AMD Radeon Pro W5500X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data pits the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti in a single workload: Geekbench Metal. The results are decisive. In this test, the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X scores 27,973 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti scores 18,144 points. That translates to a 54.2% advantage for the AMD card, making it the clear winner in the only direct head-to-head comparison available.

Looking at the broader database context, the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X sits at the 73rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27,973. Its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (average score 28,020, a 0.2% deficit for AMD), the AMD Radeon RX 7800M (average score 27,883, a 0.3% surplus for AMD), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (average score 27,839, a 0.5% surplus for AMD). The AMD FirePro S7150 trails slightly with an average score of 28,117, putting the W5500X 0.5% behind that particular workstation card. These narrow deltas show that the W5500X is tightly clustered with other high-end options from its era, all within a fraction of a percent of each other.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, by contrast, holds the 70th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 24,236 across three separate tests. Its Metal score of 18,144 is the weakest of its recorded results. In OpenCL, it scores 27,326, and in Vulkan, it scores 27,238, both far stronger than its Metal showing. This suggests the GTX 780 Ti’s overall average is propped up by non-Metal workloads. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (average score 24,277, a 0.2% deficit for NVIDIA), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (average score 24,170, a 0.3% surplus for NVIDIA), and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S (average score 24,063, a 0.7% surplus for NVIDIA). The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT sits slightly ahead with an average score of 24,442, putting the GTX 780 Ti 0.8% behind.

The headline result, then, is the Metal benchmark. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X is not just ahead; it is 54.2% faster than the GTX 780 Ti in that specific API. That is a massive gap, larger than any of the rival deltas surrounding either card. It indicates that for Metal-centric workloads, the W5500X is in a different performance class entirely, despite both cards having comparable raw FP32 throughput figures in the database.

The GTX 780 Ti’s OpenCL and Vulkan scores, however, are much closer to the W5500X’s Metal result. The OpenCL score of 27,326 is within 2.4% of the W5500X’s Metal score of 27,973. The Vulkan score of 27,238 is within 2.7%. This implies that while the W5500X dominates Metal, the GTX 780 Ti remains competitive in other compute APIs. The database does not list a direct OpenCL or Vulkan result for the W5500X, so a true cross-API comparison cannot be made. What the data does show is that the GTX 780 Ti’s Metal deficiency is severe, while its other scores are respectable.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different architectural generations and process nodes. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X uses the Navi 14 chip, built on RDNA 1.0 architecture, and is fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti uses the GK110B chip, built on Kepler architecture, and is fabricated on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. The node difference is stark: 7 nm versus 28 nm, which explains the dramatic difference in transistor density. The AMD chip packs 6,400 million transistors onto a 158 mm² die, yielding a density of 40.5 million transistors per square millimeter. The NVIDIA chip has 7,080 million transistors on a 561 mm² die, yielding just 12.6 million transistors per square millimeter. That is a 3.2x density advantage for the AMD part.

Memory configurations also diverge. The W5500X offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GTX 780 Ti offers 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 336.6 GB/s. Despite the GTX 780 Ti having a wider bus and higher raw bandwidth, the W5500X has more than double the memory capacity. The memory clocks differ as well: the W5500X runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), while the GTX 780 Ti runs at 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The GDDR6 standard on the AMD card delivers twice the data rate per pin.

Compute resources are organized differently. The W5500X has 1,536 shading units, 96 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 raster output units (ROPs). The GTX 780 Ti has 2,880 shading units, 240 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. On paper, the NVIDIA card has far more of each. Yet the peak FP32 throughput is nearly identical: the W5500X is rated at 5.398 TFLOPS, and the GTX 780 Ti is rated at 5.345 TFLOPS. The AMD card achieves this with far fewer cores, thanks to the higher clock speeds. The W5500X has a base clock of 1187 MHz and a boost clock of 1757 MHz. The GTX 780 Ti has a base clock of 875 MHz and a boost clock of 928 MHz. The AMD boost clock is 89% higher.

