AMD Radeon Pro W6800X vs AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT Comparison

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT in raw compute performance?

A: The Pro W6800X leads decisively. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 124,498 versus 85,040 for the RX 6850M XT, a 46.4% advantage. In Geekbench Metal, the gap widens further: 196,844 versus 128,981, a 52.6% lead for the Pro W6800X.

Q: Which GPU has more memory, and does it matter for the benchmark results?

A: The Pro W6800X packs 32 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6850M XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s. The larger memory pool and higher bandwidth contribute to the Pro W6800X's substantial benchmark wins.

Q: Are both GPUs based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use AMD's RDNA 2.0 architecture and are fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. However, they use different chips: the Pro W6800X uses Navi 21, while the RX 6850M XT uses Navi 22.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each GPU?

A: The Pro W6800X sits at the 97th percentile among all GPUs, while the RX 6850M XT ranks at the 92nd percentile. The Pro W6800X's average benchmark score is 160,671, roughly double the RX 6850M XT's 78,940.

Q: How do these GPUs compare to their nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Pro W6800X is 1.1% behind the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB and 2.6% behind the AMD Radeon PRO W7800. The RX 6850M XT is 0.6% behind the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 1.1% behind the GeForce RTX 5090.

Q: Which GPU has higher clock speeds?

A: The RX 6850M XT has significantly higher clocks: a base of 2321 MHz and boost of 2581 MHz, versus 1800 MHz base and 2087 MHz boost on the Pro W6800X. Despite lower clocks, the Pro W6800X wins in all benchmark comparisons due to its larger chip and memory subsystem.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the RDNA 2.0 architecture and TSMC 7 nm process, but they diverge sharply in chip design and target platforms. The Pro W6800X uses the Navi 21 chip, a massive 520 mm² die with 26,800 million transistors. The RX 6850M XT uses Navi 22, a 335 mm² die with 17,200 million transistors. Transistor density is nearly identical (51.5M per mm² versus 51.3M per mm²), confirming the same process node.

The Pro W6800X is a workstation-class part for Apple MPX systems. It has 3840 shading units, 240 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 60 ray tracing cores. The RX 6850M XT, a mobile part, has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 40 ray tracing cores. The Pro W6800X offers 50% more shading units, TMUs, and ray tracing cores, and 50% more ROPs.

The memory architecture differs substantially. The Pro W6800X has 32 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 2000 MHz memory clock (16 Gbps effective) and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6850M XT has 12 GB GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 2250 MHz memory clock (18 Gbps effective) and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Pro W6800X's wider bus compensates for lower clock speed, delivering 18.5% more bandwidth.

Clock behavior is inverted. The RX 6850M XT runs much hotter clocks: 2321 MHz base, 2581 MHz boost, and a game clock of 2463 MHz. The Pro W6800X runs at 1800 MHz base and 2087 MHz boost. The mobile chip uses high clocks to compensate for fewer compute units.

Form factors could not be more different. The Pro W6800X is a quad-slot card using Apple MPX power and bus connectors, measuring 267 mm long and 120 mm high. The RX 6850M XT is an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors and no dimensions listed, designed for portable devices.

The Pro W6800X has a 200 W TDP and requires a 550 W suggested PSU. The RX 6850M XT has a 165 W TDP with no suggested PSU listed. The Pro W6800X outputs 1x HDMI 2.1 and 4x Thunderbolt, while the RX 6850M XT's display outputs are described as "Portable Device Dependent."

Both support identical API levels: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The Pro W6800X launches in August 2021 and is end-of-life; the RX 6850M XT launches in January 2022, also end-of-life, with the Polaris Mobile as its predecessor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head comparison covers two Geekbench tests, and the Pro W6800X wins both. There are no test categories where the RX 6850M XT comes out ahead, giving a 2-0 win tally for the workstation card.

In Geekbench Metal, the Pro W6800X scores 196,844 against 128,981 for the RX 6850M XT. The delta is 52.6%, meaning the Pro W6800X is over half again as fast. This is the largest margin in the comparison. Metal performance directly reflects the Pro W6800X's Apple ecosystem optimization and its much larger compute and memory resources.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the Pro W6800X scores 124,498 versus 85,040, a 46.4% advantage. While still dominant, this margin is narrower than Metal, suggesting the RX 6850M XT's higher clock speeds help in OpenCL workloads that are less memory-bound.

The RX 6850M XT has additional benchmark data not shared with the Pro W6800X: a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2257 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 99,483. These are not head-to-head comparisons because the Pro W6800X lacks scores in those tests, so they cannot be used for direct comparison.

