AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT vs AMD Radeon Vega 11 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT and the AMD Radeon Vega 11 represent two fundamentally different approaches to graphics processing: one is a dedicated, discrete add-in board, while the other is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) fused into an APU. The benchmark data shows a decisive performance gulf between them, with the RX 5500 XT winning all three head-to-head tests by margins exceeding 215%. The RX 5500 XT achieves an average benchmark score of 14,692, while the Vega 11 trails with 14,352, a difference of roughly 2.4% in aggregate, though the individual compute workloads reveal a far more lopsided reality. The RX 5500 XT sits at the 57th percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega 11 sits at the 56th, placing both in the lower-middle tier of the overall performance distribution, but this proximity in percentile obscures the fact that the Vega 11's score is heavily influenced by its inclusion in systems with shared memory, whereas the RX 5500 XT operates with dedicated GDDR6.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is the superior performer in every measured category. For users who require any form of serious 3D acceleration, whether for gaming, content creation, or GPU compute, the RX 5500 XT is the only viable choice between these two. Its lead in the Geekbench Vulkan test is a staggering 260.1%, with a score of 44,191 versus the Vega 11's 12,273. In OpenCL, the RX 5500 XT scores 46,965, which is 250.7% higher than the Vega 11's 13,392. Even in the Metal API, where the RX 5500 XT scores 54,842 compared to the Vega 11's 17,392, the delta is 215.3%. These are not incremental improvements; they represent a multi-generational leap in compute capability.

The Vega 11, conversely, is a product of its environment. As an IGP with a 15 W TDP and no dedicated memory, its performance is fundamentally constrained by system-dependent factors. Its only logical use case is in a system where a discrete GPU is not an option, such as a compact or low-power build where the 15 W power draw is a mandatory constraint. The RX 5500 XT, with its 130 W TDP and 1x 8-pin power connector, requires a proper PSU and slot space, but it delivers roughly 2.6 times the Vulkan performance per the data. The verdict is clear: the RX 5500 XT for anyone with a PCIe slot and power budget, and the Vega 11 only for those who must rely on integrated graphics.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is stark. The RX 5500 XT is built on the Navi 14 chip using the RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It packs 6,400 million transistors into a 158 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 40.5M per mm². In contrast, the Vega 11 uses the Picasso chip with the older GCN 5.0 architecture, made on GlobalFoundries' 12 nm process. It contains 4,940 million transistors on a larger 210 mm² die, yielding a much lower density of 23.5M per mm². This difference in process technology and design philosophy is the root cause of the performance disparity.

The execution resources are also vastly different. The RX 5500 XT features 1,408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 32 render output units (ROPs). The Vega 11 has exactly half the shading units at 704, half the TMUs at 44, and only 8 ROPs, which is a quarter of the RX 5500 XT's count. This directly impacts pixel and texture throughput: the RX 5500 XT achieves a pixel rate of 59.04 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 162.4 GTexel/s, while the Vega 11 manages only 11.20 GPixel/s and 61.60 GTexel/s, respectively. The FP32 compute throughput follows the same pattern, with the RX 5500 XT delivering 5.196 TFLOPS versus the Vega 11's 1.971 TFLOPS.

Memory is another critical differentiator. The RX 5500 XT has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The Vega 11 has no memory of its own; it uses "System Shared" memory with a "System Dependent" bandwidth, which is a severe bottleneck for any graphics workload. The RX 5500 XT also supports PCIe 4.0 x8, whereas the Vega 11 is an IGP, meaning it communicates over the internal fabric of the APU. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6, but the RX 5500 XT supports Vulkan 1.4 while the Vega 11 is limited to Vulkan 1.3. The clock speeds reflect their power envelopes: the RX 5500 XT has a base clock of 1607 MHz, a game clock of 1717 MHz, and a boost of 1845 MHz, while the Vega 11 idles at 300 MHz and boosts to 1400 MHz.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are dominated by the RX 5500 XT, but the magnitude of the wins is the key takeaway. In the Geekbench Metal test, the RX 5500 XT scores 54,842, which is 215.3% higher than the Vega 11's 17,392. This massive lead in a low-level graphics API suggests the RX 5500 XT's dedicated memory and higher pixel fill rate are working in its favor, allowing it to handle complex scenes without stalling. The OpenCL test is even more lopsided, with the RX 5500 XT scoring 46,965 versus 13,392, a delta of 250.7%. This indicates the RX 5500 XT's compute shaders and FP32 throughput are being fully utilized, whereas the Vega 11 is likely memory-starved.

