AMD Radeon 550X vs AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Comparison

AMD Radeon Pro 5300M vs AMD Radeon 550X: a comparison between a modern 7 nm mobile workstation GPU and a 14 nm entry-level desktop part. The data shows a clear performance gap, but each card has a distinct role depending on the workload and platform constraints.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M wins every benchmark where both cards have recorded scores. In the database, the head-to-head results cover two tests: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. The Pro 5300M scores 29,252 in OpenCL versus 8,866 for the Radeon 550X, a delta of 229.9%. In Vulkan, the Pro 5300M scores 27,912 against 8,970, a delta of 211.2%. Across the full benchmark suite, the Pro 5300M holds an average score of 10,013, while the Radeon 550X averages 8,918. That places the Pro 5300M in the 48th percentile of all GPUs, and the Radeon 550X in the 45th percentile.

The Pro 5300M also has a much broader set of recorded benchmarks. The database includes Geekbench Metal, PassMark DirectX 10, 11, 12, 9, G2D, G3D, and GPU compute scores for the Pro 5300M. The Radeon 550X only has two recorded tests, OpenCL and Vulkan. That means for any DirectX workload, legacy API, or compute stress test, the Pro 5300M is the only one with data, and it leads in every category it appears in.

The Radeon 550X does have one practical advantage: power draw. It is rated at 50 W TDP, compared to 85 W for the Pro 5300M. The 550X also has a dual-slot cooler and a 250 W suggested PSU, making it easier to slot into a standard desktop without worrying about power delivery. The Pro 5300M has no power connectors listed and is described as portable device dependent, meaning it is designed for mobile or proprietary systems. So the 550X wins on integration simplicity and lower system power requirements, even though it loses on raw performance.

The Verdict

Pick the AMD Radeon Pro 5300M if you need maximum compute throughput in a compact mobile or proprietary form factor. The data shows it is more than 200% faster than the Radeon 550X in both OpenCL and Vulkan, and it has support for Metal, DirectX 12 (12_1), and Vulkan 1.4. It also has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory versus 2 GB of GDDR5, which matters for larger datasets. The Pro 5300M is built on a 7 nm process with RDNA 1.0 architecture, giving it higher efficiency per transistor, and it delivers 3.200 TFLOPS FP32 performance.

Pick the AMD Radeon 550X if you need a low-power, dual-slot desktop card with a standard display output configuration (1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a). It consumes 35 W less than the Pro 5300M, and its 250 W suggested PSU means it can run in most pre-built systems without upgrades. The 550X uses GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process, supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, and has a 145 mm (5.7 inch) length, fitting into compact cases. Its performance is lower, but for basic 2D output, legacy application support, or compute tasks that do not require high throughput, it is a functional option.

The Pro 5300M is end-of-life, as is the 550X, so neither is a future-proof purchase. But if the workload is GPU compute or modern API rendering, the Pro 5300M is the obvious choice. If the workload is simple display output in a desktop with a modest PSU, the 550X is the safer fit.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only two tests where both cards have recorded scores are Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In OpenCL, the Pro 5300M scores 29,252. The Radeon 550X scores 8,866. That is a 229.9% advantage for the Pro 5300M. In Vulkan, the Pro 5300M scores 27,912, and the 550X scores 8,970. That is a 211.2% advantage. These deltas are enormous, more than doubling the 550X in both APIs.

Looking at other benchmarks where only the Pro 5300M has data, the gap likely extends further. The Pro 5300M scores 33,626 in Geekbench Metal, 5,918 in PassMark G3D, and 2,658 in PassMark GPU compute. The 550X has no recorded scores for these tests, so direct comparison is impossible, but the pattern is consistent: the Pro 5300M is a much faster card.

The Pro 5300M also has higher memory bandwidth, 192.0 GB/s versus 112.0 GB/s for the 550X. That is a 71.4% bandwidth advantage, which directly impacts memory-bound compute workloads. The Pro 5300M has 1280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The 550X has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Pro 5300M has more than double the shading units and TMUs, and double the ROPs. Its pixel rate is 40.00 GPixel/s versus 19.49 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 100.0 GTexel/s versus 38.98 GTexel/s.

