AMD Radeon Pro Duo vs AMD Radeon RX 590 GME Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains a single common benchmark between these two AMD graphics cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The AMD Radeon RX 590 GME wins that test outright, scoring 36,294 points against the AMD Radeon Pro Duo's 35,860 points. The margin is a narrow 1.2 percent, placing the two cards effectively in the same performance tier for compute workloads measured by this test. The Pro Duo's larger silicon and double the memory bus width do not translate into a lead here; the newer Polaris architecture in the RX 590 GME holds a slight edge.

Looking at the broader database context, the Radeon Pro Duo's average benchmark score is 35,860, which places it at the 80th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA Quadro GV100 at 35,520 (1 percent slower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile at 35,435 (1.2 percent slower), the NVIDIA T1000 at 36,289 (1.2 percent faster), and the AMD Radeon RX 5300M at 36,529 (1.8 percent faster). These deltas are all within roughly two percent, indicating a dense cluster of comparable compute performance around the Pro Duo.

The Radeon RX 590 GME's average benchmark score across all its recorded tests is 32,601, which lands at the 77th percentile. Its nearest rivals are the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 at 32,540 (0.2 percent slower), the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE at 32,456 (0.4 percent slower), the AMD FirePro S10000 at 32,388 (0.7 percent slower), and the NVIDIA T600 Mobile at 32,849 (0.8 percent faster). The RX 590 GME's average is dragged down by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,001, a demanding modern test where the older GCN architecture struggles, while its Geekbench Vulkan result of 60,508 shows much stronger API-specific performance.

The head-to-head data presents a single data point, and that point favors the RX 590 GME. However, the Pro Duo's percentile ranking is higher (80 versus 77), which reflects the different benchmark sets recorded for each card. The Pro Duo has only one benchmark in the database, while the RX 590 GME has three, and the average calculation for the RX 590 GME includes its much lower 3DMark result, pulling its aggregate score down.

Where Each One Wins

The Radeon RX 590 GME wins the only direct comparison available: Geekbench OpenCL, 36,294 versus 35,860, a 1.2 percent advantage. This is the sole head-to-head victory recorded, giving it a 1-0 record in direct matchups.

The Pro Duo wins on the basis of aggregate percentile placement. Its 80th percentile standing versus the RX 590 GME's 77th percentile indicates that, across all GPUs in the database, the Pro Duo's single recorded score ranks higher relative to the field. This is a statistical positioning win, not a direct performance win.

The RX 590 GME also demonstrates a clear advantage in Vulkan compute. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 60,508 is substantially higher than its own OpenCL score of 36,294, suggesting the GCN 4.0 architecture responds particularly well to Vulkan's explicit API model. The Pro Duo has no recorded Vulkan benchmark, so no direct comparison is possible, but the RX 590 GME's Vulkan result shows a capability that the Pro Duo cannot match in the recorded data.

In modern DirectX 12 workloads, the RX 590 GME's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,001 provides a reference point, though the Pro Duo has no equivalent recorded result. The Pro Duo's architecture supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.2.170, while the RX 590 GME supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3, so the newer card holds a software feature advantage.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different generations of AMD's GCN architecture. The Radeon Pro Duo uses the Capsaicin chip built on GCN 3.0, fabricated by TSMC on a 28 nm process. The Radeon RX 590 GME uses the Polaris 20 chip on GCN 4.0, fabricated by GlobalFoundries on a 14 nm process. The process shrink from 28 nm to 14 nm is a defining difference in how these two cards are built.

Transistor counts and die sizes diverge sharply. The Pro Duo packs 8,900 million transistors on a 596 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 14.9 million per square millimeter. The RX 590 GME contains 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, achieving 24.6 million per square millimeter. The Pro Duo is the larger, more complex chip, but the RX 590 GME's newer process allows a much higher transistor density in a physically smaller package.

Memory subsystems are fundamentally different. The Pro Duo uses 4 GB of HBM on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 590 GME uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Pro Duo has double the memory bus width and double the bandwidth, but half the capacity. The effective memory clock differs as well: the Pro Duo runs at 500 MHz with 1000 Mbps effective, while the RX 590 GME runs at 2000 MHz with 8 Gbps effective.

Compute unit configurations favor the Pro Duo in raw counts. The Pro Duo has 4,096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The RX 590 GME has 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The Pro Duo's pixel rate is 64.00 GPixel/s versus 45.44 GPixel/s for the RX 590 GME, and its texture rate is 256.0 GTexel/s versus 204.5 GTexel/s. Floating-point throughput follows the same pattern: the Pro Duo delivers 8.192 TFLOPS FP32 and 8.192 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1), while the RX 590 GME delivers 6.543 TFLOPS FP32 and 6.543 TFLOPS FP16 (1:1).

The power requirements are a major differentiator. The Pro Duo is rated at 350 W TDP with three 8-pin power connectors and a suggested 750 W power supply. The RX 590 GME is rated at 175 W TDP with a single 8-pin connector and a suggested 450 W power supply. The Pro Duo consumes twice the power for a compute advantage that, in the recorded OpenCL test, does not materialize.

Display outputs also differ. The Pro Duo offers 1x HDMI 1.4a and 3x DisplayPort 1.2. The RX 590 GME offers 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, supporting newer display standards.

Physical dimensions differ as well. The Pro Duo measures 277 mm in length and 111 mm in height, while the RX 590 GME measures 241 mm in length with no recorded height. Both are dual-slot cards.

The Pro Duo was released on April 25, 2016, with a predecessor of FirePro GCN and a successor of Radeon Pro Polaris. The RX 590 GME was released on March 8, 2020, with a predecessor of Arctic Islands and a successor of Vega. The Pro Duo's launch MSRP was 1,499 USD; the RX 590 GME has no recorded launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score in the database?

