AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 vs AMD Radeon RX 560 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 and the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT share the same Ellesmere chip and GCN 4.0 architecture, but they are built for different purposes. The Pro WX 7100 targets professional workloads, while the RX 560 XT is a consumer part. Benchmark data from the database shows a clear performance hierarchy between the two, with the Pro card winning both recorded head-to-head tests. This analysis breaks down those results, the architectural details, and the practical implications for each card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two head-to-head benchmark comparisons between these cards: Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan. In both, the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 takes the win, but the margin varies significantly by API. The OpenCL test shows a large gap. The Pro WX 7100 scores 40148, while the RX 560 XT scores 31387. That is a 27.9% difference in favor of the Pro card. This is a substantial lead and reflects the Pro card’s higher compute throughput, which matters for OpenCL-based applications common in professional and scientific workloads.

The Vulkan test shows a much closer contest. The Pro WX 7100 scores 39683, and the RX 560 XT scores 36879. The delta here is only 7.6%. While the Pro card still leads, the smaller margin suggests that the RX 560 XT is more competitive in modern graphics API scenarios. Vulkan’s lower overhead and the RX 560 XT’s architecture allow it to close some of the gap seen in OpenCL. Still, the Pro WX 7100 wins both recorded tests, giving it a 2-0 record in head-to-head matchups.

Looking at the broader average benchmark scores reinforces this picture. The Pro WX 7100 has an average benchmark score of 40063 across all recorded tests. The RX 560 XT averages 34133. The Pro card sits in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs in the database, while the RX 560 XT sits in the 79th percentile. The Pro WX 7100’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 with an average score of 40318 (0.6% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 at 40377 (0.8% higher), the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile at 39568 (1.3% lower), and the AMD Radeon Pro 575 at 39555 (1.3% lower). This places the Pro WX 7100 in a tight cluster of professional and higher-end cards, all within about 1.3% of each other.

The RX 560 XT’s nearest rivals paint a different competitive picture. Its average score of 34133 puts it near the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB at 34154 (0.1% higher), the NVIDIA RTX A1000 at 34207 (0.2% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 480 at 33997 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Radeon HD 7950 at 33951 (0.5% lower). The RX 560 XT is essentially tied with these cards, with all deltas under 1%. This shows that while the RX 560 XT is a solid performer in its class, it occupies a lower performance tier than the Pro WX 7100.

The data indicates that the Pro WX 7100’s advantage is most pronounced in compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, where it leads by nearly 28%. In Vulkan, the lead narrows to under 8%, but it remains consistent. For anyone comparing these two cards, the Pro WX 7100 is the faster GPU in every recorded benchmark.

Architecture Differences

Both cards use the same Ellesmere chip, which is fabricated on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process node. The die size is identical at 232 mm², and the transistor count is the same at 5,700 million. The transistor density is also identical at 24.6 million transistors per square millimeter. The architecture is GCN 4.0 for both, and both support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3.

The key architectural differences lie in the compute configuration and clock speeds. The Pro WX 7100 has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The RX 560 XT has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This means the Pro card has 512 more shading units and 32 more TMUs. The ROP count is the same at 32, which explains why the pixel rates are close. The Pro WX 7100 achieves a pixel rate of 39.78 GPixel/s, while the RX 560 XT achieves 39.23 GPixel/s. The texture rate tells a different story: the Pro card hits 179.0 GTexel/s, while the RX 560 XT manages 137.3 GTexel/s. The extra TMUs and higher clocks drive this difference.

Clock speeds also differ. The Pro WX 7100 has a base clock of 1188 MHz and a boost clock of 1243 MHz. The RX 560 XT has a base clock of 1074 MHz and a boost clock of 1226 MHz. The Pro card runs at higher clocks across the board, which contributes to its performance lead. Memory clocks are identical at 1750 MHz, or 7 Gbps effective, and both cards use GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory bandwidth is the same at 224.0 GB/s.

Memory capacity is a major difference. The Pro WX 7100 ships with 8 GB of GDDR5, while the RX 560 XT ships with 4 GB. This is significant for professional workloads that need larger datasets in VRAM. The RX 560 XT’s 4 GB capacity can be a limiting factor in modern applications, even though its memory bandwidth matches the Pro card.

Compute performance follows the shading unit and clock differences. The Pro WX 7100 delivers 5.728 TFLOPS of FP32 and 5.728 TFLOPS of FP16 at a 1:1 ratio. The RX 560 XT delivers 4.394 TFLOPS of both FP32 and FP16, also at 1:1. The Pro card is about 30% ahead in raw FP32 compute, which aligns with the OpenCL benchmark gap. Neither card has dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, so both rely on traditional GCN compute units for all workloads.

