AMD Radeon Pro 580X vs AMD Radeon RX 560 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear and consistent performance advantage for the AMD Radeon Pro 580X across the two shared benchmark tests. In the Geekbench OpenCL workload, the Pro 580X scores 36,426 points against the RX 560 XT’s 31,387 points, a decisive 16.1% lead. This is a substantial margin that reflects significant differences in raw compute throughput, particularly in tasks that leverage the GPU’s parallel processing capabilities. The Pro 580X’s victory in this test is not marginal; it is a commanding gap that places the card in a higher performance tier.

The Vulkan benchmark tells a similar, though slightly less pronounced, story. Here, the Pro 580X records 40,115 points while the RX 560 XT manages 36,879 points. The 8.8% delta in favor of the Pro 580X confirms that its advantage extends beyond pure compute workloads into graphics-heavy APIs. While the Vulkan gap is narrower than the OpenCL gap, it is still a consistent and measurable win for the Pro 580X. The data shows that in both workloads, the Pro 580X emerges as the stronger performer, with no benchmark in the head-to-head where the RX 560 XT takes the lead.

The win tally is straightforward: the AMD Radeon Pro 580X secures 2 wins, while the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT records 0. This is not a close contest. The average benchmark score reinforces this hierarchy, with the Pro 580X averaging 38,706 points across its recorded tests, compared to the RX 560 XT’s 34,133 points. When placed against their respective nearest rivals in the database, the Pro 580X sits in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 560 XT sits in the 79th. The Pro 580X’s average score is effectively on par with the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A (38,691, a 0% delta) and slightly ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile (38,349, a 0.9% delta). The RX 560 XT, meanwhile, trades blows with the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (34,154, a -0.1% delta) and the NVIDIA RTX A1000 (34,207, a -0.2% delta). This positioning shows that the Pro 580X competes in a higher performance bracket than the RX 560 XT, which is closer to mid-range workstation and older gaming cards.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same fundamental architecture: GCN 4.0, using the Ellesmere chip fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. They share the same transistor count of 5,700 million and an identical die size of 232 mm², resulting in the same transistor density of 24.6M per mm². This common foundation means the architectural differences are not in the silicon itself but in how AMD configured the silicon for each product.

The most significant divergence lies in the compute unit configuration. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X is enabled with 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster operation pipelines (ROPs). The RX 560 XT, by contrast, has a reduced configuration with 1,792 shading units and 112 TMUs, while retaining the same 32 ROPs. This means the Pro 580X has 28.6% more shaders and 28.6% more texture units, which directly explains its higher texture fill rate of 172.8 GTexel/s versus the RX 560 XT’s 137.3 GTexel/s. The pixel rate, however, is nearly identical: 38.40 GPixel/s for the Pro 580X and 39.23 GPixel/s for the RX 560 XT, since both cards have the same number of ROPs and similar clock speeds.

Clock behavior also differs. The Pro 580X has a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost clock of 1200 MHz. The RX 560 XT runs slightly lower at a 1074 MHz base but boosts higher to 1226 MHz. This higher boost clock on the RX 560 XT helps it close the gap in pixel throughput, but it cannot compensate for the Pro 580X’s superior shader count. The FP32 compute performance illustrates this: the Pro 580X delivers 5.530 TFLOPS, while the RX 560 XT delivers 4.394 TFLOPS, a 25.9% advantage for the Pro 580X. Both cards handle FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, meaning there is no half-precision acceleration advantage on either side.

Memory configurations present another clear difference. The Pro 580X comes with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, running at 1710 MHz (6.8 Gbps effective), yielding a bandwidth of 218.9 GB/s. The RX 560 XT halves the capacity to 4 GB but runs the same 256-bit bus at a slightly higher 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective), resulting in a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. So while the RX 560 XT has a marginal 2.3% bandwidth advantage, the Pro 580X has double the memory capacity, which is critical for large datasets and high-resolution textures in professional workloads.

