AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 vs AMD Radeon RX 6650M Comparison

AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 and AMD Radeon RX 6650M are effectively tied in overall benchmark performance, with the Pro Vega 64 holding a razor-thin 0.8% lead in average score (72379 vs 71768) despite being a 2017 desktop-class part facing a 2022 mobile GPU. The data shows this is not a generational blowout but a genuine split decision: the Pro Vega 64 wins OpenCL by 8% (71094 vs 65800), while the RX 6650M wins Vulkan by 4.6% (77735 vs 74174). Each GPU claims exactly one head-to-head victory, and both sit at the 91st percentile among all GPUs. The verdict hinges on workload and platform: choose the Pro Vega 64 for compute-heavy OpenCL tasks and its massive 16GB HBM2 frame buffer; choose the RX 6650M for modern Vulkan titles, ray tracing support, and dramatically lower power consumption.

The Verdict

If the benchmark data is the only guide, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 and AMD Radeon RX 6650M are performance equals in aggregate — the Pro Vega 64’s 72379 average score edges the RX 6650M’s 71768 by just 0.9%, and the RX 6650M returns the favor in nearestRival comparisons, sitting 0.8% behind the Pro Vega 64. The Pro Vega 64 is the pick for users who prioritize OpenCL compute — it delivers an 8% advantage there (71094 vs 65800) — and for anyone needing 16GB of memory versus 8GB. The RX 6650M is the pick for Vulkan-centric workloads, where it leads by 4.6% (77735 vs 74174), and for systems where the 120W TDP versus 250W TDP matters more than raw throughput. The RX 6650M also brings 28 ray-tracing cores, a feature the Pro Vega 64 lacks entirely. Both GPUs are end-of-life products, so availability rather than roadmap should drive the choice. In short: the Pro Vega 64 wins on compute density and memory capacity; the RX 6650M wins on modern API efficiency and power economy.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different eras and foundries. The Pro Vega 64 uses the Vega 10 chip built on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process, while the RX 6650M uses the Navi 23 chip on TSMC’s 7 nm node. The transistor counts are surprisingly close — 12,500 million for Vega 10 versus 11,060 million for Navi 23 — but the die sizes diverge sharply: the Pro Vega 64 measures 495 mm² versus 237 mm² for the RX 6650M. This yields a transistor density of 25.3M per mm² for the older part versus 46.7M per mm² for the newer one, showing the 7 nm process packs nearly twice the density.

Architecturally, the Pro Vega 64 is GCN 5.0, while the RX 6650M is RDNA 2.0. The Pro Vega 64 fields 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs; the RX 6650M counters with 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Despite fewer shading units, the RX 6650M achieves a higher pixel rate (154.6 GPixel/s vs 86.40 GPixel/s) and a comparable texture rate (270.6 GTexel/s vs 345.6 GTexel/s for the Pro Vega 64). The RX 6650M also includes 28 ray-tracing cores, which the Pro Vega 64 does not have. Memory subsystems differ fundamentally: the Pro Vega 64 uses 16GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus delivering 402.4 GB/s, while the RX 6650M uses 8GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus delivering 224.0 GB/s. API support also diverges — the RX 6650M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, versus DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3 for the Pro Vega 64.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only two shared benchmark tests in the data are Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, and they split exactly one win each. In OpenCL, the Pro Vega 64 scores 71094 against the RX 6650M’s 65800, an 8% advantage for the older card. This is consistent with the Pro Vega 64’s higher FP32 throughput (11.06 TFLOPS vs 8.659 TFLOPS) and its much larger memory bus — 2048-bit versus 128-bit — which feeds compute workloads that scale with bandwidth. In Vulkan, the RX 6650M reverses the result, scoring 77735 against the Pro Vega 64’s 74174, a 4.6% win. The RX 6650M’s higher clock speeds (boost 2416 MHz vs 1350 MHz for the Pro Vega 64) and its RDNA 2.0 architecture likely drive this, as Vulkan is more sensitive to per-clock efficiency than raw shader count. The RX 6650M’s pixel rate of 154.6 GPixel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s also suggests better fill-rate-bound performance in modern workloads.

Neither GPU dominates the aggregate picture. The Pro Vega 64’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal at 72098 (0.4% behind) and the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition at 73370 (1.4% ahead), placing it in a tight cluster. The RX 6650M’s nearest rivals include the same TITAN X Pascal at 72098 (0.5% ahead) and the RX 6600 LE at 70829 (1.3% behind). Both GPUs land within a 3.5% band of each other and their closest competitors, making the head-to-head results more meaningful than the absolute scores.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 has a higher average benchmark score of 72379, compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6650M’s 71768 — a 0.9% difference, with the RX 6650M listed as 0.8% behind in nearestRival data.

