AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT dominates the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 across every benchmark category recorded in this database, with the widest gap appearing in the Metal API test. In the three head-to-head comparisons available, the AMD card wins all three, with the GTX 780 trailing by margins ranging from 56.7% to 80.3%. Despite this sweeping defeat, the GTX 780 holds a slight edge in the overall average benchmark score, posting 19,164 points against the Radeon Pro 5700 XT’s 18,685, which places both cards in nearly identical percentile rankings (64th vs 63rd). This paradox—losing every direct comparison yet winning the aggregate—stems from the different benchmark suites each card was subjected to, as the GTX 780 was only tested with Geekbench workloads while the AMD card also ran Passmark tests.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result comes from the Geekbench Metal test, where the Radeon Pro 5700 XT scores 51,272 points against the GTX 780’s 10,114, a delta of -80.3%. This is not a close contest by any measure; the AMD card delivers over five times the Metal performance, reflecting both the architectural age gap and the AMD card’s native support for modern Apple-centric compute APIs. The GTX 780’s Kepler architecture predates Metal’s widespread adoption, and the benchmark data shows it struggling to keep pace in this specific workload.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the margin narrows but remains decisive. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT posts 59,467 points versus 22,863 for the GTX 780, a 61.6% advantage. This test measures raw general-purpose GPU compute, and the AMD card’s superior shading unit count (2,560 vs 2,304) combined with its higher FP32 throughput (7.675 TFLOPS vs 4.156 TFLOPS) explains the gap. The GTX 780’s older 28 nm process node and lower clock speeds (863 MHz base vs 1,243 MHz base) place it at a fundamental disadvantage in compute-heavy tasks.

The Vulkan benchmark shows the closest relative performance, though the AMD card still wins by 56.7%. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT scores 56,593 against the GTX 780’s 24,514. Vulkan is a lower-level API that often rewards newer hardware with better driver optimization, and the data confirms the AMD card’s advantage here. Interestingly, the GTX 780’s Vulkan score of 24,514 is actually higher than its OpenCL score of 22,863, suggesting the older card handles this API relatively better than Metal, but it still falls far short of the AMD card’s output.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT also ran Passmark tests that the GTX 780 did not, including a G3D score of 12,547 and a GPU compute score of 5,787. These additional data points contribute to the AMD card’s average but do not affect the head-to-head comparison. The GTX 780’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA TITAN Xp, scores 19,177 with a delta of -0.1%, while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 at 18,789 with a delta of -0.6%. Both cards sit in a similar performance tier when averaged across all tests, despite the AMD card’s clear wins in the specific Geekbench comparisons.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural split is stark: the GTX 780 uses NVIDIA’s Kepler architecture on a 28 nm TSMC process, while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT employs AMD’s RDNA 1.0 on a 7 nm node. This process difference is reflected in transistor density—the GTX 780 packs 7,080 million transistors into 561 mm² (12.6M / mm²), whereas the AMD card crams 10,300 million transistors into just 251 mm² (41.0M / mm²). The newer 7 nm process allows for more than triple the transistor density, which directly enables the AMD card’s higher clock speeds and efficiency.

The GTX 780 features a 384-bit memory bus with 3 GB of GDDR5 memory, delivering 288.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT uses a narrower 256-bit bus but compensates with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, achieving 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. This 95.6 GB/s bandwidth advantage, coupled with four times the memory capacity, gives the AMD card a substantial edge in memory-intensive workloads, particularly those requiring large datasets or high-resolution textures.

Core configuration differs significantly between the two. The GTX 780 has 2,304 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. While the AMD card has more shaders and ROPs, it has fewer TMUs, yet still achieves a higher texture rate (239.8 GTexel/s vs 173.2 GTexel/s) due to its higher clock speeds. The pixel rate tells a similar story: the AMD card hits 95.94 GPixel/s versus 43.30 GPixel/s for the GTX 780.

API support also differs. The GTX 780 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6, but the AMD card offers Vulkan 1.4 versus the GTX 780’s Vulkan 1.2.175. The Radeon Pro 5700 XT also supports FP16 at 15.35 TFLOPS (2:1), a feature entirely absent from the GTX 780’s specifications. Power and physical design diverge sharply: the GTX 780 is a dual-slot card requiring 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors with a 250 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU, while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT is an IGP with no power connectors and a 130 W TDP with a 300 W suggested PSU.

