AMD Radeon Pro Duo vs AMD Radeon RX 560 XT Comparison

# AMD Radeon Pro Duo vs AMD Radeon RX 560 XT

The AMD Radeon Pro Duo and AMD Radeon RX 560 XT are both end-of-life AMD graphics cards, but they target entirely different segments of the market. The Pro Duo, a dual-GPU workstation monster from the Radeon Pro GCN generation, delivers a commanding Geekbench OpenCL score of 35,860, sitting at the 80th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 560 XT, a Polaris-based mainstream card from the RX 500 generation, averages 34,133 across OpenCL and Vulkan tests, placing it at the 79th percentile. In the single available head-to-head test, the Pro Duo wins by 14.3% in OpenCL, but the RX 560 XT counters with a strong Vulkan showing that the Pro Duo cannot match. The data reveals two cards with overlapping raw compute but divergent strengths: the Pro Duo is built for raw throughput, while the RX 560 XT offers modern API support and efficiency.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro Duo wins decisively in OpenCL compute workloads. Its score of 35,860 in Geekbench OpenCL is 14.3% higher than the RX 560 XT's 31,387 in the same test. This advantage stems from its massive 4,096 shading units and 8.192 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, making it the clear choice for compute-heavy professional tasks like rendering, simulation, or any workload that leverages OpenCL acceleration. The Pro Duo's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 (35,520, only 1% slower) and the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (35,435, 1.2% slower), placing it in the upper echelon of workstation-class hardware despite its age.

The AMD Radeon RX 560 XT wins in the Vulkan API arena. It posts a Geekbench Vulkan score of 36,879, which is higher than the Pro Duo's OpenCL result and demonstrates that this card is better suited for modern, API-agnostic workloads. With Vulkan 1.3 support compared to the Pro Duo's Vulkan 1.2.170, the RX 560 XT is the more future-proof option for games and applications that leverage Vulkan's low-overhead design. Its nearest rivals in average score include the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB (34,154, just 0.1% ahead) and the NVIDIA RTX A1000 (34,207, 0.2% ahead), showing that the RX 560 XT sits in a competitive mid-range performance band.

The architectural split is clear: the Pro Duo dominates in pure compute throughput, while the RX 560 XT offers better API versatility and efficiency.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different GCN generations and process nodes. The Pro Duo uses the Capsaicin chip built on GCN 3.0 architecture at TSMC's 28 nm process, packing 8,900 million transistors on a 596 mm² die with a transistor density of 14.9 million per mm². The RX 560 XT uses the Ellesmere chip on GCN 4.0 architecture at GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process, with 5,700 million transistors on a much smaller 232 mm² die, achieving a higher density of 24.6 million per mm².

Memory configurations differ substantially. The Pro Duo features 4 GB of HBM memory on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 560 XT has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s. The Pro Duo's memory bandwidth advantage is more than double, which is critical for compute workloads that stream large datasets.

Compute resources are heavily skewed toward the Pro Duo: it has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, versus the RX 560 XT's 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This translates to 8.192 TFLOPS FP32 and FP16 (1:1) for the Pro Duo, while the RX 560 XT delivers 4.394 TFLOPS in both formats. The Pro Duo also leads in pixel rate (64.00 GPixel/s vs 39.23 GPixel/s) and texture rate (256.0 GTexel/s vs 137.3 GTexel/s).

Power and physical characteristics diverge sharply. The Pro Duo draws 350 W TDP, requires a 750 W PSU, and needs three 8-pin power connectors, while the RX 560 XT consumes just 150 W with a 450 W PSU recommendation and a single 6-pin connector. The Pro Duo is longer at 277 mm versus 241 mm for the RX 560 XT, though both are dual-slot cards. Display outputs also differ: the Pro Duo offers HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2, while the RX 560 XT provides HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a, making the latter more suitable for modern high-refresh-rate displays.

The Verdict

The data points to two distinct user profiles. For professionals running OpenCL-heavy workloads, the AMD Radeon Pro Duo is the unequivocal choice. Its 14.3% lead over the RX 560 XT in Geekbench OpenCL, combined with 8.192 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, makes it a compute powerhouse. The Pro Duo's 80th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its proximity to the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 (within 1%) confirm its workstation-class credentials. However, this performance comes with significant costs: 350 W TDP, three 8-pin connectors, and a 750 W PSU requirement.

For users prioritizing modern API support, efficiency, and Vulkan performance, the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT is the better fit. Its Vulkan score of 36,879 exceeds the Pro Duo's OpenCL result, and Vulkan 1.3 support versus 1.2.170 ensures broader compatibility with contemporary software. The RX 560 XT achieves this at less than half the power draw (150 W vs 350 W) and with a more modest PSU requirement (450 W vs 750 W). Its 79th percentile ranking is nearly identical to the Pro Duo's 80th, despite the lower raw compute.

