AMD Radeon PRO V620 vs AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Comparison

AMD Radeon PRO V620 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega II represent two distinct generations of AMD professional graphics, with the data showing a clear performance hierarchy between them. The V620, built on RDNA 2.0, decisively outperforms the older GCN 5.1-based Vega II in the available cross-benchmark tests, though the Vega II retains a niche advantage in its unique Apple ecosystem implementation and memory architecture. The benchmark results quantify a generational leap in compute efficiency, but also reveal that the older card still holds its own in specific API environments, making the choice between them dependent on workload and platform rather than raw specifications alone.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison data shows a dominant performance edge for the AMD Radeon PRO V620 across both shared test metrics. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the V620 scores 128,580 against the Vega II’s 99,048, producing a delta of 29.8% in favor of the newer card. This is a substantial margin that reflects the V620’s architectural advantages, including a higher base clock of 1825 MHz versus 1574 MHz and a boost clock of 2200 MHz versus 1720 MHz. The V620 also leverages 4608 shading units compared to the Vega II’s 4096, along with 288 texture mapping units versus 256, which directly translates to higher compute throughput.

The gap widens significantly in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the V620 scores 144,364 against the Vega II’s 99,621, a delta of 44.9%. This near-45% advantage in Vulkan underscores how much more efficient the RDNA 2.0 architecture is at handling modern graphics APIs. The V620 supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega II is limited to Vulkan 1.3, and the newer card also boasts DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support versus the Vega II’s DirectX 12 (12_1). The V620’s ray tracing capabilities—72 dedicated RT cores—provide a hardware acceleration path that the Vega II completely lacks, which likely contributes to the larger Vulkan performance delta.

Interestingly, the Vega II does not win either of the two head-to-head tests, giving the V620 a 2-0 record in wins. However, the Vega II has a third benchmark result—Geekbench Metal—where it scores 130,183, a figure that exceeds its OpenCL and Vulkan scores by 31.4% and 30.7%, respectively. This Metal score is not part of the direct head-to-head comparison, but it indicates that the Vega II performs substantially better in Apple’s Metal API than in cross-platform APIs. The V620 has no Metal benchmark data available, so this remains a point of differentiation rather than a direct comparison.

The average benchmark scores reinforce the V620’s superiority: it averages 136,472 across its two tests, while the Vega II averages 109,617 across its three tests, a difference of 24.5%. In terms of percentile ranking, the V620 sits in the 96th percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega II sits in the 94th percentile, confirming that both are high-end parts but the V620 is closer to the top of the performance stack.

Where Each One Wins

The data paints a clear picture: the AMD Radeon PRO V620 wins in raw compute and modern API performance, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II wins in specific ecosystem advantages. For OpenCL workloads, the V620’s 29.8% lead means it is the superior choice for general-purpose GPU computing tasks that rely on this API. Its higher FP32 throughput of 20.28 TFLOPS versus 14.09 TFLOPS gives it a 44% theoretical compute advantage, which aligns closely with the observed Vulkan delta. The V620 also has a higher texture fill rate (633.6 GTexel/s versus 440.3 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (281.6 GPixel/s versus 110.1 GPixel/s), making it better suited for graphics-intensive applications that require high resolution and complex shading.

The Vega II’s wins are less about raw performance and more about memory architecture and platform integration. It features 32 GB of HBM2 memory on a 4096-bit bus, delivering 825.3 GB/s of bandwidth compared to the V620’s 512.0 GB/s from 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus. This 61.2% bandwidth advantage means the Vega II is better positioned for memory-bandwidth-bound workloads, such as large dataset processing or high-resolution texture streaming. The Vega II also has display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0b and 4x Thunderbolt), whereas the V620 has no outputs, making the Vega II the only option for direct display connectivity without a separate GPU.

The Vega II’s Metal benchmark score of 130,183—which is 31.4% higher than its OpenCL score—suggests it is optimized for Apple’s software stack. Its bus interface is Apple MPX, indicating it is designed for Mac Pro systems, while the V620 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. For users in the Apple ecosystem, the Vega II’s native support and superior Metal performance make it the practical choice, despite its lower raw compute numbers. Additionally, the Vega II’s lower transistor count (13,230 million versus 26,800 million) and smaller die size (331 mm² versus 520 mm²) suggest it may have different power characteristics, though the TDP tells a different story—the Vega II draws 475 W versus the V620’s 300 W.

The Verdict

Based strictly on benchmark data, the AMD Radeon PRO V620 is the superior performer for most professional workloads. Its 29.8% OpenCL lead and 44.9% Vulkan lead over the Vega II make it the clear choice for compute-intensive tasks, 3D rendering, and any application that leverages modern graphics APIs. The V620’s support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, combined with its ray tracing cores, positions it for future-proofing in ways the Vega II cannot match. Its higher average benchmark score of 136,472 versus 109,617 and its 96th percentile ranking versus 94th further solidify its status as the more capable GPU.