Pixel and texture rates tell a similar story. The W5500X delivers 56.22 GPixel/s and 168.7 GTexel/s. The GTX 780 Ti delivers 55.68 GPixel/s and 222.7 GTexel/s. Pixel rates are nearly identical, but the NVIDIA card has a 32% higher texture rate. The W5500X also supports FP16 compute at 10.80 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, while the GTX 780 Ti has no recorded FP16 capability. API support also differs: the W5500X supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX 780 Ti supports DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The AMD card has a newer, more complete Vulkan implementation.

Power and physical characteristics diverge significantly. The W5500X has a TDP of 125 W, a dual-slot form factor, an Apple MPX bus interface, and a suggested PSU of 300 W. It outputs via 2x HDMI 2.0b. The GTX 780 Ti has a TDP of 250 W, a dual-slot form factor, a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, and a suggested PSU of 600 W. It uses 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin power connectors. The GTX 780 Ti is physically larger: 267 mm long, 111 mm high, and 38 mm wide. The W5500X has no recorded dimensions. The GTX 780 Ti also has more display outputs, including 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in Geekbench Metal?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X scores 27,973 versus 18,144 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, a 54.2% advantage for AMD.

Q: How do the overall average scores compare?

A: The W5500X averages 27,973 across its recorded benchmarks. The GTX 780 Ti averages 24,236 across three tests (Metal, OpenCL, Vulkan). The AMD card sits 15.4% higher in average score.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The W5500X has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the GTX 780 Ti has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory. The AMD card offers 5 GB more capacity.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 780 Ti has higher bandwidth at 336.6 GB/s, compared to 224.0 GB/s for the W5500X, despite the AMD card using faster GDDR6 memory.

Q: How do the process nodes compare?

A: The W5500X is built on a 7 nm TSMC process, while the GTX 780 Ti uses a 28 nm TSMC process. The AMD chip has a transistor density of 40.5M per mm² versus 12.6M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Q: What are the TDP and PSU requirements?

A: The W5500X has a TDP of 125 W and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The GTX 780 Ti has a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear split in purpose. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500X is the superior card for Metal-based workloads. Its 54.2% lead in the Geekbench Metal test is conclusive. The W5500X also offers more memory (8 GB versus 3 GB), a much newer process node (7 nm versus 28 nm), higher clock speeds (1757 MHz boost versus 928 MHz boost), and significantly lower power draw (125 W versus 250 W). It also supports newer API versions, including Vulkan 1.4 and DirectX 12 (12_1).

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti, however, is not without strengths. It has higher memory bandwidth (336.6 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s), more shading units (2,880 versus 1,536), more TMUs (240 versus 96), more ROPs (48 versus 32), and a higher texture rate (222.7 GTexel/s versus 168.7 GTexel/s). Its OpenCL and Vulkan scores (27,326 and 27,238, respectively) are close to the W5500X’s Metal score, showing it remains viable in non-Metal compute scenarios.

For users prioritizing Metal performance, modern API support, memory capacity, and power efficiency, the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X is the obvious choice. Its 73rd percentile ranking and tight clustering with cards like the GTX 980 Ti and RX 7800M reinforce its standing. For users who need raw texture throughput or rely on OpenCL and Vulkan workloads where the GTX 780 Ti’s scores are competitive, the NVIDIA card may still serve. But the data does not favor it overall: the GTX 780 Ti’s Metal score is a severe liability, and its 70th percentile ranking is lower. The W5500X wins the head-to-head decisively.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro W5500X | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 1.0 | Kepler |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 6,400 million | 7,080 million |

| Die Size | 158 mm² | 561 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 40.5M / mm² | 12.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1187 MHz | 875 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1757 MHz | 928 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 3 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | 384 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 336.6 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1,536 | 2,880 |

| TMUs | 96 | 240 |

| ROPs | 32 | 48 |

| Pixel Rate | 56.22 GPixel/s | 55.68 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 168.7 GTexel/s | 222.7 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.398 TFLOPS | 5.345 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 10.80 TFLOPS (2:1) | None |

| TDP | 125 W | 250 W |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 600 W |

| Bus Interface | Apple MPX | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 2x HDMI 2.0b | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, 1x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 (11_1) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.175 |

| Release Date | 2019-12-10 | 2013-11-06 |

| Launch MSRP | 599 USD | 699 USD |