AMD Radeon Pro 5600M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive sweep for the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M across every shared benchmark test. In Geekbench Metal, the AMD part scores 55,030 against the NVIDIA GTX 680's 7,897, a delta of 596.8% in favor of the Radeon. That is not a marginal improvement; it is a generational gap expressed in raw compute throughput for Apple's Metal API.

Geekbench OpenCL tells a similar story, though with a narrower margin. The Radeon Pro 5600M posts 47,783, while the GTX 680 manages 16,906. That works out to a 182.6% advantage for the AMD mobile chip. The Vulkan result follows the same pattern: 46,425 for the Radeon versus 17,646 for the GTX 680, a 163.1% lead. Across all three cross-compatible tests, the Radeon Pro 5600M wins 3, and the GTX 680 wins 0.

It is notably the GTX 680 has no recorded results for PassMark DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12, G2D, G3D, or GPU compute in this database, so those tests cannot be compared directly. The only head-to-head data available are the three Geekbench workloads, and in each one the AMD part is categorically faster. The average benchmark score for the Radeon Pro 5600M is 16,351, which places it 59th percentile among all GPUs. The GTX 680's average is 14,150, good for the 55th percentile. The Radeon's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, sits at 16,361, a mere 0.1% higher, which means the 5600M is effectively trading blows with a desktop-class card from the same generation.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different architectural eras and process nodes. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M uses the Navi 12 chip on RDNA 1.0 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 uses the GK104 chip on Kepler architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a much older 28 nm node. That node gap alone explains a substantial portion of the performance and efficiency delta.

The Radeon Pro 5600M packs 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 680 has 1,536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The AMD chip also carries 8 GB of HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus, delivering 394.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 680 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 192.3 GB/s. That is more than double the memory bandwidth for the Radeon, which matters heavily in compute-heavy workloads and high-resolution texture streaming.

Clock speeds tell a nuanced story. The GTX 680 runs a base clock of 1006 MHz and a boost of 1058 MHz, while the Radeon Pro 5600M runs a lower base of 822 MHz and a boost of 1144 MHz. Despite the lower base clock, the Radeon's higher boost and vastly larger shader count produce much higher throughput. Pixel rate for the AMD part is 73.22 GPixel/s versus 33.86 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rate is 183.0 GTexel/s versus 135.4 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 5.857 TFLOPS for the Radeon, nearly double the GTX 680's 3.250 TFLOPS. The AMD chip also supports FP16 at 11.71 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the GTX 680 has no recorded FP16 capability.

Transistor counts and die sizes are only recorded for the GTX 680: 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die, with a density of 12.0M per mm². The Radeon Pro 5600M does not have those figures recorded. The bus interface differs too: the Radeon uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the GTX 680 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. API support shows the Radeon with DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 680 is listed with DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The feature level gap in DirectX is meaningful for modern game titles.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M wins in every measurable category available in this database. It is faster in Metal, OpenCL, and Vulkan, and it has a higher average benchmark score, a higher percentile ranking, and a larger memory pool. The only area where the GTX 680 shows a relative advantage is power consumption, but that is not a performance win; it is a hardware constraint. The GTX 680 is rated at 195 W TDP, requires 2x 6-pin power connectors, and a suggested 450 W PSU. The Radeon Pro 5600M is rated at 50 W TDP with no power connectors, listed as an integrated GPU package (IGP). That makes the Radeon dramatically more efficient, but it also means the GTX 680 is a standalone card with its own cooler and slot footprint, while the Radeon is designed for portable devices.

For use-case analysis, the Radeon Pro 5600M is clearly suited to modern compute workloads, particularly those leveraging Metal on macOS or cross-platform Vulkan. Its 8 GB HBM2 memory and 394.2 GB/s bandwidth make it viable for large dataset processing, machine learning inference, and high-resolution texture-heavy rendering. The GTX 680, with its 2 GB GDDR5 and 192.3 GB/s bandwidth, is a legacy part from 2012 that will struggle with modern VRAM demands. Its DirectX 12 (11_0) feature level also limits compatibility with newer titles that require 12_1 features.

The GTX 680 does have a recorded launch MSRP of 499 USD, which the database lists once here for reference. The Radeon Pro 5600M has no launch MSRP recorded. The GTX 680 also has defined physical dimensions: 256 mm length, 111 mm height, and 38 mm width, making it a dual-slot card. The Radeon Pro 5600M is listed as an IGP, so its dimensions are not recorded. The GTX 680 has a predecessor (GeForce 500) and successor (GeForce 700), while the Radeon Pro 5600M has neither recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in Geekbench Metal?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M scores 55,030, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 scores 7,897. The AMD part leads by 596.8%.

Q: How do the two compare in memory bandwidth?

A: The Radeon Pro 5600M has 394.2 GB/s of bandwidth from 8 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus. The GTX 680 has 192.3 GB/s from 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The Radeon Pro 5600M is rated at 50 W TDP and requires no power connectors. The GTX 680 is rated at 195 W TDP and requires 2x 6-pin power connectors.

Q: Do both GPUs support Vulkan?

A: Yes. The Radeon Pro 5600M supports Vulkan 1.3, and the GTX 680 supports Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Radeon Pro 5600M has 2,560 shading units, while the GTX 680 has 1,536.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each?

A: The Radeon Pro 5600M averages 16,351, placing it in the 59th percentile. The GTX 680 averages 14,150, placing it in the 55th percentile.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every recorded specification. The Radeon Pro 5600M uses the Navi 12 chip on RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process, while the GTX 680 uses the GK104 chip on Kepler architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process. The GTX 680 has recorded transistor data: 3,540 million transistors on a 294 mm² die with 12.0M per mm² density, while the Radeon has no such figures.

Clock speeds differ: the Radeon runs 822 MHz base and 1144 MHz boost, while the GTX 680 runs 1006 MHz base and 1058 MHz boost. Memory clocks also differ: the Radeon uses 770 MHz with 1540 Mbps effective, while the GTX 680 uses 1502 MHz with 6 Gbps effective. Memory configuration is radically different: 8 GB HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus for AMD versus 2 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus for NVIDIA. Bandwidth is 394.2 GB/s versus 192.3 GB/s.

Shader resources differ: 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs for AMD versus 1,536 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs for NVIDIA. Pixel rate is 73.22 GPixel/s versus 33.86 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 183.0 GTexel/s versus 135.4 GTexel/s. FP32 compute is 5.857 TFLOPS versus 3.250 TFLOPS. The Radeon supports FP16 at 11.71 TFLOPS, while the GTX 680 has no FP16 record.

TDP is 50 W for AMD versus 195 W for NVIDIA. Slot width is IGP versus dual-slot. Power connectors are none versus 2x 6-pin, and the GTX 680 has a suggested PSU of 450 W while the Radeon has none recorded. Bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x16 versus PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are portable device dependent for AMD versus 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2 for NVIDIA. API support differs: DirectX 12 (12_1) versus DirectX 12 (11_0), and Vulkan 1.3 versus 1.2.175. The GTX 680 has physical dimensions recorded (256 mm length, 111 mm height, 38 mm width), while the Radeon does not. The GTX 680 has a predecessor and successor, the Radeon has neither. Release dates differ: June 2020 for AMD versus March 2012 for NVIDIA.