The Radeon 890M is a meaningful step up from AMD’s Radeon 780M, but “46% faster” does not mean 46% higher frame rates in every game. That headline figure comes from a Geekbench Vulkan result. Independent notebook testing points to a more useful expectation of roughly 20–30% better gaming performance under comparable conditions—still enough to matter in handhelds, especially for games hovering around a 30 or 40 fps target.
What the Radeon 890M actually is
The Radeon 890M is AMD’s integrated GPU for processors including the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, part of the Ryzen AI 300, or Strix Point, platform. It uses AMD’s newer RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture and has 16 graphics compute units running at up to 2.9GHz.
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The HX 370 also combines four Zen 5 cores and eight Zen 5c cores for 12 cores and 24 threads. Its default TDP is 28W, but AMD allows manufacturers to configure it from 15W to 54W. That range is crucial: an 890M in a well-cooled 35W handheld is not the same product, performance-wise, as an 890M restricted to a lower power limit.
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Because it is an integrated GPU, the 890M shares system memory with the CPU. AMD lists support for LPDDR5X-8000, although the actual memory speed and configuration depend on the device maker. Faster memory can make a substantial difference to integrated-graphics performance.
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How it compares with the Radeon 780M
The Radeon 780M is the integrated GPU found in many Ryzen 7040- and 8040-series processors, including chips used in popular Windows handhelds such as the ASUS ROG Ally and Lenovo Legion Go. AMD’s product material lists the 780M with processors including the Ryzen 7 7840HS, Ryzen 7 7840U and Ryzen 9 7940HS.
The 890M has 16 compute units compared with the 780M’s usual 12. It also benefits from a newer graphics implementation and, in many devices, faster memory and a newer CPU platform. That makes the comparison more complicated than a simple GPU specification match.
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| Factor | Radeon 890M systems | Radeon 780M systems |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics compute units | 16 | Generally 12 |
| Architecture | RDNA 3.5-based integrated graphics | RDNA 3-based integrated graphics |
| Typical comparison platform | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | Ryzen 7 7840-class or Ryzen 9 7940-class processors |
| Power range | AMD-configurable from 15W to 54W | Varies by processor and device |
| Memory | Up to LPDDR5X-8000 support | Varies by device |
Power limits, cooling, firmware, drivers, RAM capacity, memory speed and display resolution can all change the result. A laptop benchmark may give the 890M 35W or more, while a handheld using a 780M may be operating around 15W to 30W. In that case, part of the performance gap comes from platform tuning rather than the GPU architecture alone.
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Where the 46% figure comes from
The widely reported claim came from a PC Guide report covering Geekbench results from an ASUS ProArt P16 laptop with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and 32GB of high-speed LPDDR5 memory.
- Geekbench Vulkan: 46,298, reported as 46% ahead of the Radeon 780M baseline.
- Geekbench OpenCL: 42,932, reported as 38% ahead.
Those are real benchmark results, but they measure compute workloads rather than a representative average of PC games. Vulkan is a graphics API used by many games, but a Vulkan score is not the same thing as an average gaming frame rate.
The accurate version of the claim is therefore: the Radeon 890M was reported to be 46% faster than the Radeon 780M in a Geekbench Vulkan comparison. It is not accurate to say that the 890M is universally 46% faster in games.
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What gaming tests suggest
An independent AnandTech review, republished by Tom’s Hardware in coverage of AMD’s claims, provides a better reality check. Its gaming suite found the Radeon 890M approximately 23% faster than the Radeon 780M when comparing a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 system with a Ryzen 9 7940HS system. The 780M platform was tested at 35W to improve comparability.
That 23% is not a guaranteed result for every game. It is an average from a particular notebook test suite, with particular drivers, memory, thermals and power settings. Individual games can show smaller or larger differences.
AMD’s own later testing also found the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 averaged 13% higher gaming performance than Intel’s Core Ultra 9 288V across 30 games at 1080p Low in Balanced mode. That comparison is between complete platforms, not a direct 890M-versus-780M test, so it should not be used as a substitute for one.
