AMD Radeon Pro 455 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 Comparison

AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 and AMD Radeon Pro 455 are both end-of-life AMD graphics solutions, but they target very different operating environments. The RX Vega 11 is a 12 nm integrated graphics processor (IGP) built on the GCN 5.0 architecture, designed to be embedded into a Picasso APU. The Radeon Pro 455 is a 14 nm discrete mobile GPU based on the GCN 4.0 architecture, packaged as an MXM module for portable workstations. The benchmark data in the database shows a clear overall winner: the RX Vega 11 holds a decisive lead in every recorded test, with an average benchmark score of 14,385 compared to the Pro 455's 12,831. This represents a 12.1% advantage in aggregate performance, and the head-to-head results show the IGP winning all three Geekbench tests. However, the specific strengths and weaknesses of each card are worth examining, as the Pro 455 brings structural advantages in memory and pixel throughput that do not translate into raw compute wins in this dataset.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 wins in every single benchmark category recorded in the database. Its most significant victory comes in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where it scores 12,525 against the Pro 455's 10,336, a margin of 21.2%. This is the largest delta between the two cards and indicates a substantial advantage in general-purpose compute workloads that leverage OpenCL. The Vulkan test shows another strong win for the IGP: 13,543 versus 12,240, a 10.6% lead. The smallest gap is in Geekbench Metal, where the RX Vega 11 scores 17,086 against the Pro 455's 15,916, still a 7.4% advantage. Across all three tests, the RX Vega 11 demonstrates superior raw processing power, driven by its higher FP32 throughput of 1.971 TFLOPS compared to the Pro 455's 1,313.3 GFLOPS, a 50% difference in peak floating-point capability.

The AMD Radeon Pro 455 does not win any benchmark tests in the head-to-head comparison. Its wins are structural rather than performance-based. The Pro 455 has a dedicated 2 GB GDDR5 memory subsystem with a 128-bit bus and 81.28 GB/s of bandwidth, whereas the RX Vega 11 relies on system-shared memory with bandwidth that is "System Dependent." This means the Pro 455 offers predictable, fixed memory performance, while the RX Vega 11's memory behavior varies with the host system's RAM configuration. The Pro 455 also has a higher pixel rate of 13.68 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the RX Vega 11, a 22% advantage in fill-rate-limited scenarios. Additionally, the Pro 455 has 16 ROPs compared to 8 on the RX Vega 11, which could benefit certain rasterization workloads, though the recorded benchmark data does not reflect this in any test win.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded benchmark data, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is the superior performer. It wins all three head-to-head tests with deltas ranging from 7.4% to 21.2%, and its average benchmark score of 14,385 places it in the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the Pro 455's 12,831 sits at the 52nd percentile. The RX Vega 11 also achieves a higher percentile ranking despite being an IGP, which is notable given its 15 W TDP compared to the Pro 455's 35 W. The data indicates that for anyone prioritizing raw compute performance in Metal, OpenCL, or Vulkan workloads, the RX Vega 11 is the clear choice, offering between 7% and 21% more performance depending on the API.

The AMD Radeon Pro 455 is the better option for scenarios where dedicated memory and consistent bandwidth are critical. Its 2 GB GDDR5 configuration with 81.28 GB/s of bandwidth is a fixed resource, unlike the RX Vega 11's system-shared memory, which can become a bottleneck depending on the host system's RAM speed and capacity. The Pro 455's higher pixel rate of 13.68 GPixel/s and doubled ROP count (16 versus 8) also suggest it may handle framebuffer-heavy tasks more efficiently, though this does not appear in the benchmark scores. For a user with a system that has slow shared memory, the Pro 455's dedicated VRAM could offer more stable performance in practice, even if the raw numbers favor the RX Vega 11.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Geekbench OpenCL test delivers the largest performance gap between the two cards. The RX Vega 11 scores 12,525, while the Pro 455 manages 10,336, giving the IGP a 21.2% advantage. This result is consistent with the FP32 throughput difference: the RX Vega 11's 1.971 TFLOPS is roughly 50% higher than the Pro 455's 1,313.3 GFLOPS. OpenCL workloads often scale with raw compute throughput, so this significant lead in theoretical peak performance translates directly into a substantial benchmark win.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a 10.6% lead for the RX Vega 11, with scores of 13,543 versus 12,240. While Vulkan is a lower-level API that can benefit from efficient driver overhead, the RX Vega 11's newer GCN 5.0 architecture appears to offer better optimization for this test. The Pro 455, running GCN 4.0, still performs respectably but falls short by over a thousand points. The Vulkan result is the middle ground between the massive OpenCL gap and the narrower Metal gap.

