AMD Radeon Pro 5500M vs AMD Radeon RX 570X Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X records an average benchmark score of 13,871, placing it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs. The AMD Radeon Pro 5500M averages 11,528, sitting in the 51st percentile.

Q: How do the two compare in OpenCL performance?

A: The RX 570X leads in Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 38,939 versus 31,088 for the Pro 5500M, a 25.3% advantage for the desktop card.

Q: Which GPU wins in the PassMark G3D benchmark?

A: The Pro 5500M dominates, scoring 6,732 versus 1,923 for the RX 570X. That is a 71.4% deficit for the RX 570X in this test, meaning the Pro 5500M is roughly 3.5 times faster.

Q: What are the manufacturing process differences?

A: The RX 570X uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries with 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die. The Pro 5500M uses a 7 nm process at TSMC with 6,400 million transistors on a smaller 158 mm² die.

Q: What memory technologies do they employ?

A: The RX 570X uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Pro 5500M also has 8 GB but uses GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 192.0 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has higher FP32 throughput?

A: The RX 570X delivers 5.095 TFLOPS FP32, while the Pro 5500M provides 4.454 TFLOPS. However, the Pro 5500M doubles its FP16 rate to 8.909 TFLOPS, whereas the RX 570X runs FP16 at the same 5.095 TFLOPS as FP32.

Architecture Differences

The RX 570X is built on the Polaris 20 chip, using the GCN 4.0 architecture from the Polaris (RX 500X) generation. It is fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The die measures 232 mm² and contains 5,700 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 24.6M per mm². This is a desktop-oriented, dual-slot card with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.

The Pro 5500M uses the Navi 14 chip with the RDNA 1.0 architecture, belonging to the Radeon Pro Mac (Navi Mobile) generation. It is built on a 7 nm TSMC process, with a smaller die of 158 mm² but a higher transistor count of 6,400 million. The transistor density reaches 40.5M per mm², reflecting the denser fabrication node. It connects via PCIe 4.0 x8, a newer bus standard, and is designed for portable devices.

Architecturally, the RX 570X has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The Pro 5500M has fewer shading units at 1,536, fewer TMUs at 96, but the same 32 ROPs. The RDNA design shifts the compute organization, which is visible in the FP16 throughput: the Pro 5500M achieves 8.909 TFLOPS FP16 versus 4.454 TFLOPS FP32, a 2:1 ratio, while the RX 570X runs FP16 at 5.095 TFLOPS, matching its FP32 rate at 1:1.

Clock behavior differs as well. The RX 570X has a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost of 1244 MHz. The Pro 5500M starts lower at 1000 MHz but boosts higher to 1450 MHz. The Pro 5500M’s higher boost helps it reach a pixel rate of 46.40 GPixel/s, exceeding the RX 570X’s 39.81 GPixel/s despite having the same ROP count. The RX 570X counters with a higher texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s versus 139.2 GTexel/s for the Pro 5500M, thanks to its extra TMUs.

Memory architecture also diverges. The RX 570X uses GDDR5 at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) on a 256-bit bus. The Pro 5500M uses GDDR6 at 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) on a 128-bit bus. The wider bus gives the RX 570X more bandwidth: 224.0 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s. API support shows the Pro 5500M with DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 570X lists DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

The Verdict

The recorded data points to a split decision. The RX 570X wins in OpenCL and 2D performance, while the Pro 5500M wins decisively in the 3D benchmark. For compute-oriented OpenCL workloads, the RX 570X has a clear 25.3% lead over the Pro 5500M, which is significant for tasks that rely on raw FP32 throughput and memory bandwidth. The RX 570X also edges out the Pro 5500M in PassMark G2D (750 versus 648, a 15.7% advantage), indicating better 2D desktop rendering performance.

However, for general 3D graphics, the Pro 5500M is in another class. Its PassMark G3D score of 6,732 dwarfs the RX 570X’s 1,923. This is not a marginal difference; the Pro 5500M is 71.4% faster, which translates to a large advantage in gaming or GPU-accelerated 3D rendering. The Pro 5500M also has access to modern architecture features like FP16 acceleration at 2:1 and PCIe 4.0, which matter for newer software stacks.

