AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X vs AMD Radeon Pro W5700X Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, which wins both head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X. The largest margin is in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the Vega 64X scores 78,467 points versus 43,810 points for the W5700X, a delta of 79.1%. This is a substantial gap that indicates a major advantage in general-purpose compute workloads that leverage OpenCL, likely due to the Vega 64X's higher raw shading power and memory bandwidth.

In the Geekbench Metal test, the Vega 64X again leads, scoring 83,450 versus 75,427 for the W5700X, a delta of 10.6%. While this margin is smaller than the OpenCL result, it still represents a clear win for the Vega 64X in Apple's Metal graphics API. The W5700X does not have a recorded Vulkan score, but its OpenCL score is significantly lower than its Metal score, which may indicate an architecture that is more optimized for graphics-oriented tasks than for compute. The Vega 64X's average benchmark score is 80,959 points, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs in the database. The W5700X, with an average score of 54,828 points, sits in the 87th percentile, despite its much lower average, which reflects the wide variance in its benchmark results.

The Vega 64X's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (average score 81,995, 1.3% higher) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (79,842, 1.4% lower). This indicates that the Vega 64X is positioned at the high end of the performance spectrum, trading blows with modern flagship graphics cards. The W5700X, by contrast, is compared to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (54,247, 1.1% higher) and the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209, 1.1% higher), showing that its average performance is more aligned with mid-to-high-tier consumer gaming GPUs, even though its Metal score is considerably stronger.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X uses the Vega 10 chip with a GCN 5.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X uses the Navi 10 chip with an RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. This node difference is critical: the 7 nm process allows the W5700X to pack 10,300 million transistors into a 251 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 41.0M per mm². The Vega 64X, on the 14 nm node, contains 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die, with a density of only 25.3M per mm². The W5700X's smaller, denser die confirms the newer manufacturing process, but it does not automatically translate into higher raw compute throughput.

The core configurations differ significantly. The Vega 64X has 4,096 shading units, 256 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The W5700X has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Despite having fewer shading units, the W5700X achieves a higher pixel rate of 130.6 GPixel/s versus 93.95 GPixel/s for the Vega 64X, due to its much higher boost clock. The W5700X's boost clock is 2040 MHz, compared to 1468 MHz for the Vega 64X, a difference of over 570 MHz. However, the Vega 64X's texture rate is higher at 375.8 GTexel/s versus 326.4 GTexel/s, and its FP32 compute is also higher at 12.03 TFLOPS versus 10.44 TFLOPS.

Memory architecture is another major divergence. The Vega 64X uses 16 GB of HBM2 memory on a 2048-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The W5700X uses 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s. The Vega 64X's HBM2 memory operates at 2 Gbps effective, while the W5700X's GDDR6 runs at 14 Gbps effective. The Vega 64X's wider bus gives it a 14.3% bandwidth advantage, which is crucial for memory-intensive compute tasks. The W5700X's memory clock is 1750 MHz, versus 1000 MHz for the Vega 64X, but the Vega 64X's 2048-bit bus more than compensates for the lower per-pin speed.

The W5700X supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 64X supports Vulkan 1.3. Both cards support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6. The W5700X also uses the Apple MPX bus interface, whereas the Vega 64X uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The W5700X is a quad-slot card with a length of 305 mm, while the Vega 64X is an integrated GPU (IGP) with no dedicated power connectors. The W5700X has a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the Vega 64X has no such recommendation, reflecting its IGP form factor.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded benchmarks, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X wins in both tested scenarios. Its 79.1% lead in OpenCL is the standout result, making it the clear choice for compute-heavy workloads that rely on OpenCL, such as scientific simulations, data processing, or rendering tasks that use this API. Its higher FP32 throughput and memory bandwidth are consistent with this strength. The Vega 64X also wins in Metal, albeit by a smaller margin of 10.6%, so it remains the better option for graphics tasks within Apple's ecosystem, but the gap is not as pronounced as in compute.

The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X does not win any head-to-head comparison in the data. However, its architecture offers advantages that are not captured in these two benchmark results. Its higher boost clock of 2040 MHz and superior pixel rate of 130.6 GPixel/s suggest it may be more responsive in certain graphics workloads that are pixel-bound, such as high-resolution rasterization. Its smaller die and 7 nm process also indicate better power efficiency per transistor, though the Vega 64X's TDP is 250 W versus 205 W for the W5700X, so the W5700X consumes less power overall. The W5700X's Vulkan 1.4 support is a newer API version, which may be relevant for future software compatibility. The W5700X also has a higher transistor density, which could imply better performance per area, but the benchmark data shows the Vega 64X delivering more raw performance in practice.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is the superior card for raw compute performance in both OpenCL and Metal. Its average benchmark score of 80,959 puts it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, while the W5700X's average of 54,828 places it in the 87th percentile. The Vega 64X's 79.1% OpenCL advantage is a massive differentiator, and its 10.6% Metal lead confirms that it is also stronger in graphics tasks. For users who prioritize maximum compute throughput, the Vega 64X is the clear choice, despite its older 14 nm process and higher power draw of 250 W.

The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X should be considered by users who value a newer architecture, a smaller footprint (quad-slot but with a defined length of 305 mm), and lower power consumption at 205 W. Its 7 nm process and higher clock speed are forward-looking, and its Vulkan 1.4 support is a generational improvement over the Vega 64X's Vulkan 1.3. However, the benchmark data shows that these architectural advantages do not translate into wins in the tested workloads. The W5700X is an end-of-life product, as is the Vega 64X, but the Vega 64X was released on 2019-03-18, while the W5700X came later on 2019-12-10. The Vega 64X's launch MSRP is not recorded, but the W5700X has a launch MSRP of 999 USD.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X has an average benchmark score of 80,959, which is significantly higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X's average of 54,828.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The largest recorded difference is in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the Vega 64X scores 78,467 versus 43,810 for the W5700X, a delta of 79.1% in favor of the Vega 64X.

Q: Does the W5700X have any advantage in memory technology?

A: The W5700X uses 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the Vega 64X uses 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus. The Vega 64X has higher bandwidth (512.0 GB/s versus 448.0 GB/s), but the W5700X's GDDR6 runs at a higher effective speed of 14 Gbps versus 2 Gbps.

Q: Which card supports a newer version of Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X supports Vulkan 1.4, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X supports Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The Vega 64X has a TDP of 250 W, while the W5700X has a TDP of 205 W, making the W5700X more power-efficient on paper.

Q: How do the two cards compare in percentile ranking?

A: The Vega 64X is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, while the W5700X is in the 87th percentile, indicating that the Vega 64X outperforms a larger proportion of the database.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X | AMD Radeon Pro W5700X |

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

| 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 | 1243 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1468 MHz | 2040 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective) | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Type | HBM2 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 2048 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 448.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 4096 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 256 | 160 |

| Pixel Rate | 93.95 GPixel/s | 130.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 375.8 GTexel/s | 326.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 12.03 TFLOPS | 10.44 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 24.05 TFLOPS (2:1) | 20.89 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 205 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Quad-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | Not specified |

| Suggested PSU | Not specified | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | Apple MPX |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 4x Thunderbolt |

| Vulkan API | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Length | Not specified | 305 mm (12 inches) |

| Release Date | 2019-03-18 | 2019-12-10 |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | 999 USD |