The process node, foundry, and die are identical, so the performance differences come entirely from the configuration: more shaders, more TMUs, higher clocks, and more memory on the Pro card. The power and physical design also differ. The Pro WX 7100 has a TDP of 130 W and is a single-slot card. The RX 560 XT has a TDP of 150 W and is a dual-slot card. Both use a single 6-pin power connector. The suggested PSU is 300 W for the Pro card and 450 W for the RX 560 XT. The Pro card is more power-efficient despite being the faster GPU, which is notable for dense workstation builds.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 wins in every recorded benchmark, so its strengths are clear. The OpenCL result shows a 27.9% lead over the RX 560 XT, making it the better choice for compute-heavy workloads that use OpenCL. The Pro card’s higher shading unit count, texture rate, and FP32 throughput give it a decisive edge in rendering, simulation, and other professional tasks. The 8 GB memory capacity also makes it more suitable for large datasets.

The Pro WX 7100’s single-slot design and lower 130 W TDP are practical advantages in multi-GPU workstation configurations. It also has four DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the RX 560 XT has one HDMI 2.0b and three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. For professional display setups, the Pro card offers more consistent multi-monitor connectivity.

The RX 560 XT does not win any recorded benchmark, but it is competitive in Vulkan. The 7.6% gap in the Vulkan test is much smaller than the OpenCL gap, indicating that the RX 560 XT can handle modern gaming and graphics workloads reasonably well. Its average benchmark score of 34133 places it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable for a consumer card. It also has a higher TDP of 150 W, which suggests it may have a different power delivery design, but the database does not provide performance per watt data for workloads beyond the recorded benchmarks.

For gaming, the RX 560 XT’s Vulkan performance is the closest it gets to the Pro card. However, the Pro WX 7100 still wins that test. The RX 560 XT’s 4 GB memory capacity and lower compute throughput make it less suited for professional workloads, but it can serve as a capable consumer GPU for graphics-oriented tasks. The database does not include a Geekbench Metal score for the RX 560 XT, while the Pro WX 7100 has a Metal score of 40357. This suggests the Pro card has broader API coverage in the recorded data.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40148 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT scores 31387. The Pro card leads by 27.9%.

Q: How close is the Vulkan performance between the two cards?

A: The Pro WX 7100 scores 39683 in Geekbench Vulkan, and the RX 560 XT scores 36879. The Pro card wins by 7.6%.

Q: Do both cards use the same chip?

A: Yes, both use the Ellesmere chip on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process, with 5,700 million transistors and a 232 mm² die size.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The Pro WX 7100 has 8 GB of GDDR5, while the RX 560 XT has 4 GB of GDDR5. Both use a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has more shading units?

A: The Pro WX 7100 has 2304 shading units, while the RX 560 XT has 1792 shading units. The Pro card also has 144 TMUs versus 112 TMUs on the RX 560 XT.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The Pro WX 7100 has a 130 W TDP and a suggested 300 W PSU. The RX 560 XT has a 150 W TDP and a suggested 450 W PSU. Both use a single 6-pin power connector.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two cards. The Pro WX 7100 has a base clock of 1188 MHz and a boost clock of 1243 MHz. The RX 560 XT has a base clock of 1074 MHz and a boost clock of 1226 MHz. Memory size differs: 8 GB on the Pro card versus 4 GB on the RX 560 XT. The shading unit count is 2304 versus 1792. The TMU count is 144 versus 112. The pixel rate is 39.78 GPixel/s versus 39.23 GPixel/s. The texture rate is 179.0 GTexel/s versus 137.3 GTexel/s. FP32 and FP16 compute are 5.728 TFLOPS versus 4.394 TFLOPS. The TDP is 130 W versus 150 W. The slot width is single-slot versus dual-slot. The suggested PSU is 300 W versus 450 W. The display outputs are 4x DisplayPort 1.4a versus 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The Pro card has a Geekbench Metal score of 40357; the RX 560 XT has no recorded Metal score. The generation differs: Radeon Pro Polaris (WX x100) versus Polaris (RX 500). The release dates also differ: the Pro card launched on 2016-11-09, and the RX 560 XT launched on 2019-03-12. The launch MSRP for the Pro WX 7100 is 799 USD; the RX 560 XT has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 560 XT in every recorded benchmark, with a 27.9% lead in OpenCL and a 7.6% lead in Vulkan. The Pro card also has more shading units, more TMUs, higher clocks, double the memory capacity, and higher compute throughput. For professional workloads, the Pro WX 7100 is the clear choice. Its 8 GB memory and higher FP32 performance make it better suited for compute-heavy tasks, and its lower TDP and single-slot design are advantages in workstation environments.

The RX 560 XT is not without merit. Its Vulkan performance is within 7.6% of the Pro card, and its average benchmark score of 34133 places it in the 79th percentile of all GPUs. It is a capable consumer card for graphics-oriented tasks. Its 4 GB memory and lower compute throughput limit its professional appeal, but it holds its own against rivals like the NVIDIA RTX A2000 12 GB and the AMD Radeon RX 480, all within 0.5% of its average score.

The choice depends on the workload. Anyone needing compute performance, larger memory, and professional connectivity should pick the Pro WX 7100. The recorded data shows it is the faster GPU overall. The RX 560 XT makes sense for users who prioritize Vulkan gaming performance and do not need the Pro card’s memory or compute advantages. The Pro card wins the head-to-head, and the database supports that verdict without qualification.