AMD Radeon Pro W5700X vs AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM Comparison

The benchmark data presents a clear split between two AMD Navi 10 parts that share an architecture but target different priorities. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM wins both shared compute benchmarks decisively, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X counters with a much larger memory pool, higher clock speeds, and a broader feature set for professional workloads. The RX 5600 OEM is the pick for raw compute performance per benchmark score, but the Pro W5700X is the pick for anyone needing 16 GB of VRAM or Apple ecosystem integration.

The Verdict

The data shows the AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM is the faster card in the two benchmarks both products share. It beats the Pro W5700X by 42.5% in Geekbench OpenCL and by 18.8% in Geekbench Vulkan. These are substantial margins, not edge cases. If your workload relies on OpenCL or Vulkan compute, the RX 5600 OEM is the clear choice from this dataset.

However, the Pro W5700X wins on specification depth. It offers 16 GB of GDDR6 memory versus 6 GB on the RX 5600 OEM, a 256-bit bus versus 192-bit, and 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth versus 288.0 GB/s. It also boosts to 2040 MHz versus 1560 MHz and has 2560 shading units versus 2048. The Pro W5700X also carries an Apple MPX bus interface and four Thunderbolt outputs, making it the only option here for Mac Pro users. The RX 5600 OEM is end-of-life with a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface — the Pro W5700X is also end-of-life but was launched on 2019-12-10, roughly a month earlier than the RX 5600 OEM’s 2020-01-20 release.

The verdict splits cleanly: choose the RX 5600 OEM for peak compute scores in OpenCL and Vulkan, choose the Pro W5700X for memory capacity, memory bandwidth, and Mac-specific connectivity. The Pro W5700X does have a launch MSRP of 999 USD.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same Navi 10 chip using RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. Both have identical transistor counts of 10,300 million and the same die size of 251 mm², yielding a transistor density of 41.0M / mm². Neither card has ray tracing cores or tensor cores listed, and both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The core configurations diverge significantly. The RX 5600 OEM has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The Pro W5700X steps up to 2560 shading units and 160 texture mapping units, while keeping the same 64 ROPs. Clock speeds also differ: the Pro W5700X runs a base clock of 1243 MHz and a boost of 2040 MHz, while the RX 5600 OEM runs 1130 MHz base and 1560 MHz boost. The RX 5600 OEM adds a game clock of 1375 MHz, which the Pro W5700X does not list.

Memory architecture is another major differentiator. The RX 5600 OEM uses 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 1500 MHz memory clock (12 Gbps effective) and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Pro W5700X uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 1750 MHz memory clock (14 Gbps effective) and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Pro W5700X also has a higher pixel rate at 130.6 GPixel/s versus 99.84 GPixel/s, and a higher texture rate at 326.4 GTexel/s versus 199.7 GTexel/s.

The power and physical profiles are also distinct. The RX 5600 OEM has a TDP of 125 W, a single 8-pin power connector, a suggested PSU of 300 W, and a dual-slot form factor. The Pro W5700X has a TDP of 205 W, no listed power connector, a suggested PSU of 550 W, and a quad-slot form factor. It measures 305 mm (12 inches) in length. The bus interfaces differ as well: the RX 5600 OEM uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Pro W5700X uses Apple MPX.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The shared benchmark suite consists of two tests, and the RX 5600 OEM wins both. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 5600 OEM scores 62427 against the Pro W5700X’s 43810, a 42.5% advantage. That is a commanding lead, far outside any margin of error. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 5600 OEM scores 53743 against 45246, an 18.8% win.

These results are counterintuitive given the Pro W5700X’s higher clock speeds and additional shading units. The Pro W5700X has a boost clock 480 MHz higher and 512 more shading units, yet it loses both benchmarks. The data suggests the RX 5600 OEM’s driver optimization or memory configuration yields better raw compute throughput in these specific tests. The RX 5600 OEM also has a higher average benchmark score of 58085 versus 54828 for the Pro W5700X.

The Pro W5700X does have a Geekbench Metal score of 75427, but the RX 5600 OEM has no Metal score listed, so no direct comparison is possible. For the tests both cards share, the RX 5600 OEM is unbeaten. The wins tally confirms this: the RX 5600 OEM has 2 wins, the Pro W5700X has 0.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM scores 62427 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 42.5% higher than the Pro W5700X’s 43810.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the RX 5600 OEM has 6 GB on a 192-bit bus.

