AMD Radeon Pro 455 vs AMD Radeon Vega 11 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data sets up a clear hierarchy between these two AMD parts. Across the three Geekbench compute tests, the AMD Radeon Vega 11 wins every single encounter, but the margin varies wildly depending on the API. The most lopsided result appears in the Geekbench OpenCL test. Here, the Vega 11 scores 13,392 against the Radeon Pro 455's 10,336, a 29.6% advantage. That is not a small gap; it suggests the Vega 11's architecture handles the OpenCL workload with significantly more efficiency or raw throughput. This is the single biggest differentiator in the entire comparison.

The Geekbench Metal test tells a similar story, though with a more moderate margin. The Vega 11 posts 17,392, while the Radeon Pro 455 manages 15,916. The delta here is 9.3%. While still a decisive win for the Vega 11, it is worth remembering both scores are respectable, and the Pro 455 is not being blown out of the water. The gap narrows considerably in the Vulkan test. The Vega 11 scores 12,273, and the Pro 455 is right behind at 12,240. The winning margin is a razor-thin 0.3%. In practical terms, this is a statistical tie. For any application leveraging Vulkan, the data indicates that users would be hard-pressed to notice a difference between the two.

Looking at the broader averages, the Vega 11 holds an average benchmark score of 14,352 across all tests, placing it at the 56th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The Radeon Pro 455's average is 12,831, which puts it at the 52nd percentile. The percentile difference is small, but the average score difference is substantial. To contextualize the Vega 11's performance, its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN with an average score of 14,373 (a -0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 at 14,385 (-0.2%), and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics at 14,315 (+0.3%). The Vega 11 sits squarely in the middle of that pack, effectively trading blows with a desktop-class flagship from a previous generation.

The Radeon Pro 455's nearest rivals tell a different story. It sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590, which averages 12,830 (a 0% delta), and the AMD FirePro W5100 at 12,847 (-0.1%). It is also close to the AMD Radeon 740M at 12,870 (-0.3%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 at 12,773 (+0.5%). This places the Pro 455 in a performance tier that is roughly equivalent to older desktop discrete GPUs, which is an important context for a mobile part.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Vega 11 is the faster GPU in this matchup. It wins all three head-to-head benchmarks, and its average score is approximately 11.9% higher than the Radeon Pro 455. For any workload that relies on compute performance, particularly OpenCL, the Vega 11 is the clear choice. The 29.6% lead in OpenCL is massive and will translate into tangible gains in applications that offload tasks to the GPU via that API.

However, the verdict is not simply "Vega 11 is better, done." The context of each card matters. The Radeon Pro 455 is a mobile MXM module with 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. The Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) that relies on system memory, with bandwidth that is system dependent. This is a critical architectural distinction that the raw scores do not fully capture. While the Vega 11 wins in pure compute throughput, the Pro 455 has a dedicated memory pool. The Pro 455's memory runs at 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective speed, over a 128-bit bus, providing 81.28 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 11's memory bandwidth is entirely dependent on the host system's RAM configuration.

Therefore, the verdict should be nuanced. If the question is purely about raw compute scores in the database, the Vega 11 wins. If the question is about which is better suited for a specific system, the answer depends on the memory constraints. The Pro 455's dedicated VRAM may offer more consistent performance in memory-bound scenarios, even if its peak compute is lower. But strictly from the benchmark data provided, the Vega 11 is the superior performer.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural generations and are built for different purposes. The AMD Radeon Vega 11 is based on the GCN 5.0 architecture, using the Picasso chip. It is fabricated on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The chip contains 4,940 million transistors on a die size of 210 mm², which yields a transistor density of 23.5 million per mm². This is a large, complex die for an integrated part. Its generation is listed as "Vega IGP (Picasso)," confirming its role as an integrated graphics solution.

The AMD Radeon Pro 455, on the other hand, uses the older GCN 4.0 architecture with the Baffin chip. It is built on a 14 nm process, also at GlobalFoundries. The Baffin die is significantly smaller and less complex: 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.4 million per mm². Interestingly, despite the older node, the Pro 455 has a slightly higher transistor density, though it has far fewer total transistors. The Pro 455's generation is listed as "Radeon Pro Mac (400 Series)," indicating its intended market in Apple Mac systems.

The compute resources differ in configuration. The Vega 11 packs 704 shading units, 44 texture mapping units (TMUs), and only 8 render output units (ROPs). The Pro 455 has more shading units at 768, more TMUs at 48, and double the ROPs at 16. Despite having fewer shading units, the Vega 11 achieves higher raw throughput due to its higher clock speeds. The Vega 11 has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 1400 MHz. The Pro 455's core clocks are not listed in the database, but its memory clock is specified at 1270 MHz.

