AMD Radeon Pro W5700 vs AMD Radeon RX 9070 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the AMD Radeon Pro W5700 and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 is overwhelmingly one-sided, with the RX 9070 claiming 8 of 9 head-to-head victories. The single exception is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the Pro W5700 posts a 20.4% advantage with a score of 70,706 versus 58,705. That result stands out sharply against the broader trend, suggesting the older RDNA 1.0 architecture retains a specific strength in that API workload.

Everywhere else, the RX 9070 dominates by substantial margins. The largest gap appears in Passmark GPU Compute, where the RX 9070 scores 14,737 against the Pro W5700's 6,495, a 55.9% deficit for the older card. Passmark DirectX 11 shows a 63% difference (281 vs. 104), and Passmark G3D reveals a 42.8% spread (25,381 vs. 14,520). The RX 9070 also leads in Passmark DirectX 10 (141 vs. 88, a 37.6% gap), DirectX 9 (343 vs. 225, 34.4%), DirectX 12 (74 vs. 54, 27%), and even the 2D test (1,280 vs. 899, 29.8%).

Geekbench OpenCL tells a similar story: the RX 9070 scores 131,539 versus 74,613, a 43.3% margin. Across the full suite, the average benchmark score reflects this imbalance — the Pro W5700 averages 25,726 while the RX 9070 averages 23,877. That apparent contradiction (the older card has a higher average) is explained by the fact that the RX 9070's average includes its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result of 6,290, a test the Pro W5700 does not appear in, which drags down its composite number despite strong showings in the shared tests.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different eras of AMD's design philosophy. The Pro W5700 uses the Navi 10 chip built on RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. The RX 9070 uses Navi 48 on RDNA 4.0, fabricated on a 4 nm process. That process shrink is reflected in transistor density: the older chip packs 10,300 million transistors into 251 mm² (41.0M per mm²), while the newer chip crams 53,900 million transistors into 357 mm² (151.0M per mm²). The RX 9070's die is 42% larger in area but holds over five times the transistor count.

Core configuration differences are equally stark. The Pro W5700 has 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The RX 9070 scales that to 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 128 ROPs — roughly 55% more shaders, 55% more TMUs, and double the ROPs. The RX 9070 also introduces 56 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Pro W5700, which lists no RT cores at all.

Clock speeds tell a nuanced story. The Pro W5700 has a higher base clock (1,400 MHz vs. 1,330 MHz) but a much lower boost clock (1,880 MHz vs. 2,520 MHz). The RX 9070 also specifies a game clock of 2,070 MHz, a figure the Pro W5700 does not define. Memory clocks differ as well: the Pro W5700 runs at 1,750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) while the RX 9070 runs at 2,518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystem shows both continuity and change. Both cards use GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, but the RX 9070 doubles capacity to 16 GB and raises bandwidth from 448.0 GB/s to 644.6 GB/s — a 44% increase. Pixel rate jumps from 120.3 GPixel/s to 322.6 GPixel/s, and texture rate from 270.7 GTexel/s to 564.5 GTexel/s. Floating-point performance is where the gap becomes dramatic: FP32 rises from 8.663 TFLOPS to 36.13 TFLOPS, a 4.2x improvement. The FP16 ratio also changes — the Pro W5700 offers 17.33 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, while the RX 9070 delivers 36.13 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio.

Interface and output differences round out the picture. The Pro W5700 uses PCIe 4.0 x16 and outputs 5x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a plus 1x USB Type-C. The RX 9070 uses PCIe 5.0 x16 and outputs 1x HDMI 2.1b plus 3x DisplayPort 2.1a. Both are dual-slot cards with a 550 W suggested PSU, but the Pro W5700 draws 205 W with a 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connector, while the RX 9070 draws 220 W with 2x 8-pin connectors.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 9070 wins in nearly every measurable category. Its strongest relative performances come in compute-heavy workloads: Passmark GPU Compute shows a 55.9% lead, and Geekbench OpenCL shows a 43.3% lead. DirectX 11 is another highlight at 63% ahead. These results point to a card that excels in general-purpose GPU compute and modern API rendering paths.