However, the Vega II is not without merit. For users specifically in the Apple Mac Pro environment, the Vega II’s Metal score of 130,183 demonstrates that it can outperform its OpenCL and Vulkan results by a wide margin, suggesting it is highly optimized for that platform. Its 825.3 GB/s memory bandwidth is a significant advantage for certain memory-heavy workloads, and its display outputs make it a functional standalone solution. The Vega II also has a launch MSRP of 2,199 USD, which provides a reference point, but the V620’s launch MSRP is not available in the data.

The choice ultimately depends on the user’s platform and priorities. If the workload is cross-platform, relies on OpenCL or Vulkan, or requires ray tracing, the V620 is the definitive recommendation. If the workload is Apple-centric, benefits from higher memory bandwidth, or requires direct display output, the Vega II remains a viable option despite its age. The data shows a generational shift in performance, but the Vega II’s specialized strengths prevent it from being entirely obsolete.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance difference between the two GPUs in OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon PRO V620 scores 128,580 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 29.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II’s score of 99,048.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II win in any benchmark?

A: In the head-to-head comparison, the Vega II does not win any of the two shared tests (OpenCL and Vulkan). However, it scores 130,183 in Geekbench Metal, which is higher than its OpenCL and Vulkan scores, though no direct V620 Metal score is available for comparison.

Q: Which GPU has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has significantly higher memory bandwidth at 825.3 GB/s, compared to the AMD Radeon PRO V620’s 512.0 GB/s. This is due to the Vega II’s 4096-bit HBM2 bus versus the V620’s 256-bit GDDR6 bus.

Q: What are the differences in API support?

A: The AMD Radeon PRO V620 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon PRO V620 have ray tracing capabilities?

A: Yes, the V620 features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores, whereas the Vega II has no ray tracing cores listed in its specifications.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon PRO V620 has an average benchmark score of 136,472 across its two tests, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has an average score of 109,617 across its three tests.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures, which explains their performance disparities. The AMD Radeon PRO V620 uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture on the Navi 21 chip, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II uses GCN 5.1 on the Vega 20 chip. Both are manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC, but the V620 packs 26,800 million transistors into a 520 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 51.5M per mm². The Vega II has 13,230 million transistors on a 331 mm² die, giving it a density of 40.0M per mm². This means the V620 has more than double the transistor count, which supports its higher core counts and additional features.

The V620’s RDNA 2.0 architecture brings 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs, compared to the Vega II’s 4096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The V620 also introduces 72 ray tracing cores, which are absent from the Vega II. The pixel rate difference is stark: 281.6 GPixel/s for the V620 versus 110.1 GPixel/s for the Vega II, and the texture rate is 633.6 GTexel/s versus 440.3 GTexel/s. In terms of floating-point performance, the V620 delivers 20.28 TFLOPS FP32 and 40.55 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1), while the Vega II delivers 14.09 TFLOPS FP32 and 28.18 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1).

The memory subsystems also reflect architectural divergence. The V620 uses 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with a memory clock of 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), yielding 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega II uses 32 GB of HBM2 on a 4096-bit bus with a memory clock of 806 MHz (1612 Mbps effective), yielding 825.3 GB/s bandwidth. This shows that the Vega II prioritizes bandwidth over capacity per pin, while the V620 opts for higher clock speeds on a narrower bus.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields. The AMD Radeon PRO V620 has a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2200 MHz, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega II has a base clock of 1574 MHz and a boost clock of 1720 MHz. The V620’s memory clock is 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), whereas the Vega II’s is 806 MHz (1612 Mbps effective). The V620’s TDP is 300 W with a suggested PSU of 700 W, while the Vega II’s TDP is 475 W with a suggested PSU of 850 W.

The physical specifications differ significantly: the V620 is a dual-slot card with dimensions of 267 mm (10.5 inches) in length, 120 mm (4.7 inches) in height, and 50 mm (2 inches) in width, and it requires 2x 8-pin power connectors. The Vega II is a quad-slot card with no listed dimensions or power connectors. The bus interface also differs—the V620 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Vega II uses Apple MPX. Display outputs are another differentiator: the V620 has no outputs, while the Vega II has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 4x Thunderbolt. The V620 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega II supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The release dates are also distinct: the V620 was released on 2021-11-03, and the Vega II on 2019-06-02. The Vega II has a launch MSRP of 2,199 USD, while the V620’s launch MSRP is not available in the data.