Q: How do they compare in OpenCL performance?

A: The Pro Vega 64 wins OpenCL by 8%, scoring 71094 versus the RX 6650M’s 65800. This is the Pro Vega 64’s strongest head-to-head result.

Q: How do they compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The RX 6650M wins Vulkan by 4.6%, scoring 77735 versus the Pro Vega 64’s 74174. This is the RX 6650M’s only head-to-head win.

Q: Does the RX 6650M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 6650M includes 28 ray-tracing cores. The Pro Vega 64 has no ray-tracing cores listed in its specifications.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each GPU?

A: The Pro Vega 64 has 16GB of HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus with 402.4 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6650M has 8GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The Pro Vega 64 has a TDP of 250W, while the RX 6650M has a TDP of 120W — the RX 6650M consumes less than half the power of the Pro Vega 64.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 wins in compute-heavy, bandwidth-bound scenarios. Its OpenCL score of 71094 versus 65800 for the RX 6650M reflects a 8% advantage, and its 16GB HBM2 memory with 402.4 GB/s bandwidth — nearly double the RX 6650M’s 224.0 GB/s — makes it the stronger choice for large datasets or workloads that exceed the 8GB frame buffer of the RX 6650M. The Pro Vega 64 also has 4096 shading units versus 1792 for the RX 6650M, and its FP32 throughput of 11.06 TFLOPS exceeds the RX 6650M’s 8.659 TFLOPS by 28%. For OpenCL-based compute, machine learning inference, or rendering pipelines that rely on raw shader count, the Pro Vega 64 is the data-backed winner.

The AMD Radeon RX 6650M wins in modern API efficiency, ray-traced workloads, and power-constrained systems. Its Vulkan score of 77735 versus 74174 for the Pro Vega 64 gives it a 4.6% edge, and its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support versus DirectX 12 (12_1) for the Pro Vega 64 means better compatibility with the latest game features. The RX 6650M’s 28 ray-tracing cores are a categorical advantage over the Pro Vega 64, which has none. Its pixel rate of 154.6 GPixel/s is 79% higher than the Pro Vega 64’s 86.40 GPixel/s, indicating stronger fill-rate performance in rasterized scenes. At 120W TDP versus 250W for the Pro Vega 64, the RX 6650M is far better suited to laptops or compact systems where power and thermals are constrained — both are IGP slot-width parts with no power connectors, but the RX 6650M’s lower wattage is a clear practical benefit.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every core specification. The Pro Vega 64 uses the Vega 10 chip on a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries; the RX 6650M uses the Navi 23 chip on a 7 nm process from TSMC. Transistor count is 12,500 million for the Pro Vega 64 versus 11,060 million for the RX 6650M, but die size favors the RX 6650M at 237 mm² versus 495 mm², giving it a transistor density of 46.7M per mm² versus 25.3M per mm². Clock speeds are drastically different: the Pro Vega 64 runs at 1250 MHz base and 1350 MHz boost, while the RX 6650M runs at 2068 MHz base, 2416 MHz boost, and 2222 MHz game clock. Memory clocks also differ: 786 MHz (1572 Mbps effective) for the Pro Vega 64 versus 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) for the RX 6650M.

Memory capacity and type diverge: 16GB HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus for the Pro Vega 64 versus 8GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus for the RX 6650M, with bandwidth of 402.4 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s. Shader configuration favors the Pro Vega 64 in count (4096 vs 1792 shading units, 256 vs 112 TMUs) but not in rate: the RX 6650M achieves 154.6 GPixel/s and 270.6 GTexel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s and 345.6 GTexel/s for the Pro Vega 64. FP32 and FP16 throughput are higher on the Pro Vega 64 (11.06 TFLOPS and 22.12 TFLOPS) than the RX 6650M (8.659 TFLOPS and 17.32 TFLOPS). The RX 6650M adds 28 ray-tracing cores, a feature absent from the Pro Vega 64. TDP is 250W for the Pro Vega 64 versus 120W for the RX 6650M. Bus interface differs: PCIe 3.0 x16 for the Pro Vega 64 versus PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RX 6650M. API support favors the RX 6650M with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Pro Vega 64 offers DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Release dates are 2017-06-26 for the Pro Vega 64 and 2022-01-03 for the RX 6650M, with the RX 6650M’s predecessor listed as Polaris Mobile.