AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs AMD Radeon Pro 560X Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly between these two AMD GPUs, but only one has enough recorded results to establish a clear use-case profile. The AMD Radeon Pro 560X wins the only direct head-to-head benchmark in the database, and it is the only card of the pair with multiple test scores. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 has a single recorded Geekbench Metal score of 17,666, while the Pro 560X posts 18,763 in the same test.

For compute workloads exposed through Apple's Metal API, the Pro 560X is the stronger choice. Its Geekbench Metal result sits 5.8% above the HD 7790, a margin that appears consistently in the recorded data. The Pro 560X also shows versatility across API families: it scores 9,663 in Geekbench OpenCL and 16,819 in Geekbench Vulkan. Those additional results mean the Pro 560X can be evaluated across three different compute interfaces, whereas the HD 7790's database entry contains only the Metal result.

The HD 7790's single score places it at the 61st percentile among all GPUs in the database, slightly higher than the Pro 560X's 57th percentile. That percentile difference is somewhat misleading, because the two cards are ranked against different pools of comparison GPUs. The HD 7790's average benchmark score is 17,666, while the Pro 560X's average across its three tests is 15,082, dragged down by the much lower OpenCL and Vulkan numbers. If a workload targets Metal exclusively, the Pro 560X leads. If averaging across all recorded tests matters more, the HD 7790's single high score gives it the better average.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different GCN generations and different manufacturing processes. The HD 7790 uses the Bonaire chip on GCN 2.0 architecture, built on a 28 nm process at TSMC. The Pro 560X uses the Polaris 21 chip on GCN 4.0 architecture, built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The process shrink is substantial: the Pro 560X packs 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die, while the HD 7790 fits 2,080 million transistors into a larger 160 mm² die. Transistor density reflects this: the Pro 560X reaches 24.4 million transistors per square millimeter, versus 13.0 million for the HD 7790.

The compute resources favor the Pro 560X in raw counts. It has 1,024 shading units and 64 texture mapping units, compared to 896 shading units and 56 TMUs on the HD 7790. Both cards have 16 ROPs, so pixel throughput is nearly identical: 16.06 GPixel/s for the Pro 560X and 16.00 GPixel/s for the HD 7790. Texture throughput differs more clearly, with the Pro 560X at 64.26 GTexel/s versus 56.00 GTexel/s for the HD 7790. Floating-point performance follows the same pattern: the Pro 560X delivers 2.056 TFLOPS in FP32, while the HD 7790 delivers 1.792 TFLOPS. The Pro 560X also supports FP16 at a 1:1 ratio (2.056 TFLOPS), a capability not listed for the HD 7790.

Memory configurations diverge in capacity but stay close in bandwidth. The HD 7790 has 1,024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 96.00 GB/s. The Pro 560X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on the same 128-bit bus, yielding 94.08 GB/s. The Pro 560X's memory clock is 1,470 MHz (5.9 Gbps effective), slightly below the HD 7790's 1,500 MHz (6 Gbps effective). The larger capacity is the meaningful difference for modern workloads, even if peak bandwidth is marginally lower.

Power and physical design differ significantly. The HD 7790 is a dual-slot card with a 6-pin power connector and an 85 W TDP; it requires a 250 W suggested power supply. The Pro 560X is an IGP-class part with no power connectors and a 75 W TDP. The HD 7790 uses a full PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, while the Pro 560X uses PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs also reflect their intended environments: the HD 7790 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2, while the Pro 560X's outputs are listed as portable device dependent. API support is similar for DirectX (12_0 for both) and OpenGL (4.6 for both), but Vulkan support differs: the HD 7790 supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Pro 560X supports Vulkan 1.3.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the database is Geekbench Metal, and the Pro 560X wins it. The Pro 560X scores 18,763 against the HD 7790's 17,666, a difference of 5.8% in favor of the newer card. That is not a transformative gap, but it is consistent with the Pro 560X's higher shading unit count, higher TMU count, and higher FP32 throughput. The pixel rate is essentially tied, so the Pro 560X's advantage must come from its extra compute units and texture hardware.

The HD 7790's nearest rival list provides context for its Metal result. Its score of 17,666 sits 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (17,639), 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M (17,588), and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551). The only GPU in its immediate vicinity that beats it is the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 at 17,789, which is 0.7% faster. This places the HD 7790's Metal performance in a competitive band with much newer and more expensive GPUs, despite its 2013 release date.

