AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT occupy very different corners of the graphics card landscape, despite sharing the same manufacturer and process node. The RX 6800 XT is a high-end consumer part aimed at maximum frame rates, while the Pro 5500 XT is a low-power workstation-oriented chip designed for Mac systems. The benchmark data shows a complete sweep for the RX 6800 XT, but the nature of those wins and the underlying architecture tell a story of two entirely different design philosophies.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison is straightforward: the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT wins all three shared benchmark tests, with victory margins that are nothing short of dominant. In the Geekbench Metal test, the RX 6800 XT scores 181,337 against the Pro 5500 XT’s 54,779, a massive 231% advantage. This is not a close contest; it is a generational and performance-class gap made visible in a single number. The RX 6800 XT effectively triples the output of the Pro 5500 XT in this API.

The gap widens even further in the Geekbench OpenCL test. Here, the RX 6800 XT posts 171,304 points, while the Pro 5500 XT manages just 41,772. The deltaPct of 310.1% means the RX 6800 XT is more than four times faster in raw compute throughput as measured by this benchmark. This result highlights the sheer difference in shading power and memory bandwidth between the two cards, which we will examine in the architecture section.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows a similar pattern. The RX 6800 XT scores 136,875, compared to the Pro 5500 XT’s 39,601, resulting in a 245.6% delta. While the absolute numbers are lower than the Metal and OpenCL scores for both cards, the proportional gap remains enormous. Across all three tests, the RX 6800 XT wins 3 out of 3, with an average delta of over 260%. The data does not suggest any scenario where the Pro 5500 XT can compete on raw performance.

Architecture Differences

The core architectures are fundamentally different generations of AMD’s graphics IP. The RX 6800 XT uses the Navi 21 chip built on RDNA 2.0, while the Pro 5500 XT uses the Navi 14 chip built on the older RDNA 1.0. Both are fabricated on TSMC’s 7 nm process, but that is where the similarity ends. The Navi 21 die is massive at 520 mm², housing 26,800 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 51.5M per mm². In contrast, the Navi 14 die is a compact 158 mm² with just 6,400 million transistors, resulting in a lower density of 40.5M per mm².

This physical size difference translates directly into compute resources. The RX 6800 XT has 4,608 shading units, 288 TMUs, and 128 ROPs. The Pro 5500 XT has 1,536 shading units, 96 TMUs, and just 32 ROPs. The RX 6800 XT also features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores, a technology entirely absent from the Pro 5500 XT, which lists no RT cores at all. The clock speeds reflect their different power targets: the RX 6800 XT runs at a base of 1825 MHz and boosts to 2250 MHz, while the Pro 5500 XT sits at a base of 1187 MHz and a boost of 1757 MHz.

Memory is another major divider. The RX 6800 XT carries 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Pro 5500 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, halving bandwidth to 224.0 GB/s. The RX 6800 XT also supports PCIe 4.0 x16, whereas the Pro 5500 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Feature support differs as well: the RX 6800 XT meets DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Pro 5500 XT is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the Geekbench Metal benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is significantly faster, scoring 181,337 compared to the Pro 5500 XT’s 54,779, a 231% advantage.

Q: Does the Pro 5500 XT have any ray tracing capabilities?

A: No. The Pro 5500 XT lists no ray tracing cores, while the RX 6800 XT features 72 dedicated RT cores.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The RX 6800 XT offers 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than double the 224.0 GB/s provided by the Pro 5500 XT.

Q: Are both cards based on the same architecture?

A: No. The RX 6800 XT uses RDNA 2.0, while the Pro 5500 XT uses the older RDNA 1.0 architecture.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor count?

A: The RX 6800 XT has 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die, compared to the Pro 5500 XT’s 6,400 million transistors on a 158 mm² die.

Q: What is the total power draw difference?

A: The RX 6800 XT has a TDP of 300 W and requires a 700 W power supply, while the Pro 5500 XT has a TDP of 125 W and only needs a 300 W supply.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two cards diverge on nearly every major point. The RX 6800 XT uses the Navi 21 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, while the Pro 5500 XT uses Navi 14 with RDNA 1.0. The RX 6800 XT’s die is 520 mm² versus 158 mm² for the Pro 5500 XT, and its transistor count of 26,800 million dwarfs the 6,400 million in the Pro card.

Clock speeds differ substantially: the RX 6800 XT has a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost of 2250 MHz, while the Pro 5500 XT runs at 1187 MHz base and 1757 MHz boost. Memory configurations are also different: 16 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus for the RX 6800 XT versus 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus for the Pro 5500 XT. The RX 6800 XT’s shading unit count of 4,608 is three times the Pro 5500 XT’s 1,536, and its 128 ROPs quadruple the Pro card’s 32.

Power requirements are in different leagues. The RX 6800 XT is a dual-slot card with 2x 8-pin power connectors and a 300 W TDP, suggesting a 700 W PSU. The Pro 5500 XT is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) form factor with no power connectors and a 125 W TDP, needing only a 300 W PSU. The RX 6800 XT offers display outputs including HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, and USB Type-C, while the Pro 5500 XT has no outputs at all. The RX 6800 XT also uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface versus the Pro card’s x8.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6800 XT wins in every performance metric measured. In compute-heavy workloads like OpenCL, it is 310.1% faster than the Pro 5500 XT. In graphics APIs like Metal and Vulkan, it maintains leads of 231% and 245.6%, respectively. With 16 GB of memory and double the bandwidth, it is clearly the card for high-resolution gaming, ray tracing workloads, or any task that demands maximum throughput. Its 72 RT cores make it suitable for modern games with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, something the Pro 5500 XT cannot handle.

The Pro 5500 XT has no benchmark wins to claim. Its advantages are purely in power and physical footprint. With a 125 W TDP and no power connectors, it can fit into systems with minimal power delivery, and its IGP form factor means it can be integrated into compact or proprietary chassis like those found in Mac computers. Its 8 GB of memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for basic workstation tasks, but the data shows it is not in the same performance class as the RX 6800 XT. Its only practical edge is in scenarios where the RX 6800 XT physically cannot fit or draw power.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the superior performer by every measurable margin. It triples or quadruples the Pro 5500 XT’s scores in compute and graphics benchmarks, offers more than double the memory bandwidth, and includes features like ray tracing that the Pro card lacks entirely. Anyone building a high-performance gaming or content creation PC should choose the RX 6800 XT without hesitation.

The Pro 5500 XT is not a performance competitor; it is a specialized component for specific low-power, integrated systems. Its 300 W PSU requirement and no-connector design make it suitable for pre-built workstations where power delivery is constrained. However, its 84th percentile ranking among all GPUs versus the RX 6800 XT’s 85th percentile shows that even in relative terms, the gap is small in ranking but vast in absolute scores. The Pro 5500 XT is only the right choice for a system that cannot accommodate a dual-slot, 300 W card. For everything else, the RX 6800 XT is the answer.