Why 20–30% matters in a handheld
Integrated GPUs often struggle not because a game is completely unplayable, but because performance sits just below a useful target. A 20–30% uplift can provide valuable headroom in that situation.
For illustration—not as measured results—a game running at 28 fps on a 780M might reach the mid-30s on an 890M under suitable conditions. A title near 35 fps might move into the low-to-mid 40s. That can make a 30 fps cap more stable, improve the viability of a 40 fps target, or reduce the need for aggressive image-quality compromises at 720p or 800p.
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The biggest potential gains are in modern AAA games that are GPU-limited and already close to a desired frame-rate target. Extra graphics throughput may also let a handheld maintain similar performance at a lower power limit, but that requires matched testing and suitable firmware; it should not be assumed from the synthetic result.
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The benefit is smaller in esports games already running at high frame rates, CPU-limited strategy and simulation titles, and some emulators where CPU architecture and emulator optimization matter more. Frame generation can increase the displayed frame rate, but generated frames do not provide the same input response as traditionally rendered frames.
Power and cooling will decide the real result
The same 890M can perform very differently across products. AYANEO’s AYANEO 3 Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 version is advertised with a sustained 35W performance mode. That is a substantially different target from a compact handheld designed around a 15W or 20W operating point.
A higher power limit can improve frame rates, but it can also increase fan noise, heat and battery drain. Short benchmark runs may not reveal thermal throttling that appears after 30 minutes of handheld gaming. Two devices with the same processor may also differ because of memory configuration, fan curves, BIOS settings, driver versions and cooling capacity.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFor a fair 890M-versus-780M comparison, check that the tests use the same game version, resolution, graphics preset, upscaling mode, frame-generation setting, driver family, memory class, TDP and plugged-in or battery operating state.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does the 890M make 780M handhelds obsolete?
No. The 780M remains capable of playing a large PC library at 720p or 800p with sensible settings. A 20–30% improvement does not remove the compromises required by demanding new AAA games, and a discounted 780M handheld may offer better value than an expensive early 890M model.
Existing owners should not upgrade solely because of the 46% headline. An upgrade makes more sense when the current device repeatedly misses a 30 or 40 fps target, or when the new handheld also brings better cooling, controls, display quality, battery capacity, software, storage or ergonomics.
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New buyers should compare more than the processor name:
- Sustained gaming TDP and thermal behavior.
- Battery capacity and battery life at a comparable workload.
- Memory speed and capacity.
- Display resolution and refresh rate.
- Fan noise, weight, grip and controls.
- Windows handheld software and sleep/resume reliability.
- USB4 or eGPU support, if relevant.
- Warranty, regional support and current price.
An 890M handheld may be significantly faster than a 780M model running at a lower power limit, but that does not prove that the GPU itself is 46% faster in games. Conversely, a well-tuned 780M device can remain a sensible purchase if its price is substantially lower.
The early handheld example
AYANEO announced the AYANEO 3 with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 option and a starting price of $699 in January 2025. The company advertised a 35W performance mode, 16 compute units, up to 2.9GHz graphics and LPDDR5X memory. That launch price should not be treated as a guaranteed current price or as proof that every 890M handheld will offer the same performance.
The AYANEO 3 illustrates the opportunity and the trade-off. A manufacturer can use the 890M’s additional graphics resources to target higher frame rates or improved 800p image quality, but sustaining that performance requires power, cooling and battery capacity. Buyers should evaluate the complete device rather than purchasing on the APU specification alone.
Verdict
The Radeon 890M is a significant generation-over-generation improvement for integrated graphics. The reported 46% advantage is credible as a Geekbench Vulkan result, but it is not a universal gaming figure. Independent notebook testing puts the more realistic gaming uplift at approximately 23% in its suite, making a variable 20–30% expectation a better guide for handheld buyers.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →That is enough to matter. It can turn borderline performance into a steadier 30 or 40 fps experience, give 800p gaming more breathing room and make higher-power handheld designs more capable. But the final result depends on sustained wattage, memory, thermals, drivers and game settings. The 890M is promising for new handhelds; it does not make every Radeon 780M device obsolete.
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