The biggest win for the RX 5500 XT comes in the Vulkan test, where it scores 44,191 against the Vega 11's 12,273, a 260.1% advantage. Vulkan is a modern, low-overhead API that scales well with raw compute resources, and the data shows the RX 5500 XT's RDNA architecture scales much better than the GCN-based Vega 11. While the Vega 11 has no wins in this comparison, its nearest rival list provides context: it is only 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN in average score, and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics. This suggests that while the Vega 11 is weak compared to the RX 5500 XT, it is competitive with other low-end discrete and integrated options from its era. The RX 5500 XT, by contrast, is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 and 1.1% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro M2000, placing it in a slightly higher performance bracket.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT has a FP32 throughput of 5.196 TFLOPS, which is more than 2.6 times the 1.971 TFLOPS of the AMD Radeon Vega 11.

Q: How do their memory subsystems compare?

A: The RX 5500 XT has 4 GB of dedicated GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 11 uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth, which is a significant performance limiter.

Q: What is the thermal design power difference?

A: The RX 5500 XT has a TDP of 130 W and requires a 1x 8-pin power connector and a 300 W suggested PSU. The Vega 11 has a TDP of 15 W, uses no power connectors, and is an IGP.

Q: Are both GPUs still in production?

A: No, both are marked as end-of-life in the data. The RX 5500 XT was succeeded by Navi II, and the Vega 11 was succeeded by Vega II IGP.

Q: Which API support is newer on the RX 5500 XT?

A: The RX 5500 XT supports Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega 11 supports Vulkan 1.3. Both support DirectX 12 (12_1) and OpenGL 4.6.

Q: What is the performance gap in the best-case test for the RX 5500 XT?

A: The largest delta is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where the RX 5500 XT scores 44,191 versus 12,273, a 260.1% difference.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 5500 XT wins in every scenario where a discrete GPU is feasible. Its dedicated 224.0 GB/s GDDR6 bandwidth ensures that high-resolution textures and complex shaders do not bottleneck, making it suitable for modern gaming and GPU-accelerated workflows. The pixel rate of 59.04 GPixel/s and texture rate of 162.4 GTexel/s indicate strong rasterization performance, which translates to better frame rates in traditional 3D rendering. The 130 W TDP, while higher than the Vega 11, is manageable with a 300 W PSU, and the dual-slot form factor is standard for desktop builds. The RX 5500 XT also benefits from PCIe 4.0 x8 connectivity, which provides more bandwidth for data transfer from the host system. Its 57th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while not high-end, is sufficient for 1080p gaming at moderate settings.

The Vega 11 wins in one specific domain: power efficiency and system integration. With a 15 W TDP, it draws drastically less power than the RX 5500 XT's 130 W, making it ideal for low-power media centers or office PCs where 3D performance is secondary. As an IGP, it requires no power connectors, no PCIe slot, and its display outputs are motherboard dependent, meaning it can be used in ultra-compact systems. However, its performance ceiling is low: the 11.20 GPixel/s pixel rate and 1.971 TFLOPS FP32 throughput are sufficient only for basic 2D tasks or very light 3D acceleration. The data shows it is competitive with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics in average score, but this is misleading because its best benchmark scores (Geekbench Metal at 17,392) are an order of magnitude lower than the RX 5500 XT's worst scores in the same test. For any user who can accommodate a discrete card, the RX 5500 XT is the clear winner; the Vega 11 is only for those who cannot.