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

AMD Radeon RX 570X and AMD Radeon RX 5500M are two end-of-life GPUs from different eras of AMD’s mobile and desktop lineup. The RX 570X is a Polaris-based desktop card from 2018, while the RX 5500M is a Navi-based mobile part from 2019. The benchmark data shows a stark split: the older card wins in raw compute and 2D tasks, while the newer mobile chip dominates in 3D rendering. This head-to-head is not a simple generational leap; it is a clash of desktop power efficiency versus mobile architecture efficiency, with each card claiming distinct victories.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result comes from Passmark G3D, where the RX 5500M scores 5848 versus the RX 570X’s 1923. That is a 67.1% lead for the Navi part, a massive margin that reflects the RDNA 1.0 architecture’s superior shader efficiency. The RX 5500M achieves this with fewer shading units (1408 vs 2048) and lower FP32 throughput (4.632 TFLOPS vs 5.095 TFLOPS), proving that raw compute numbers do not translate directly to 3D performance. The RX 570X does win the Geekbench OpenCL test, but narrowly: 38939 vs 38725, a mere 0.6% difference. This suggests the Polaris card has a slight edge in general-purpose compute workloads that scale with shading unit count, but the advantage is negligible in real-world terms.

The Passmark G2D result is the other clear win for the RX 570X. It scores 750 against the RX 5500M’s 414, an 81.2% advantage. This is a surprising outcome, as 2D performance is typically tied to memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate. The RX 570X has a 256-bit memory bus versus the RX 5500M’s 128-bit bus, and while both cards have identical bandwidth at 224.0 GB/s, the older card’s higher ROP count (both have 32 ROPs, but the RX 570X has a higher pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s vs 52.64 GPixel/s for the RX 5500M) does not explain the gap. The result likely reflects driver maturity and desktop-specific optimizations for 2D workloads, which are less critical for a mobile part.

Looking at the rival comparisons, the RX 570X’s average benchmark score of 13871 places it within 0.4% of the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile and 0.4% of the AMD Radeon 660M. It also sits just 0.9% ahead of the RX 7900 XT, which is an outlier in this context. The RX 5500M’s average score of 13356 is effectively tied with the AMD FirePro M6100 (0% delta) and within 0.3% of the Radeon Pro 555X. These rival deltas show both cards are mid-pack performers, with the RX 570X having a slight overall average edge (13871 vs 13356), but the RX 5500M’s G3D dominance is the more meaningful metric for gaming.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in 3D gaming performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5500M is decisively faster, scoring 5848 in Passmark G3D compared to the RX 570X’s 1923, a 67.1% lead.

Q: Is the RX 570X better for compute workloads?

A: Yes, marginally. It wins Geekbench OpenCL with 38939 versus 38725 for the RX 5500M, a 0.6% advantage. It also has higher FP32 throughput at 5.095 TFLOPS vs 4.632 TFLOPS.

Q: Why does the RX 5500M have a lower average benchmark score?

A: Despite winning the G3D test by a huge margin, the RX 5500M loses badly in Passmark G2D (414 vs 750) and slightly in OpenCL. Its average score is 13356 versus 13871 for the RX 570X.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RX 570X has 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, while the RX 5500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus. Both deliver identical bandwidth at 224.0 GB/s.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RX 5500M, built on 7 nm at TSMC, has 40.5M / mm² density. The RX 570X, on 14 nm at GlobalFoundries, has 24.6M / mm².

Q: Are both cards still in production?

A: No, both are marked as End-of-life. The RX 570X was released on 2018-04-10, and the RX 5500M on 2019-10-06.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is fundamental. The RX 570X uses GCN 4.0 on the Polaris 20 chip, fabricated on 14 nm at GlobalFoundries. The RX 5500M uses RDNA 1.0 on the Navi 14 chip, fabricated on 7 nm at TSMC. This node shrink allows the RX 5500M to pack 6,400 million transistors into a 158 mm² die, versus 5,700 million in a 232 mm² die for the RX 570X. The transistor density jumps from 24.6M / mm² to 40.5M / mm², a 64.6% improvement in packing efficiency.

