AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single head-to-head benchmark between these two Vega 10 cards, and the result is a clear win for the compute-focused Instinct MI25. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 scores 68,562 points, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 scores 62,552 points. That is a 9.6% advantage for the Instinct card, a meaningful gap in raw compute throughput.

Looking at the broader database context, the MI25 sits at the 90th percentile among all GPUs, while the RX Vega 64 lands at the 86th percentile. The MI25’s nearest rivals reinforce its positioning: it trails the Intel Arc A770 (68,809 points) by just 0.4%, the NVIDIA CMP 90HX (69,000 points) by 0.6%, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 (69,870 points) by 1.9%, and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (69,986 points) by 2.0%. These are all within striking distance, meaning the MI25 is competitive with a broad swath of high-end workstation and data center cards.

The RX Vega 64, by contrast, has a different competitive landscape. Its average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 50,001 points, which places it just 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (49,957 points) and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M (49,737 points). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (50,951 points) by 1.9% but leads the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (48,477 points) by 3.1%. The RX Vega 64’s individual test results show a wider spread: it scores 68,750 in Geekbench Metal, 67,032 in Geekbench Vulkan, and 62,552 in Geekbench OpenCL, plus a 1,669 result in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12.

The single head-to-head result is decisive in compute workloads, but the RX Vega 64’s Metal and Vulkan scores suggest it holds its own in graphics API environments. The MI25 has no recorded output for those tests, so the comparison is limited to OpenCL, where the Instinct card’s higher base clock and dedicated compute tuning show through.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in the only direct benchmark comparison?

A: The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 68,562 versus the RX Vega 64’s 62,552, a 9.6% margin.

Q: How does the MI25 compare to its closest rivals in the database?

A: The MI25 is within 2% of four nearby cards: it trails the Intel Arc A770 by 0.4%, the NVIDIA CMP 90HX by 0.6%, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 by 1.9%, and the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 by 2.0%.

Q: What is the RX Vega 64’s best recorded benchmark result?

A: Its highest score is 68,750 in the Geekbench Metal test, followed by 67,032 in Geekbench Vulkan, 62,552 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 1,669 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12.

Q: Does the RX Vega 64 outperform any of its nearest rivals?

A: Yes, it leads the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT by 3.1% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti by 0.1%, while also edging out the Intel Arc A550M by 0.5%.

Q: Which card has a higher overall percentile ranking?

A: The MI25 ranks at the 90th percentile among all GPUs, while the RX Vega 64 ranks at the 86th percentile.

Q: Are both cards based on the same chip?

A: Yes, both use the Vega 10 chip with the GCN 5.0 architecture, but they target different market segments, with the MI25 aimed at data center compute and the RX Vega 64 at consumer graphics.

Architecture Differences

Both cards are built on the same fundamental silicon: the Vega 10 chip with GCN 5.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The transistor count is identical at 12,500 million, and the die size matches at 495 mm², yielding the same transistor density of 25.3M per mm². The core configuration is also identical: 4,096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units.

The divergence begins with clock behavior. The MI25 has a base clock of 1400 MHz and a boost clock of 1500 MHz, while the RX Vega 64 has a lower base clock of 1247 MHz but a higher boost clock of 1546 MHz. This means the MI25 sustains a higher floor for compute tasks, while the RX Vega 64 can reach a slightly higher peak frequency under boost conditions.

Memory configuration differs significantly. The MI25 carries 16 GB of HBM2 memory, double the RX Vega 64’s 8 GB. Both use a 2048-bit memory bus, but the RX Vega 64 runs its memory at 945 MHz (1890 Mbps effective) and achieves a bandwidth of 483.8 GB/s, while the MI25 runs its memory at 852 MHz (1704 Mbps effective) and delivers 436.2 GB/s. The RX Vega 64 therefore has a 47.6 GB/s bandwidth advantage, but the MI25 offers double the capacity, which matters for large data sets in compute workloads.

