AMD Instinct MI455X vs AMD Radeon RX 9060 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded database contains benchmark results for the AMD Radeon RX 9060, while the AMD Instinct MI455X has no benchmark entries, an average score of 0, and no nearest rivals. The head-to-head comparison is therefore one-sided: the RX 9060 holds all recorded wins by default, though the Instinct MI455X is not directly comparable in the same performance class.

The RX 9060 posts an average benchmark score of 16,014 across ten tests. Its strongest single result is the Geekbench OpenCL score of 88,183, followed by the Vulkan score of 39,476. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it records 3,322. The Passmark suite shows more varied results: G3D scores 17,631, GPU compute scores 9,919, G2D scores 1,002, DirectX 9 scores 280, DirectX 11 scores 182, DirectX 10 scores 104, and DirectX 12 scores 44. These numbers place the RX 9060 at the 59th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with its average score of 16,014.

Against its nearest rivals, the RX 9060 sits within a tight cluster. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 16,129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16,014. The AMD Radeon R9 370X averages 15,862, putting the RX 9060 1% ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 also averages 15,852, again 1% behind the RX 9060. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 averages 15,679, which the RX 9060 beats by 2.1%. The data shows a narrow competitive band: the RX 9060 trails only the RTX 3060 Ti by a negligible margin and leads the other three rivals by 1% to 2.1%.

The Instinct MI455X has no benchmark scores recorded, so no direct numerical comparison can be made. Its percentile ranking of 50 with an average score of 0 indicates that the database has not yet measured it in any workload. The wins tally shows zero for the MI455X and zero for the RX 9060, meaning the head-to-head benchmark array is empty. This absence of data does not imply equivalence; it simply reflects that the MI455X has not been subjected to the same standardized tests.

Architecture Differences

The two AMD parts diverge fundamentally in their design goals. The Instinct MI455X uses the CDNA 5.0 architecture with the MI450 256CU chip, built on a 2 nm process at TSMC. It packs 320,000 million transistors onto a 2,990 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 107.0 million per square millimeter. The RX 9060 uses the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 44 chip, also from TSMC but on a 4 nm process. It contains 29,700 million transistors on a 199 mm² die, with a higher density of 149.2 million per square millimeter.

Clock speeds show contrasting strategies. The MI455X runs a base clock of 1,000 MHz and a boost clock of 2,400 MHz. The RX 9060 has a base clock of 1,700 MHz, a boost clock of 2,990 MHz, and a game clock of 2,400 MHz. The RX 9060 operates at higher frequencies in both base and boost states, while the MI455X relies on its massive compute array rather than clock speed.

Memory configurations could not be more different. The MI455X carries 432 GB of HBM4 memory across a 24,576-bit bus, delivering 23.3 TB/s of bandwidth. The RX 9060 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s. The MI455X's memory subsystem offers over 80 times the raw bandwidth, reflecting its purpose as a compute accelerator rather than a graphics card.

Compute resources scale accordingly. The MI455X has 32,768 shading units, 1,024 texture mapping units, and zero ROPs, with a texture rate of 2,457.6 GTexel/s and zero pixel rate. Its FP32 performance reaches 157.3 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same 157.3 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). The RX 9060 has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 28 ray tracing cores. Its texture rate is 334.9 GTexel/s, pixel rate is 191.4 GPixel/s, and FP32 is 21.43 TFLOPS, with FP16 also at 21.43 TFLOPS (1:1).

Power and physical design reflect their respective markets. The MI455X consumes up to 2,300 W, requires a 2,700 W suggested power supply, uses an EAM Module slot width, and has no power connectors or display outputs. The RX 9060 draws 132 W, needs a 300 W power supply, occupies a dual-slot form factor, uses a single 8-pin connector, and provides 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 2x DisplayPort 2.1a outputs. The MI455X has no API support for DirectX, OpenGL, or Vulkan, while the RX 9060 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The bus interfaces also differ: the MI455X uses PCIe 6.0 x16, while the RX 9060 uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The MI455X belongs to the Instinct (MIx) generation with the Radeon Instinct as its predecessor, and its release date is July 22, 2026. The RX 9060 belongs to the Radeon RX 9000 series, uses the Strix Point codename, sits in the Navi IV (RX 9000) generation with Navi III as its predecessor, and was released on August 4, 2025. The RX 9060 has an active production status, while the MI455X does not list one.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 9060 wins in every measurable benchmark category in the database, simply because it has recorded scores and the MI455X does not. Looking at the RX 9060's profile, its strengths concentrate in compute-oriented workloads. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 88,183 dominates its own results, and the Vulkan score of 39,476 confirms strong general-purpose compute. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,322 shows capable DirectX 12 rendering, and the Passmark G3D score of 17,631 indicates solid graphics performance.