The RX 560 XT also offers superior display connectivity with HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a, making it the better option for gaming or content consumption on modern monitors. The Pro Duo's older display outputs (HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2) limit its appeal outside professional compute environments.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Duo, with 8.192 TFLOPS FP32 and 8.192 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1), compared to the RX 560 XT's 4.394 TFLOPS in both formats. This is backed by its Geekbench OpenCL score of 35,860 versus 31,387.

Q: Does the RX 560 XT outperform the Pro Duo in any benchmark?

A: Yes, the RX 560 XT scores 36,879 in Geekbench Vulkan, which is higher than the Pro Duo's OpenCL result of 35,860. The Pro Duo has no Vulkan benchmark score in the data.

Q: What are the memory differences between these two cards?

A: Both have 4 GB of memory, but the Pro Duo uses HBM on a 4096-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 560 XT uses GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The RX 560 XT, with a 150 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU, compared to the Pro Duo's 350 W TDP and 750 W suggested PSU. The RX 560 XT requires a single 6-pin connector versus three 8-pin connectors for the Pro Duo.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The Pro Duo's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro GV100, which is only 1% slower, while the RX 560 XT's closest competitor is the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB, which is 0.1% faster. The RX 560 XT also edges out the AMD Radeon RX 480 by 0.4%.

Q: Which card supports newer display outputs?

A: The RX 560 XT, with HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a, versus the Pro Duo's HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD Radeon Pro Duo wins decisively. The Pro Duo scores 35,860 against the RX 560 XT's 31,387, a delta of 14.3% in favor of the Pro Duo. This margin is substantial and reflects the Pro Duo's double the shading units (4,096 vs 1,792), double the TMUs (256 vs 112), and nearly double the FP32 throughput (8.192 TFLOPS vs 4.394 TFLOPS). In this test, the Pro Duo's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 (35,520, 1% slower) and the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (35,435, 1.2% slower), while the RX 560 XT's OpenCL result places it behind the NVIDIA T1000 (36,289) and AMD Radeon RX 5300M (36,529).

However, the RX 560 XT counters with its Vulkan score of 36,879, which is 1,019 points higher than the Pro Duo's OpenCL result. This suggests that in applications that can use Vulkan, the RX 560 XT may actually outperform the Pro Duo, despite the latter's larger compute resources. The RX 560 XT's average benchmark score of 34,133 across both tests gives it a more balanced profile, while the Pro Duo's single score of 35,860 represents its entire benchmark portfolio.

The Pro Duo's 14.3% OpenCL victory is the headline result, but the RX 560 XT's Vulkan advantage and its lower power requirements (150 W vs 350 W) make it the more versatile card for a broader range of use cases.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification. The process node shifts from 28 nm (TSMC) for the Pro Duo to 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) for the RX 560 XT. Transistor counts are 8,900 million versus 5,700 million, and die sizes are 596 mm² versus 232 mm², resulting in transistor densities of 14.9M/mm² and 24.6M/mm² respectively.

Clock speeds are only specified for the RX 560 XT (1074 MHz base, 1226 MHz boost), while the Pro Duo lists no base or boost clocks but has a memory clock of 500 MHz (1000 Mbps effective) versus the RX 560 XT's 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). Memory bandwidth heavily favors the Pro Duo at 512.0 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s, despite the RX 560 XT's higher memory clock, due to the Pro Duo's 4096-bit bus versus 256-bit.

Core counts: 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs for the Pro Duo; 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs for the RX 560 XT. Pixel and texture rates are 64.00 GPixel/s and 256.0 GTexel/s for the Pro Duo, versus 39.23 GPixel/s and 137.3 GTexel/s for the RX 560 XT.

Power and cooling differ significantly: 350 W TDP with three 8-pin connectors and a 750 W PSU for the Pro Duo; 150 W TDP with one 6-pin connector and a 450 W PSU for the RX 560 XT. Both are dual-slot, but the Pro Duo is longer at 277 mm versus 241 mm.

API support is a differentiator: both support DirectX 12 (12_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but Vulkan support is 1.2.170 for the Pro Duo and 1.3 for the RX 560 XT. Display outputs favor the RX 560 XT with HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Pro Duo offers HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2.

Release dates are 2016-04-25 for the Pro Duo and 2019-03-12 for the RX 560 XT. The Pro Duo has a launch MSRP of 1,499 USD; the RX 560 XT has no listed MSRP.