The physical and interface specifications diverge significantly. The Pro 580X is an integrated GPU (IGP) with an Apple MPX bus interface, designed for Apple Mac systems, and offers two HDMI 2.0b outputs. It has no power connectors listed and occupies a single slot width. The RX 560 XT is a discrete, dual-slot card with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, a single 6-pin power connector, and a suggested power supply of 450 W. Its display outputs include one HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4a connections. The RX 560 XT has a physical length of 241 mm (9.5 inches). Both cards support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, so the API feature set is identical. The TDP differs, with the Pro 580X rated at 185 W and the RX 560 XT at 150 W, reflecting the Pro 580X’s higher shader count and power draw.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in the head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro 580X wins both recorded head-to-head tests. It leads by 16.1% in Geekbench OpenCL (36,426 vs 31,387) and by 8.8% in Geekbench Vulkan (40,115 vs 36,879).

Q: Do both cards use the same chip?

A: Yes, both are built on the Ellesmere chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, a 14 nm process, 5,700 million transistors, and a 232 mm² die size.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The Pro 580X has 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the RX 560 XT has 4 GB. The RX 560 XT has a slightly higher bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s versus the Pro 580X’s 218.9 GB/s.

Q: How do their compute capabilities compare?

A: The Pro 580X has 2,304 shading units and delivers 5.530 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The RX 560 XT has 1,792 shading units and delivers 4.394 TFLOPS.

Q: Are there differences in display outputs?

A: Yes. The Pro 580X provides 2x HDMI 2.0b outputs, while the RX 560 XT provides 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

Q: What are their power requirements?

A: The Pro 580X has a TDP of 185 W and no listed power connectors. The RX 560 XT has a TDP of 150 W and requires a single 6-pin power connector with a 450 W suggested power supply.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Pro 580X is the superior performer in every measured category. Its 16.1% lead in OpenCL and 8.8% lead in Vulkan, combined with double the memory capacity (8 GB vs 4 GB) and a 25.9% higher FP32 compute throughput, make it the clear choice for compute-intensive tasks. The Pro 580X also holds a higher database percentile rank at 82 versus the RX 560 XT’s 79, and its average score of 38,706 places it alongside mobile RTX 50-series parts, whereas the RX 560 XT’s 34,133 average aligns it with professional RTX A-series cards from NVIDIA.

However, the choice is not purely about raw performance. The Pro 580X is an IGP with an Apple MPX bus interface, which means it is designed for integration into Apple Mac systems. It is not a drop-in card for standard PC builds. The RX 560 XT, by contrast, is a discrete dual-slot card with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, a 6-pin power connector, and a 241 mm length, making it suitable for conventional desktop installations. It also has a lower TDP of 150 W versus 185 W, which may be relevant for systems with limited power headroom.

From the data, the Pro 580X should be selected when maximum compute performance and memory capacity are required, particularly in a Mac environment. The RX 560 XT should be selected when a standard PCIe form factor, lower power draw, and a broader set of display outputs (including three DisplayPorts) are priorities, and when the performance gap is acceptable. Neither card is currently in production; both are end-of-life products. The Pro 580X was released on 2019-03-17, while the RX 560 XT came five days earlier on 2019-03-12.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro 580X | AMD Radeon RX 560 XT |

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

| Generation | Radeon Pro Mac (500X Series) | Polaris (RX 500) |

| Base Clock | 1100 MHz | 1074 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1200 MHz | 1226 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1710 MHz (6.8 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Bandwidth | 218.9 GB/s | 224.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 1792 |

| TMUs | 144 | 112 |

| Pixel Rate | 38.40 GPixel/s | 39.23 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 172.8 GTexel/s | 137.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 5.530 TFLOPS | 4.394 TFLOPS |

| TDP | 185 W | 150 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | Not listed | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | Apple MPX | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 2x HDMI 2.0b | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Length | Not listed | 241 mm (9.5 inches) |

| Release Date | 2019-03-17 | 2019-03-12 |

| Predecessor | Not listed | Arctic Islands |

| Successor | Not listed | Vega |

| Geekbench OpenCL | 36,426 | 31,387 |

| Geekbench Vulkan | 40,115 | 36,879 |

| Average Benchmark Score | 38,706 | 34,133 |

| Database Percentile | 82 | 79 |