The Pro 560X's nearest rivals are based on its average score of 15,082, not its Metal score. That average is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (15,063), 0.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (15,171), 0.8% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (15,199), and 1.2% behind the AMD Radeon 680M (15,270). The gap between the Pro 560X's Metal score and its average score is large: 18,763 versus 15,082. This indicates that its OpenCL and Vulkan scores are significantly lower than its Metal score, which matters for any workload that does not use Apple's Metal API.

The HD 7790's single benchmark result means the database cannot show how it behaves in OpenCL or Vulkan. The Pro 560X, by contrast, has a complete profile across three APIs. For Metal-centric workloads, the Pro 560X is clearly ahead by 5.8%. For anything else, the HD 7790's performance is unmeasured in the database, so no comparison is possible.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher Geekbench Metal score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 560X scores 18,763, which is 5.8% higher than the AMD Radeon HD 7790's 17,666.

Q: How much memory does each card have?

A: The HD 7790 has 1,024 MB of GDDR5, while the Pro 560X has 4 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 128-bit memory bus.

Q: Do the two GPUs support different Vulkan versions?

A: Yes. The HD 7790 supports Vulkan 4.6 is not a thing, but both support OpenGL 4.6. For Vulkan, the HD 7790 supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Pro 560X supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The Pro 560X uses 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, while the HD 7790 uses 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die.

Q: Which card has higher FP32 performance?

A: The Pro 560X delivers 2.056 TFLOPS, compared to 1.792 TFLOPS for the HD 7790. The Pro 560X also supports FP16 at 2.056 TFLOPS, while no FP16 figure is listed for the HD 7790.

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No. The database lists both as end-of-life products. The HD 7790 was released in March 2013, and the Pro 560X was released in July 2018.

The Verdict

The data points to the AMD Radeon Pro 560X as the better performer in the only benchmark where both have results. Its 5.8% lead in Geekbench Metal is backed by superior hardware specifications: more shading units, more TMUs, higher FP32 throughput, and double the FP16 capability. The Pro 560X also offers 4 GB of memory against the HD 7790's 1,024 MB, which is a substantial practical advantage for modern workloads even if raw bandwidth is 1.92 GB/s lower.

The HD 7790's case rests on its percentile ranking and its average score. Its 61st percentile is higher than the Pro 560X's 57th percentile, and its 17,666 average score is higher than the Pro 560X's 15,082 average. However, the HD 7790 achieves that average with a single Metal result, so it has no other recorded tests to demonstrate consistency across APIs. The Pro 560X's average is lower primarily because its OpenCL score of 9,663 and Vulkan score of 16,615 pull the average down from the Metal peak of 18,763. The Pro 560X wins 1 head-to-head benchmark, and the HD 7790 wins 0. The verdict is straightforward: the Pro 560X is the more complete package for anyone using Metal, and the HD 7790 cannot be recommended over the Pro 560X based on the recorded data alone.

Users who specifically need Vulkan 1.3 support should favor the Pro 560X, as the HD 7790 is limited to Vulkan 1.2.170. Users who need OpenCL should note that the Pro 560X does have a recorded score of 9,663 in that API. The HD 7790 has no OpenCL score in the database, so no comparison is available. The Pro 560X also fits into a portable device profile with no power connectors and a 75 W TDP, making it suitable for systems without discrete power delivery. The HD 7790 requires a 6-pin connector and a 250 W power supply. For desktop builds with a spare 6-pin connector, the HD 7790 works, but the Pro 560X wins where the workload is known.

Specification Differences

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

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

| Architecture | GCN 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 2,080 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 160 mm² | 123 mm² |

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

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz, 6 Gbps effective | 1470 MHz, 5.9 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 1,024 MB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 128 bit |

| Bandwidth | 96.00 GB/s | 94.08 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 896 | 1,024 |

| TMUs | 64 | 64 TMUs |

| ROPs | 16 | 16 ROPs |

| Pixel Rate | 16.00 GPixel/s | 16.06 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 56.00 GTexel/s | 64.26 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1.792 TFLOPS | 2.056 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | Not listed | 2.056 TFLOPS, 1:1 ratio |

| TDP | 85 W | 75 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP, no power connectors |

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

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | Not listed |

| 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 |

| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12 (12_0) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | 1.2.170 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2013-03-21 | 2018-07-15 |

| Launch MSRP | 149 USD | Not listed |

| Geekbench Metal | 17,666 | 18,763 |

| Geekbench OpenCL | Not listed | 9,663 |

| Geekbench Vulkan | Not listed | 16,819 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 61st | 57th |

| Average Score | 17,666 | 15,082 |