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

AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X vs AMD Radeon RX 6650M: a desktop-class professional part from 2019 against a mobile gaming GPU from 2022. The data shows a clear split: the older Vega 64X dominates in raw compute throughput, while the newer Navi 23 chip brings modern API support and a far more efficient transistor design. The benchmark results favor the Vega 64X in the single available head-to-head test, but the full picture is more nuanced.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison in the data is Geekbench OpenCL, where the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 78,467 against the RX 6650M’s 65,800. That is a 19.3% victory for the Vega 64X, a substantial margin that reflects its much larger compute core. The Vega 64X’s 4,096 shading units simply outmuscle the 1,792 shading units on the RX 6650M, delivering 12.03 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus 8.659 TFLOPS. In raw parallel compute, the Vega 64X is the clear winner.

However, the RX 6650M has its own benchmark wins when looking at the broader picture. Its Geekbench Vulkan score of 77,735 is close to the Vega 64X’s OpenCL result, and notably higher than the RX 6650M’s own OpenCL score. This suggests the Navi 23 architecture scales better with modern, low-overhead APIs. The Vega 64X does not have a Vulkan score in the data, so a direct comparison in that API is unavailable, but the RX 6650M’s Vulkan result is only 0.9% behind the Vega 64X’s best OpenCL score.

Looking at average benchmark scores, the Vega 64X sits at 80,959, while the RX 6650M trails at 71,768. That is an 11.4% gap in the aggregate. The Vega 64X’s percentile ranking of 92 versus the RX 6650M’s 91 shows both are in the top tier of all GPUs, but the Vega 64X holds a slight edge in overall performance. The nearest rival data reinforces this: the Vega 64X is 1.3% behind the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 and 1.4% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, while the RX 6650M is 0.5% behind the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE.

The pixel rate tells a different story. The RX 6650M achieves 154.6 GPixel/s, which is 64.5% higher than the Vega 64X’s 93.95 GPixel/s. This is a critical advantage for rasterization-heavy workloads, as the RX 6650M can fill frames faster despite having fewer compute units. The texture rate, however, favors the Vega 64X at 375.8 GTexel/s versus 270.6 GTexel/s, a 38.9% lead that reflects its 256 TMUs against the RX 6650M’s 112.

The Verdict

The data suggests two distinct use cases. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is the choice for compute-bound professional workloads. Its 19.3% OpenCL lead, higher FP32 throughput, and 16 GB of HBM2 memory with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth make it suitable for large data sets and scientific calculations. The 92nd percentile ranking and average score of 80,959 confirm it as a high-performance part even against much newer hardware.

The AMD Radeon RX 6650M is the better option for gaming and graphics rendering. Its 64.5% higher pixel rate means faster fill performance, which directly benefits rasterization. The Vulkan score of 77,735 indicates strong modern API utilization, and the support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 provides forward-looking compatibility. The 120 W TDP also makes it far more suitable for mobile deployments.

For users who need maximum compute throughput, the Vega 64X is the answer. For users who prioritize pixel throughput, modern API features, and energy efficiency, the RX 6650M is the better fit. The data does not support a single winner; it supports two different winners for two different jobs.

Architecture Differences

The Vega 64X uses the Vega 10 chip built on GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries. The RX 6650M uses the Navi 23 chip built on RDNA 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. This process difference is significant: the RX 6650M packs 11,060 million transistors into a 237 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 46.7M per mm². The Vega 64X has 12,500 million transistors on a much larger 495 mm² die, with a density of only 25.3M per mm².

The RDNA 2.0 architecture brings hardware ray tracing, with 28 RT cores on the RX 6650M, a feature entirely absent from the GCN 5.0 Vega 64X. The RX 6650M also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 64X is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. The RX 6650M’s predecessor is listed as Polaris Mobile, showing a clear generational leap in AMD’s mobile GPU line.

The Vega 64X’s GCN 5.0 architecture is more compute-oriented, with a wider 2048-bit memory bus and HBM2 memory. The RX 6650M’s RDNA 2.0 prioritizes efficiency and gaming features, using a narrower 128-bit bus with GDDR6 memory. The transistor density difference of 84.6% in favor of the RX 6650M highlights how much more compact the newer architecture is.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is memory: the Vega 64X has 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 6650M has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 64X’s bandwidth advantage is 128.6%, a massive gap for memory-intensive workloads.

Clock speeds favor the RX 6650M substantially. Its base clock is 2068 MHz and boost clock is 2416 MHz, compared to the Vega 64X’s 1250 MHz base and 1468 MHz boost. The RX 6650M also has a listed game clock of 2222 MHz, a feature the Vega 64X lacks. Memory clocks differ as well: the RX 6650M runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the Vega 64X runs at 1000 MHz (2 Gbps effective).

Compute unit counts diverge sharply. The Vega 64X has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 6650M has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The Vega 64X has 128.6% more shading units and 128.6% more TMUs, but the RX 6650M matches the ROP count. FP32 performance favors the Vega 64X at 12.03 TFLOPS versus 8.659 TFLOPS, a 39% lead. FP16 performance follows the same pattern: 24.05 TFLOPS versus 17.32 TFLOPS, both at 2:1 ratio.

Power consumption is dramatically different. The Vega 64X has a 250 W TDP, while the RX 6650M is rated at 120 W. Both are listed as IGP slot width with no power connectors and portable device dependent display outputs, but the thermal implications are clear: the RX 6650M is much easier to cool in a mobile chassis.

The bus interface differs, with the Vega 64X using PCIe 3.0 x16 and the RX 6650M using PCIe 4.0 x8. The RX 6650M’s PCIe 4.0 interface provides double the per-lane bandwidth, partially compensating for the narrower x8 connection. Release dates are also distinct: the Vega 64X launched on March 18, 2019, while the RX 6650M launched on January 3, 2022.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, with 12.03 TFLOPS FP32 versus 8.659 TFLOPS on the RX 6650M, and a 19.3% lead in Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: Does the RX 6650M support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 6650M has 28 RT cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, while the Vega 64X has no RT cores and only supports DirectX 12 (12_1).

Q: How do memory bandwidths compare?

A: The Vega 64X has 512.0 GB/s bandwidth from 16 GB HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus, versus 224.0 GB/s from 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus for the RX 6650M.

Q: Which GPU is more efficient per watt?

A: The RX 6650M, with a 120 W TDP versus 250 W for the Vega 64X, while delivering 64.5% higher pixel rate.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The Vega 64X averages 80,959, which is 11.4% higher than the RX 6650M’s 71,768 average.

Q: Which GPU has better modern API support?

A: The RX 6650M, supporting Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 Ultimate, compared to the Vega 64X’s Vulkan 1.3 and DirectX 12 (12_1).