AMD Radeon Pro W5500 vs AMD Radeon RX 5500M Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 wins every single head-to-head comparison in the database, 10 out of 10 tests. The RX 5500M does not claim a single victory. This is not a close contest; it is a consistent margin across every category, from legacy DirectX 9 workloads to modern compute tasks.

For workstation users, the Pro W5500 is the clear choice. Its largest edge comes in GPU compute, where it scores 4,804 versus 2,316 for the RX 5500M, a 107.4% advantage. That means the Pro card is more than twice as fast in raw compute throughput, which matters for rendering, simulation, and other professional workloads. The gap in DirectX 11 is also striking, a 60% lead, and DirectX 12 shows a 39.3% advantage. These are not marginal differences; they are decisive.

The RX 5500M, on the other hand, is a mobile part. Its lower clock speeds and reduced power envelope make it a competent performer for gaming on a laptop, but it trails the Pro W5500 in every measurable way. The closest competition between the two comes in Geekbench Metal, where the Pro W5500 leads by only 7.8%. That is the single narrowest margin in the entire comparison. If your primary application is Metal-based on macOS, the difference is less dramatic, but the Pro W5500 still wins.

The Pro W5500 also dominates in 2D performance, with a 94.7% lead in Passmark G2D (806 versus 414). That indicates faster desktop rendering, window management, and general GUI responsiveness, which is relevant for productivity tasks beyond gaming.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same foundational design: AMD's RDNA 1.0 architecture, using the Navi 14 chip on TSMC's 7 nm process. Both have identical transistor counts of 6,400 million and the same die size of 158 mm², with a transistor density of 40.5M per mm². The core configuration is also the same: 1,408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Neither has dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores.

The differences lie in clocks, memory capacity, and power. The Pro W5500 runs at a base clock of 1744 MHz and a boost clock of 1855 MHz. The RX 5500M is significantly slower on paper: 1375 MHz base, 1645 MHz boost, with a game clock of 1448 MHz. This clock gap directly translates to the performance differences seen in the benchmarks. The Pro W5500 achieves 5.224 TFLOPS FP32, while the RX 5500M delivers 4.632 TFLOPS. Pixel rate and texture rate also favor the Pro W5500: 59.36 GPixel/s versus 52.64 GPixel/s, and 163.2 GTexel/s versus 144.8 GTexel/s.

Memory is another key split. The Pro W5500 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, while the RX 5500M has only 4 GB. Both run at 14 Gbps effective with the same 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The larger frame buffer on the Pro card matters for professional workloads and higher-resolution textures, even though raw bandwidth is identical.

Power consumption tells the rest of the story. The Pro W5500 is a desktop card with a 125 W TDP, a single-slot design, and a 6-pin power connector, requiring a 300 W power supply. The RX 5500M is a mobile chip with an 85 W TDP, no power connectors, and a portable-device-dependent display output. The Pro W5500 uses that extra power budget to sustain higher clocks, which explains its consistent lead.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest win for the Pro W5500 is in Passmark GPU compute, where it scores 4,804 against the RX 5500M's 2,316. That 107.4% delta means the Pro card more than doubles the mobile part's compute output. This is the kind of result that matters for OpenCL workloads, rendering, and any GPU-accelerated professional task.

Second largest is Passmark G2D, with a 94.7% lead. The Pro W5500 scores 806, while the RX 5500M manages only 414. This is a huge gap for 2D performance, affecting desktop responsiveness and non-3D graphics tasks.

DirectX 11 shows a 60% advantage for the Pro W5500, with scores of 56 versus 35. DirectX 12 is also strongly in favor of the Pro card, a 39.3% lead (39 versus 28). DirectX 9 shows a 26% edge (126 versus 100), and DirectX 10 a 20.5% lead (47 versus 39). Across the entire Passmark DirectX suite, the Pro W5500 is consistently faster, though the margin narrows on older APIs.

Geekbench results follow the same pattern. OpenCL shows a 17.8% lead for the Pro W5500 (45,615 versus 38,725), and Vulkan a 17.7% lead (42,021 versus 35,693). Metal is the closest test, with the Pro W5500 at 54,302 versus 50,359, a 7.8% difference. Even in the most favorable test for the RX 5500M, the Pro W5500 still comes out ahead.

Passmark G3D, the overall 3D gaming and graphics score, gives the Pro W5500 a 53.5% lead, 8,978 versus 5,848. This confirms that the Pro card is not just a compute specialist; it is also substantially faster in general 3D rendering.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in overall compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5500. In Passmark GPU compute, it scores 4,804 versus the RX 5500M's 2,316, a 107.4% advantage. It also leads in Geekbench OpenCL by 17.8% and Vulkan by 17.7%.

