AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs AMD Radeon Pro 560 Comparison

The AMD Radeon HD 7790 and AMD Radeon Pro 560 are separated by four years and a full architectural generation, yet the benchmark data places them in the same performance tier. The Pro 560 is the outright winner in the single available head-to-head test, but the HD 7790 remains a closer competitor than its age suggests. The data shows a 15.5% victory for the Pro 560 in Geekbench Metal, a margin that is significant but not transformative, placing both cards within a narrow band of mid-range performance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 560 wins the only direct comparison available, taking the Geekbench Metal test with a score of 20918 against the HD 7790's 17666. This is a clear, single-test victory, and the Pro 560's advantage is substantial enough to be considered a definitive win in that specific workload. The Pro 560 also demonstrates broader API versatility, with additional benchmark scores in Geekbench OpenCL (15504) and Geekbench Vulkan (16232), indicating it can be evaluated across multiple compute frameworks, whereas the HD 7790 only has a Metal result on record.

The AMD Radeon HD 7790, despite losing the head-to-head, does not have a category where it wins outright. Its sole benchmark score of 17666 is lower than the Pro 560's Metal result, and it lacks alternative test results to claim superiority in OpenCL or Vulkan. However, the HD 7790's average benchmark score of 17666 is higher than the Pro 560's average of 17551, a statistical quirk driven by the Pro 560's lower OpenCL and Vulkan scores dragging down its mean. This means that when averaging across all available tests, the HD 7790 actually holds a 0.7% edge in aggregate performance, per the nearestRivals deltaPct.

For use-case selection, the Pro 560 is the card for Metal-centric applications, where it shows a clear lead. The HD 7790, conversely, is the more consistent performer when considering a mix of workloads, as its single score sits above the Pro 560's overall average. The data suggests the Pro 560 is a specialized winner in Apple's Metal API, while the HD 7790 is a more balanced, if older, option that does not trail as badly as its release date might imply.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is generational. The HD 7790 is built on GCN 2.0 architecture with the Bonaire chip, fabricated on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The Pro 560 uses GCN 4.0 with the Polaris 21 chip, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. This node shrink allows the Pro 560 to pack 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 24.4M / mm². The HD 7790, in contrast, has 2,080 million transistors on a larger 160 mm² die, resulting in a density of only 13.0M / mm².

The Pro 560's newer process yields a higher transistor count and density, but the HD 7790 compensates with a larger physical die. In terms of raw compute resources, the Pro 560 has more shading units (1024 vs. 896) and more texture mapping units (64 vs. 56), while both cards have identical 16 ROPs. The Pro 560 also offers a higher FP32 throughput at 1.858 TFLOPS, compared to the HD 7790's 1.792 TFLOPS, and it uniquely supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (1.858 TFLOPS), a feature the HD 7790 lacks.

Memory configurations differ significantly. The HD 7790 uses 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Pro 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus but with lower bandwidth at 81.28 GB/s. The HD 7790's memory clock is higher at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) versus the Pro 560's 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective), giving the older card a bandwidth advantage despite its smaller capacity. The Pro 560 compensates with four times the memory size, which is critical for modern workloads.

Other differences include the HD 7790's PCIe 3.0 x16 interface versus the Pro 560's PCIe 3.0 x8, and the HD 7790's dual-slot design with a 1x 6-pin power connector versus the Pro 560's IGP form factor with no power connectors. The Pro 560 also supports Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 7790 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170, and both share DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6 support.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the data is the Geekbench Metal test, and it is a decisive win for the AMD Radeon Pro 560. The Pro 560 scores 20918, while the HD 7790 manages 17666, resulting in a delta of -15.5% for the HD 7790. This is a substantial margin, indicating that the Pro 560's newer architecture and higher shading unit count translate into a meaningful performance advantage in Metal-based compute and graphics workloads.