The RX 9070 also wins in legacy DirectX tests (9 and 10), indicating that its architectural advantages carry through even older code paths. The 2D test win (29.8%) suggests faster memory or better optimized rasterization for desktop workloads. For ray tracing, the presence of 56 dedicated RT cores gives the RX 9070 a capability the Pro W5700 simply does not have, even though no head-to-head RT benchmark appears in the data.

The Pro W5700's sole victory in Geekbench Vulkan (20.4% ahead) is worth examining. Vulkan is a low-level API that can expose architectural efficiencies independent of raw compute throughput. The RDNA 1.0 design, despite its older node and fewer cores, evidently handles that specific workload more efficiently. This could matter for users running Vulkan-based applications that are not heavily shader-bound.

The Pro W5700 also holds advantages in non-performance dimensions. Its release date of November 2019 makes it a mature product with an established ecosystem, and its display output configuration with 5x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a plus USB Type-C targets multi-monitor professional setups. However, its production status is end-of-life, whereas the RX 9070 is active.

The Verdict

The data directs a clear conclusion: the RX 9070 is the superior performer in the vast majority of scenarios. An 8-to-1 win count in head-to-head tests, with margins ranging from 27% to 63%, leaves little ambiguity. The RX 9070's 55.9% lead in GPU compute and 63% lead in DirectX 11 are decisive for any workload relying on those paths. Its 16 GB of memory versus 8 GB, combined with 44% higher bandwidth, makes it the better choice for large datasets or high-resolution textures.

The Pro W5700's Vulkan advantage is real but narrow in scope. A 20.4% lead in one benchmark does not offset deficits of 30-60% in eight others. The older card's higher base clock (1,400 MHz vs. 1,330 MHz) and smaller die (251 mm² vs. 357 mm²) are minor points against the RX 9070's massive core and memory advantages.

For users prioritizing Vulkan performance specifically, the Pro W5700 has a measurable edge. For everyone else — gamers, compute users, DirectX application users — the RX 9070 is the data-backed choice. The RX 9070's launch MSRP is 549 USD, and it carries a 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The Pro W5700 launched at 799 USD and sits at the 71st percentile, but its end-of-life status and lower raw scores in shared tests make it the weaker pick for future-facing workloads. The RX 9070's 2:1 FP16 ratio (36.13 TFLOPS) versus the Pro W5700's 2:1 ratio (17.33 TFLOPS) further cements its position for compute tasks.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 wins 8 of 9 head-to-head tests. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700 wins only Geekbench Vulkan, where it leads by 20.4%.

Q: How large is the compute performance gap?

A: In Passmark GPU Compute, the RX 9070 scores 14,737 versus the Pro W5700's 6,495, a 55.9% advantage. Geekbench OpenCL shows a 43.3% gap (131,539 vs. 74,613).

Q: Does the Pro W5700 have any advantage in API coverage?

A: Yes, in Geekbench Vulkan the Pro W5700 scores 70,706 against the RX 9070's 58,705. This is the only benchmark where the older card leads.

Q: What are the memory capacity differences?

A: The Pro W5700 has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 9070 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on the same 256-bit bus but with 644.6 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: No. The Pro W5700 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the RX 9070 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has ray tracing hardware?

A: Only the RX 9070 lists ray tracing cores, with 56 dedicated RT cores. The Pro W5700 has no RT core specification in the data.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro W5700 | AMD Radeon RX 9070 |

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

| Chip | Navi 10 | Navi 48 |

| Architecture | RDNA 1.0 | RDNA 4.0 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 4 nm |

| Transistors | 10,300 million | 53,900 million |

| Die Size | 251 mm² | 357 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 41.0M / mm² | 151.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1400 MHz | 1330 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1880 MHz | 2520 MHz |

| Game Clock | Not specified | 2070 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) | 2518 MHz (20.1 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 16 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s | 644.6 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2304 | 3584 |

| TMUs | 144 | 224 |

| ROPs | 64 | 128 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | None listed | 56 |

| Pixel Rate | 120.3 GPixel/s | 322.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 270.7 GTexel/s | 564.5 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 8.663 TFLOPS | 36.13 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 17.33 TFLOPS (2:1) | 36.13 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 205 W | 220 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 5.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 5x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C | 1x HDMI 2.1b, 3x DisplayPort 2.1a |

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

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2019-11-18 | 2025-03-05 |

| Launch MSRP | 799 USD | 549 USD |