The pixel and texture rates reflect these differences. The Vega 11 achieves a pixel rate of 11.20 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 61.60 GTexel/s. The Pro 455 has a higher pixel rate at 13.68 GPixel/s, but a much lower texture rate at 41.04 GTexel/s. In terms of floating-point performance, the Vega 11 outputs 1.971 TFLOPS for FP32 and 3.942 TFLOPS for FP16 (with a 2:1 ratio). The Pro 455 outputs 1,313.3 GFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16 (at a 1:1 ratio). The Vega 11's FP16 performance is particularly notable, being double its FP32 rate.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Vega 11 has a higher average score of 14,352, compared to the Radeon Pro 455's 12,831.

Q: Is the Radeon Vega 11 faster in every single benchmark test?

A: Yes. The Vega 11 wins the Geekbench Metal test with a 9.3% lead, the OpenCL test with a 29.6% lead, and the Vulkan test with a 0.3% lead.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two GPUs?

A: The largest gap is in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the Vega 11 outperforms the Pro 455 by 29.6%.

Q: How does the memory configuration differ between the two?

A: The Radeon Pro 455 has 2 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory with a 128-bit bus and 81.28 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 11 uses system shared memory, with bandwidth that is system dependent.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Radeon Pro 455 has more shading units, with 768, while the Vega 11 has 704.

Q: What is the process node for each GPU?

A: The Vega 11 is built on a 12 nm process, while the Pro 455 is built on a 14 nm process.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 is the winner in all compute-centric benchmarks. It dominates in OpenCL, where its 29.6% lead is substantial. This makes it the clear choice for applications that leverage OpenCL for general-purpose GPU computing, such as certain video encoding tasks, physics simulations, or data processing. Its higher FP32 throughput (1.971 TFLOPS vs. 1,313.3 GFLOPS) and superior texture rate (61.60 GTexel/s vs. 41.04 GTexel/s) suggest it would also excel in texture-heavy workloads. The Vulkan result, while a win, is too close to call a decisive advantage.

The AMD Radeon Pro 455 does not win any of the recorded benchmarks, but it has structural advantages that could make it preferable in specific situations. Its dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 memory is a significant asset. In scenarios where system memory bandwidth is limited or shared with the CPU, the Pro 455's 81.28 GB/s of dedicated bandwidth will provide more predictable performance. Its higher pixel rate (13.68 GPixel/s) also indicates it may handle fill-rate-limited tasks, such as high-resolution rendering with simple shaders, more effectively. It also has double the ROPs (16 vs. 8), which directly impacts pixel throughput.

For a mobile workstation, the Pro 455's MXM form factor and dedicated memory make it a more robust solution for sustained professional workloads where memory pressure is high. For an IGP in a desktop or laptop, the Vega 11 offers superior raw compute when the system has fast dual-channel memory. The choice hinges on whether the user needs peak compute throughput (Vega 11) or dedicated memory stability (Pro 455).

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two GPUs:

• Chip: Vega 11 uses Picasso, Pro 455 uses Baffin.
• Architecture: Vega 11 uses GCN 5.0, Pro 455 uses GCN 4.0.
• Process Node: Vega 11 is 12 nm, Pro 455 is 14 nm.
• Transistors: Vega 11 has 4,940 million, Pro 455 has 3,000 million.
• Die Size: Vega 11 is 210 mm², Pro 455 is 123 mm².
• Transistor Density: Vega 11 is 23.5M / mm², Pro 455 is 24.4M / mm².
• Base Clock: Vega 11 is 300 MHz, Pro 455 has no listed base clock.
• Boost Clock: Vega 11 is 1400 MHz, Pro 455 has no listed boost clock.
• Memory Clock: Vega 11 uses system shared memory, Pro 455 is 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective.
• Memory Size: Vega 11 is system shared, Pro 455 is 2 GB.
• Memory Type: Vega 11 is system shared, Pro 455 is GDDR5.
• Memory Bus Width: Vega 11 is system shared, Pro 455 is 128 bit.
• Memory Bandwidth: Vega 11 is system dependent, Pro 455 is 81.28 GB/s.
• Shading Units: Vega 11 has 704, Pro 455 has 768.
• TMUs: Vega 11 has 44, Pro 455 has 48.
• ROPs: Vega 11 has 8, Pro 455 has 16.
• Pixel Rate: Vega 11 is 11.20 GPixel/s, Pro 455 is 13.68 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: Vega 11 is 61.60 GTexel/s, Pro 455 is 41.04 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: Vega 11 is 1.971 TFLOPS, Pro 455 is 1,313.3 GFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: Vega 11 is 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1), Pro 455 is 1,313.3 GFLOPS (1:1).
• TDP: Vega 11 is 15 W, Pro 455 is 35 W.
• Slot Width: Vega 11 is IGP, Pro 455 is MXM Module.
• Bus Interface: Vega 11 is IGP, Pro 455 is PCIe 3.0 x8.
• DirectX Support: Vega 11 supports 12 (12_1), Pro 455 supports 12 (12_0).
• Release Date: Vega 11 was released in 2019, Pro 455 was released in 2016.