AMD Instinct MI100 vs AMD Radeon RX 6650M Comparison

The AMD Instinct MI100 and AMD Radeon RX 6650M serve fundamentally different purposes, and the benchmark data reflects a massive performance gulf. The MI100 is a data center compute accelerator, while the RX 6650M is a mobile gaming GPU. The recorded measurements show the MI100 is the dominant compute performer, but the RX 6650M holds its own in the specific features it was designed for.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are decisive. The AMD Instinct MI100 scores 139,035 points, while the AMD Radeon RX 6650M scores 65,800 points. This gives the MI100 a 111.3% lead, meaning it is more than twice as fast in this compute workload. This is not a close contest; the MI100 is the clear winner in raw compute throughput.

The MI100's score places it in the 96th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 6650M sits in the 91st percentile. While both are high performers, the MI100's edge is substantial. The MI100 is 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB, 0.9% ahead of the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB, 1.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO V620, and 2.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo. These are tight margins, indicating the MI100 is at the very top of its class.

The RX 6650M, despite its lower absolute score, is closely matched with its own set of rivals. It trails the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal by 0.5%, trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 by 0.8%, and trails the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition by 2.2%. It leads the AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE by 1.3%. This shows the RX 6650M is a solid mid-to-high tier performer in the mobile space, but it is not in the same league as the MI100 for compute-heavy tasks.

The RX 6650M also has a Vulkan score of 77,735 points, a test the MI100 does not have recorded. This suggests the RX 6650M is more versatile in graphics APIs, but the MI100's lack of Vulkan support is consistent with its compute-focused design.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Instinct MI100 is significantly faster, scoring 139,035 points compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6650M's 65,800 points. This represents a 111.3% advantage for the MI100.

Q: How does the MI100 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The MI100 leads all of its closest competitors. It is 0.7% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 16 GB, 0.9% ahead of the Tesla V100 SXM2 32 GB, 1.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO V620, and 2.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X Duo.

Q: What is the performance gap between the RX 6650M and its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 6650M is very closely matched. It trails the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal by 0.5%, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 by 0.8%, and the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition by 2.2%. It leads the AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE by 1.3%.

Q: Does the RX 6650M support more graphics APIs than the MI100?

A: Yes. The RX 6650M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI100 has no recorded API support for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The MI100 is in the 96th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 6650M is in the 91st percentile. This indicates both are high performers, but the MI100 is ranked higher.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark. The MI100 uses the Arcturus chip built on the CDNA 1.0 architecture, while the RX 6650M uses the Navi 23 chip based on the RDNA 2.0 architecture. Both are manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC, but that is where the similarities end.

The MI100 is a massive compute die. It contains 25,600 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, giving it a transistor density of 34.1M per mm². In contrast, the RX 6650M has 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die, resulting in a higher transistor density of 46.7M per mm². The MI100's larger die is designed for massive parallel compute, whereas the RX 6650M's denser design is optimized for efficiency and mobile use.

Compute resources differ dramatically. The MI100 has 7,680 shading units, 480 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The RX 6650M has 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The MI100 has more than four times the shading units and more than four times the texture mapping units. However, the RX 6650M has 28 ray tracing cores, a feature the MI100 does not have at all.

Clock speeds tell another part of the story. The MI100 has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1502 MHz. The RX 6650M has a much higher base clock of 2068 MHz and a boost clock of 2416 MHz, with a game clock of 2222 MHz. The RX 6650M runs at much higher frequencies, which helps it achieve competitive gaming performance despite having fewer cores.

The MI100's memory subsystem is built for bandwidth. It uses 32 GB of HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 1.23 TB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6650M uses 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The MI100 has nearly five and a half times the memory bandwidth, which is critical for data center workloads.

Feature support also diverges. The MI100 has no display outputs and no API support, making it a pure accelerator. The RX 6650M has portable device dependent outputs and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 6650M also uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the MI100 uses a full PCIe 4.0 x16 interface.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that these are not direct competitors. The AMD Instinct MI100 is a compute accelerator designed for maximum throughput, and it excels at that. Its 111.3% lead in OpenCL over the RX 6650M is the defining statistic. Anyone needing raw compute power for data center tasks should choose the MI100.

The AMD Radeon RX 6650M is a mobile GPU with a different purpose. It offers modern graphics API support, ray tracing cores, and a much lower power draw of 120 W compared to the MI100's 300 W. It is not a match for the MI100 in compute workloads, but it is a capable mobile graphics solution with its own set of features.

The MI100's 96th percentile ranking and its narrow lead over the Tesla V100 series confirm it is a top-tier compute product. The RX 6650M's 91st percentile ranking and close competition with the TITAN X Pascal show it is a solid performer in its own segment. The choice is not about which is better overall, but which is better suited to the task.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification category. The MI100 is based on the CDNA 1.0 architecture with the Arcturus chip, while the RX 6650M uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip. Both are 7 nm TSMC parts, but the MI100 has 25,600 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, while the RX 6650M has 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. The transistor density is 34.1M per mm² for the MI100 and 46.7M per mm² for the RX 6650M.

Clock speeds favor the RX 6650M. It has a base clock of 2068 MHz and a boost clock of 2416 MHz, while the MI100's base clock is 1000 MHz with a boost of 1502 MHz. The RX 6650M also has a game clock of 2222 MHz, a feature the MI100 does not list.

Memory configurations are completely different. The MI100 has 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus with 1.23 TB/s bandwidth. The RX 6650M has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The MI100's memory clock is 1200 MHz (2.4 Gbps effective), while the RX 6650M's is 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

The MI100 has 7,680 shading units, 480 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 6650M has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 6650M has 28 ray tracing cores; the MI100 has none. The MI100's pixel rate is 96.13 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 721.0 GTexel/s. The RX 6650M has a pixel rate of 154.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 270.6 GTexel/s.

Power and physical specifications also differ. The MI100 has a 300 W TDP, is dual-slot, and requires 2x 8-pin power connectors with a suggested 700 W PSU. It is 267 mm long and 111 mm high. The RX 6650M has a 120 W TDP, is an IGP form factor, has no power connectors, and has no listed dimensions. The MI100 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RX 6650M uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The MI100 has no display outputs; the RX 6650M's outputs are portable device dependent.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Instinct MI100 wins decisively in compute performance. Its OpenCL score of 139,035 is more than double that of the RX 6650M. It also has far more memory, with 32 GB versus 8 GB, and over five times the memory bandwidth at 1.23 TB/s versus 224.0 GB/s. This makes it the clear choice for data center compute, large data sets, and workloads that require massive parallel throughput. Its higher transistor count and die size support this compute dominance.

The AMD Radeon RX 6650M wins in gaming and graphics features. It has 28 ray tracing cores, which the MI100 lacks entirely. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the MI100 has no API support. The RX 6650M also has a Vulkan score of 77,735 points, a benchmark the MI100 does not have recorded. Its higher clock speeds, with a boost of 2416 MHz versus 1502 MHz, and higher pixel rate of 154.6 GPixel/s versus 96.13 GPixel/s, benefit graphics workloads.

The RX 6650M is also more power efficient, with a 120 W TDP compared to the MI100's 300 W. It is a mobile part with no power connectors, while the MI100 requires 2x 8-pin connectors and a 700 W PSU. The RX 6650M's higher transistor density of 46.7M per mm² versus 34.1M per mm² shows a more efficient use of silicon for its intended purpose. The MI100 wins on raw compute, while the RX 6650M wins on graphics features, efficiency, and mobility.