Q: Do both cards support the same APIs?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Neither has ray tracing or tensor cores listed.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X boosts to 2040 MHz, while the RX 5600 OEM boosts to 1560 MHz. The Pro W5700X also has a higher base clock at 1243 MHz versus 1130 MHz.

Q: What is the power requirement difference?

A: The RX 5600 OEM has a TDP of 125 W and suggests a 300 W PSU, while the Pro W5700X has a TDP of 205 W and suggests a 550 W PSU.

Q: Which card is better for a Mac Pro?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X uses an Apple MPX bus interface and has 4x Thunderbolt outputs, making it the only one of the two designed for that ecosystem.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 5600 OEM wins decisively in compute benchmarks. It leads by 42.5% in Geekbench OpenCL and by 18.8% in Geekbench Vulkan. Its average benchmark score of 58085 also beats the Pro W5700X’s 54828. For users running OpenCL or Vulkan workloads on a standard PCIe platform, the RX 5600 OEM is the faster card. It also has a lower TDP at 125 W versus 205 W, and a smaller slot footprint at dual-slot versus quad-slot. The RX 5600 OEM’s nearest rivals include the Intel Arc A570M (deltaPct -0.3) and the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT (deltaPct -0.5), placing it in a performance tier well above the Pro W5700X’s rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (deltaPct 1.1) or the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (deltaPct -1.6).

The Pro W5700X wins on specifications that matter for professional or capacity-heavy tasks. Its 16 GB memory pool is more than double the RX 5600 OEM’s 6 GB, and its 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is 55.6% higher. The extra shading units (2560 versus 2048), higher texture rate (326.4 GTexel/s versus 199.7 GTexel/s), and higher pixel rate (130.6 GPixel/s versus 99.84 GPixel/s) give it theoretical throughput advantages, even if the benchmark results do not reflect them. The Pro W5700X also has a Geekbench Metal score of 75427, which the RX 5600 OEM cannot match because it has no Metal score listed. The Apple MPX bus interface and 4x Thunderbolt outputs make it the only option for Mac Pro systems.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ on nearly every core specification except the chip, architecture, process node, foundry, transistor count, die size, ROPs, and supported APIs.

• Shading Units: RX 5600 OEM has 2048; Pro W5700X has 2560.
• TMUs: RX 5600 OEM has 128; Pro W5700X has 160.
• Base Clock: RX 5600 OEM runs 1130 MHz; Pro W5700X runs 1243 MHz.
• Boost Clock: RX 5600 OEM boosts to 1560 MHz; Pro W5700X boosts to 2040 MHz.
• Game Clock: RX 5600 OEM has 1375 MHz; Pro W5700X has none listed.
• Memory Size: RX 5600 OEM has 6 GB; Pro W5700X has 16 GB.
• Memory Bus Width: RX 5600 OEM uses 192 bit; Pro W5700X uses 256 bit.
• Memory Clock: RX 5600 OEM runs 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective); Pro W5700X runs 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).
• Memory Bandwidth: RX 5600 OEM has 288.0 GB/s; Pro W5700X has 448.0 GB/s.
• Pixel Rate: RX 5600 OEM has 99.84 GPixel/s; Pro W5700X has 130.6 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: RX 5600 OEM has 199.7 GTexel/s; Pro W5700X has 326.4 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Performance: RX 5600 OEM has 6.390 TFLOPS; Pro W5700X has 10.44 TFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: RX 5600 OEM has 12.78 TFLOPS (2:1); Pro W5700X has 20.89 TFLOPS (2:1).
• TDP: RX 5600 OEM is 125 W; Pro W5700X is 205 W.
• Slot Width: RX 5600 OEM is dual-slot; Pro W5700X is quad-slot.
• Power Connectors: RX 5600 OEM has 1x 8-pin; Pro W5700X has none listed.
• Suggested PSU: RX 5600 OEM is 300 W; Pro W5700X is 550 W.
• Bus Interface: RX 5600 OEM is PCIe 4.0 x16; Pro W5700X is Apple MPX.
• Display Outputs: RX 5600 OEM has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a; Pro W5700X has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 4x Thunderbolt.
• Dimensions: RX 5600 OEM has no listed length; Pro W5700X is 305 mm (12 inches).
• Launch MSRP: RX 5600 OEM has none listed; Pro W5700X is 999 USD.
• Release Date: RX 5600 OEM launched 2020-01-20; Pro W5700X launched 2019-12-10.

Both cards are end-of-life. The RX 5600 OEM has a successor listed as Navi II, while the Pro W5700X has no listed successor or predecessor.