AMD Instinct MI300X vs AMD Radeon RX 9060 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only directly comparable benchmark recorded in the database for both products is Geekbench OpenCL. In that test, the AMD Instinct MI300X produces a score of 317,994, while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 records 88,183. This gives the Instinct MI300X a decisive advantage of 260.6% over the Radeon RX 9060 in raw OpenCL compute throughput.

The magnitude of this gap reflects the fundamentally different positioning of these two accelerators. The Instinct MI300X sits at the 100th percentile among all GPUs in the database, meaning no recorded graphics card scores higher on average. Its nearest rivals in the database all come from NVIDIA's professional lineup: the B200 leads it by 8%, the H200 NVL leads by 5%, the L40S trails by 7.5%, and the RTX 6000 Ada Generation trails by 10.7%. Against such company, the Instinct MI300X is competitive at the very top of the compute hierarchy.

The Radeon RX 9060, by contrast, rests at the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are much closer in score: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is essentially tied at 0.7% ahead, the AMD Radeon R9 370X trails by 1%, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 trails by 1%, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 2.1%. The delta between the RX 9060 and its nearest competitors is an order of magnitude smaller than the delta between the Instinct MI300X and the RX 9060.

The database records exactly one head-to-head win for the Instinct MI300X and zero for the Radeon RX 9060. In isolation, that looks lopsided, but the benchmark coverage itself is lopsided. The Instinct MI300X has only a single recorded benchmark result (Geekbench OpenCL), while the Radeon RX 9060 carries ten results across DirectX, Vulkan, PassMark, and compute workloads. The OpenCL comparison is the only intersection, and it heavily favors the data-center part.

Looking at the RX 9060's other recorded scores in context, the PassMark results show a wide spread across API generations: DirectX 9 scores 280, DirectX 10 scores 104, DirectX 11 scores 182, and DirectX 12 scores 44. The PassMark G3D score is 17,631, and the GPU compute score is 9,919. The 2D score is 1,002. Vulkan performance, measured via Geekbench, is 39,476, which is less than half of the OpenCL score of 88,183. These numbers depict a client-oriented GPU with balanced but moderate compute capability.

The Instinct MI300X's 317,994 OpenCL score is nearly four times the RX 9060's 88,183. Even the RX 9060's best recorded compute-oriented result (OpenCL) does not approach the Instinct's margin. The Instinct MI300X also outperforms two of its four nearest rivals (L40S and RTX 6000 Ada) by 7.5% and 10.7% respectively, while remaining within single-digit percentages of the top two (B200 and H200 NVL).

The Verdict

The recorded data paints a clear picture: the AMD Instinct MI300X is a compute accelerator built for maximum OpenCL throughput, and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 is a consumer GPU designed for a broad range of graphics and compute workloads. The 260.6% OpenCL gap is the single largest recorded differential between these two products, and it drives the verdict.

For workloads that depend on massive parallel compute, specifically OpenCL-based processing, the Instinct MI300X is the correct choice. Its score of 317,994 places it at the 100th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all NVIDIA data-center parts. The 192 GB of HBM3 memory with 5.32 TB/s bandwidth, the 8,192-bit bus, and the 81.72 TFLOPS FP32 throughput all align with a device whose sole purpose is high-volume compute. The absence of display outputs and graphics APIs (DirectX N/A, OpenGL N/A, Vulkan N/A) confirms that this product is not intended for rendering or interactive use.

The Radeon RX 9060 is the correct choice for any workload that requires a display output, graphics API support, or a conventional desktop form factor. It records DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 support, includes one HDMI 2.1b and two DisplayPort 2.1a outputs, and fits a dual-slot layout with a single 8-pin power connector. Its 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivers 288.0 GB/s, which is far below the Instinct's memory subsystem but appropriate for client workloads. The RX 9060 also has a much lower TDP at 132 W versus 750 W, and its suggested PSU is 300 W versus 1,150 W.

The verdict is therefore not that one product is "better" but that they occupy different tiers of the same manufacturer's lineup. The Instinct MI300X belongs to the Instinct (MIx) generation and uses CDNA 3.0 architecture. The Radeon RX 9060 belongs to the Radeon RX 9000 series and uses RDNA 4.0 architecture. These are different architectures with different design goals, and the benchmark data reflects that.

Where Each One Wins

The Instinct MI300X wins decisively in raw compute throughput. Its OpenCL score is 260.6% higher than the RX 9060's. It also wins in memory capacity (192 GB versus 8 GB), memory bandwidth (5.32 TB/s versus 288.0 GB/s), memory bus width (8,192 bit versus 128 bit), and FP32 throughput (81.72 TFLOPS versus 21.43 TFLOPS). It has more shading units (19,456 versus 1,792), more TMUs (1,216 versus 112), and a larger die (1,017 mm² versus 199 mm²). Its transistor count is 153,000 million versus 29,700 million. The Instinct MI300X also uses HBM3 memory and a 5 nm process, while the RX 9060 uses GDDR6 and a 4 nm process. In every compute-oriented metric recorded in the database, the Instinct MI300X leads.