The Geekbench Metal test is the closest contest. The RX Vega 11 scores 17,086, and the Pro 455 scores 15,916, a 7.4% difference. Metal is Apple's API, and the Pro 455 is specifically designed for Mac-based portable workstations, so its relatively stronger showing in this test is expected. However, the RX Vega 11 still wins, suggesting that its higher shading unit count (704 versus 768 is actually fewer, but with higher clocks) and newer architecture compensate for the Pro 455's Mac-oriented design. Interestingly, the Pro 455 has more shading units (768 versus 704) and more TMUs (48 versus 44), but the RX Vega 11's higher boost clock of 1400 MHz versus the Pro 455's unspecified clock speeds likely drives its performance advantage.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 has an average benchmark score of 14,385, while the AMD Radeon Pro 455 scores 12,831. The RX Vega 11 leads by 1,554 points, or approximately 12.1%.

Q: What is the largest performance difference in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest delta is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX Vega 11 scores 12,525 versus the Pro 455's 10,336, a 21.2% advantage. The smallest gap is in Geekbench Metal, at 7.4%.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ between the two cards?

A: The Radeon Pro 455 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 81.28 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon RX Vega 11 uses system-shared memory, with its bandwidth listed as "System Dependent."

Q: Which card has a higher pixel fill rate?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 455 has a pixel rate of 13.68 GPixel/s, compared to the RX Vega 11's 11.20 GPixel/s. The Pro 455 also has 16 ROPs versus 8 on the RX Vega 11.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of transistor density?

A: The Radeon Pro 455 has a higher transistor density at 24.4M per mm², despite being on a larger 14 nm process. The RX Vega 11, on 12 nm, has a density of 23.5M per mm². The Pro 455's die is 123 mm² with 3,000 million transistors, while the RX Vega 11's die is 210 mm² with 4,940 million transistors.

Q: Which card has a better percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RX Vega 11 ranks in the 56th percentile of all GPUs, while the Pro 455 ranks in the 52nd percentile. This indicates the RX Vega 11 sits slightly higher in the overall performance distribution.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is built on GCN 5.0 and uses the Picasso chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The AMD Radeon Pro 455 is based on GCN 4.0 with the Baffin chip, also produced by GlobalFoundries but on a 14 nm process. The newer 12 nm node allows the RX Vega 11 to pack 4,940 million transistors into a 210 mm² die, while the Pro 455 fits 3,000 million transistors into a 123 mm² die. Interestingly, the Pro 455 has a higher transistor density of 24.4M per mm² versus 23.5M per mm² for the RX Vega 11, despite the older process node.

The compute unit configurations differ in scale. The RX Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units, and 8 ROPs. The Pro 455 has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The Pro 455's higher count of shaders and TMUs is offset by the RX Vega 11's significantly higher boost clock of 1400 MHz, while the Pro 455's clock speeds are not specified in the database. The FP32 throughput reflects this: the RX Vega 11 delivers 1.971 TFLOPS, while the Pro 455 manages 1,313.3 GFLOPS. The FP16 performance also differs, with the RX Vega 11 offering 3.942 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, while the Pro 455 provides 1,313.3 GFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio.

Memory architecture represents a fundamental divide. The Pro 455 has a fixed 2 GB GDDR5 configuration with a 128-bit bus and 81.28 GB/s bandwidth, operating at 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective speed. The RX Vega 11 has no dedicated memory, instead using system-shared memory whose speed and bandwidth depend entirely on the host platform. This makes the Pro 455 a more predictable choice for memory-sensitive workloads, while the RX Vega 11's memory performance is variable. The Pro 455 also has a higher pixel rate of 13.68 GPixel/s versus 11.20 GPixel/s for the RX Vega 11, and its texture rate of 41.04 GTexel/s is lower than the RX Vega 11's 61.60 GTexel/s.

Power and form factor also differ markedly. The RX Vega 11 is an IGP with a 15 W TDP, no power connectors, and motherboard-dependent display outputs. The Pro 455 is an MXM module with a 35 W TDP, also no power connectors, but with portable-device-dependent outputs and a PCIe 3.0 x8 bus interface. The RX Vega 11 was released on July 6, 2019, while the Pro 455 launched earlier on October 29, 2016. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1 for the RX Vega 11, 12_0 for the Pro 455), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The RX Vega 11's predecessor is GCN 3.0 IGP and its successor is Vega II IGP, while the Pro 455 has no recorded predecessor or successor in the database.