AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 vs AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 Comparison

AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 and AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 are two professional-grade accelerators built on the same Vega 10 silicon, yet they are tuned for different operational priorities. The data shows two cards with identical compute ceilings but distinct performance profiles and physical requirements. This analysis breaks down their benchmark results, architectural commonalities, and the specification differences that define their respective roles in a workstation or data center environment.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 posts a score of 68,562 against the AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100's 66,605. This gives the MI25 a 2.9% lead in compute performance. While a single benchmark does not tell the whole story, the delta is consistent with the clock speed advantage the MI25 holds in its base configuration.

The MI25's OpenCL result places it in the 90th percentile of all GPUs, while the WX 9100 sits at the 89th percentile. Looking at the nearest rivals, the MI25 trails the Intel Arc A770 (68,809) by a mere 0.4% and the NVIDIA CMP 90HX (69,000) by 0.6%. It also sits 1.9% behind the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 (69,870) and 2% behind the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (69,986). These are tight margins, placing the MI25 in a performance cluster where a few percentage points separate it from competitors.

The WX 9100's OpenCL score of 66,605 is its second-best benchmark result. It also achieves 71,319 in Geekbench Metal and 54,711 in Geekbench Vulkan. The Metal score is notably higher than its OpenCL result, suggesting the WX 9100's architecture performs differently across API workloads. In its average benchmark score across all tests, the WX 9100 lands at 64,212, which is lower than its individual OpenCL score due to the weaker Vulkan result. This average places it just 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 30HX (63,842), 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP (63,830), and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600M (63,775). The WX 9100 also edges out the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (63,693) by 0.8% in average score.

When comparing the two cards directly, the MI25 wins the single head-to-head benchmark, but the WX 9100's additional benchmark results reveal a more versatile testing profile. The MI25 only has OpenCL data available, so its 90th percentile ranking is based on a narrower set of tests. The core takeaway is clear: in raw OpenCL number crunching, the MI25 holds a measurable edge, but the WX 9100 demonstrates competitive performance across a wider range of graphics APIs.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the Vega 10 chip using the GCN 5.0 architecture, produced on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. They share identical transistor counts of 12,500 million and a die size of 495 mm², yielding the same transistor density of 25.3M per square millimeter. This is the same foundational silicon, but the two products diverge in how that silicon is configured and cooled.

The most significant architectural difference lies in clock speeds. The MI25 runs at a 1400 MHz base clock, while the WX 9100 starts at 1200 MHz. Both share the same 1500 MHz boost clock. This 200 MHz base clock advantage for the MI25 is the primary driver of its higher OpenCL score. The memory clocks also differ: the MI25's HBM2 memory runs at 852 MHz (1704 Mbps effective), while the WX 9100's memory runs at 945 MHz (1890 Mbps effective). This higher memory clock on the WX 9100 yields a bandwidth advantage of 483.8 GB/s versus the MI25's 436.2 GB/s, a difference of roughly 10.9%.

Both cards feature 16 GB of HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus, with identical shading unit counts of 4096, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The pixel rate and texture rate are identical at 96.00 GPixel/s and 384.0 GTexel/s respectively. Floating-point performance is also matched: both deliver 12.29 TFLOPS in FP32 and 24.58 TFLOPS in FP16 with a 2:1 ratio. This means the architectural compute resources are identical; only the clock speeds and power delivery differ.

The thermal design and power delivery present the clearest divergence. The MI25 has a TDP of 300 W and requires two 8-pin power connectors, with a suggested PSU of 700 W. The WX 9100 is much more power-efficient on paper, with a 230 W TDP, a single 6-pin and single 8-pin connector setup, and a suggested PSU of 550 W. This 70 W difference in TDP explains why the MI25 can sustain a higher base clock: it draws more power to maintain that frequency.

Another critical difference is display output. The MI25 has no display outputs whatsoever, marking it as a pure compute accelerator for headless data center deployment. The WX 9100, by contrast, offers six mini-DisplayPort 1.4a connections, making it a fully functional workstation card that can drive multiple monitors. This is a fundamental product positioning difference despite the shared silicon.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher base clock speed?