The Pro 5300M also has a higher FP32 throughput, 3.200 TFLOPS versus 1,247.2 GFLOPS. For FP16, the Pro 5300M achieves 6.400 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the 550X achieves 1,247.2 GFLOPS (1:1 ratio). The Pro 5300M has a 2:1 FP16 advantage, meaning it can double its compute rate for half-precision workloads, while the 550X cannot.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M scores 29,252 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon 550X scores 8,866. That is a 229.9% advantage for the Pro 5300M.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The Pro 5300M has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 550X has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 112.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the Radeon 550X support Vulkan?

A: Yes, the 550X supports Vulkan 1.3. The Pro 5300M supports Vulkan 1.4. In Vulkan benchmarks, the Pro 5300M scores 27,912 versus 8,970 for the 550X, a 211.2% difference.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The Pro 5300M has a TDP of 85 W, while the 550X has a TDP of 50 W. The 550X also lists a suggested PSU of 250 W, while the Pro 5300M has no suggested PSU listed.

Q: Which card has better DirectX support?

A: The Pro 5300M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the 550X supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The Pro 5300M also has recorded PassMark DirectX scores (10, 11, 12, 9), while the 550X has none in the database.

Q: Are these cards still in production?

A: No, both are listed as end-of-life. The Pro 5300M was released on 2019-11-12, and the 550X was released on 2019-03-26.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural generations. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M uses the Navi 14 chip with RDNA 1.0 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The AMD Radeon 550X uses the Lexa chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries.

Transistor counts show the scale difference. The Pro 5300M has 6,400 million transistors on a 158 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 40.5 million per square millimeter. The 550X has 2,200 million transistors on a 103 mm² die, giving a density of 21.4 million per square millimeter. The 7 nm process allows nearly double the density, which explains how the Pro 5300M fits more than twice the shading units into a similar power envelope.

Architecturally, RDNA 1.0 is designed for higher compute per clock and better energy efficiency compared to GCN 4.0. The Pro 5300M has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The 550X has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Pro 5300M also supports FP16 with a 2:1 ratio, meaning it can process half-precision at double rate, while the 550X processes FP16 at the same rate as FP32 (1:1).

The memory subsystems differ in type and speed. The Pro 5300M uses GDDR6 at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective), while the 550X uses GDDR5 at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The Pro 5300M achieves 192.0 GB/s bandwidth despite the same 128-bit bus width, thanks to faster memory. The 550X achieves 112.0 GB/s.

API support also differs. The Pro 5300M supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The 550X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The Pro 5300M has an additional Metal benchmark score, indicating macOS compatibility, while the 550X does not have a Metal score recorded.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences between the two cards are as follows.

The Pro 5300M has a base clock of 1000 MHz and a boost clock of 1250 MHz. The 550X has a base clock of 1082 MHz and a boost clock of 1218 MHz. The 550X has a slightly higher base clock, but the Pro 5300M has a higher boost clock.

Memory: The Pro 5300M has 4 GB of GDDR6 with a 128-bit bus and 192.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 550X has 2 GB of GDDR5 with a 128-bit bus and 112.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute units: The Pro 5300M has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The 550X has 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs.

Rates: The Pro 5300M has a pixel rate of 40.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 100.0 GTexel/s. The 550X has a pixel rate of 19.49 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 38.98 GTexel/s.

FP32 performance: The Pro 5300M delivers 3.200 TFLOPS. The 550X delivers 1,247.2 GFLOPS. FP16 performance: The Pro 5300M delivers 6.400 TFLOPS (2:1), while the 550X delivers 1,247.2 GFLOPS (1:1).

TDP: The Pro 5300M is rated at 85 W. The 550X is rated at 50 W.

Bus interface: The Pro 5300M uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The 550X uses PCIe 3.0 x8.

Display outputs: The Pro 5300M is listed as portable device dependent. The 550X has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Slot width: The Pro 5300M has no slot width listed. The 550X is dual-slot.

Power connectors: The Pro 5300M has none listed. The 550X also has none listed, but the suggested PSU is 250 W.

Dimensions: The Pro 5300M has no length listed. The 550X is 145 mm (5.7 inches) long.

Release date: The Pro 5300M was released on 2019-11-12. The 550X was released on 2019-03-26.

Both cards are end-of-life, and neither has a launch MSRP recorded in the database.