AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT and AMD Radeon HD 7790 are separated by seven years of GPU architecture, and the benchmark data reflects a decisive generational gap. The Pro 5700 XT wins the only shared benchmark by a massive margin, but the HD 7790 remains a relevant entry-level part based on its own merit. This analysis breaks down where each card wins, the architectural reasons for the divide, and who should consider which GPU based strictly on the data provided.

Where Each One Wins

The head-to-head data is one-sided: the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins the sole shared benchmark, Geekbench Metal, with a score of 51272 against the HD 7790’s 17666. That is a delta of 190.2%, meaning the Pro 5700 XT delivers nearly three times the Metal performance. There are no benchmark categories where the HD 7790 wins outright.

However, the HD 7790’s value lies in its own benchmark profile. Its average benchmark score is 17666, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. That is remarkably close to the Pro 5700 XT’s nearest rivals: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 scores 17639 (0.2% behind the HD 7790), and the AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588 (0.4% behind). So while the HD 7790 cannot compete with the Pro 5700 XT, it sits in a performance tier where it is statistically indistinguishable from modern integrated graphics and entry-level discrete cards.

The Pro 5700 XT, by contrast, holds a 63rd percentile ranking with an average benchmark score of 18685. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (18789, 0.6% ahead) and the AMD FirePro D500 (18533, 0.8% behind). This places the Pro 5700 XT in a mid-to-upper performance band, far above the HD 7790’s tier.

Architecture Differences

The core architectural split is generational. The Pro 5700 XT uses the Navi 10 chip built on RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC’s 7 nm process. The HD 7790 uses the Bonaire chip with GCN 2.0 architecture, on TSMC’s 28 nm process. This process shrink from 28 nm to 7 nm is a primary driver of the performance gap.

Transistor counts tell the story: the Pro 5700 XT packs 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 41.0M / mm². The HD 7790 has 2,080 million transistors on a 160 mm² die, with a density of 13.0M / mm². The Pro 5700 XT has roughly five times the transistor count, which translates directly into more compute resources.

The Pro 5700 XT features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The HD 7790 has 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. Memory configurations differ sharply: the Pro 5700 XT uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the HD 7790 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth. The Pro 5700 XT’s memory bandwidth is exactly four times higher.

Clock speeds also favor the newer card. The Pro 5700 XT runs at a base clock of 1243 MHz and a boost clock of 1499 MHz, with memory at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective). The HD 7790’s core clocks are not listed, but its memory runs at 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) — half the effective data rate. The Pro 5700 XT supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the HD 7790 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench Metal. The Pro 5700 XT scores 51272, while the HD 7790 scores 17666. The delta is 190.2% in favor of the Pro 5700 XT. To put that in context, the HD 7790’s score is roughly one-third of the Pro 5700 XT’s. This is not a close contest; it is a complete sweep.

Looking at the Pro 5700 XT’s other benchmarks (not shared with the HD 7790), it shows strength across APIs. Its Geekbench OpenCL score is 59467, and its Vulkan score is 56593. In Passmark tests, it scores 153 in DirectX 9, 85 in DirectX 11, and 59 in DirectX 12. Its G3D score is 12547, with a GPU compute score of 5787. The HD 7790 has no comparable data beyond Metal, so we cannot directly compare these numbers, but the Pro 5700 XT’s profile suggests consistent performance across different workloads.

The HD 7790’s single benchmark score of 17666 in Metal is its only data point. Its average benchmark score is identical, meaning Metal is the only test contributing to its average. This limits the depth of analysis, but the score itself is meaningful: it places the HD 7790 in the same percentile band as the Pro 5700 XT (61st vs 63rd), despite the huge absolute gap. That is because percentiles are relative to all GPUs, and both cards sit in the middle of the distribution.

The Verdict

The data leads to a clear verdict: the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT is the superior GPU by every measurable metric. It wins the only shared benchmark by 190.2%, has 2.86 times the shading units, 4 times the memory bandwidth, and 4.28 times the FP32 throughput (7.675 TFLOPS vs 1.792 TFLOPS). Anyone needing compute performance, high-resolution texture work, or modern API support should choose the Pro 5700 XT.

The HD 7790 is not without a case, but it is a narrow one. Its 61st percentile ranking shows it still holds its own against much newer hardware — the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and AMD Radeon 780M are within 0.4% of its average score. For legacy applications, older games, or systems where a 85 W TDP and 250 W suggested PSU are constraints, the HD 7790 is a functional option. Its 1024 MB of GDDR5 may limit large textures, but its 16 ROPs and 56 TMUs are adequate for basic 1080p workloads.

The Pro 5700 XT’s 130 W TDP is higher but still modest, and its IGP slot width means it is designed for integrated or proprietary systems. The HD 7790 is a dual-slot card with a 1x 6-pin power connector, making it a standard aftermarket part. The choice comes down to era: the Pro 5700 XT is a modern compute card, while the HD 7790 is a legacy entry-level GPU.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench Metal benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins with a score of 51272, compared to the HD 7790’s 17666, a delta of 190.2%.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Pro 5700 XT averages 18685, while the HD 7790 averages 17666. The Pro 5700 XT is about 5.8% higher overall, though this is skewed by the HD 7790 having only one benchmark result.

Q: What are the memory capacities and bandwidths?

A: The Pro 5700 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. The HD 7790 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 96.00 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The Pro 5700 XT has 2560 shading units, while the HD 7790 has 896. The Pro 5700 XT has approximately 2.86 times as many.

Q: What are the process nodes and transistor counts?

A: The Pro 5700 XT uses a 7 nm process with 10,300 million transistors. The HD 7790 uses a 28 nm process with 2,080 million transistors.

Q: What is the HD 7790’s launch MSRP?

A: The HD 7790 had a launch MSRP of 149 USD. The Pro 5700 XT has no launch MSRP listed.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT | AMD Radeon HD 7790 |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 1.0 | GCN 2.0 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 10,300 million | 2,080 million |

| Die Size | 251 mm² | 160 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 41.0M / mm² | 13.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1243 MHz | Not listed |

| Boost Clock | 1499 MHz | Not listed |

| Memory Clock | 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) | 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 1024 MB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 384.0 GB/s | 96.00 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 896 |

| TMUs | 160 | 56 |

| ROPs | 64 | 16 |

| Pixel Rate | 95.94 GPixel/s | 16.00 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 239.8 GTexel/s | 56.00 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 7.675 TFLOPS | 1.792 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 15.35 TFLOPS (2:1) | Not listed |

| TDP | 130 W | 85 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 250 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x mini-DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.170 |

| Release Date | 2020-08-03 | 2013-03-21 |

| Predecessor | Not listed | Northern Islands |

| Successor | Not listed | Sea Islands |