A: The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 has a base clock of 1400 MHz, while the AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 has a base clock of 1200 MHz. Both cards share the same 1500 MHz boost clock.

Q: Do the two cards have the same memory bandwidth?

A: No. The WX 9100 has higher memory bandwidth at 483.8 GB/s, compared to the MI25's 436.2 GB/s. This is due to the WX 9100's higher memory clock of 945 MHz versus the MI25's 852 MHz, despite both using 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus.

Q: Can either card be used for multi-monitor setups?

A: Only the AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 supports display outputs, featuring six mini-DisplayPort 1.4a connections. The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 has no display outputs and is designed for compute-only workloads.

Q: What is the performance difference in OpenCL benchmarks?

A: The MI25 scores 68,562 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 2.9% higher than the WX 9100's 66,605. This translates to the MI25 ranking in the 90th percentile of all GPUs, versus the 89th percentile for the WX 9100.

Q: How do the power requirements compare?

A: The MI25 has a TDP of 300 W and requires two 8-pin power connectors with a 700 W suggested PSU. The WX 9100 has a lower TDP of 230 W, uses one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector, and suggests a 550 W PSU.

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The MI25 has an average benchmark score of 68,562 based on its single OpenCL result. The WX 9100 has an average score of 64,212 across three tests (OpenCL, Metal, and Vulkan), with its Metal score of 71,319 being the highest individual result.

Specification Differences

The following table lists only the fields where the two cards differ:

| Specification | AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 | AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 |

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

| Generation | Radeon Instinct (MIx) | Radeon Pro Polaris (WX x100) |

| Base Clock | 1400 MHz | 1200 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 852 MHz (1704 Mbps effective) | 945 MHz (1890 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 436.2 GB/s | 483.8 GB/s |

| TDP | 300 W | 230 W |

| Power Connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 700 W | 550 W |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 6x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Release Date | 2017-06-26 | 2017-07-09 |

| Predecessor | FirePro Data Center | Radeon Pro GCN |

| Successor | None listed | Radeon Pro Vega |

| Launch MSRP | Not listed | 1,599 USD |

| Geekbench OpenCL Score | 68,562 | 66,605 |

| Geekbench Metal Score | Not listed | 71,319 |

| Geekbench Vulkan Score | Not listed | 54,711 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 68,562 | 64,212 |

| Percentile vs All GPUs | 90 | 89 |

| Nearest Rivals | Intel Arc A770, NVIDIA CMP 90HX, AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200, NVIDIA Quadro P6000 | NVIDIA CMP 30HX, AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT LP, AMD Radeon RX 7600M, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 |

The Verdict

The data points to two different deployment scenarios. The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 is the compute-focused choice. Its 2.9% OpenCL lead over the WX 9100, combined with a higher base clock, makes it the better option for headless compute workloads where display output is irrelevant. The 300 W TDP and dual 8-pin connectors indicate a card designed for a server chassis with ample power delivery. Its 90th percentile ranking and proximity to the Intel Arc A770 and NVIDIA CMP 90HX suggest it holds its own in raw processing tasks.

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 is the workstation-oriented alternative. It sacrifices 70 W of TDP and a 200 MHz base clock advantage but gains six mini-DisplayPort outputs and higher memory bandwidth at 483.8 GB/s. The WX 9100's Metal score of 71,319 outpaces its own OpenCL result, indicating strong performance in graphics-heavy workloads that leverage Apple's API. Its lower power draw and single 6-pin plus 8-pin configuration make it easier to integrate into a standard workstation PSU setup. The launch MSRP of 1,599 USD was listed at introduction, though both cards are now end-of-life.

For pure compute throughput in a data center rack, the MI25's OpenCL advantage and higher base clock make it the logical pick. For a professional workstation requiring multi-monitor support and lower power consumption, the WX 9100 is the better fit. The shared Vega 10 silicon means neither card offers a fundamental architectural edge; the decision comes down to clock speed versus bandwidth, and compute orientation versus display capability.