A: The Radeon Pro Duo has an average benchmark score of 35,860, while the Radeon RX 590 GME has an average of 32,601. The Pro Duo's average is based on a single Geekbench OpenCL result, whereas the RX 590 GME's average includes three tests.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The Radeon RX 590 GME scores 36,294, which is 1.2 percent higher than the Radeon Pro Duo's 35,860. This is the only direct head-to-head benchmark recorded for the pair.

Q: What are the memory capacity and bandwidth differences?

A: The Radeon Pro Duo has 4 GB of HBM with a 4096-bit bus and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Radeon RX 590 GME has 8 GB of GDDR5 with a 256-bit bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The Radeon RX 590 GME has a transistor density of 24.6 million per square millimeter on its 14 nm process. The Radeon Pro Duo has 14.9 million per square millimeter on its 28 nm process.

Q: What Vulkan API versions do the cards support?

A: The Radeon Pro Duo supports Vulkan 1.2.170, while the Radeon RX 590 GME supports Vulkan 1.3. The RX 590 GME also has a recorded Geekbench Vulkan score of 60,508; the Pro Duo has no recorded Vulkan benchmark.

Q: What are the TDP and power connector requirements?

A: The Radeon Pro Duo is rated at 350 W TDP with 3x 8-pin power connectors and a suggested 750 W power supply. The Radeon RX 590 GME is rated at 175 W TDP with 1x 8-pin power connector and a suggested 450 W power supply.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro Duo | AMD Radeon RX 590 GME |

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

| Architecture | GCN 3.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | GlobalFoundries |

| Transistors | 8,900 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 596 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 14.9M / mm² | 24.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | Not recorded | 1257 MHz |

| Boost Clock | Not recorded | 1420 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 500 MHz, 1000 Mbps effective | 2000 MHz, 8 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 4096 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 4096 | 2304 |

| TMUs | 256 | 144 |

| ROPs | 64 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 64.00 GPixel/s | 45.44 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 256.0 GTexel/s | 204.5 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 8.192 TFLOPS | 6.543 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 8.192 TFLOPS (1:1) | 6.543 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 350 W | 175 W |

| Power Connectors | 3x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 750 W | 450 W |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 1.4a, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Vulkan API | 1.2.170 | 1.3 |

| Length | 277 mm (10.9 inches) | 241 mm (9.5 inches) |

| Height | 111 mm (4.4 inches) | Not recorded |

| Release Date | 2016-04-25 | 2020-03-08 |

| Predecessor | FirePro GCN | Arctic Islands |

| Successor | Radeon Pro Polaris | Vega |

| Launch MSRP | 1,499 USD | Not recorded |

Shared specifications include manufacturer (AMD), PCIe 3.0 x16 bus interface, DirectX 12 (12_0) support, OpenGL 4.6 support, dual-slot width, and end-of-life production status. Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores.

The Verdict

The benchmark data shows a close contest with a clear split between raw specifications and measured results. The Radeon Pro Duo carries substantially higher compute resources: 4,096 shading units versus 2,304, 8.192 TFLOPS FP32 versus 6.543 TFLOPS, 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth versus 256.0 GB/s, and a 4096-bit memory bus versus 256-bit. These are not marginal differences; the Pro Duo is built with roughly double the shading units, double the bandwidth, and double the TDP of the RX 590 GME.

Yet in the one benchmark where both cards have recorded results, the RX 590 GME wins. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 36,294 beats the Pro Duo's 35,860 by 1.2 percent. The newer GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process, with its higher base clock of 1257 MHz and boost clock of 1420 MHz, overcomes the Pro Duo's hardware advantage in this workload. The Pro Duo has no recorded base or boost clock, so a direct clock comparison is impossible, but the result stands.

The Pro Duo's higher percentile ranking (80 versus 77) reflects its single strong OpenCL score rather than an overall performance lead across multiple tests. The RX 590 GME's average of 32,601 is pulled down by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,001, a modern workload where the older GCN design appears significantly less competitive. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 60,508, however, shows that the card performs far better in Vulkan than in OpenCL, and the Pro Duo has no equivalent Vulkan result in the database.

For a buyer prioritizing compute performance in OpenCL workloads, the RX 590 GME is the better choice based on the recorded head-to-head result. It also offers double the memory capacity (8 GB versus 4 GB), a lower TDP (175 W versus 350 W), simpler power requirements (1x 8-pin versus 3x 8-pin), and a smaller physical footprint (241 mm versus 277 mm). The RX 590 GME supports newer display standards (HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.4a versus HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2) and a newer Vulkan API version (1.3 versus 1.2.170).

For a buyer prioritizing raw compute throughput on paper, the Pro Duo leads in every measured specification: shading units, TMUs, ROPs, pixel rate, texture rate, FP32, FP16, and memory bandwidth. Its launch MSRP was 1,499 USD, and it targets a professional Radeon Pro product line with a predecessor of FirePro GCN and a successor of Radeon Pro Polaris. The data, however, does not confirm that these specifications translate into benchmark wins. The only recorded comparison shows the RX 590 GME ahead.

The verdict from the recorded data is straightforward: the RX 590 GME wins the head-to-head benchmark and offers better efficiency and modern feature support, while the Pro Duo retains a theoretical specification advantage that its single recorded benchmark does not validate. The RX 590 GME is the card to choose for measured OpenCL performance, lower power draw, and newer API and display support. The Pro Duo is the card to choose only if the specific hardware resources it offers, such as 512.0 GB/s bandwidth and 4,096 shading units, are required for workloads not represented in the available benchmark data.