AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 vs AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear and consistent advantage for the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 across the two shared benchmark tests. In the Geekbench OpenCL workload, the Pro Vega 64 scores 71,094 against the RX 5600 OEM's 62,427, a delta of 13.9% in favor of the older card. This is not a marginal gap; it represents a substantial lead in raw compute throughput that carries over into the Vulkan API test with even greater force.

The Vulkan result is where the Pro Vega 64 truly separates itself. It posts 74,174 points, while the RX 5600 OEM manages only 53,743, resulting in a 38% advantage. This is a dominant performance difference, and it indicates that the Pro Vega 64's architectural strengths are particularly well-suited to the lower-level, driver-controlled nature of Vulkan workloads. The RX 5600 OEM, despite its newer RDNA design, cannot bridge this gap in either test, and the head-to-head tally reflects that reality: two wins for the Pro Vega 64, zero for the RX 5600 OEM.

Contextualizing these scores against the broader database, the Pro Vega 64 sits at the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 72,379. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal at 72,098 (a 0.4% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 6650M at 71,768 (0.9% ahead). The RX 5600 OEM, by contrast, holds the 87th percentile with an average score of 58,085, placing it near the Intel Arc A570M at 58,239 (0.3% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT at 58,392 (0.5% lower). The delta between the two cards in average score is roughly 24%, which aligns with the individual benchmark deltas but understates the Vulkan gap specifically.

Looking at the geekbench_metal score for the Pro Vega 64, which is 71,868, this further reinforces its compute-oriented profile, though no comparable Metal result exists for the RX 5600 OEM in the database. The data consistently points to the Pro Vega 64 as the higher-performing part in synthetic workloads, with the RX 5600 OEM trailing by double-digit percentages in every shared test.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent fundamentally different design philosophies from AMD. The Pro Vega 64 uses the Vega 10 chip built on the GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 12,500 million transistors onto a 495 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 25.3M per mm². In contrast, the RX 5600 OEM uses the Navi 10 chip with RDNA 1.0 architecture, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. This newer node allows for 10,300 million transistors on a much smaller 251 mm² die, achieving a density of 41.0M per mm², a significant improvement in packing efficiency.

The compute resources differ sharply. The Pro Vega 64 fields 4,096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The RX 5600 OEM halves the shading units to 2,048 and texture units to 128, while keeping the same 64 ROPs. This structural difference explains the Pro Vega 64's higher theoretical throughput: 11.06 TFLOPS FP32 versus 6.390 TFLOPS for the RX 5600 OEM. In FP16, the Pro Vega 64 reaches 22.12 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the RX 5600 OEM manages 12.78 TFLOPS (also 2:1). The pixel rate is slightly higher on the RX 5600 OEM at 99.84 GPixel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s, but the texture rate favors the Pro Vega 64 at 345.6 GTexel/s against 199.7 GTexel/s.

Memory subsystems diverge completely. The Pro Vega 64 uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, delivering 402.4 GB/s of bandwidth at an effective 1572 Mbps. The RX 5600 OEM uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s at 12 Gbps effective. The Pro Vega 64's bandwidth advantage is nearly 40%, which is critical for compute-heavy workloads. Clock behavior also differs: the Pro Vega 64 runs at 1250 MHz base and 1350 MHz boost, while the RX 5600 OEM has a lower 1130 MHz base but a higher 1560 MHz boost, with a game clock of 1375 MHz. The RX 5600 OEM's higher boost clock does not compensate for its fewer cores.

Power and interface characteristics add another layer. The Pro Vega 64 has a 250 W TDP and is described as an IGP with no power connectors, while the RX 5600 OEM is a dual-slot card with a 125 W TDP, a single 8-pin connector, and a suggested 300 W PSU. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the Pro Vega 64 versus PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RX 5600 OEM. API support is similar for DirectX (12_1) and OpenGL (4.6), but the RX 5600 OEM supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Pro Vega 64 is limited to Vulkan 1.3. The Pro Vega 64 is from the Radeon Pro Mac (Vega Series) generation, released in June 2017, while the RX 5600 OEM belongs to the Navi (RX 5000) generation, released in January 2020.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 is the superior performer in raw benchmark terms, despite being older and built on a less advanced process. Its 13.9% lead in OpenCL and 38% lead in Vulkan are decisive, and its 91st percentile ranking versus the RX 5600 OEM's 87th percentile confirms that it occupies a higher tier in the overall GPU landscape. Anyone prioritizing compute performance, particularly in Vulkan-based applications, should favor the Pro Vega 64 without hesitation.