The shader architecture differs significantly. The RX 570X has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, while the RX 5500M has 1408 shading units, 88 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. Despite fewer units, the RX 5500M achieves a higher pixel rate (52.64 GPixel/s vs 39.81 GPixel/s) due to its higher boost clock of 1645 MHz versus 1244 MHz. The texture rate is slightly lower on the RX 5500M (144.8 GTexel/s vs 159.2 GTexel/s), but the G3D scores show that RDNA’s execution efficiency more than compensates.

FP16 compute is a major differentiator. The RX 570X delivers 5.095 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio, meaning no dedicated half-precision boost. The RX 5500M delivers 9.265 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, doubling throughput for workloads that can use FP16. This is a hallmark of RDNA’s redesign. API support also differs: the RX 5500M supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 570X is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Specification Differences

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

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

| Chip | Polaris 20 | Navi 14 |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | GlobalFoundries | TSMC |

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

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 158 mm² |

| Base Clock | 1168 MHz | 1375 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1244 MHz | 1645 MHz |

| Game Clock | None | 1448 MHz |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 4 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 1408 |

| TMUs | 128 | 88 |

| Pixel Rate | 39.81 GPixel/s | 52.64 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 159.2 GTexel/s | 144.8 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.095 TFLOPS | 4.632 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1) | 9.265 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 150 W | 85 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | None |

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

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

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

| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Release Date | 2018-04-10 | 2019-10-06 |

| Successor | Vega | None |

Where Each One Wins

The RX 570X wins in scenarios that benefit from its larger memory pool and higher raw compute. Its 8 GB GDDR5 buffer is double the RX 5500M’s 4 GB, making it the better choice for texture-heavy workloads or multi-monitor setups with high resolutions. The 81.2% win in Passmark G2D suggests superior 2D acceleration, which matters for desktop productivity, spreadsheet work, or any application that renders flat interfaces. Its higher FP32 throughput (5.095 TFLOPS) gives it a slight edge in OpenCL compute, as shown by the 0.6% win in that benchmark. For a desktop user with a 450 W PSU and a PCIe 3.0 slot, this card is a straightforward drop-in.

The RX 5500M wins decisively in 3D rendering and gaming. The 67.1% lead in Passmark G3D is the single most important number in this comparison. It achieves this with lower TDP (85 W vs 150 W), no external power connectors, and a smaller die. The 2:1 FP16 ratio (9.265 TFLOPS) makes it far more capable for modern workloads that leverage half-precision, such as certain AI inference or shader effects. Its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while narrower than the RX 570X’s PCIe 3.0 x16, offers double the per-lane bandwidth, which is more relevant for the mobile form factor. The higher boost clock (1645 MHz vs 1244 MHz) and faster GDDR6 memory (effective 14 Gbps vs 7 Gbps) directly contribute to its 3D dominance.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear split. For a desktop user prioritizing 3D gaming or rendering, the RX 5500M is the obvious choice despite being a mobile chip. Its 5848 Passmark G3D score is over three times higher than the RX 570X’s 1923, and that gap is too large to ignore regardless of the older card’s compute or 2D advantages. The RX 5500M also brings modern features like DirectX 12_1, Vulkan 1.4, and a 2:1 FP16 path, plus a lower TDP of 85 W that simplifies cooling and power delivery.

However, if the workload is compute-heavy or relies on 2D acceleration, the RX 570X holds its ground. The 0.6% OpenCL win and 81.2% G2D win are real, and the 8 GB memory capacity is a practical advantage for large datasets or multi-app workflows. The RX 570X also has a slightly higher average benchmark score (13871 vs 13356), but that metric is dragged down by the RX 5500M’s poor 2D result.

Choose the RX 5500M for any gaming or modern 3D application. Choose the RX 570X only if your primary use case is compute, 2D desktop work, or you need double the VRAM. The RX 5500M’s architectural efficiency wins the day for the majority of users.