AMD Radeon Pro 560X vs AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT and the AMD Radeon Pro 560X represent two entirely different eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects a chasm in performance. The RX 5700 XT, built on RDNA 1.0, is a desktop powerhouse from the Navi generation, while the Pro 560X is a mobile-focused, energy-sipping part from the older GCN 4.0 architecture. Across the three shared benchmark tests, the RX 5700 XT secures two decisive victories, while the Pro 560X manages a narrow, yet notable, win in one compute-oriented test. The average benchmark scores tell a similar story, with the RX 5700 XT posting an average of 16361 against the Pro 560X's 15082, placing both in the 59th and 57th percentiles of all GPUs respectively. This is a comparison of a dedicated enthusiast card against an integrated-class mobile part, and the data shows that the performance gap is as wide as their architectural differences.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head data is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the RX 5700 XT scores 68310 against the Pro 560X's 16819. This translates to a massive 306.1% delta, making it the single largest performance margin in the comparison. This indicates that for modern, low-level graphics APIs, the RX 5700 XT is in a completely different league, offering over four times the raw throughput in this specific workload.

The Geekbench Metal benchmark shows a similar, though slightly less extreme, level of dominance. The RX 5700 XT achieves a score of 74647, while the Pro 560X manages only 18763. This 297.8% advantage underscores the RX 5700 XT's superior compute and graphics capabilities in Apple's Metal API, a critical metric for any Mac-centric workload. The sheer magnitude of these deltas suggests that the architectural leap from GCN 4.0 to RDNA 1.0, combined with the difference in memory bandwidth and shading units, creates an insurmountable gap for the older card.

However, the picture is not entirely one-sided. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Pro 560X actually wins, scoring 9663 against the RX 5700 XT's 9524. While the delta is a modest -1.4% in favor of the Pro 560X, it is a statistically significant result in this specific benchmark. This suggests that in certain generalized compute tasks that rely on OpenCL, the Pro 560X's architecture can be more efficient or better optimized, despite its far lower theoretical FP32 throughput of 2.056 TFLOPS versus the RX 5700 XT's 9.754 TFLOPS. It is a reminder that raw specifications do not always dictate benchmark outcomes, and that software and driver optimization can play a substantial role in specific workloads.

When looking at the broader benchmark suite, the RX 5700 XT's average score of 16361 places it in a tight cluster of rivals, including the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (-0.3% behind). This suggests that while it is a powerful card, it is not at the absolute top of the performance heap. Conversely, the Pro 560X's average score of 15082 places it in a similarly tight grouping with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (0.1% ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (-0.6% behind), indicating it is a competent but decidedly mid-range performer. These rival comparisons frame the two cards as being several generations and performance tiers apart.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is profound. The RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture using TSMC's 7 nm process node, packing 10,300 million transistors onto a 251 mm² die. In contrast, the Pro 560X utilizes the older GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm node from GlobalFoundries, with a mere 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die. This difference in process technology is a primary driver of the performance gap, allowing the newer card to achieve a transistor density of 41.0M / mm² versus the Pro 560X's 24.4M / mm².

The memory subsystems are also generations apart. The RX 5700 XT features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The Pro 560X is limited to 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of just 94.08 GB/s. This nearly 5x difference in bandwidth is a critical factor in high-resolution gaming and compute tasks, where data transfer rates often become the bottleneck.

Core counts further illustrate the disparity. The RX 5700 XT is equipped with 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 64 render output units (ROPs). The Pro 560X has just 1024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. This translates directly to a massive difference in fill rates, with the RX 5700 XT achieving a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s, compared to the Pro 560X's 16.06 GPixel/s and 64.26 GTexel/s.

Feature support also differs. The RX 5700 XT supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Pro 560X is limited to PCIe 3.0 x8. In terms of API support, the RX 5700 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the Pro 560X is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. While both support OpenGL 4.6, the newer card's higher API versions provide access to more advanced rendering features. The RX 5700 XT also has a TDP of 225 W and requires both a 6-pin and an 8-pin power connector, while the Pro 560X is a 75 W IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, designed to be portable-device dependent.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 5700 XT is the clear winner in scenarios that demand maximum graphics throughput and modern API utilization. Its 306.1% lead in Geekbench Vulkan and 297.8% lead in Geekbench Metal indicate it is exceptionally well-suited for gaming, 3D rendering, and any workload that leverages these APIs. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, it is also far better equipped for high-resolution textures and complex scenes. The data suggests this is a card for users who need high frame rates and detailed visuals, as its 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the upper echelon of performance.

The Pro 560X, despite its massive disadvantage in most metrics, wins the Geekbench OpenCL test by a slim 1.4% margin. This makes it a viable option for specific OpenCL-based compute tasks, such as certain video encoding or scientific simulations, where its architecture appears to have an efficiency advantage. However, its 57th percentile ranking and its position relative to rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (0.1% ahead) suggest it is a solid, but not exceptional, performer. Its primary advantage is its form factor as an IGP with a 75 W TDP, making it suitable for thin-and-light laptops where power consumption and heat are critical constraints, but its performance ceiling is significantly lower.

In terms of raw compute, the RX 5700 XT's FP32 performance of 9.754 TFLOPS is nearly five times higher than the Pro 560X's 2.056 TFLOPS. The Pro 560X does match its FP32 output in FP16 with a 1:1 ratio, while the RX 5700 XT offers a 2:1 ratio for a peak FP16 of 19.51 TFLOPS. This means that for workloads that can utilize FP16, the RX 5700 XT has an even larger advantage, but for legacy FP32-heavy tasks, the Pro 560X's OpenCL win shows it can still be competitive in niche scenarios.

The Verdict

From the data, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the overwhelmingly more capable GPU. It wins two of three shared benchmarks by margins of nearly 300%, and its average score of 16361 is over 8% higher than the Pro 560X's 15082. Its superior architecture, memory bandwidth, and core counts make it the obvious choice for any performance-sensitive application, from gaming to professional 3D work. The RX 5700 XT is positioned among rivals like the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500, indicating it belongs in a performance tier that the Pro 560X cannot approach. It was launched with an MSRP of 399 USD.

The AMD Radeon Pro 560X, however, is not without its merits. Its sole benchmark win in OpenCL by 1.4% shows that it can hold its own in specific compute workloads. Its status as an IGP with a 75 W TDP and no power connectors makes it a unique solution for portable devices where the RX 5700 XT's 225 W TDP and dual-slot cooler would be impossible to accommodate. For users who require a discrete-level GPU in a laptop for light gaming or OpenCL-based tasks, the Pro 560X is a functional, if not powerful, option. The choice is clear: for performance, the RX 5700 XT; for a power-efficient, integrated mobile solution, the Pro 560X.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has a significantly higher average benchmark score of 16361, compared to the AMD Radeon Pro 560X's 15082.

Q: What is the largest performance difference between the two cards?

A: The largest difference is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the RX 5700 XT leads by 306.1%, scoring 68310 versus the Pro 560X's 16819.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Pro 560X win any benchmark against the RX 5700 XT?

A: Yes, the Pro 560X wins the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 9663 against the RX 5700 XT's 9524, a delta of -1.4%.

Q: How do the memory specifications compare?

A: The RX 5700 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the Pro 560X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 94.08 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the process nodes for each GPU?

A: The RX 5700 XT is built on a 7 nm process, while the Pro 560X uses a 14 nm process.

Q: Based on the data, which card is more suitable for gaming?

A: The RX 5700 XT is far more suitable for gaming, given its massive leads in Geekbench Vulkan (306.1%) and Metal (297.8%) tests, which are common in modern gaming and graphics applications.