AMD Radeon Pro 560 vs AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split between two very different AMD GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the dominant performer in graphics-centric workloads, winning the head-to-head benchmark comparison 2 to 1. It leads by 368.3% in Geekbench Metal and by 400.9% in Geekbench Vulkan. The AMD Radeon Pro 560, however, holds a notable edge in one compute-oriented test, the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, where it leads by 34.8%. This makes the choice straightforward for most users: the RX 6650 XT is for those who prioritize graphics rendering, gaming, and modern API performance. The Radeon Pro 560, with its unique OpenCL advantage, is suited for specific compute tasks that leverage that API. The RX 6650 XT also sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the Radeon Pro 560's 61st percentile, reinforcing its higher overall standing in the database's aggregate rankings.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is substantial and explains the performance divergence. The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using the Navi 23 chip, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 uses the much older GCN 4.0 architecture with the Polaris 21 chip. The manufacturing process tells a similar story: the RX 6650 XT is produced on a 7 nm node at TSMC, whereas the Radeon Pro 560 uses a 14 nm node at GlobalFoundries. This process difference directly impacts transistor density, with the RX 6650 XT packing 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die, yielding a density of 46.7M per mm². The Radeon Pro 560 has 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, for a density of 24.4M per mm².

Feature support also diverges sharply. The RX 6650 XT includes 32 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Radeon Pro 560. The RX 6650 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the Radeon Pro 560 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0). Vulkan support is also more recent on the RX 6650 XT, at version 1.4 compared to version 1.3 on the older card. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The RX 6650 XT belongs to the Navi II generation within the RX 6000 series, while the Radeon Pro 560 is part of the Radeon Pro Mac (500 Series) generation, a lineage that underscores its intended mobile or integrated context.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data shows where each card excels. In Geekbench Metal, the RX 6650 XT scores 97,969 against the Radeon Pro 560's 20,918, a 368.3% advantage. This is the largest margin of victory in the three shared tests. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 6650 XT again dominates with 81,306 points versus 16,232, a 400.9% lead. These two results indicate that the RX 6650 XT is in a completely different performance class for modern graphics APIs, matching its newer architecture and far higher resource counts.

The Radeon Pro 560's sole victory comes in Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 15,504 against the RX 6650 XT's 10,111, a lead of 34.8%. This result is curious given the RX 6650 XT's overwhelming advantages elsewhere. The OpenCL score suggests that the Radeon Pro 560's GCN architecture, with its 1:1 FP16 ratio, may handle certain compute workloads more efficiently relative to its other capabilities, or that the RX 6650 XT's OpenCL driver path is not optimized to the same degree as its Metal and Vulkan paths. The data does not explain the cause, but it stands as a notable anomaly in an otherwise one-sided comparison.

Looking at the broader benchmark database, the RX 6650 XT has an average benchmark score of 19,765, while the Radeon Pro 560 averages 17,551. This gap of roughly 12.6% in the aggregate is much smaller than the head-to-head deltas, indicating that the RX 6650 XT's advantage is heavily concentrated in specific graphics tests. The RX 6650 XT's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla K40m at 19,885 (0.6% faster), the AMD FirePro W7000 at 19,905 (0.7% faster), and the AMD FirePro D300 at 19,637 (0.7% slower). The Radeon Pro 560's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 780M at 17,588 (0.2% faster), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 at 17,639 (0.5% faster), and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 at 17,509 (0.2% slower). These proximity bands show that both cards compete within tightly clustered performance groups in the database's overall scoring.

Specification Differences

The specification sheet reveals the scale of the hardware gap. The RX 6650 XT has 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, while the Radeon Pro 560 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and only 16 ROPs. The RX 6650 XT's pixel rate is 168.6 GPixel/s versus 14.51 GPixel/s for the Radeon Pro 560. Texture rate is 337.3 GTexel/s against 58.05 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 10.79 TFLOPS for the RX 6650 XT and 1.858 TFLOPS for the Radeon Pro 560. FP16 performance is 21.59 TFLOPS (2:1) on the RX 6650 XT, while the Radeon Pro 560 offers 1.858 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio.

Memory configuration also differs significantly. The RX 6650 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 560 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on the same 128-bit bus, but only 81.28 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6650 XT's memory clock is 2190 MHz with 17.5 Gbps effective, while the Radeon Pro 560's memory runs at 1270 MHz with 5.1 Gbps effective. Power requirements reflect the performance disparity: the RX 6650 XT has a TDP of 176 W, requires one 8-pin power connector, and a suggested 450 W PSU, while the Radeon Pro 560 has a 75 W TDP, no power connectors, and no suggested PSU listed. The RX 6650 XT is a dual-slot card with PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the Radeon Pro 560 is an IGP with PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs also differ: the RX 6650 XT offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Radeon Pro 560's outputs are listed as portable device dependent. The RX 6650 XT has a launch MSRP of 399 USD; the Radeon Pro 560 has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in Geekbench Metal?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT wins decisively with a score of 97,969, which is 368.3% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 560's score of 20,918.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Pro 560 win any benchmark against the RX 6650 XT?

A: Yes, the Radeon Pro 560 wins in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 15,504 compared to the RX 6650 XT's 10,111, a lead of 34.8%.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between these two GPUs?

A: The RX 6650 XT has an average benchmark score of 19,765, while the Radeon Pro 560 averages 17,551. The RX 6650 XT is higher, though its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla K40m, scores 19,885 and is 0.6% faster.

Q: Does the RX 6650 XT support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 6650 XT includes 32 ray tracing cores. The Radeon Pro 560 has no ray tracing cores listed.

Q: How does memory bandwidth compare between the two cards?

A: The RX 6650 XT offers 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth from 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the Radeon Pro 560 provides 81.28 GB/s from 4 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The RX 6650 XT is built on a 7 nm process at TSMC, while the Radeon Pro 560 uses a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6650 XT is the clear choice for graphics-intensive workloads. Its 368.3% lead in Geekbench Metal and 400.9% lead in Geekbench Vulkan demonstrate overwhelming superiority in modern graphics APIs. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with 280.3 GB/s bandwidth, 2,048 shading units, and 64 ROPs position it for high-resolution rendering and gaming. The inclusion of 32 ray tracing cores adds hardware support for ray-traced effects, which the Radeon Pro 560 cannot match. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate support and Vulkan 1.4 compatibility make it the more future-proof option for software that leverages these APIs. Its 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, alongside an average score of 19,765, places it in a competitive tier with the NVIDIA Tesla K40m and AMD FirePro W7000, both of which are within 0.7% of its average score.

The Radeon Pro 560's wins are narrower but real. Its 34.8% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is the sole head-to-head victory, and it suggests a specific strength in compute tasks that use OpenCL. Its 1.858 TFLOPS FP16 performance at a 1:1 ratio, identical to its FP32 output, could be advantageous in workloads that rely on FP16 precision without the 2:1 packing used by the RX 6650 XT. Its 75 W TDP and lack of power connectors make it a low-power option, though the database does not provide comparative efficiency metrics. Its 61st percentile ranking and average score of 17,551 place it near the AMD Radeon 780M and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, all within 0.5% of each other. For users whose primary driver is OpenCL compute rather than graphics rendering, the Radeon Pro 560 offers a measurable advantage despite its older architecture and far lower raw specifications.