suffice. For systems with a discrete GPU alongside this IGP, the 15 W load is negligible compared to the discrete card's requirements. The end-of-life production status suggests that new designs should consider the successor, Vega II IGP, but for existing systems, the 15 W TDP and no-connector requirement make integration simple and efficient.