AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, which wins 10 of the 11 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The most dramatic margin appears in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RX 5700 XT scores 2134 against the RX 5500 XT's 1032, a 106.8% advantage. This more than doubles the performance of the smaller card in that particular test.

DirectX 11 and DirectX 10 workloads similarly favor the RX 5700 XT by large margins. In PassMark DirectX 11, the scores are 116 versus 56, a 107.1% delta. PassMark DirectX 10 shows 97 versus 46, a 110.9% delta. These results indicate a substantial raw shader throughput advantage for the larger Navi 10 GPU. In PassMark DirectX 9, the RX 5700 XT leads with 226 against 133, a 69.9% improvement. Even in DirectX 12, the newer API, the RX 5700 XT holds a 60% lead, scoring 64 versus 40.

The Geekbench Vulkan result follows the same pattern, with the RX 5700 XT scoring 68310 versus 44191, a 54.6% delta. Geekbench Metal shows a 36.1% advantage for the RX 5700 XT (74647 versus 54842). The PassMark G3D suite, which aggregates general 3D performance, gives the RX 5700 XT a 79.2% lead (16277 versus 9083). Compute workloads also strongly favor the larger card: PassMark GPU Compute shows 7650 versus 4446, a 72.1% delta.

The single exception is Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 5500 XT scores 46965 against the RX 5700 XT's 9524, a delta of -79.7% from the perspective of the RX 5700 XT. This is an outlier result, as the RX 5700 XT wins every other test. The data suggests this particular OpenCL workload behaves anomalously with the Navi 10 architecture, or the driver version used during that benchmark run produced an unrepresentative score. In all other comparisons, the RX 5700 XT leads by margins ranging from 19.1% (PassMark G2D, 922 versus 774) to the triple-digit deltas seen in DirectX 10 and 11.

The average benchmark score for the RX 5700 XT is 16361, placing it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 5500 XT averages 14692, sitting in the 57th percentile. While the percentile gap is narrow, the actual score gap of 1669 points (about 11.4%) reflects the performance difference across the full suite. The RX 5700 XT's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (0.1% ahead), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (0.3% behind), and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (0.3% behind). The RX 5500 XT sits near the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 (0.4% behind) and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 (1.1% ahead), indicating it competes with older mid-range parts rather than modern high-end silicon.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the superior performer in nearly every measurable workload. For users prioritizing raw frame rates in DirectX 11, DirectX 12, Vulkan, or Metal, the RX 5700 XT delivers 36% to 110% higher scores, depending on the test. The 3DMark Steel Nomad result alone, with a 106.8% delta, suggests that modern DX12 games will run at roughly double the frame rate on the RX 5700 XT compared to the RX 5500 XT, assuming similar CPU and memory conditions.

The RX 5500 XT has one niche: the Geekbench OpenCL test, where it scores 46965 versus 9524. Anyone whose primary workload is OpenCL compute, and who specifically relies on that benchmark's characteristics, would see a counterintuitive advantage for the smaller card. However, this single result contradicts all other compute and graphics tests, including PassMark GPU Compute, which shows the RX 5700 XT ahead by 72.1%. The OpenCL anomaly should be treated as an outlier unless the user's specific application behaves identically.

For gaming, content creation, or general GPU compute, the RX 5700 XT is the clear choice. Its 8 GB memory capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth provide 2x the capacity and 2x the bandwidth of the RX 5500 XT's 4 GB and 224.0 GB/s. The PassMark G3D score of 16277 versus 9083 reinforces that the RX 5700 XT is in a different performance class. The RX 5500 XT, with its 5.196 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, is better suited for 1080p gaming at medium settings or as a low-power secondary card, but the RX 5700 XT's 9.754 TFLOPS nearly doubles that compute ceiling.

The percentile rankings (59th versus 57th) might suggest they are close, but the average scores tell the real story: 16361 versus 14692. The RX 5500 XT's percentile is inflated because it sits in a dense cluster of mid-range GPUs, while the RX 5700 XT's percentile reflects a smaller field of high-end parts. The delta in average score, about 11.4%, is meaningful for real-world performance. Users who need the highest fps in modern games should pick the RX 5700 XT without hesitation. Users who are constrained by power or physical size, or who need only modest 1080p performance, may consider the RX 5500 XT, but the benchmark data offers no evidence that it outperforms the RX 5700 XT in any typical workload except the anomalous OpenCL test.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process. The RX 5700 XT uses the Navi 10 chip, while the RX 5500 XT uses Navi 14. The die sizes differ substantially: Navi 10 measures 251 mm², while Navi 14 is 158 mm². Transistor counts also diverge, with Navi 10 housing 10,300 million transistors versus 6,400 million in Navi 14. The transistor density is nearly identical, at 41.0M per mm² for Navi 10 and 40.5M per mm² for Navi 14, indicating the same process node and design methodology.