The feature sets also diverge. The MI25 has no display outputs, reflecting its role as an accelerator for servers and data centers. The RX Vega 64 includes 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, making it a fully functional consumer graphics card. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, but the MI25’s lack of display output means those APIs are for compute or headless rendering only.

Specification Differences

The recorded specifications show several clear differences between the two cards. The most obvious is memory capacity: 16 GB on the MI25 versus 8 GB on the RX Vega 64. Memory clock also differs, with the MI25 at 852 MHz (1704 Mbps effective) and the RX Vega 64 at 945 MHz (1890 Mbps effective). This results in different bandwidth figures: 436.2 GB/s for the MI25 and 483.8 GB/s for the RX Vega 64.

Clock speeds differ in both base and boost. The MI25 runs at 1400 MHz base and 1500 MHz boost, while the RX Vega 64 runs at 1247 MHz base and 1546 MHz boost. The pixel rate favors the RX Vega 64 at 98.94 GPixel/s versus the MI25’s 96.00 GPixel/s. The texture rate also favors the RX Vega 64 at 395.8 GTexel/s versus 384.0 GTexel/s for the MI25. In floating-point performance, the RX Vega 64 leads slightly with 12.66 TFLOPS FP32 and 25.33 TFLOPS FP16, compared to the MI25’s 12.29 TFLOPS FP32 and 24.58 TFLOPS FP16.

Power draw is nearly identical, with the MI25 rated at 300 W and the RX Vega 64 at 295 W. The suggested power supply differs, however, with the MI25 recommending a 700 W PSU and the RX Vega 64 a 600 W PSU. Both are dual-slot cards with 2x 8-pin power connectors. Physical dimensions differ in length: the MI25 is 267 mm (10.5 inches), while the RX Vega 64 is 280 mm (11 inches). Both are 111 mm (4.4 inches) tall, and the RX Vega 64 has a recorded width of 40 mm (1.6 inches), while the MI25’s width is not listed.

The display outputs are a major differentiator, as noted: the MI25 has none, while the RX Vega 64 has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Release dates also differ, with the MI25 launching on June 26, 2017, and the RX Vega 64 on August 6, 2017. The RX Vega 64 has a recorded launch MSRP of 499 USD, while the MI25 has no launch MSRP in the database. Both are end-of-life products, with the MI25’s predecessor listed as FirePro Data Center and the RX Vega 64’s predecessor as Polaris, with its successor listed as Navi.

The Verdict

The data points to two different tools for two different jobs. The AMD Radeon Instinct MI25 is the compute specialist. Its 16 GB of HBM2 memory, higher base clock, and head-to-head OpenCL victory make it the stronger choice for workloads that demand large memory capacity and sustained throughput. The 9.6% lead over the RX Vega 64 in the recorded benchmark is a direct result of this design philosophy. Its 90th percentile ranking among all GPUs, coupled with tight competition against cards like the Intel Arc A770 and NVIDIA CMP 90HX, confirms that it belongs in the upper tier of compute accelerators.

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 is the graphics-oriented counterpart. It has display outputs, a higher boost clock, faster memory bandwidth, and marginally higher pixel and texture rates. Its Geekbench Metal score of 68,750 exceeds the MI25’s OpenCL score, and its Vulkan score of 67,032 is also strong, indicating that it handles graphics API workloads well. Its 86th percentile ranking is lower than the MI25’s, but its average score of 50,001 places it in a competitive position against modern cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.

For users with compute-heavy, memory-intensive tasks, the MI25 is the clear pick from the recorded data. For users who need a functional graphics card with strong API support and a consumer-oriented feature set, the RX Vega 64 is the appropriate choice. The launch MSRP of 499 USD for the RX Vega 64 reflects its consumer positioning, while the MI25’s absence of a recorded MSRP and lack of display outputs underscore its data center role. Neither card is current, and both are end-of-life, but the database shows that each still holds a distinct niche in performance and capability.