AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 570X Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT and AMD Radeon RX 570X represent two distinct generations of AMD graphics technology, with the former built on the modern RDNA 1.0 architecture and the latter on the older GCN 4.0 design. While both cards target the mainstream segment, the benchmark data reveals a decisive performance gap between them. The RX 5500 XT emerges as the clear victor in every head-to-head comparison, though the RX 570X does retain advantages in memory capacity and board power configuration that may appeal to specific use cases.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head comparison is the Passmark G3D score, where the RX 5500 XT delivers a staggering 9,083 points against the RX 570X’s 1,923 points. This represents a 372.3% advantage for the newer card, an enormous margin that places the RX 570X in a completely different performance tier. The RX 5500 XT’s score puts it in the 57th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 570X sits at the 55th percentile, but the raw gap in this particular test suggests the RX 570X’s percentile is buoyed by other factors or that the Passmark G3D workload heavily favors the RDNA architecture.

In compute-heavy workloads, the RX 5500 XT again takes the lead, scoring 46,965 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to 38,939 for the RX 570X, a 20.6% advantage. This differential is substantial but far more modest than the G3D result, indicating that the RX 570X’s higher shading unit count (2,048 vs 1,408) helps it remain competitive in raw compute tasks despite its architectural age. The RX 5500 XT’s FP32 throughput of 5.196 TFLOPS versus 5.095 TFLOPS for the RX 570X is nearly identical, explaining why the compute gap is narrower than gaming performance.

The 2D performance difference is minimal, with the RX 5500 XT scoring 774 in Passmark G2D against 750 for the RX 570X, a 3.2% edge. This suggests that desktop composition and basic 2D workloads are largely unaffected by the architectural changes, and both cards are equally capable in this domain. The RX 5500 XT also posts a higher average benchmark score of 14,692 compared to 13,871 for the RX 570X, placing it just behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 (14,747, -0.4%) and ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M2000 (14,532, 1.1%). The RX 570X’s average score sits near the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile (13,821, 0.4%) and AMD Radeon 660M (13,812, 0.4%), showing it competes with integrated and mobile-class parts rather than modern desktop discrete GPUs.

Architecture Differences

The RX 5500 XT is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, while the RX 570X uses GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm node. This process advantage allows the RX 5500 XT to pack 6,400 million transistors into a 158 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 40.5 million per mm². The RX 570X, by contrast, contains 5,700 million transistors spread across a much larger 232 mm² die, yielding just 24.6 million transistors per mm². The smaller, denser die on the newer process explains the RX 5500 XT’s superior efficiency and higher clock speeds.

Clock speeds differ significantly, with the RX 5500 XT running at a 1,607 MHz base and 1,845 MHz boost, while the RX 570X operates at 1,168 MHz base and 1,244 MHz boost. The RX 5500 XT also features a dedicated game clock of 1,717 MHz, a specification absent from the RX 570X. These higher clocks, combined with the RDNA 1.0 architecture’s improved instruction scheduling, allow the RX 5500 XT to achieve superior pixel and texture rates: 59.04 GPixel/s and 162.4 GTexel/s respectively, versus 39.81 GPixel/s and 159.2 GTexel/s for the RX 570X.

Memory configurations differ markedly. The RX 5500 XT uses 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, while the RX 570X offers 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. Despite the wider bus on the older card, both achieve identical bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s, as the GDDR6 memory on the RX 5500 XT operates at 14 Gbps effective versus 7 Gbps for the RX 570X’s GDDR5. The RX 5500 XT supports PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RX 570X uses PCIe 3.0 x16, a difference that may impact bandwidth in certain workloads.

The architectures themselves represent different design philosophies: RDNA 1.0 on the RX 5500 XT versus GCN 4.0 on the RX 570X. The newer architecture supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both cards support OpenGL 4.6. The RX 5500 XT’s FP16 performance is 10.39 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), double its FP32 throughput, whereas the RX 570X offers identical FP16 and FP32 performance at 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio), reflecting the older architecture’s lack of dedicated half-precision hardware.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: Both cards achieve identical memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s, despite the RX 5500 XT using a 128-bit GDDR6 interface and the RX 570X using a 256-bit GDDR5 interface. The RX 5500 XT’s faster 14 Gbps effective memory speed compensates for its narrower bus.

Q: Why does the RX 5500 XT have fewer shading units but perform better?

A: The RX 5500 XT has 1,408 shading units and 88 texture mapping units, while the RX 570X has 2,048 shading units and 128 TMUs. However, the RX 5500 XT’s higher clock speeds (1,845 MHz boost vs 1,244 MHz) and RDNA 1.0 architecture efficiency enable it to achieve superior texture fill rates (162.4 GTexel/s vs 159.2 GTexel/s) and much higher pixel rates (59.04 GPixel/s vs 39.81 GPixel/s).

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RX 5500 XT has a TDP of 130 W and requires a 300 W power supply, while the RX 570X has a 150 W TDP and recommends a 450 W PSU. The RX 5500 XT uses a single 8-pin power connector, whereas the RX 570X uses a 6-pin connector.

Q: Which card supports newer PCIe technology?

A: The RX 5500 XT supports PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RX 570X uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The newer PCIe standard offers higher per-lane bandwidth on compatible systems.

Q: How do the cards compare in DirectX support?

A: The RX 5500 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0). The newer feature level on the RX 5500 XT enables additional rendering features in games that utilize them.

Q: What is the physical size difference?

A: The RX 5500 XT measures 180 mm (7.1 inches) in length, while the RX 570X is significantly longer at 241 mm (9.5 inches). Both are dual-slot cards.

The Verdict

The benchmark data leaves no ambiguity: the RX 5500 XT is the superior performer in every measured category. Its 372.3% advantage in Passmark G3D and 20.6% edge in Geekbench OpenCL demonstrate that the RDNA 1.0 architecture delivers far better real-world gaming and compute performance than the aging GCN 4.0 design. The RX 5500 XT also offers better efficiency, with lower TDP (130 W vs 150 W) and a smaller physical footprint, making it easier to integrate into compact systems.

However, the RX 570X retains one significant advantage: 8 GB of VRAM versus 4 GB on the RX 5500 XT. For users running texture-heavy workloads or playing games that exceed 4 GB of video memory at high settings, the RX 570X’s larger frame buffer could be the deciding factor, even at lower overall performance. The RX 570X also requires only a 6-pin power connector and supports PCIe 3.0 x16, which may be preferable for older systems without PCIe 4.0 support.

The RX 5500 XT is the clear choice for gaming and general compute, offering a massive performance uplift in a more efficient package. The RX 570X should only be considered when the 8 GB memory capacity is an absolute requirement, as its performance deficit is too large to ignore in most scenarios. The data shows that the RX 5500 XT belongs in a higher performance class, despite the RX 570X’s nominal specifications suggesting otherwise.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT | AMD Radeon RX 570X |

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

| Process Node | 7 nm (TSMC) | 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) |

| Transistors | 6,400 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 158 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 40.5M / mm² | 24.6M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1607 MHz | 1168 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1845 MHz | 1244 MHz |

| Game Clock | 1717 MHz | — |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | 256 bit |

| Memory Speed | 14 Gbps effective | 7 Gbps effective |

| Shading Units | 1408 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 88 | 128 |

| Pixel Rate | 59.04 GPixel/s | 39.81 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 162.4 GTexel/s | 159.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 5.196 TFLOPS | 5.095 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 10.39 TFLOPS (2:1) | 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 130 W | 150 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 300 W | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_1) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Length | 180 mm (7.1 inches) | 241 mm (9.5 inches) |