AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 vs AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT Comparison

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 is the dominant performer in every recorded benchmark, winning all 10 head-to-head tests against the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT. The data shows a decisive generational leap, not a close contest. The R9700 delivers 319.8% higher scores in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 100.5% higher Passmark G3D scores, and 143% higher GPU compute scores. For any workload involving modern DirectX 12 gaming, compute, or professional 3D rendering, the R9700 is the clear choice based on performance alone.

The RX 5600 XT, while end-of-life, still holds a position in the database at the 66th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A750 (0.6% behind) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.9% behind), showing it remains competitive within its generation. However, the R9700 sits at the 69th percentile, and its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 M290X and RX 6600M, both within 0.2% of its average score. The R9700's average benchmark score of 23315 versus the RX 5600 XT's 20713 reflects a 12.6% overall advantage, but the head-to-head deltas are far larger in specific tests.

The verdict is straightforward: the R9700 is for users who need maximum throughput, ray tracing capability, and future-proof memory capacity. The RX 5600 XT is for users who prioritize lower power draw and a smaller footprint, accepting significantly lower performance. The data does not support any scenario where the RX 5600 XT wins on speed.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is fundamental. The R9700 uses the Navi 48 chip on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The RX 5600 XT uses the Navi 10 chip on RDNA 1.0, built on a 7 nm process. The process shrink alone explains a large portion of the performance difference, with the R9700 packing 53,900 million transistors into a 357 mm² die, achieving a density of 151.0 million transistors per mm². The RX 5600 XT has 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, at 41.0 million per mm².

Core counts diverge sharply. The R9700 has 4096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs, plus 64 dedicated ray tracing cores. The RX 5600 XT has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with no dedicated ray tracing hardware. The R9700's FP32 throughput is 47.84 TFLOPS, while the RX 5600 XT manages 7.188 TFLOPS, a 6.65x difference. The R9700 also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (47.84 TFLOPS), whereas the RX 5600 XT achieves FP16 at 14.38 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio.

Memory subsystems are completely different. The R9700 has 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 644.6 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 5600 XT has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, at 288.0 GB/s. The R9700's memory clock runs at 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective), while the RX 5600 XT runs at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). Clock speeds also favor the R9700: base 1660 MHz versus 1130 MHz, boost 2920 MHz versus 1560 MHz, and game clock 2350 MHz versus 1375 MHz.

The R9700 supports PCIe 5.0 x16, while the RX 5600 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs differ as well: the R9700 has 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, while the RX 5600 XT has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate, but the R9700 reaches the 12_2 feature level, while the RX 5600 XT is at 12_1. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the largest single delta. The R9700 scores 7006, the RX 5600 XT scores 1669, a 319.8% advantage. This test stresses modern DirectX 12 rendering, and the gap reflects both the raw compute advantage and the presence of ray tracing hardware on the R9700.

In Passmark G3D, the R9700 achieves 26979 against 13457, a 100.5% lead. This is a nearly exact doubling of performance. Passmark GPU Compute shows 15300 versus 6296, a 143% advantage, indicating the R9700 is more than twice as fast in compute-heavy workloads.

Geekbench OpenCL reveals a 72.5% lead: 118202 versus 68537. Geekbench Vulkan shows a narrower 13% gap: 63550 versus 56218. The Vulkan delta is the smallest of all tests, suggesting that the RX 5600 XT's RDNA 1.0 architecture handles low-level API workloads relatively better than its DirectX performance would suggest.

DirectX legacy tests show the R9700's dominance across the board. Passmark DirectX 10: 155 versus 73, a 112.3% lead. DirectX 11: 272 versus 96, a 183.3% lead. DirectX 12: 83 versus 52, a 59.6% lead. DirectX 9: 363 versus 202, a 79.7% lead. The R9700's smallest win in this suite is DirectX 12 at 59.6%, still a substantial margin.

Passmark G2D (2D graphics) shows 1236 versus 870, a 42.1% lead. This is the closest test overall, indicating that 2D desktop workloads do not fully utilize the R9700's additional compute resources.

The RX 5600 XT has one benchmark not present on the R9700: Geekbench Metal, scoring 80376. This is notable because the R9700 has no recorded Metal score, likely due to driver or platform differences, but it does not affect the head-to-head tally.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has more ray tracing capabilities?

