AMD Radeon PRO W7900 vs NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile Comparison

The data presents a clear split decision. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile leads in OpenCL compute, while the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 dominates in Vulkan performance. For users prioritizing raw FP32 throughput and massive memory capacity in a desktop workstation, the AMD card is the definitive choice. Conversely, the NVIDIA mobile part offers a compelling blend of portability and competitive compute performance, though its overall benchmark average is only slightly higher. The verdict hinges entirely on the target workload and form factor.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 is the superior choice for Vulkan-based applications, delivering a 24.4% higher score (137070 vs 103601) than the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile. This makes it the clear winner for graphics-heavy tasks and modern game engines that leverage Vulkan. However, the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile counters with a substantial 47.3% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test (124287 vs 84379), indicating a significant advantage in compute workloads that utilize OpenCL.

The average benchmark scores tell a nuanced story. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile achieves an average score of 113944, placing it 2.9% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W7900's 110725. This places both cards in the 94th percentile of all GPUs, indicating they are both top-tier performers. The data suggests the NVIDIA card has a more balanced profile across the two tested APIs, while the AMD card is exceptionally strong in one specific area but weaker in another. The choice is not about which is faster overall, but which API and workload profile aligns with the user's specific needs.

For a workstation requiring maximum Vulkan performance and a massive 48 GB memory pool, the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 is the data-backed choice. For a mobile workstation where OpenCL compute is paramount and a 16 GB memory footprint is sufficient, the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile is the clear winner. The data does not support a single "best" card; it supports two distinct "best" cards for two distinct use cases.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 wins decisively in the Vulkan graphics API. Its score of 137070 is not just a marginal victory; it represents a 24.4% performance advantage over the NVIDIA card. This suggests a fundamental architectural strength in handling Vulkan's command and rendering pipelines. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile, while still achieving a respectable 103601, is clearly outclassed in this specific benchmark.

The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile wins in the OpenCL compute API. Its score of 124287 is a 47.3% improvement over the AMD card's 84379. This is a massive gap that indicates a significant advantage in general-purpose compute tasks that rely on OpenCL, such as certain scientific simulations, video encoding, and non-Vulkan rendering workloads. The data shows that the NVIDIA architecture is far more efficient in this compute paradigm.

Beyond the benchmarks, the AMD card wins on memory capacity and bandwidth. It offers 48 GB of GDDR6 memory with 864.0 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the NVIDIA's 16 GB and 512.0 GB/s. This makes the AMD card the only choice for workloads with massive memory footprints, such as large-scale 3D rendering, complex data analysis, or AI model inference that cannot fit in 16 GB. The NVIDIA card wins on power efficiency, with a 165 W TDP compared to the AMD's 295 W, making it a more viable option for mobile platforms.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile uses the GA103 chip based on the Ampere architecture, fabricated on an 8 nm process at Samsung. It contains 22,000 million transistors on a 496 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 44.4M per mm². In contrast, the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 uses the Navi 31 chip based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 57,700 million transistors onto a 529 mm² die, achieving a much higher transistor density of 109.1M per mm².

The compute layouts are radically different. The NVIDIA card features 7424 shading units, 232 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, along with 58 dedicated RT cores and 232 tensor cores. The AMD card has fewer shading units at 6144, but significantly more TMUs (384) and ROPs (192). It also has 96 RT cores and no tensor cores, highlighting a different approach to AI acceleration. The clock speeds also differ substantially, with the AMD card running at a 1760 MHz base and 2495 MHz boost, while the NVIDIA card runs at a lower 975 MHz base and 1500 MHz boost.

Memory subsystems are also distinct. The NVIDIA card uses a 256-bit bus with GDDR6 memory at 16 Gbps effective, yielding 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD card uses a wider 384-bit bus with GDDR6 at 18 Gbps effective, resulting in 864.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD card's memory clock is 2250 MHz, while the NVIDIA's is 2000 MHz. These differences in memory configuration and compute architecture directly explain the divergent benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile has a higher average benchmark score of 113944, compared to the AMD Radeon PRO W7900's 110725, a difference of 2.9%.

Q: In which benchmark does the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 win?

A: The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 wins the Geekbench Vulkan benchmark with a score of 137070, which is 24.4% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile's score of 103601.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 has 48 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Q: Which GPU has a higher transistor count?

A: The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 has 57,700 million transistors on its Navi 31 chip, while the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile has 22,000 million transistors on its GA103 chip.

Q: What is the TDP of each card?

A: The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile has a TDP of 165 W, while the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 has a TDP of 295 W.

Q: Are both cards in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile and the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 are in the 94th percentile of all GPUs.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data reveals a stark contrast in performance profiles. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile achieves a score of 124287, while the AMD Radeon PRO W7900 scores 84379. This translates to a 47.3% advantage for the NVIDIA card, a massive margin that underscores its superiority in OpenCL compute tasks. This is the single largest performance gap between the two cards in either direction.

The Geekbench Vulkan test shows the opposite outcome. The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 scores 137070, while the NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile scores 103601. The AMD card leads by 24.4%, a substantial margin that demonstrates its clear dominance in Vulkan-based rendering and compute. This result is consistent with the AMD card's higher pixel rate of 479.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 958.1 GTexel/s, compared to the NVIDIA's 144.0 GPixel/s and 348.0 GTexel/s.

The wins are evenly split, with each card taking one benchmark. However, the magnitude of the wins is not symmetrical. The NVIDIA card's 47.3% victory in OpenCL is nearly double the AMD card's 24.4% victory in Vulkan. This suggests that while the AMD card has a strong lead in one specific API, the NVIDIA card's advantage in another API is even more pronounced. The average scores reflect this, with the NVIDIA card's overall average of 113944 edging out the AMD card's 110725, due to the larger margin of victory in its favored benchmark.

Specification Differences

The most critical specification difference is the form factor and power profile. The NVIDIA RTX A5500 Mobile is designed for portable devices, as indicated by its "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs and "None" power connectors. It has a TDP of 165 W. The AMD Radeon PRO W7900 is a desktop card, featuring a triple-slot design, 2x 8-pin power connectors, a suggested PSU of 600 W, and a TDP of 295 W. Its dimensions are 280 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 51 mm in width.

Memory capacity is another major differentiator. The AMD card offers 48 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus, while the NVIDIA card offers 16 GB on a 256-bit bus. This directly impacts bandwidth, with the AMD card providing 864.0 GB/s versus the NVIDIA's 512.0 GB/s. Clock speeds also differ, with the AMD card having a higher base clock (1760 MHz vs 975 MHz) and boost clock (2495 MHz vs 1500 MHz).

The compute units are configured differently. The NVIDIA card has more shading units (7424 vs 6144) and tensor cores (232 vs none), while the AMD card has more TMUs (384 vs 232) and ROPs (192 vs 96). The chip architectures are also distinct: NVIDIA's GA103 on an 8 nm Samsung process versus AMD's Navi 31 on a 5 nm TSMC process. The production status differs as well, with the NVIDIA card being end-of-life and the AMD card being active. The AMD card's launch MSRP is 3,999 USD.