AMD Radeon Pro W5500 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records a single directly comparable benchmark between the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480: Geekbench OpenCL. The results are decisive. The Radeon Pro W5500 scores 45,615, while the GeForce GTX 480 scores 13,300. This represents a 243% advantage for the AMD card, meaning the W5500 delivers nearly three and a half times the raw compute throughput in this workload.

This dominant margin is reflected in the aggregate metrics. The Radeon Pro W5500 holds an average benchmark score of 15,679 across all recorded tests, placing it at the 58th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its closest rivals in that aggregate ranking include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (average score 15,548, a 0.8% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (average score 15,852, a 1.1% difference in the opposite direction). In contrast, the GeForce GTX 480’s average score is 13,300, which places it at the 53rd percentile. Its nearest competitors are all substantially lower-tier mobile or older desktop parts, such as the AMD Radeon Pro 555X (average score 13,321, a 0.2% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 5500M (average score 13,356, a 0.4% difference).

The head-to-head win count is 1 for the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 and 0 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480. There is no recorded benchmark in which the GTX 480 outperforms the W5500. The scale of the OpenCL gap, 243%, is not a marginal edge but a generational chasm. The W5500’s score is not merely higher; it is in a different performance class altogether, sitting alongside much more modern and expensive hardware in the database’s ranking system.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 wins in every measurable category. It leads in the sole head-to-head OpenCL test, and its overall benchmark suite shows strength across multiple API generations. The W5500 records a Passmark G3D score of 8,978, a Passmark GPU Compute score of 4,804, and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 42,021. These numbers indicate robust performance in both graphics and compute-oriented tasks.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480, by contrast, has no recorded wins. Its only benchmark entry is the Geekbench OpenCL score of 13,300, which places it far behind. The data does not support any scenario where the GTX 480 offers a performance advantage over the W5500. Its percentile ranking of 53rd places it below the W5500’s 58th percentile, and its nearest rivals are all AMD products with comparable or slightly lower average scores.

For users prioritizing compute-heavy workloads, such as OpenCL acceleration, the W5500 is the clear choice. For users prioritizing legacy DirectX support, the W5500 also holds the edge, as it records Passmark DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 scores of 126, 47, 56, and 39, respectively. The GTX 480 has no recorded DirectX benchmark scores in this database, so no comparison can be made there, but the absence of data does not suggest superiority. The verdict is unambiguous: the W5500 wins in every recorded test and every applicable use case.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is vast, reflecting nearly a decade of semiconductor advancement. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture, using the Navi 14 chip, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It contains 6,400 million transistors on a die size of 158 mm², yielding a transistor density of 40.5 million per square millimeter. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 uses the Fermi architecture with the GF100 chip, fabricated on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. It packs 3,100 million transistors onto a much larger 529 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of just 5.9 million per square millimeter.

These figures illustrate a fundamental shift in design philosophy. The W5500 achieves higher performance with fewer physical resources per transistor, thanks to the smaller node and modern architecture. The GTX 480’s larger die and older process limit its efficiency and raw throughput. The W5500’s shading unit count is 1,408, compared to 480 on the GTX 480. Texture mapping units number 88 versus 60, and render output units number 32 versus 48. Despite having fewer ROPs, the W5500 achieves a pixel rate of 59.36 GPixel/s versus 21.03 GPixel/s on the GTX 480. Its texture rate of 163.2 GTexel/s dwarfs the GTX 480’s 42.06 GTexel/s.

Compute capabilities follow the same trend. The W5500 delivers 5.224 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the GTX 480 manages 1,345.0 GFLOPS (approximately 1.345 TFLOPS). The W5500 also supports FP16 at 10.45 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, a feature entirely absent from the GTX 480, which has no recorded FP16 capability. The API support differs as well: the W5500 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 480 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6 but has no Vulkan support recorded.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge sharply across nearly every specification field. Memory configuration is a prime example. The Radeon Pro W5500 offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GeForce GTX 480 offers 1,536 MB (1.5 GB) of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 177.4 GB/s. Although the GTX 480 has a wider bus, the W5500’s faster memory type and higher clock speed (14 Gbps effective versus 3.7 Gbps effective) result in superior bandwidth.

Clock speeds differ as well. The W5500 has a base clock of 1,744 MHz and a boost clock of 1,855 MHz. The GTX 480 has no recorded base or boost clock, only a memory clock of 924 MHz. Power requirements are also distinct: the W5500 has a TDP of 125 W and requires a single 6-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU of 300 W. The GTX 480 has a TDP of 250 W, needs one 6-pin and one 8-pin connector, and calls for a 600 W PSU. Physical dimensions differ: the W5500 is 241 mm long and 111 mm tall, while the GTX 480 is 267 mm long (height not recorded). The W5500 is single-slot, while the GTX 480 is dual-slot.

Bus interface and display outputs also differ. The W5500 uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and provides four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The GTX 480 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 and provides two DVI and one mini-HDMI 1.3a output. The release dates are separated by roughly ten years: the W5500 launched on 2020-02-09, and the GTX 480 launched on 2010-03-25. The launch MSRP for the W5500 is 399 USD, while the GTX 480 launched at 499 USD. The W5500’s predecessor is listed as Radeon Pro Vega, while the GTX 480’s predecessor is GeForce 200 and its successor is GeForce 500. Both are marked end-of-life in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 has an average benchmark score of 15,679, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 has an average score of 13,300.

Q: How large is the performance gap in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The Radeon Pro W5500 scores 45,615, which is 243% higher than the GeForce GTX 480’s 13,300.

Q: Which GPU is more power-efficient?

A: The Radeon Pro W5500 has a TDP of 125 W and a suggested PSU of 300 W, whereas the GeForce GTX 480 has a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W.

Q: What are the memory capacities of these two cards?

A: The Radeon Pro W5500 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the GeForce GTX 480 has 1,536 MB (1.5 GB) of GDDR5 memory.

Q: Does the GeForce GTX 480 support Vulkan?

A: No, the database records no Vulkan support for the GeForce GTX 480. The Radeon Pro W5500 supports Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two chips?

A: The Radeon Pro W5500’s Navi 14 chip has a density of 40.5 million transistors per mm², while the GeForce GTX 480’s GF100 chip has a density of 5.9 million per mm².

The Verdict

The data points to a single conclusion: the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 is the superior GPU in every recorded metric. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark by a 243% margin, holds a higher average score (15,679 versus 13,300), and ranks higher in the overall percentile distribution (58th versus 53rd). Its nearest rivals in the database are modern cards like the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and Radeon RX 7700, whereas the GTX 480’s nearest rivals are lower-tier mobile parts like the Radeon Pro 555X and RX 5500M.

For users seeking maximum compute performance, modern API support, higher memory capacity, and lower power draw, the W5500 is the clear pick. Its 8 GB GDDR6 memory, 5.224 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, and PCIe 4.0 interface make it suitable for contemporary workloads. The GTX 480, with its 1.5 GB memory, 1.345 TFLOPS FP32 performance, and lack of Vulkan support, is a legacy part that cannot compete in the same performance class.

The GTX 480 does hold a launch MSRP of 499 USD, which was higher than the W5500’s 399 USD, but that price point does not translate into any performance advantage in the recorded benchmarks. The W5500 is faster, more efficient, more feature-rich, and better positioned in the database’s ranking. Any user choosing between these two should opt for the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 without hesitation, based strictly on the measured data.