The RX 5600 OEM, however, is not without its merits. Its 7 nm architecture and PCIe 4.0 interface represent newer technology, and its 125 W TDP makes it far more power-efficient on paper. Its pixel rate is higher, and its boost clock is faster. For workloads that are bandwidth-sensitive but not compute-bound, the RX 5600 OEM's GDDR6 memory and higher pixel throughput could be relevant, though the Pro Vega 64's HBM2 bandwidth advantage likely dominates in most scenarios. The RX 5600 OEM's smaller die and lower transistor count suggest it is a more streamlined part, but the benchmark data shows that streamlining comes at a performance cost.

In terms of production status, both cards are end-of-life, so availability and driver maturity are equal concerns. The Pro Vega 64's 16 GB memory capacity is double the RX 5600 OEM's 6 GB, which could matter for large datasets or high-resolution textures. The RX 5600 OEM's display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a) are more conventional than the Pro Vega 64's "portable device dependent" configuration, but that is a form-factor consideration rather than a performance one.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 | AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM |

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

| Chip | Vega 10 | Navi 10 |

| Architecture | GCN 5.0 | RDNA 1.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

| Transistors | 12,500 million | 10,300 million |

| Die Size | 495 mm² | 251 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 25.3M / mm² | 41.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1250 MHz | 1130 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1350 MHz | 1560 MHz |

| Game Clock | N/A | 1375 MHz |

| Memory Speed | 1572 Mbps effective | 12 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 6 GB |

| Memory Type | HBM2 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 2048 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 402.4 GB/s | 288.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 4096 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 256 | 128 |

| ROPs | 64 | 64 |

| Pixel Rate | 86.40 GPixel/s | 99.84 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 345.6 GTexel/s | 199.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 11.06 TFLOPS | 6.390 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 22.12 TFLOPS (2:1) | 12.78 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 125 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | N/A | 300 W |

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

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_1) |

| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2017-06-26 | 2020-01-20 |

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 has an average benchmark score of 72,379, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM averages 58,085, a difference of roughly 24% in favor of the Pro Vega 64.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap between the two?

A: In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the Pro Vega 64 scores 74,174 versus 53,743 for the RX 5600 OEM, giving the Pro Vega 64 a 38% advantage.

Q: What are the memory capacities of each card?

A: The Pro Vega 64 has 16 GB of HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus with 402.4 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 5600 OEM has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 5600 OEM has a higher boost clock at 1560 MHz, compared to the Pro Vega 64's 1350 MHz boost clock. However, the Pro Vega 64 has a higher base clock at 1250 MHz versus 1130 MHz.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: Yes, both cards support DirectX 12 (12_1), and both support OpenGL 4.6. The RX 5600 OEM supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Pro Vega 64 supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Pro Vega 64 has a 250 W TDP and no power connectors (IGP form factor). The RX 5600 OEM has a 125 W TDP, uses a single 8-pin connector, and has a suggested PSU of 300 W.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 wins decisively in compute-heavy scenarios. Its 13.9% OpenCL lead and 38% Vulkan lead make it the clear choice for applications that leverage general-purpose GPU computing, such as rendering, simulation, or machine learning inference. The 16 GB HBM2 memory with 402.4 GB/s bandwidth provides a substantial capacity and bandwidth advantage over the RX 5600 OEM's 6 GB GDDR6 with 288.0 GB/s. The Pro Vega 64 also has double the shading units (4096 versus 2048) and texture units (256 versus 128), which directly contributes to its higher FP32 throughput of 11.06 TFLOPS versus 6.390 TFLOPS. For tasks that are parallel and compute-bound, the Pro Vega 64 is the superior part.

The AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM wins in specific niche areas. Its pixel rate of 99.84 GPixel/s exceeds the Pro Vega 64's 86.40 GPixel/s, suggesting a slight edge in fill-rate-limited scenarios such as certain rasterization passes at high resolutions. Its 7 nm process and 41.0M / mm² transistor density indicate a more modern, efficient design, and its 125 W TDP means it draws half the power of the Pro Vega 64. The RX 5600 OEM also supports PCIe 4.0, which offers double the bus bandwidth of PCIe 3.0, and its Vulkan 1.4 support is newer than the Pro Vega 64's Vulkan 1.3. Its higher boost clock of 1560 MHz could benefit bursty workloads that do not sustain heavy compute loads.

For users who need raw compute performance, the Pro Vega 64 is the only rational choice based on the recorded data. For users who prioritize power efficiency, newer API support, or a conventional dual-slot form factor with standard display outputs, the RX 5600 OEM has practical advantages, but those advantages do not translate into benchmark wins. The head-to-head tally of 2-0 in favor of the Pro Vega 64 is a direct reflection of the performance hierarchy, and the percentile rankings (91st versus 87th) reinforce that the Pro Vega 64 sits in a higher performance class entirely.