The Radeon RX 9060 wins in areas the Instinct MI300X does not compete. It has display outputs (HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 2.1a), graphics API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4), and a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s versus the Instinct's 0 MPixel/s. It has 64 ROPs and 28 ray-tracing cores, while the Instinct records 0 ROPs and no ray-tracing core count. The RX 9060 also has a much higher boost clock (2,990 MHz versus 2,100 MHz) and a higher base clock (1,700 MHz versus 1,000 MHz). Its texture rate is lower (334.9 GTexel/s versus 2,553.6 GTexel/s), but its power draw is dramatically lower (132 W versus 750 W), and its suggested PSU is 300 W versus 1,150 W. The RX 9060 is also the only one of the two with an active production status.

The RX 9060's higher clock speeds and lower power envelope make it suitable for desktop deployment. The Instinct MI300X uses an OAM module slot width and has no power connectors, meaning it requires external power delivery infrastructure. The RX 9060 uses a standard dual-slot layout and a single 8-pin connector.

FAQ

Q: Which product has the higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The AMD Instinct MI300X scores 317,994 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 scores 88,183. The Instinct leads by 260.6%.

Q: How does the Instinct MI300X compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The database lists NVIDIA H200 NVL (334,891, 5% ahead), NVIDIA B200 (345,482, 8% ahead), NVIDIA L40S (295,763, 7.5% behind), and NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation (287,237, 10.7% behind).

Q: How does the Radeon RX 9060 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The database lists NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129, 0.7% ahead), AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, 1% behind), AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852, 1% behind), and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15,679, 2.1% behind).

Q: Does the Radeon RX 9060 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, it records 28 ray-tracing cores. The Instinct MI300X does not list a ray-tracing core count.

Q: What memory types do the two products use?

A: The Instinct MI300X uses 192 GB of HBM3 with an 8,192-bit bus and 5.32 TB/s bandwidth. The Radeon RX 9060 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which product has display outputs?

A: The Radeon RX 9060 has one HDMI 2.1b and two DisplayPort 2.1a outputs. The Instinct MI300X has no display outputs.

Architecture Differences

The two accelerators implement different AMD architectures. The Instinct MI300X uses CDNA 3.0, while the Radeon RX 9060 uses RDNA 4.0. The Instinct belongs to the Instinct (MIx) generation, and the RX 9060 belongs to the Navi IV (RX 9000) generation.

The chip designs diverge sharply. The Instinct MI300X uses the Aqua Vanjaram chip fabricated on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 153,000 million transistors on a 1,017 mm² die. The Radeon RX 9060 uses the Navi 44 chip on a 4 nm TSMC process, with 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die. Transistor density is nearly identical (150.4M / mm² versus 149.2M / mm²), but the die sizes produce vastly different total transistor counts.

The memory subsystems are entirely different in scale. The Instinct MI300X has 192 GB of HBM3 across an 8,192-bit bus, delivering 5.32 TB/s. The Radeon RX 9060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 across a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s. The Instinct's memory clock is 1,300 MHz (5.2 Gbps effective), while the RX 9060's memory clock is 2,250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The RX 9060's memory runs at a higher frequency, but the Instinct's far wider bus gives it over 18 times the bandwidth.

Compute resources differ by roughly an order of magnitude. The Instinct MI300X has 19,456 shading units, 1,216 TMUs, and 0 ROPs. The Radeon RX 9060 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The Instinct's texture rate is 2,553.6 GTexel/s versus 334.9 GTexel/s for the RX 9060. FP32 throughput is 81.72 TFLOPS versus 21.43 TFLOPS, and both products maintain a 1:1 FP16 ratio at the same figures.

Clock behavior also differs. The Instinct MI300X has a base clock of 1,000 MHz and a boost clock of 2,100 MHz. The Radeon RX 9060 has a base clock of 1,700 MHz, a game clock of 2,400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2,990 MHz. The RX 9060 runs at substantially higher frequencies, which partly compensates for its smaller compute core count in client workloads.

Graphics capabilities are exclusive to the Radeon RX 9060. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. It has 28 ray-tracing cores and a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s. The Instinct MI300X records N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, and its pixel rate is 0 MPixel/s. The RX 9060 also includes display outputs (one HDMI 2.1b, two DisplayPort 2.1a), while the Instinct has none.

Power and form factor differ fundamentally. The Instinct MI300X has a TDP of 750 W, an OAM module slot width, no power connectors, and a suggested PSU of 1,150 W. The Radeon RX 9060 has a TDP of 132 W, dual-slot width, one 8-pin power connector, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The Instinct is a data-center module; the RX 9060 is a desktop card.

Both use PCIe 5.0 x16 as the bus interface. The Instinct MI300X released on 2023-12-05, and the Radeon RX 9060 released on 2025-08-04. The Instinct's predecessor is Radeon Instinct, and the RX 9060's predecessor is Navi III. Neither product has a recorded successor.