Q: Is the RX 5500M better for any specific workload?

A: No. The database shows zero wins for the RX 5500M across all 10 head-to-head benchmarks. The closest result is Geekbench Metal, where it trails by only 7.8%, but it still loses.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The Pro W5500 has 8 GB of GDDR6, while the RX 5500M has 4 GB. Both use a 128-bit bus and have identical bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s at 14 Gbps effective. The Pro card's larger capacity is the key difference.

Q: What are the clock speed differences?

A: The Pro W5500 runs at 1744 MHz base and 1855 MHz boost. The RX 5500M runs at 1375 MHz base and 1645 MHz boost, with a game clock of 1448 MHz. The Pro card's higher clocks drive its performance lead.

Q: Are these GPUs based on the same architecture?

A: Yes. Both use AMD's RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 14 chip on a 7 nm TSMC process. They have identical transistor counts (6,400 million), die size (158 mm²), and core counts (1,408 shading units, 88 TMUs, 32 ROPs).

Q: Which card has a higher power requirement?

A: The Pro W5500 has a 125 W TDP and requires a 300 W power supply with a 6-pin connector. The RX 5500M has an 85 W TDP and uses no power connectors, as it is designed for portable devices.

The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is the superior GPU in every benchmark recorded. It wins all 10 head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 7.8% (Geekbench Metal) to 107.4% (Passmark GPU compute). The average benchmark score for the Pro W5500 is 15,679, compared to 13,356 for the RX 5500M, a difference of roughly 17%. In the database's percentile rankings, the Pro W5500 sits at the 58th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 5500M sits at the 54th.

The Pro W5500's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (0.8% ahead), the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (1.1% behind), and the AMD Radeon R9 370X (1.2% behind). The RX 5500M's nearest rivals are all older or lower-tier mobile parts: the AMD FirePro M6100 (0% difference), the AMD Radeon HD 8950M (0.1% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 555X (0.3% ahead). This places the RX 5500M in a much lower performance class.

For a desktop workstation, the Pro W5500 is the obvious pick. Its 8 GB memory, higher clocks, and 125 W power budget deliver consistent performance advantages across compute, 3D, and 2D workloads. It is end-of-life, but the recorded data shows it remains competitive, sitting within 1.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 in average score.

For a mobile system, the RX 5500M is the only option of the two, since the Pro W5500 is a single-slot desktop card with no mobile variant in the database. If you need a laptop GPU, the RX 5500M provides a baseline level of RDNA 1.0 performance at 85 W, but it trails the Pro W5500 by significant margins in every category. Given the choice between the two for any fixed installation, the Pro W5500 wins without qualification.

Specification Differences

• Memory Size: The Pro W5500 has 8 GB; the RX 5500M has 4 GB.
• Base Clock: The Pro W5500 runs at 1744 MHz; the RX 5500M at 1375 MHz.
• Boost Clock: The Pro W5500 reaches 1855 MHz; the RX 5500M reaches 1645 MHz.
• Game Clock: The RX 5500M has a game clock of 1448 MHz; the Pro W5500 does not list one.
• Pixel Rate: The Pro W5500 achieves 59.36 GPixel/s; the RX 5500M achieves 52.64 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: The Pro W5500 achieves 163.2 GTexel/s; the RX 5500M achieves 144.8 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: The Pro W5500 delivers 5.224 TFLOPS; the RX 5500M delivers 4.632 TFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: The Pro W5500 delivers 10.45 TFLOPS (2:1); the RX 5500M delivers 9.265 TFLOPS (2:1).
• TDP: The Pro W5500 is rated at 125 W; the RX 5500M at 85 W.
• Slot Width: The Pro W5500 is single-slot; the RX 5500M has no slot width (mobile).
• Power Connectors: The Pro W5500 uses a 6-pin connector; the RX 5500M has none.
• Suggested PSU: The Pro W5500 requires 300 W; the RX 5500M has no suggested PSU.
• Display Outputs: The Pro W5500 has 4x DisplayPort 1.4a; the RX 5500M is portable-device dependent.
• Dimensions: The Pro W5500 is 241 mm long and 111 mm high; the RX 5500M has no listed dimensions.
• Release Date: The Pro W5500 was released on 2020-02-09; the RX 5500M on 2019-10-06.
• Predecessor: The Pro W5500 replaces Radeon Pro Vega; the RX 5500M replaces Polaris Mobile.
• Launch MSRP: The Pro W5500 had a launch MSRP of 399 USD; the RX 5500M has no recorded MSRP.