The compute unit configuration scales accordingly. The RX 5700 XT has 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The RX 5500 XT is cut down to 1408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This means the RX 5700 XT has roughly 82% more shading units and 82% more TMUs, while ROPs are doubled. The pixel rate reflects this: 121.9 GPixel/s for the RX 5700 XT versus 59.04 GPixel/s for the RX 5500 XT. Texture rate is 304.8 GTexel/s versus 162.4 GTexel/s.

Memory architecture is a major differentiator. The RX 5700 XT uses a 256-bit bus with 8 GB of GDDR6, achieving 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 5500 XT uses a 128-bit bus with 4 GB of GDDR6, yielding 224.0 GB/s. Both run at 1750 MHz memory clock with 14 Gbps effective speed. The RX 5500 XT connects via PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RX 5700 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16, providing double the interface bandwidth for data transfer. Neither card includes ray tracing cores or tensor cores, consistent with RDNA 1.0's lack of dedicated RT hardware.

Clock speeds are similar in base frequency, with the RX 5500 XT at 1607 MHz and the RX 5700 XT at 1605 MHz. Boost clocks favor the RX 5700 XT at 1905 MHz versus 1845 MHz, and game clocks are 1755 MHz versus 1717 MHz. The FP32 throughput difference is driven by the shader count and clock: 9.754 TFLOPS for the RX 5700 XT versus 5.196 TFLOPS for the RX 5500 XT. FP16 performance scales identically, at 19.51 TFLOPS and 10.39 TFLOPS respectively, both using a 2:1 ratio.

Specification Differences

The two cards share the same manufacturer, series, architecture, process node, foundry, and API support (DirectX 12_1, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4). They also have identical display outputs: 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. Both are dual-slot cards and are end-of-life products with the same predecessor (Vega) and successor (Navi II).

Key differences beyond those already covered: The RX 5700 XT has a base clock of 1605 MHz, boost clock of 1905 MHz, and game clock of 1755 MHz. The RX 5500 XT has a higher base clock at 1607 MHz but lower boost at 1845 MHz and lower game clock at 1717 MHz. The RX 5700 XT has 8 GB memory versus 4 GB, a 256-bit bus versus 128-bit, and 448.0 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 5700 XT has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs; the RX 5500 XT has 1408, 88, and 32 respectively. Pixel rate is 121.9 GPixel/s versus 59.04 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 304.8 GTexel/s versus 162.4 GTexel/s. FP32 is 9.754 TFLOPS versus 5.196 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 19.51 TFLOPS versus 10.39 TFLOPS.

Power consumption differs significantly: the RX 5700 XT has a TDP of 225 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the RX 5500 XT has a TDP of 130 W with a suggested PSU of 300 W. The power connectors also differ: the RX 5700 XT uses 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin, while the RX 5500 XT uses only 1x 8-pin. Physical dimensions vary, with the RX 5700 XT measuring 272 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 36 mm in width. The RX 5500 XT is shorter at 180 mm, with no height or width recorded. The bus interface differs as noted: PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RX 5700 XT versus PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RX 5500 XT. Release dates also differ, with the RX 5700 XT launching on 2019-07-06 and the RX 5500 XT on 2019-12-11.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT wins in PassMark DirectX 12, scoring 64 versus 40 for the RX 5500 XT, a 60% delta. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 5700 XT scores 2134 versus 1032, a 106.8% advantage.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the RX 5500 XT beats the RX 5700 XT?

A: Yes, in Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 5500 XT scores 46965 versus 9524 for the RX 5700 XT, a delta of -79.7% from the RX 5700 XT's perspective. This is the only win among the 11 head-to-head tests.

Q: How large is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RX 5700 XT has 448.0 GB/s bandwidth from its 256-bit bus and 8 GB GDDR6, while the RX 5500 XT has 224.0 GB/s from a 128-bit bus and 4 GB GDDR6. That is exactly double the bandwidth and double the memory capacity.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each card?

A: The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16361, placing it in the 59th percentile. The RX 5500 XT averages 14692, in the 57th percentile. The RX 5700 XT's average is about 11.4% higher.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 5700 XT's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M, which is 0.1% ahead. The NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell and AMD Radeon PRO W7500 are both 0.3% behind. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 is 0.9% behind.

Q: What power supply is recommended for each card?

A: The RX 5700 XT has a TDP of 225 W and requires a suggested PSU of 550 W. The RX 5500 XT has a TDP of 130 W with a suggested PSU of 300 W. The RX 5700 XT needs both a 6-pin and an 8-pin power connector, while the RX 5500 XT needs only an 8-pin.