AMD Radeon Pro 560 vs AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT and AMD Radeon Pro 560 are both integrated graphics processors designed for Apple Mac systems, but they belong to completely different performance tiers. The data shows a decisive generational gap, with the 5700 XT winning all three head-to-head benchmark comparisons by overwhelming margins. The 5700 XT achieves an average benchmark score of 18685, which places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the 560 manages an average score of 17551, landing in the 61st percentile. Despite the seemingly close percentile ranking, the raw performance disparity between these two cards is massive, reflecting their different architectures, memory configurations, and release timelines.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results paint an unambiguous picture of dominance for the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT. In the Geekbench Metal test, the 5700 XT scores 51272, while the Radeon Pro 560 scores 20918, resulting in a delta of 145.1% in favor of the newer card. This means the 5700 XT delivers more than double the Metal performance of the 560, a gap that will be immediately noticeable in any Metal-accelerated application, from video editing to 3D rendering.

The OpenCL results are even more lopsided. The 5700 XT posts a score of 59467, compared to just 15504 for the 560, representing a staggering 283.6% advantage. This nearly four-fold difference in compute performance highlights the fundamental architectural leap between the two cards. The 5700 XT's FP32 throughput of 7.675 TFLOPS dwarfs the 560's 1.858 TFLOPS, and in FP16 compute, the 5700 XT reaches 15.35 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, whereas the 560 is limited to 1.858 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. For compute-heavy workloads like scientific simulation or machine learning inference, the 5700 XT is in a completely different class.

Vulkan performance follows the same trend. The 5700 XT achieves 56593 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the 560 manages only 16232, a delta of 248.7%. This substantial lead in Vulkan is particularly relevant for cross-platform gaming and modern graphics APIs. The 5700 XT supports Vulkan 1.4, while the 560 is limited to Vulkan 1.3, giving the newer card both a performance and feature-set advantage in this API.

The 5700 XT also shows superiority in legacy DirectX benchmarks, although these are less relevant for Mac-focused hardware. In PassMark DirectX 9, the 5700 XT scores 153, while the 560 has no recorded PassMark scores in the data pack, making cross-comparison impossible for those tests. However, the 5700 XT's PassMark G3D score of 12547 and GPU compute score of 5787 provide additional evidence of its substantial compute capabilities, placing it well above the 560's missing entries.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins every single benchmark category where both cards have recorded data. There is no workload in the provided benchmarks where the Radeon Pro 560 outperforms the 5700 XT. The 5700 XT's wins span Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan, covering the three primary compute APIs used in macOS environments. This comprehensive victory suggests that the 5700 XT is the superior choice for any graphics or compute-intensive task on a Mac, from professional video editing in Final Cut Pro to 3D modeling in Blender.

The Radeon Pro 560's only potential advantages are qualitative rather than quantitative. It has a significantly lower TDP of 75 W compared to the 5700 XT's 130 W, which could translate to lower power consumption and less heat generation in a laptop chassis. The 560 also uses the older GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process, which is less efficient but also less complex. However, in terms of raw benchmark performance, the 560 offers no wins whatsoever. The 5700 XT's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which scores 18789, and the NVIDIA Tesla K80 at 18866, both of which are within 1% of the 5700 XT's average score. This places the 5700 XT in a performance class far above the 560, which sits alongside the AMD Radeon 780M and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in its nearest rival group.

For users who prioritize energy efficiency and minimal thermal output, the 560's lower TDP might be a consideration, but the performance trade-off is extreme. The 5700 XT delivers 7.675 TFLOPS of FP32 performance while consuming 130 W, whereas the 560 delivers just 1.858 TFLOPS at 75 W. The 5700 XT offers over four times the compute throughput at less than double the power draw, making it the more efficient option on a performance-per-watt basis.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT in OpenCL performance?

A: The 5700 XT scores 59467 in Geekbench OpenCL, compared to 15504 for the Radeon Pro 560, representing a 283.6% advantage. This means the 5700 XT delivers nearly four times the OpenCL compute performance of the 560.

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

A: The 5700 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, with 81.28 GB/s of bandwidth. The 5700 XT offers four times the memory capacity and nearly five times the bandwidth.

Q: Which card has better Vulkan API support?

A: The 5700 XT supports Vulkan 1.4, while the 560 supports Vulkan 1.3. In Geekbench Vulkan testing, the 5700 XT scores 56593 versus 16232 for the 560, a delta of 248.7% in favor of the 5700 XT.

Q: How do the two cards compare in terms of transistor count and die size?

