AMD Radeon Pro 555X vs NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q Comparison

FAQ

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555X records an average benchmark score of 13,321, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q records 11,088. The AMD part sits at the 54th percentile of all GPUs, while the NVIDIA part sits at the 50th percentile.

Q: Which GPU has the higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q offers 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is dramatically higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 555X at 94.08 GB/s. The NVIDIA card also uses 96 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, whereas the AMD card uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of raw compute throughput?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q reaches 109.7 TFLOPS for FP32 and the same 109.7 TFLOPS for FP16. The AMD Radeon Pro 555X delivers 1,393.2 GFLOPS for both FP32 and FP16. The NVIDIA GPU provides roughly 79 times the FP32 throughput.

Q: What are the production statuses of these two products?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 555X is marked as end-of-life in the database, with a release date of 2018-07-15. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q is active, with a release date of 2025-03-17.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and texture mapping units?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q has 24,064 shading units and 752 TMUs. The AMD Radeon Pro 555X has 768 shading units and 48 TMUs. The NVIDIA GPU also includes 188 RT cores and 752 tensor cores, while the AMD part has none listed.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the NVIDIA card?

A: The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q has a launch MSRP of 8,565 USD. The AMD Radeon Pro 555X has no launch MSRP recorded in the database.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different manufacturing generations and design philosophies. The AMD Radeon Pro 555X uses the Polaris 21 chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It contains 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.4M per mm². The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q uses the GB202 chip, built on Blackwell 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 122.9M per mm².

The AMD GPU belongs to the Radeon Pro Mac (500X Series) generation, while the NVIDIA GPU belongs to the Blackwell PRO W (x000) generation. The process node difference alone is substantial: 14 nm versus 5 nm. The transistor count difference is also stark, with the NVIDIA chip containing over 30 times more transistors. Die size grows from 123 mm² to 750 mm², and transistor density more than quintuples.

Memory architecture differs fundamentally. The AMD card uses 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with memory clocked at 1470 MHz (5.9 Gbps effective), producing 94.08 GB/s of bandwidth. The NVIDIA card uses 96 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, with memory at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective), producing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. That is a 19-fold increase in capacity and roughly a 19-fold increase in bandwidth.

The compute pipelines diverge sharply. The AMD GPU has 768 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. The NVIDIA GPU has 24,064 shading units, 752 TMUs, and 192 ROPs. The NVIDIA part also includes dedicated ray tracing cores (188) and tensor cores (752), which are absent from the AMD specification. Pixel rate jumps from 14.51 GPixel/s to 437.8 GPixel/s, and texture rate jumps from 43.54 GTexel/s to 1,714.6 GTexel/s.

Interface and power delivery also differ. The AMD card uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the NVIDIA card uses PCIe 5.0 x16. The AMD card has no power connectors and a 75 W TDP, whereas the NVIDIA card uses a single 16-pin connector, a 300 W TDP, and a suggested PSU of 700 W. The AMD card is an integrated GPU (IGP) with portable-device-dependent display outputs, while the NVIDIA card is a dual-slot add-in board with 4x DisplayPort 2.1b outputs. API support also differs: DirectX 12 (12_0) versus 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.3 versus 1.4, with OpenGL 4.6 common to both.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

Direct head-to-head benchmark data between these two specific GPUs is not present in the database. Instead, the comparison relies on their individual average benchmark scores and nearest rival positions.

The AMD Radeon Pro 555X records an average benchmark score of 13,321. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 averages 13,300 (0.2% ahead), the AMD FirePro M6100 averages 13,354 (0.2% behind), the AMD Radeon RX 5500M averages 13,356 (0.3% behind), and the AMD Radeon HD 8950M averages 13,376 (0.4% behind). This places the 555X in a narrow performance band where a single percentage point separates it from its closest competitors. The 0.2% delta to the GTX 480 is within measurement noise, indicating parity with that older desktop card.

The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q records an average benchmark score of 11,088. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q at 11,088 (0.0% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 550 at 11,075 (0.1% behind), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER at 11,047 (0.4% behind), and the AMD FirePro W4300 at 11,225 (1.2% ahead). The 0.0% delta to the RTX PRO 6000D indicates the two Blackwell Max-Q variants perform identically in this measurement. The 1.2% gap to the FirePro W4300 is the largest spread among its nearest rivals.

Comparing the two products directly, the AMD part's average score of 13,321 is 20.1% higher than the NVIDIA part's 11,088. The AMD GPU also holds a higher percentile rank (54th versus 50th). This is counterintuitive given the massive architectural advantages of the NVIDIA card, but the benchmark suite here is limited: the AMD card has three recorded tests (Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan), while the NVIDIA card has only one recorded test (3DMark Steel Nomad DX12). The differing workloads explain why the lower-spec'd AMD card appears ahead in aggregate scoring.

