AMD Radeon 680M vs AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon 680M and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT represent two distinct philosophies in GPU design: a modern integrated processor and a dedicated discrete graphics card. The benchmark data reveals a decisive performance gap, with the RX 5500 XT winning all three head-to-head tests by substantial margins. However, the 680M's integration into a 50 W package presents a compelling counter-narrative focused on efficiency and portability, making the choice between them a matter of performance versus power.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a clear and consistent victory for the dedicated RX 5500 XT across all tested workloads. The most significant differential appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the RX 5500 XT scores 1032 against the 680M's 378. This represents a 63.4% deficit for the integrated part, indicating that the discrete GPU holds a massive advantage in modern, graphics-intensive DirectX 12 titles. This is the largest gap in the head-to-head data and sets the tone for the entire comparison.

In compute-oriented benchmarks, the RX 5500 XT also asserts its dominance, though the margin is slightly narrower. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 5500 XT nearly doubles the 680M's output, scoring 46965 versus 23468, a 50% difference. A similar pattern emerges in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 5500 XT scores 44191 against the 680M's 21965, a 50.3% deficit for the integrated GPU. These results indicate that the RX 5500 XT's additional shading units and dedicated memory bandwidth translate directly into superior raw compute throughput.

While the 680M loses every benchmark, its performance relative to the broader GPU landscape is noteworthy. The 680M holds an average benchmark score of 15270, placing it in the 57th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, with a delta of just -0.1%, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which it trails by a mere 0.7%. This suggests that despite its integrated nature, the 680M's average performance is competitive with older mid-range discrete solutions, even if it cannot match the specific strengths of the RX 5500 XT. The RX 5500 XT, with an average score of 14692, also sits in the 57th percentile, and its closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770, which is just 0.4% ahead.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on different generations of the same fundamental architecture, which explains much of their performance disparity. The AMD Radeon 680M utilizes RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 6 nm process node at TSMC. Its silicon, the Rembrandt+ chip, integrates 13,100 million transistors on a 208 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 63.0M / mm². This is a modern, dense design intended for low-power mobile applications. In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is based on the older RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm node at TSMC. Its Navi 14 chip is much smaller, with 6,400 million transistors on a 158 mm² die, translating to a lower density of 40.5M / mm².

The core configurations highlight the fundamental difference in their design goals. The 680M is a compact IGP with 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. It also includes 12 ray accelerators, marking a feature set that the RX 5500 XT completely lacks, as it has no dedicated ray tracing cores. The RX 5500 XT, by contrast, is a full-fledged discrete GPU with a much larger shader array of 1408 units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This nearly doubled shader count is the primary driver of its higher compute performance.

Memory architecture is another stark differentiator. The 680M uses System Shared memory, with its bandwidth being System Dependent. This means its performance is contingent on the system's RAM speed and configuration. The RX 5500 XT, however, features a dedicated 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a fixed bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. This dedicated, high-speed memory is a critical advantage, preventing the bottleneck that shared memory can introduce. The clock speeds also reflect their power envelopes: the 680M has a base clock of 2000 MHz and a boost of 2200 MHz, while the RX 5500 XT runs a base of 1607 MHz, a game clock of 1717 MHz, and a boost of 1845 MHz.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is the clear winner for any workload requiring maximum performance. Its dominance in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 demonstrates its capability for demanding modern games at higher settings and resolutions. The 50% lead in both OpenCL and Vulkan compute benchmarks also makes it the superior choice for GPU-accelerated tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and other professional applications that leverage these APIs. Its dedicated 224.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth ensures that it can feed its 1408 shading units efficiently, avoiding the performance stalls that can plague shared-memory solutions.

The AMD Radeon 680M wins in scenarios where power consumption and physical footprint are the primary constraints. With a TDP of just 50 W and an IGP form factor that requires no power connectors, it can be integrated into thin-and-light laptops. The data indicates it is no slouch, as its average benchmark score of 15270 places it within 0.1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060's score. This means it can handle less demanding games and general compute tasks at playable levels, offering a "good enough" experience without the need for a bulky, power-hungry discrete GPU. The 680M also brings modern API support with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, which is a full step ahead of the RX 5500 XT's DirectX 12 (12_1) support.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in DirectX 12 gaming benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is significantly faster, scoring 1032 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 compared to the 680M's 378, a lead of 63.4%.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon 680M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the 680M includes 12 ray accelerators as part of its RDNA 2.0 architecture. The RX 5500 XT has no ray tracing cores.

Q: How does the memory configuration differ between the two?

A: The 680M uses System Shared memory with bandwidth that is System Dependent. The RX 5500 XT has a dedicated 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with a fixed bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s.

Q: What are the power consumption differences?

A: The 680M has a TDP of 50 W and requires no power connectors, while the RX 5500 XT has a TDP of 130 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector. AMD suggests a 300 W power supply for the RX 5500 XT.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The 680M has a higher average benchmark score of 15270 compared to the RX 5500 XT's 14692, despite losing all head-to-head tests. Both GPUs sit in the 57th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What are the architectural generations of these GPUs?

A: The 680M is based on RDNA 2.0 on a 6 nm process, while the RX 5500 XT is based on the older RDNA 1.0 on a 7 nm process.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon 680M | AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | RDNA 1.0 |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | 13,100 million | 6,400 million |

| Die Size | 208 mm² | 158 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 63.0M / mm² | 40.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 2000 MHz | 1607 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2200 MHz | 1845 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | System Shared | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 224.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 768 | 1408 |

| TMUs | 48 | 88 |

| RT Cores | 12 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 70.40 GPixel/s | 59.04 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 105.6 GTexel/s | 162.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 3.379 TFLOPS | 5.196 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 6.758 TFLOPS (2:1) | 10.39 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 50 W | 130 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | Not specified | 300 W |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Production Status | Active | End-of-life |

| Release Date | 2023-01-02 | 2019-12-11 |