The average benchmark scores tell a stark story. The Pro W6800X averages 160,671 across its two tests. The RX 6850M XT averages 78,940 across four tests. The Pro W6800X's average is more than double, though the different test sets mean this is not a strict apples-to-apples figure.

Looking at nearest rivals, the Pro W6800X's 160,671 average places it within 1.1% of the NVIDIA A100 PCIe 40 GB (162,504), 2.6% behind the AMD Radeon PRO W7800 (164,894), and 2.8% behind the NVIDIA RTX A5500 (165,217). The RX 6850M XT's 78,940 average puts it 0.6% behind the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396), 0.8% behind the 16 GB variant (79,605), and 1.1% behind the GeForce RTX 5090 (79,842). Interestingly, the RTX 5090 D scores 77,712, which is 1.6% lower than the RX 6850M XT.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon Pro W6800X is the substantially faster GPU. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks by margins of 46.4% and 52.6%, has double the average benchmark score, and ranks 5 percentile points higher overall. Anyone choosing between these two for maximum compute performance should select the Pro W6800X.

The RX 6850M XT is not without merit. It achieves its results with a 165 W TDP versus 200 W, uses no external power connectors, and fits in portable devices as an IGP. Its higher clock speeds (2581 MHz boost versus 2087 MHz) show a different design philosophy: maximize frequency on a smaller chip to approach larger chips' performance.

The Pro W6800X is the workstation and pro-applications choice. Its 32 GB memory, 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, and quad-slot Apple MPX design target high-end Mac Pro workflows. The RX 6850M XT is the mobile choice, targeting gaming laptops where power efficiency and compact integration matter more than raw throughput.

Neither GPU is current; both are end-of-life. The Pro W6800X launched in August 2021 at a 2,799 USD launch MSRP. The RX 6850M XT launched in January 2022 with no MSRP recorded.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Pro W6800X | AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT |

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

| Chip | Navi 21 | Navi 22 |

| Generation | Radeon Pro Mac (Navi II Series) | Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) |

| Transistors | 26,800 million | 17,200 million |

| Die Size | 520 mm² | 335 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 51.5M / mm² | 51.3M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1800 MHz | 2321 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2087 MHz | 2581 MHz |

| Game Clock | None | 2463 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 32 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 3840 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 240 | 160 |

| ROPs | 96 | 64 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 60 | 40 |

| Pixel Rate | 200.4 GPixel/s | 165.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 500.9 GTexel/s | 413.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 16.03 TFLOPS | 13.21 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 32.06 TFLOPS (2:1) | 26.43 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 200 W | 165 W |

| Slot Width | Quad-slot | IGP |

| Power Connectors | Apple MPX | None |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | None |

| Bus Interface | Apple MPX | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 4x Thunderbolt | Portable Device Dependent |

| Dimensions | 267 mm x 120 mm | None |

| Release Date | 2021-08-02 | 2022-01-03 |

| Predecessor | None | Polaris Mobile |

| Launch MSRP | 2,799 USD | None |

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro W6800X wins in every measured benchmark category. Its strength is absolute compute performance: 16.03 TFLOPS FP32 versus 13.21 TFLOPS, 500.9 GTexel/s texture rate versus 413.0 GTexel/s, and 200.4 GPixel/s pixel rate versus 165.2 GPixel/s. The 32 GB memory pool, double the RX 6850M XT's 12 GB, plus 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, makes it the choice for large datasets, high-resolution textures, and memory-intensive professional workloads. Its 97th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 160,671 place it in the top tier of all GPUs.

The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT wins in portability and efficiency. It is an IGP with no power connectors, a 165 W TDP, and no physical dimensions listed, designed for laptops and compact systems. Its higher clocks (2321 MHz base, 2581 MHz boost) show it can push frequency hard when needed. It ranks at the 92nd percentile, which is still strong, and its average score of 78,940 is respectable for a mobile part. The RX 6850M XT also has a Vulkan benchmark score of 99,483 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2257, tests the Pro W6800X has not recorded.

For users choosing between these two, the decision hinges on platform and workload. In a Mac Pro with Apple MPX slots, the Pro W6800X is the only option that fits, and it delivers overwhelming performance. In a portable gaming laptop, the RX 6850M XT provides solid performance with lower power draw and no external power requirements. The Pro W6800X is the performance king; the RX 6850M XT is the mobility specialist. There is no benchmark category where the RX 6850M XT surpasses the Pro W6800X, so raw speed favors the workstation card without qualification.