AMD Radeon Pro 555 vs AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data contains only two shared benchmark results, and in both cases the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT dominates the AMD Radeon Pro 555 by a wide margin. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6500 XT scores 48,289 against the Pro 555’s 11,682, a delta of 75.8% in favor of the newer card. That is a massive gap, one that places the RX 6500 XT in a completely different performance tier for compute workloads. The Pro 555’s score of 11,682 is closer to its own average benchmark score of 13,407, while the RX 6500 XT’s OpenCL result far exceeds its own average of 11,842, suggesting that the OpenCL test is particularly favorable to the RX 6500 XT’s architecture.

The second shared test, Geekbench Vulkan, shows an even larger separation. The RX 6500 XT posts 54,724, while the Pro 555 manages only 12,303, a delta of 77.5% in favor of the RX 6500 XT. This is a consistent pattern: the RX 6500 XT is not just faster, it is roughly four times faster in both recorded benchmarks. The Pro 555’s Vulkan score of 12,303 is nearly identical to its OpenCL score, indicating that its GCN 4.0 architecture does not scale particularly well across different compute APIs. The RX 6500 XT, by contrast, improves from 48,289 in OpenCL to 54,724 in Vulkan, showing better API optimization or architectural efficiency.

The win count is unambiguous: the RX 6500 XT wins both head-to-head tests, while the Pro 555 records zero wins. Looking at the broader context, the Pro 555 sits at the 54th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 13,407. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (13,376, 0.2% slower), the AMD Radeon RX 5500M (13,356, 0.4% slower), and the AMD FirePro M6100 (13,354, 0.4% slower), while the NVIDIA P106-090 is 0.5% faster at 13,470. This places the Pro 555 in a tightly packed cluster of older or lower-tier mobile and workstation parts.

The RX 6500 XT, despite winning both head-to-head tests decisively, actually has a lower average benchmark score of 11,842 and sits at the 51st percentile. Its nearest rivals are telling: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 is 1% faster (11,960), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A is 1.3% faster (11,998), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 is 1.4% slower (11,680), and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is 1.9% slower (11,627). This is a strange situation: the RX 6500 XT wins the two shared tests by huge margins, yet its average score across all benchmark suites is lower than the Pro 555’s average. The explanation lies in the test mix, the RX 6500 XT has far more benchmark entries, including lower scores in DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests, which drag its average down. The Pro 555’s average is based on only three tests, all compute-oriented, where it performs consistently but modestly.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the shared benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT wins both recorded head-to-head tests. In Geekbench OpenCL it scores 48,289 versus 11,682 for the AMD Radeon Pro 555, and in Geekbench Vulkan it scores 54,724 versus 12,303. The deltas are 75.8% and 77.5% in favor of the RX 6500 XT respectively.

Q: How do the two cards compare in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 has a higher average benchmark score of 13,407, while the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT averages 11,842. This is despite the RX 6500 XT winning every shared test, because the RX 6500 XT’s average includes many additional DirectX and 2D/3D tests with lower scores.

Q: What are the closest rivals to each card based on the database?

A: The Pro 555’s nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (0.2% slower), AMD Radeon RX 5500M (0.4% slower), AMD FirePro M6100 (0.4% slower), and NVIDIA P106-090 (0.5% faster). The RX 6500 XT’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (1% faster), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960A (1.3% faster), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 (1.4% slower), and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT (1.9% slower).

Q: Which card has a higher percentile ranking?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555 ranks at the 54th percentile of all GPUs, while the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT ranks at the 51st percentile. The percentile difference is small, but it reflects the Pro 555’s more consistent performance across its limited test set.

Q: Is the RX 6500 XT always faster in compute workloads?

A: Based on the two shared tests, yes. The RX 6500 XT leads by 75.8% in OpenCL and 77.5% in Vulkan. However, its Passmark DirectX 9 score is 108, DirectX 10 is 60, DirectX 11 is 90, and DirectX 12 is 38, which are low relative to its compute scores and contribute to its lower average.

Q: What does the win count tell us?

A: The head-to-head data records zero wins for the AMD Radeon Pro 555 and two wins for the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT. There is no recorded benchmark where the Pro 555 outperforms the RX 6500 XT.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from entirely different architectural generations. The AMD Radeon Pro 555 is built on GCN 4.0 with the Polaris 21 chip, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT uses RDNA 2.0 with the Navi 24 chip, fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The process node difference is stark: 14 nm versus 6 nm, which explains much of the efficiency and clock speed gap.

Transistor counts tell the story of density. The Pro 555 packs 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.4 million per mm². The RX 6500 XT has 5,400 million transistors on a smaller 107 mm² die, achieving a density of 50.5 million per mm². That is more than double the density, a direct result of the newer process node.

Clock speeds are dramatically different. The Pro 555 does not list a base or boost clock, only a memory clock of 1275 MHz (5.1 Gbps effective). The RX 6500 XT lists a base clock of 2310 MHz, a game clock of 2610 MHz, and a boost clock of 2815 MHz. Even the RX 6500 XT’s base clock is far higher than anything the Pro 555 could sustain on 14 nm. The memory also differs: the RX 6500 XT runs at 2248 MHz (18 Gbps effective), which is a major uplift.