A: The AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 has 64 dedicated ray tracing cores. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT has no dedicated ray tracing cores, as listed in the database.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The R9700 has 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, while the RX 5600 XT has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus. The R9700's bandwidth is 644.6 GB/s versus 288.0 GB/s for the RX 5600 XT.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The R9700 has an average benchmark score of 23315, while the RX 5600 XT averages 20713. The R9700 sits at the 69th percentile of all GPUs, the RX 5600 XT at the 66th.

Q: Which GPU supports newer PCIe and display standards?

A: The R9700 uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and has 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 3x DisplayPort 2.1a. The RX 5600 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16 with 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: What is the DirectX feature level difference?

A: The R9700 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate at the 12_2 feature level. The RX 5600 XT supports DirectX 12 at the 12_1 feature level, which lacks some advanced features like full ray tracing support.

Q: Is the RX 5600 XT still in production?

A: No, the RX 5600 XT is marked as end-of-life in the database. The R9700 has an active production status.

Where Each One Wins

The R9700 wins every single benchmark where both GPUs have recorded scores. Its largest relative advantage is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (319.8%), followed by Passmark DirectX 11 (183.3%) and Passmark GPU Compute (143%). These are the workloads that benefit most from the R9700's higher shading unit count, ray tracing cores, and memory bandwidth.

For gaming, the R9700's Passmark G3D score of 26979 is more than double the RX 5600 XT's 13457. For professional compute, the OpenCL score of 118202 versus 68537 shows the R9700 is the clear choice. For modern API workloads, the Vulkan score of 63550 versus 56218 is the closest margin, but still a 13% win for the R9700.

The RX 5600 XT's only advantage is its lower power draw. The database lists the R9700 at 300 W TDP with a 700 W suggested PSU, while the RX 5600 XT is 150 W with a 450 W suggested PSU. The RX 5600 XT also uses a single 8-pin power connector versus the R9700's single 16-pin connector. For users building a system with a smaller power supply or in a compact case, the RX 5600 XT's lower power requirement is the only recorded advantage.

The RX 5600 XT does have a Geekbench Metal score of 80376, which the R9700 lacks entirely. If a user requires Metal API performance, the RX 5600 XT has a measurable result in the database, but this cannot be directly compared to the R9700.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in nearly every specification field. The R9700 uses the Navi 48 chip on RDNA 4.0, while the RX 5600 XT uses Navi 10 on RDNA 1.0. Process nodes are 4 nm versus 7 nm, with transistor counts of 53,900 million versus 10,300 million. Die sizes are 357 mm² versus 251 mm², and transistor densities are 151.0M per mm² versus 41.0M per mm².

Clock speeds differ substantially: base 1660 MHz versus 1130 MHz, boost 2920 MHz versus 1560 MHz, game 2350 MHz versus 1375 MHz, and memory 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective) versus 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). Memory configuration: 32 GB versus 6 GB GDDR6, 256-bit versus 192-bit bus, 644.6 GB/s versus 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Compute resources: shading units 4096 versus 2304, TMUs 256 versus 144, ROPs 128 versus 64, and RT cores 64 versus none. Pixel rates are 373.8 GPixel/s versus 99.84 GPixel/s. Texture rates are 747.5 GTexel/s versus 224.6 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is 47.84 TFLOPS versus 7.188 TFLOPS. FP16 performance is 47.84 TFLOPS (1:1) versus 14.38 TFLOPS (2:1).

Power and connectivity: TDP 300 W versus 150 W, power connector 1x 16-pin versus 1x 8-pin, suggested PSU 700 W versus 450 W. Bus interface is PCIe 5.0 x16 versus PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs are 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 3x DisplayPort 2.1a versus 1x HDMI 2.0b plus 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. DirectX support is 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (12_1). The R9700 has dimensions of 267 mm length, 111 mm height, and 40 mm width, while the RX 5600 XT only has a recorded length of 267 mm.

Production status differs: the R9700 is active, the RX 5600 XT is end-of-life. Release dates are 2025-07-22 for the R9700 and 2020-01-20 for the RX 5600 XT. The R9700's predecessor is Radeon Pro Vega, while the RX 5600 XT's predecessor is Vega and successor is Navi II. The launch MSRP for the R9700 is 1,299 USD, and for the RX 5600 XT it is 279 USD.