The Pro 560's victory is even more impressive when considering its lower bandwidth. Despite having 81.28 GB/s of memory bandwidth compared to the HD 7790's 96.00 GB/s, the Pro 560 still outperforms it by a wide margin. This suggests that the Pro 560's advantages in shading units (1024 vs. 896) and texture rate (58.05 GTexel/s vs. 56.00 GTexel/s) outweigh the HD 7790's superior memory throughput. The Pro 560 also has a higher FP32 throughput (1.858 TFLOPS vs. 1.792 TFLOPS), which likely contributes to its Metal score lead.

In aggregate, the HD 7790's average benchmark score of 17666 stands above the Pro 560's average of 17551, per the nearestRivals data. This 0.7% difference is driven by the Pro 560's weaker OpenCL (15504) and Vulkan (16232) scores, which pull its average below the HD 7790's single result. This creates a scenario where the Pro 560 wins the head-to-head Metal test but loses the average-score comparison, making the choice dependent on whether the user prioritizes a specific API or a balanced profile.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench Metal score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 20918 in Geekbench Metal, which is 15.5% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7790's 17666.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The HD 7790 has an average benchmark score of 17666, while the Pro 560 averages 17551, giving the HD 7790 a 0.7% edge in aggregate performance.

Q: What are the memory capacity and bandwidth differences?

A: The HD 7790 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth, while the Pro 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 with 81.28 GB/s bandwidth, both on a 128-bit bus.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The Pro 560 has 1024 shading units, while the HD 7790 has 896, giving the Pro 560 a 14.3% advantage in this metric.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The HD 7790 uses a 28 nm process at TSMC, while the Pro 560 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, with the latter achieving a higher transistor density of 24.4M / mm² versus 13.0M / mm².

Q: Which card supports more recent API versions?

A: The Pro 560 supports Vulkan 1.3, while the HD 7790 supports Vulkan 1.2.170; both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The data clearly favors the AMD Radeon Pro 560 for users who prioritize Metal performance, as it wins the only head-to-head test by 15.5%. Its higher shading unit count, newer GCN 4.0 architecture, and 4 GB of memory make it the more future-proof option for modern applications, especially those leveraging Apple's Metal API. The Pro 560 also offers a broader benchmark profile with OpenCL and Vulkan scores, giving users more data points to assess its capability across different compute frameworks.

However, the AMD Radeon HD 7790 is not without merit. Its higher memory bandwidth (96.00 GB/s vs. 81.28 GB/s) and higher average benchmark score (17666 vs. 17551) suggest it remains competitive in certain workloads, particularly those sensitive to memory throughput. The HD 7790's PCIe 3.0 x16 interface and dual-slot design also indicate it was built for traditional desktop use, whereas the Pro 560's IGP form factor with no power connectors points to an integrated mobile solution.

For a desktop user with an existing PSU rated at 250 W, the HD 7790 is a viable option that still competes closely in average performance. For a user requiring Metal acceleration or needing more than 1 GB of VRAM, the Pro 560 is the clear choice. The verdict hinges on the workload: Metal-centric tasks favor the Pro 560, while mixed or bandwidth-sensitive workloads may find the HD 7790 adequate. Neither card dominates across all metrics, but the Pro 560's architectural advantages and larger memory capacity make it the stronger recommendation for longevity.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon HD 7790 | AMD Radeon Pro 560 |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 2,080 million | 3,000 million |

| Die Size | 160 mm² | 123 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 13.0M / mm² | 24.4M / mm² |

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) | 1270 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 1024 MB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 96.00 GB/s | 81.28 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 896 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 56 | 64 |

| ROPs | 16 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 16.00 GPixel/s | 14.51 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 56.00 GTexel/s | 58.05 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 1.792 TFLOPS | 1.858 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | N/A | 1.858 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 85 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | N/A |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 | Portable Device Dependent |

| Vulkan API | 1.2.170 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2013-03-21 | 2017-04-17 |

| Launch MSRP | 149 USD | N/A |