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins every direct benchmark comparison, making it the clear choice for anyone prioritizing Geekbench Metal, OpenCL, or Vulkan performance. Its 80.3% Metal advantage suggests it is particularly well-suited for macOS or iOS development workflows, where Metal is the primary graphics API. The 61.6% OpenCL lead indicates strong performance in general compute tasks like physics simulations, data processing, or scientific computing. The 56.7% Vulkan advantage points to solid cross-platform gaming and compute performance, though the AMD card’s lack of display outputs (listed as "No outputs") means it is not intended for direct gaming use.

The GTX 780, despite losing all head-to-head tests, holds a narrow edge in average benchmark score (19,164 vs 18,685) and percentile ranking (64% vs 63%). This is because the GTX 780’s average is based solely on Geekbench scores, while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT’s average includes Passmark tests where it scores lower (e.g., 76 in DirectX 10, 85 in DirectX 11, 59 in DirectX 12). In raw compute terms, the GTX 780 still delivers respectable numbers for its era—4.156 TFLOPS FP32 and 288.4 GB/s bandwidth—making it a capable option for legacy applications that do not leverage modern APIs.

The GTX 780 also wins on physical compatibility in one sense: it has display outputs (2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2), whereas the Radeon Pro 5700 XT has none. For users needing a card that can drive monitors directly, the GTX 780 is the only option between the two. Additionally, the GTX 780 is shorter at 267 mm compared to the Radeon Pro 5700 XT’s unspecified dimensions, though the AMD card’s IGP form factor means it likely fits in spaces where the GTX 780’s dual-slot design would not.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 has a higher average benchmark score of 19,164, compared to the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT’s 18,685, though the AMD card wins all three head-to-head Geekbench comparisons.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench Metal, where the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT scores 51,272 against the GTX 780’s 10,114, a delta of -80.3%.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The GTX 780 supports DirectX 12 (11_0), while the Radeon Pro 5700 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1), which includes additional features.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT has 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, exceeding the GTX 780’s 288.4 GB/s, despite using a narrower 256-bit bus compared to the GTX 780’s 384-bit bus.

Q: Can either card output video to a display?

A: Only the GTX 780 has display outputs (2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2). The Radeon Pro 5700 XT lists "No outputs" in its specifications.

Q: How do the cards compare in transistor density?

A: The Radeon Pro 5700 XT has a transistor density of 41.0M / mm² on a 7 nm process, while the GTX 780 has 12.6M / mm² on a 28 nm process, a more than threefold difference.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally favors the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT for any compute-intensive workload. It wins every recorded head-to-head benchmark with margins between 56.7% and 80.3%, and it offers superior specifications across the board: more shading units (2,560 vs 2,304), higher FP32 throughput (7.675 TFLOPS vs 4.156 TFLOPS), more memory (16 GB vs 3 GB), and greater bandwidth (384.0 GB/s vs 288.4 GB/s). Its 7 nm process node and RDNA architecture represent a generational leap over the GTX 780’s 28 nm Kepler design. For users running Metal, OpenCL, or Vulkan workloads, the choice is clear: the Radeon Pro 5700 XT is the superior performer.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 is only preferable in specific scenarios. Its higher average benchmark score (19,164 vs 18,685) and percentile ranking (64% vs 63%) come from a narrower test selection, but they indicate that within Geekbench workloads alone, the GTX 780 holds its own against cards like the NVIDIA TITAN Xp (delta -0.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (delta 0.7%). Its physical display outputs make it a viable option for systems needing direct monitor connectivity, and its lower transistor density (12.6M / mm²) implies less thermal density, though its 250 W TDP is nearly double the AMD card’s 130 W.

Ultimately, the verdict depends on use case. If the goal is maximum compute performance in modern APIs, the Radeon Pro 5700 XT wins outright. If the requirement is a legacy card with display outputs that can still handle Geekbench-class workloads, the GTX 780 remains functional but outdated. The data does not support choosing the GTX 780 for performance reasons; it only makes sense when the AMD card’s lack of outputs or IGP form factor is disqualifying.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 | AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT |

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

| Architecture | Kepler | RDNA 1.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 7 nm |

| Transistors | 7,080 million | 10,300 million |

| Die Size | 561 mm² | 251 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 12.6M / mm² | 41.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 863 MHz | 1,243 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 902 MHz | 1,499 MHz |

| Memory Size | 3 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 384 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.4 GB/s | 384.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2,304 | 2,560 |

| TMUs | 192 | 160 |

| ROPs | 48 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 43.30 GPixel/s | 95.94 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 173.2 GTexel/s | 239.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 4.156 TFLOPS | 7.675 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | N/A | 15.35 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 130 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | None |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 300 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 | No outputs |

| DirectX | 12 (11_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan | 1.2.175 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2013-05-22 | 2020-08-03 |

| Launch MSRP | 649 USD | N/A |