A: The 5700 XT uses the Navi 10 chip with 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. The 560 uses the Polaris 21 chip with 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, fabricated on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process. The 5700 XT has more than three times the transistor count on a die that is roughly twice the size.

Q: What is the pixel rate difference between the two GPUs?

A: The 5700 XT achieves a pixel rate of 95.94 GPixel/s, while the 560 manages 14.51 GPixel/s. This represents a significant advantage for the 5700 XT in fill-rate-bound scenarios, such as high-resolution rendering with heavy overdraw.

Q: Are there any benchmark categories where the Radeon Pro 560 wins?

A: No. In the head-to-head benchmark data provided, the 5700 XT wins all three tests (Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan) with 3 wins and 0 losses. The 560 does not outperform the 5700 XT in any recorded benchmark.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially across nearly every specification. The 5700 XT features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, while the 560 has 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. This means the 5700 XT has 2.5 times the shading units, 2.5 times the texture units, and four times the ROPs compared to the 560. The texture rate of the 5700 XT is 239.8 GTexel/s, vastly exceeding the 560's 58.05 GTexel/s.

Memory configuration is another major differentiator. The 5700 XT comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory clocked at 1500 MHz with 12 Gbps effective speed, on a 256-bit bus, yielding 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory at 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective speed, on a 128-bit bus, providing just 81.28 GB/s. The 5700 XT also operates at a base clock of 1243 MHz and boost clock of 1499 MHz, while the 560 has no listed base or boost clocks in the data.

The power profile also differs significantly. The 5700 XT has a TDP of 130 W with a suggested PSU of 300 W, while the 560 has a TDP of 75 W with no suggested PSU listed. Both cards are integrated graphics processors (IGP) with no power connectors and no display outputs, though the 560 lists "Portable Device Dependent" for display outputs, suggesting its connectivity depends on the host device. The bus interface also differs: the 5700 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the 560 uses PCIe 3.0 x8.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is fundamental. The 5700 XT is built on the Navi 10 chip using RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. The 560 uses the Polaris 21 chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process. This process node difference — 7 nm versus 14 nm — represents a full generation of manufacturing advancement, allowing the 5700 XT to pack 10,300 million transistors onto a 251 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 41.0M per mm². The 560 has just 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, with a density of 24.4M per mm².

The RDNA 1.0 architecture in the 5700 XT is a significant departure from the older GCN 4.0 design. RDNA 1.0 was designed to improve performance per clock and efficiency over GCN, which is reflected in the benchmark results. The 5700 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the 560 supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6. The 5700 XT's FP16 performance is 15.35 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio relative to FP32, indicating dedicated half-precision throughput, whereas the 560's FP16 performance matches its FP32 at 1.858 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, meaning no dedicated half-precision acceleration.

Neither card features ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as both predate or omit those specialized hardware units. The 5700 XT was released on August 3, 2020, while the 560 was released on April 17, 2017, a gap of over three years. Both cards are end-of-life products, and both belong to the Radeon Pro Mac family, with the 5700 XT in the Navi Series generation and the 560 in the 500 Series generation.

The Verdict

The benchmark data makes the choice clear: the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT is the superior graphics processor in every measurable way. It wins all three head-to-head benchmarks with deltas ranging from 145.1% in Metal to 283.6% in OpenCL and 248.7% in Vulkan. The 5700 XT's 7.675 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth place it in a completely different performance class than the 560's 1.858 TFLOPS, 4 GB of GDDR5, and 81.28 GB/s bandwidth. The 5700 XT sits alongside the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 and Tesla K80 in its nearest rival group, while the 560 competes with integrated graphics like the AMD Radeon 780M.

For users running compute-intensive applications on a Mac, the 5700 XT is the only rational choice. Its 283.6% lead in OpenCL and 248.7% lead in Vulkan mean that tasks like video rendering, 3D simulation, and GPU-accelerated machine learning will complete in a fraction of the time compared to the 560. The 5700 XT's 16 GB of memory also provides ample capacity for large datasets and high-resolution textures, whereas the 560's 4 GB will quickly become a bottleneck in modern workloads.

The only scenario where the 560 might be preferable is in a system with strict power or thermal constraints, given its 75 W TDP versus the 5700 XT's 130 W. However, even this advantage is mitigated by the 5700 XT's superior performance-per-watt ratio. The data shows that the 5700 XT delivers over four times the FP32 throughput at less than double the power consumption. For any user who prioritizes performance, the 5700 XT is the definitive choice, and the 560 should only be considered if the host system cannot physically accommodate the 5700 XT's power requirements.