Within the RX 9060's own benchmark suite, the Passmark DirectX 12 score of 44 is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 182, which itself trails the DirectX 9 score of 280. The DirectX 10 score sits at 104. This pattern suggests the RX 9060 performs better in legacy DirectX APIs than in the latest one, or that the specific workload differs. The G2D score of 1,002 and GPU compute score of 9,919 round out the picture.

For the MI455X, the absence of benchmark data means no wins can be assigned. Its architecture points to a different domain: the 157.3 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 performance, 23.3 TB/s memory bandwidth, and 432 GB capacity target large-scale compute, scientific simulation, and AI training, not rasterized graphics. The zero ROP count and no display outputs confirm it is not designed for frame rendering. Its 2,300 W power envelope and EAM Module form factor place it in server racks, not desktop cases.

The RX 9060, by contrast, is a conventional graphics card. Its 64 ROPs, 28 ray tracing cores, 191.4 GPixel/s pixel rate, and full API support including DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 make it suitable for gaming and workstation graphics. The 132 W power draw and dual-slot design fit standard consumer systems. The data shows two products optimized for different tasks, with only the RX 9060 having measured results in the standardized benchmark suite.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has an average benchmark score of 16,014, while the AMD Instinct MI455X has an average score of 0 because no benchmarks are recorded for it.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has an average score of 16,129, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 9060's 16,014, so the RTX 3060 Ti leads by a narrow margin.

Q: What memory configurations do these two GPUs use?

A: The MI455X uses 432 GB of HBM4 memory with a 24,576-bit bus and 23.3 TB/s bandwidth. The RX 9060 uses 8 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the FP32 performance figures for each GPU?

A: The MI455X delivers 157.3 TFLOPS FP32, while the RX 9060 delivers 21.43 TFLOPS FP32. Both have FP16 at the same values with a 1:1 ratio.

Q: Which GPU supports DirectX and Vulkan?

A: Only the RX 9060 supports these APIs: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The MI455X lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The MI455X has a TDP of 2,300 W and requires a 2,700 W suggested power supply. The RX 9060 has a TDP of 132 W and needs a 300 W suggested power supply.

The Verdict

The database clearly separates these two AMD products by purpose and measured capability. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the only one with benchmark results, and those results place it in a competitive mid-range desktop graphics segment. Its average score of 16,014 ranks at the 59th percentile of all GPUs, sitting within 0.7% of the RTX 3060 Ti and ahead of the R9 370X, RX 7700, and Pro W5500 by 1% to 2.1%. For anyone comparing it against those specific rivals, the data shows near-parity with the RTX 3060 Ti and a slight edge over the AMD alternatives.

The AMD Instinct MI455X offers no benchmark data, so no performance verdict can be drawn from measurements. Its architecture tells a different story: 32,768 shading units, 1,024 TMUs, 432 GB of HBM4, 23.3 TB/s bandwidth, and 157.3 TFLOPS FP32. These specifications target compute acceleration, not graphics output. The zero ROP count, no display outputs, and no graphics API support confirm this. The 2,300 W power draw and EAM Module form factor further indicate a data center accelerator.

The choice between them depends entirely on the workload. The RX 9060 is the appropriate pick for any task requiring DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL, or Vulkan rendering, or for a dual-slot card with display outputs and a 132 W power budget. The MI455X serves applications that need massive memory capacity and bandwidth, high FP32 throughput, and no graphics output. The recorded data supports only the RX 9060's performance claims; the MI455X's capabilities rest on its architectural specifications alone. Neither product can substitute for the other based on the available information.