The choice depends on the workload. If the priority is OpenCL compute, the RX 570X is the stronger option. If 3D rendering performance and modern API support matter more, the Pro 5500M is clearly superior. The RX 570X sits at the 55th percentile of all GPUs, while the Pro 5500M sits at the 51st, but that aggregate position is skewed by the Pro 5500M’s poor OpenCL showing. The benchmark data does not support one universal winner; it supports picking per application.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 570X | AMD Radeon Pro 5500M |

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

| Chip | Polaris 20 | Navi 14 |

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | RDNA 1.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 6,400 million |

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 158 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.6M / mm² | 40.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1168 MHz | 1000 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1244 MHz | 1450 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (7 Gbps) | 1500 MHz (12 Gbps) |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 192.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 1536 |

| TMUs | 128 | 96 |

| Pixel Rate | 39.81 GPixel/s | 46.40 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 159.2 GTexel/s | 139.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.095 TFLOPS | 4.454 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1) | 8.909 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 150 W | 85 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | Not specified |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | Not specified |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | Portable Device Dependent |

| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Dimensions (Length) | 241 mm (9.5 inches) | Not specified |

The RX 570X is a larger, power-hungry desktop card with a 150 W TDP and external power requirement. The Pro 5500M is a mobile part at 85 W, drawing power through the system without dedicated connectors. The RX 570X has double the bus width and higher bandwidth, while the Pro 5500M relies on faster GDDR6 memory and a higher boost clock to compensate.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Three benchmark comparisons are recorded between these two GPUs. The RX 570X wins two, and the Pro 5500M wins one.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 570X scores 38,939 against 31,088 for the Pro 5500M. This 25.3% advantage is substantial. The RX 570X benefits from higher FP32 throughput (5.095 TFLOPS versus 4.454 TFLOPS) and significantly more memory bandwidth (224.0 GB/s versus 192.0 GB/s), which directly supports compute workloads. The Pro 5500M’s lower base clock of 1000 MHz likely hampers sustained compute performance despite its higher boost.

In PassMark G2D, the RX 570X again leads with 750 points versus 648, a 15.7% margin. This 2D test favors the RX 570X’s higher texture rate (159.2 GTexel/s) and wider memory bus, which assist in 2D compositing and display operations.

The Pro 5500M’s sole win is in PassMark G3D, where it records 6,732 points against 1,923 for the RX 570X. The delta is -71.4% for the RX 570X, meaning the Pro 5500M is more than three times faster. This test measures 3D graphics throughput, where the RDNA architecture’s efficiency and higher boost clock (1450 MHz versus 1244 MHz) prove decisive. The Pro 5500M’s 46.40 GPixel/s pixel rate, higher than the RX 570X’s 39.81 GPixel/s, helps in rasterization-heavy scenarios.

The overall win count (2-1) favors the RX 570X, but the magnitude of the Pro 5500M’s G3D victory outweighs the smaller margins in the other two tests. The RX 570X’s wins are by 25.3% and 15.7%, while the Pro 5500M’s win is by 71.4%, a much larger swing.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 570X wins in OpenCL compute and 2D rendering. Its 25.3% OpenCL lead makes it the better choice for general-purpose GPU computing, such as data-parallel tasks, physics simulations, or machine learning inference that rely on OpenCL. The higher FP32 throughput and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for memory-bound workloads. The 15.7% G2D advantage also makes it preferable for desktop environments, 2D CAD, or image compositing where texture rate and bus width matter.

The Pro 5500M wins in 3D graphics, where it delivers a 71.4% higher PassMark G3D score. This makes it the clear choice for gaming, 3D modeling, video editing with GPU-accelerated effects, or any DirectX 12 (12_1) application. Its RDNA architecture, with FP16 at 2:1, offers faster half-precision compute for workloads that can use it, such as certain AI inference or graphics shaders. The higher boost clock and pixel rate also benefit real-time rendering. Additionally, the Pro 5500M supports PCIe 4.0 and Vulkan 1.4, which future-proofs it for newer software APIs.

For a mobile user, the Pro 5500M’s 85 W TDP versus the RX 570X’s 150 W TDP means it fits in portable systems without external power, while the RX 570X requires a 450 W PSU and a dual-slot chassis. The RX 570X offers more display outputs (DVI, HDMI, three DisplayPort) versus the Pro 5500M’s device-dependent outputs, so it suits multi-monitor desktop setups. In summary, pick the RX 570X for compute and desktop tasks, the Pro 5500M for 3D graphics workloads on the go.