AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X vs NVIDIA RTX A5500 Comparison

NVIDIA RTX A5500 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X represent two very different generations of workstation graphics. The A5500 is a modern Ampere-based card aimed at rendering, AI, and compute, while the Vega 64X is a GCN-based part designed primarily for Apple Mac ecosystems. The database shows a clear performance gulf, but each card has specific roles where it can still be relevant.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in raw compute benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5500 dominates. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, it scores 174,637 points versus 78,467 for the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, a 122.6% advantage. The A5500's average benchmark score is 165,217 compared to 80,959 for the Vega 64X.

Q: How do these cards rank against all other GPUs in the database?

A: The RTX A5500 sits in the 97th percentile of all GPUs, while the Radeon Pro Vega 64X sits in the 92nd percentile. This means the A5500 is near the top of the performance stack, while the Vega 64X is still high but noticeably lower.

Q: Which card has better memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX A5500 has 768.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus. The Vega 64X has 512.0 GB/s from 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus. The A5500's bandwidth is 50% higher.

Q: What are the key architectural differences?

A: The A5500 uses the GA102 chip on Samsung's 8 nm process with 28,300 million transistors. The Vega 64X uses the Vega 10 chip on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm process with 12,500 million transistors. The A5500 has dedicated RT cores (80) and Tensor cores (320); the Vega 64X has neither.

Q: Which card supports newer graphics APIs?

A: The RTX A5500 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 64X supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6. The A5500 is better equipped for modern workloads.

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No. Both are listed as end-of-life products in the database. The RTX A5500 was released in March 2022, and the Vega 64X was released in March 2019.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX A5500 wins in every head-to-head comparison recorded. The only shared benchmark, Geekbench OpenCL, shows a 122.6% advantage for the A5500. But the Vega 64X has niche strengths that matter in specific environments.

The Vega 64X wins on Apple ecosystem compatibility. Its generation is explicitly labeled "Radeon Pro Mac (Vega Series)", and its display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent". This card was built for Mac Pro systems where the A5500, with its four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, is not a drop-in alternative. If the workload is macOS-specific, the Vega 64X is the only option between these two.

The A5500 wins everywhere else. It has nearly three times the FP32 throughput (34.10 TFLOPS versus 12.03 TFLOPS), double the memory capacity (24 GB versus 16 GB), and higher texture and pixel rates. For rendering, simulation, or AI inference, the A5500 is categorically superior.

The Vega 64X does have one theoretical advantage: FP16 performance. It delivers 24.05 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1 ratio) versus 34.10 TFLOPS for the A5500 (1:1 ratio). While the A5500 still has higher absolute FP16 throughput, the Vega 64X's 2:1 ratio means its FP16 work scales better relative to its FP32 output, which can matter in certain compute pipelines that heavily use half-precision math.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental designs are from different eras. The A5500 uses the Ampere architecture on Samsung's 8 nm node, packing 28,300 million transistors into a 628 mm² die. The Vega 64X uses GCN 5.0 on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm node, with 12,500 million transistors on a 495 mm² die. The transistor density difference is stark: 45.1 million per mm² for the A5500 versus 25.3 million for the Vega 64X.

The A5500 has 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units. The Vega 64X has 4,096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The A5500 also adds hardware that the Vega 64X completely lacks: 80 RT cores and 320 Tensor cores. This means the A5500 can accelerate ray tracing and AI workloads natively, while the Vega 64X cannot.

Memory architecture also differs fundamentally. The A5500 uses GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus with 768.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 64X uses HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The HBM2 implementation gives the Vega 64X a much wider bus, but the A5500's faster effective memory speed (16 Gbps versus 2 Gbps) more than compensates.

The A5500 uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while the Vega 64X uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The newer interface provides double the theoretical bandwidth for data transfer with the host system. The A5500 also has a dual-slot form factor with a single 8-pin power connector and a 550 W suggested PSU, whereas the Vega 64X is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA RTX A5500 | AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X |

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

| Architecture | Ampere | GCN 5.0 |

| Process Node | 8 nm (Samsung) | 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) |

| Transistors | 28,300 million | 12,500 million |

| Die Size | 628 mm² | 495 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1080 MHz | 1250 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1665 MHz | 1468 MHz |

| Memory Size | 24 GB GDDR6 | 16 GB HBM2 |

| Memory Bus | 384 bit | 2048 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 768.0 GB/s | 512.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 10,240 | 4,096 |

| TMUs | 320 | 256 |

| ROPs | 96 | 64 |

| RT Cores | 80 | None |

| Tensor Cores | 320 | None |

| FP32 Performance | 34.10 TFLOPS | 12.03 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 34.10 TFLOPS (1:1) | 24.05 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| Pixel Rate | 159.8 GPixel/s | 93.95 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 532.8 GTexel/s | 375.8 GTexel/s |

| TDP | 230 W | 250 W |

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

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

The base clock is higher on the Vega 64X (1250 MHz versus 1080 MHz), but the boost clock is higher on the A5500 (1665 MHz versus 1468 MHz). The Vega 64X has a higher TDP at 250 W versus 230 W, despite delivering far less performance.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database contains only one direct head-to-head benchmark between these two cards: Geekbench OpenCL. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 scores 174,637, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 78,467. The delta is 122.6% in favor of the A5500. This is not a close race; it is a generational gap.

To contextualize the A5500's advantage, look at its nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon PRO W7800 scores 164,894 (0.2% behind), the NVIDIA RTX 4500 Ada Generation scores 166,094 (0.5% ahead), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6900X scores 168,574 (2% ahead). The A5500 sits comfortably in the upper tier of workstation GPUs, outperforming even the A100 PCIe 40 GB (162,504, which is 1.7% behind).

For the Vega 64X, its nearest rivals paint a different picture. The AMD Radeon PRO W6600 scores 81,995 (1.3% ahead), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 scores 79,842 (1.4% behind), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605 (1.7% behind). The Vega 64X is competitive with mid-range and older high-end cards, but it is nowhere near the A5500's performance class.

Beyond the single head-to-head test, consider the average benchmark scores. The A5500 averages 165,217 across all recorded tests, while the Vega 64X averages 80,959. That is a 104% gap in average performance, confirming that the OpenCL result is representative, not an outlier.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 is the superior performer by a massive margin: 122.6% ahead in the only shared benchmark, with more than double the average score, nearly triple the FP32 throughput, and 50% more memory bandwidth. It also brings modern features that the Vega 64X cannot match, including RT cores, Tensor cores, and DirectX 12 Ultimate support.

Choose the RTX A5500 if the workload involves rendering, compute, AI inference, or any modern professional application that can use ray tracing or tensor operations. Its 24 GB of memory and 768.0 GB/s bandwidth handle large datasets. Its 97th percentile ranking means it competes with the best GPUs in the database. It is an end-of-life product, but its performance remains relevant.

Choose the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X only if the system demands it. Its "Radeon Pro Mac" generation and IGP form factor indicate it was designed for Apple Mac platforms where the A5500 cannot be installed. In that specific context, the Vega 64X's 16 GB of HBM2 and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are still workable. Its 92nd percentile ranking shows it is not obsolete, but it is outclassed by the A5500 in every measurable compute dimension.

The verdict is simple: for any workload where both cards can physically operate, the RTX A5500 is the clear choice. The Vega 64X is a legacy part for a specific platform, not a performance competitor.