The NVIDIA card's single benchmark score of 11,088 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 reflects a modern DirectX 12 workload. The AMD card's scores of 14,479 in Geekbench Metal, 12,628 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 12,855 in Geekbench Vulkan reflect legacy compute-oriented tests. Neither suite overlaps, so the recorded data does not permit a direct apples-to-apples comparison on identical workloads. The database shows zero head-to-head benchmark entries and zero wins for either side.

The Verdict

The recorded data paints a clear picture for different use cases. For legacy compute workloads and general OpenCL or Vulkan performance as measured in Geekbench, the AMD Radeon Pro 555X leads with a 20.1% higher average score. Its 54th percentile placement versus the NVIDIA card's 50th percentile reinforces that lead in the aggregate database ranking.

For modern DirectX 12 gaming or workstation workloads as measured by 3DMark Steel Nomad, the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q is the only one of the two with a recorded score. Its 11,088 result is the sole data point for that test, and its nearest rival (the RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q) matches it exactly. The NVIDIA card also brings architectural features the AMD card lacks entirely: ray tracing cores, tensor cores, and a 512-bit GDDR7 memory subsystem.

The choice depends on workload compatibility. If the target applications are older compute APIs like Metal, OpenCL, or Vulkan as exercised by Geekbench, the AMD card's measured scores are higher. If the target applications require ray tracing, tensor operations, or the latest DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set, the NVIDIA card is the only viable option based on the data. The AMD card is end-of-life, while the NVIDIA card is active and newer by roughly seven years.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro 555X | NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q |

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

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Blackwell 2.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 5 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 3,000 million | 92,200 million |

| Die Size | 123 mm² | 750 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.4M / mm² | 122.9M / mm² |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 96 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR7 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 512 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 94.08 GB/s | 1.79 TB/s |

| Memory Clock | 1470 MHz (5.9 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) |

| Shading Units | 768 | 24,064 |

| TMUs | 48 | 752 |

| ROPs | 16 | 192 |

| RT Cores | None | 188 |

| Tensor Cores | None | 752 |

| Pixel Rate | 14.51 GPixel/s | 437.8 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 43.54 GTexel/s | 1,714.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,393.2 GFLOPS | 109.7 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 1,393.2 GFLOPS (1:1) | 109.7 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 75 W | 300 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 16-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None listed | 700 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 4x DisplayPort 2.1b |

| DirectX | 12 (12_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Dimensions | Not listed | 267 mm (10.5 in) length, 111 mm (4.4 in) height, 40 mm (1.6 in) width |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2018-07-15 | 2025-03-17 |

| Launch MSRP | None recorded | 8,565 USD |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 555X wins in aggregate benchmark scoring. Its average of 13,321 is 20.1% above the NVIDIA card's 11,088, and its 54th percentile rank beats the NVIDIA card's 50th percentile. In Geekbench Metal, it scores 14,479; in Geekbench Vulkan, 12,855; in Geekbench OpenCL, 12,628. These are the only recorded benchmarks for the AMD card, and all three exceed the NVIDIA card's sole recorded score. The AMD card also draws less power (75 W versus 300 W), requires no power connector, and fits as an integrated GPU, making it suited to portable devices where the database notes display outputs are device dependent.

The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q wins on every raw hardware specification that matters for modern workloads. Its 96 GB of GDDR7 memory dwarfs the 4 GB GDDR5 allocation. Its 1.79 TB/s bandwidth is roughly 19 times the AMD card's 94.08 GB/s. Its 24,064 shading units and 752 TMUs represent 31-fold and 15-fold increases, respectively. The 188 RT cores and 752 tensor cores enable ray tracing and AI acceleration that the AMD card cannot perform. The 109.7 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is roughly 79 times the AMD card's 1,393.2 GFLOPS. The NVIDIA card also supports PCIe 5.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and DisplayPort 2.1b outputs.

For legacy compute tasks measured by Geekbench OpenCL or Vulkan, the AMD card's recorded scores suggest it remains competitive in that narrow band. For any modern 3D rendering, ray-traced workload, or tensor-based computation, the NVIDIA card's architectural features and memory subsystem give it capabilities the AMD card simply does not list. The NVIDIA card's nearest rival, the RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q, scores identically at 11,088, confirming that this performance tier is consistent within the Blackwell Max-Q lineup. The AMD card's nearest rivals, clustered within 0.4% of its score, show that its performance level is similarly well-established in the database.