Compute resources scale accordingly. The Pro 555 has 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. The RX 6500 XT has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, plus 16 ray accelerators, a feature completely absent from the older GCN design. Pixel rate jumps from 13.60 GPixel/s to 90.08 GPixel/s, and texture rate from 40.80 GTexel/s to 180.2 GTexel/s. FP32 compute goes from 1,305.6 GFLOPS to 5.765 TFLOPS, a 4.4x increase. The RX 6500 XT also supports FP16 at 11.53 TFLOPS with a 2:1 rate, while the Pro 555 does FP16 at 1:1 with 1,305.6 GFLOPS.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion for anyone choosing between these two. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT is overwhelmingly faster in every recorded shared benchmark, winning by 75.8% in OpenCL and 77.5% in Vulkan. It has more shading units, more TMUs, more ROPs, higher clocks, more memory bandwidth (143.9 GB/s versus 81.60 GB/s), and double the VRAM capacity (4 GB versus 2 GB). It also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus the Pro 555’s DirectX 12 (12_0), and a newer Vulkan version (1.4 versus 1.3). The RX 6500 XT is also a dual-slot card with a 6-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU, while the Pro 555 is an IGP with no power connectors.

The AMD Radeon Pro 555, however, has one notable advantage: a higher average benchmark score (13,407 versus 11,842) and a higher percentile ranking (54th versus 51st). This is purely a function of the test set. The Pro 555’s average is computed from only three tests, all of which are compute-oriented and where it scores moderately. The RX 6500 XT’s average includes Passmark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 tests, plus 2D and 3D tests, many of which are low (e.g., DirectX 12 at 38, DirectX 10 at 60). If the selection criteria prioritize raw compute performance in OpenCL and Vulkan, the RX 6500 XT is the obvious choice. If the selection criteria prioritize a consistent moderate score across a narrow compute-focused benchmark set, the Pro 555 looks better on paper, but that is misleading given the head-to-head results.

The RX 6500 XT also has a launch MSRP of 199 USD, which can be stated once as a reference point. The Pro 555 has no recorded launch MSRP. The RX 6500 XT is newer, released in 2022, while the Pro 555 dates to 2017. Both are end-of-life, but the RX 6500 XT’s successor is listed as Navi III, while the Pro 555 has no successor.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The Pro 555 uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries; the RX 6500 XT uses 6 nm from TSMC. The Pro 555 has 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die; the RX 6500 XT has 5,400 million on 107 mm². Transistor density is 24.4M per mm² versus 50.5M per mm². The Pro 555 has no base or boost clock listed; the RX 6500 XT has a 2310 MHz base, 2610 MHz game, and 2815 MHz boost. Memory clock is 1275 MHz (5.1 Gbps) for the Pro 555 versus 2248 MHz (18 Gbps) for the RX 6500 XT.

Memory configuration diverges: 2 GB GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 81.60 GB/s bandwidth versus 4 GB GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus with 143.9 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6500 XT achieves higher bandwidth despite a narrower bus due to faster memory. Shading units are 768 versus 1,024, TMUs are 48 versus 64, and ROPs are 16 versus 32. The RX 6500 XT adds 16 ray accelerators; the Pro 555 has none. Pixel rate is 13.60 GPixel/s versus 90.08 GPixel/s. Texture rate is 40.80 GTexel/s versus 180.2 GTexel/s. FP32 is 1,305.6 GFLOPS versus 5.765 TFLOPS. FP16 is 1,305.6 GFLOPS (1:1) versus 11.53 TFLOPS (2:1).

Power and physical specs differ: TDP is 75 W for the Pro 555 versus 107 W for the RX 6500 XT. The Pro 555 is an IGP with no power connectors; the RX 6500 XT is dual-slot with a single 6-pin connector and a 300 W suggested PSU. Bus interface is PCIe 3.0 x8 versus PCIe 4.0 x4. Display outputs are portable-device-dependent for the Pro 555 versus 1x HDMI 2.1 and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a for the RX 6500 XT. DirectX support is 12 (12_0) versus 12 Ultimate (12_2). Vulkan is 1.3 versus 1.4. OpenGL is 4.6 for both.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT wins in every recorded head-to-head benchmark, so the use-case split is largely determined by workload types. In OpenCL compute tasks, such as general-purpose GPU computing, the RX 6500 XT is 75.8% ahead. In Vulkan-based workloads, which include modern games and compute applications, it is 77.5% ahead. The RX 6500 XT also wins on raw specifications: double the VRAM, higher bandwidth, more shading units, higher clocks, and support for ray tracing via its 16 ray accelerators. For any task that leverages DirectX 12 Ultimate features, the RX 6500 XT is the only option of the two.

The AMD Radeon Pro 555 has no recorded benchmark wins. Its only statistical advantages are a higher average benchmark score (13,407 versus 11,842) and a higher percentile rank (54 versus 51). This is an artifact of the test selection, not a real performance advantage. The Pro 555’s lower TDP of 75 W and IGP form factor mean it can fit into systems without dedicated power connectors, which is a niche advantage for ultra-compact or power-limited designs. Its PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, while older, is sufficient for its modest bandwidth needs.

For users who prioritize the highest compute throughput in OpenCL and Vulkan, the RX 6500 XT is the clear winner. For users who need a low-power integrated solution with no external power requirements and are restricted to older API levels, the Pro 555 remains a functional, if dated, option. The data, however, provides no scenario where the Pro 555 outperforms the RX 6500 XT in a shared test. The RX 6500 XT’s wins are decisive and consistent, making it the superior choice for any performance-sensitive workload.