AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM vs AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Comparison

The Radeon RX 5600 OEM and the Radeon RX 9070 GRE are separated by five years of architecture evolution, yet their aggregate benchmark scores place them in the same percentile tier. The data presents a curious paradox: the RX 9070 GRE dominates in raw compute, while the older card holds its ground in the average-score rankings. This head-to-head comparison reveals that generational leaps in performance are not always mirrored by proportional shifts in benchmark standings.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL, and the result is decisive. The RX 9070 GRE scores 109,309 points, while the RX 5600 OEM manages 62,427 points. This translates to a deltaPct of -42.9% from the perspective of the RX 5600 OEM, meaning the newer card is roughly 75% faster in this specific test. The margin is substantial, reflecting the massive gap in shading units (3072 vs 2048) and clock speeds (2790 MHz boost vs 1560 MHz boost).

However, the aggregate benchmark picture complicates the narrative. The RX 5600 OEM posts an average benchmark score of 58,085, while the RX 9070 GRE trails slightly at 57,367. This is a difference of only -1.2% from the RX 9070 GRE's perspective. Both cards occupy the 87th percentile among all GPUs. The RX 5600 OEM's nearest rival is the Intel Arc A570M, which scores 58,239 with a deltaPct of -0.3%, while the RX 9070 GRE's closest competitor is the Intel Arc A580 at 57,756 with a deltaPct of -0.7%.

The discrepancy between the OpenCL result and the average scores suggests that the RX 5600 OEM performs exceptionally well in certain workloads outside of the single tested scenario. The RX 9070 GRE's single benchmark in the head-to-head is its only data point in the A/B comparison, and it wins that one decisively. Yet the aggregate data indicates the RX 5600 OEM has broader strength across multiple test suites, even if it loses the one directly comparable test by a wide margin.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 9070 GRE wins in compute-heavy synthetic workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 109,309 is nearly double the RX 5600 OEM's 62,427 in the same test. This advantage stems from its specification sheet: 34.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus 6.390 TFLOPS, and 34.28 TFLOPS of FP16 versus 12.78 TFLOPS. The newer card also has dedicated ray tracing cores (48 of them), which the RX 5600 OEM lacks entirely.

The RX 5600 OEM wins in the aggregate benchmark average, despite losing the direct comparison. Its average score of 58,085 beats the RX 9070 GRE's 57,367. This suggests the older card performs relatively better in a wider range of tests beyond OpenCL. It also has a more favorable standing among its nearest rivals: the RX 5600 OEM sits within -0.8% of its closest competitor (NVIDIA P102-100 at 58,528), while the RX 9070 GRE is -1.8% behind its nearest rival (AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT at 58,392).

For gaming workloads, the RX 9070 GRE's architecture includes DirectX 12 Ultimate support and a 12 GB frame buffer, which positions it for modern titles with heavy texture loads. The RX 5600 OEM's 6 GB VRAM and DirectX 12 (12_1) support suggest it targets less demanding scenarios. In raw pixel throughput, the RX 9070 GRE's 267.8 GPixel/s dwarfs the RX 5600 OEM's 99.84 GPixel/s, indicating a clear advantage in resolution-heavy rendering.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5600 OEM has a higher average benchmark score of 58,085 compared to the RX 9070 GRE's 57,367, a difference of 1.2%.

Q: How much faster is the RX 9070 GRE in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The RX 9070 GRE scores 109,309 versus the RX 5600 OEM's 62,427 in Geekbench OpenCL, representing a 42.9% delta from the RX 5600 OEM's perspective.

Q: Do both cards share the same percentile ranking?

A: Yes, both the RX 5600 OEM and the RX 9070 GRE are in the 87th percentile among all GPUs, despite their significant architectural differences.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two cards?

A: The RX 5600 OEM has 6 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the RX 9070 GRE has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, doubling the frame buffer size.

Q: Does the RX 9070 GRE support hardware ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 9070 GRE features 48 ray tracing cores, whereas the RX 5600 OEM has no ray tracing cores listed in its specifications.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 9070 GRE boosts to 2790 MHz, significantly higher than the RX 5600 OEM's boost clock of 1560 MHz.

Specification Differences

The two cards diverge across nearly every specification category. The RX 9070 GRE has 3072 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 render output units, compared to the RX 5600 OEM's 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The newer card's pixel rate is 267.8 GPixel/s versus 99.84 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 535.7 GTexel/s versus 199.7 GTexel/s.

Memory specifications differ substantially: the RX 9070 GRE offers 12 GB of GDDR6 with a memory clock of 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The RX 5600 OEM provides 6 GB of GDDR6 with a memory clock of 1500 MHz (12 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. Both use a 192-bit memory bus.

Power requirements scale accordingly: the RX 9070 GRE has a TDP of 220 W and requires 2x 8-pin power connectors with a suggested PSU of 550 W. The RX 5600 OEM has a TDP of 125 W, uses a single 8-pin connector, and suggests a 300 W PSU. Both are dual-slot designs.

The bus interface differs, with the RX 9070 GRE supporting PCIe 5.0 x16 versus the RX 5600 OEM's PCIe 4.0 x16. Display outputs also differ: the RX 9070 GRE includes 1x HDMI 2.1b and 3x DisplayPort 2.1a, while the RX 5600 OEM has 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Architecture Differences

The RX 5600 OEM is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture using the Navi 10 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It packs 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 41.0M per mm². The RX 9070 GRE uses the RDNA 4.0 architecture with the Navi 48 chip, fabricated on a 4 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 53,900 million transistors on a 357 mm² die, achieving a density of 151.0M per mm².

The FP32 compute output reflects the architectural leap: the RX 9070 GRE delivers 34.28 TFLOPS, while the RX 5600 OEM produces 6.390 TFLOPS. FP16 performance is 34.28 TFLOPS (1:1) on the newer card versus 12.78 TFLOPS (2:1) on the older one. The RX 9070 GRE adds 48 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the RX 5600 OEM.

API support differs, with the RX 9070 GRE offering DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) compared to the RX 5600 OEM's DirectX 12 (12_1). Both cards support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 9070 GRE's generation is Navi IV (RX 9000 series), while the RX 5600 OEM belongs to the Navi (RX 5000) generation. The RX 9070 GRE's predecessor is Navi III, whereas the RX 5600 OEM's predecessor is Vega and its successor is Navi II.

The Verdict

The data indicates a clear split in use cases. The RX 9070 GRE is the superior choice for compute-intensive tasks and modern gaming workloads. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 109,309 versus 62,427 demonstrates a 42.9% advantage in this metric. The 12 GB frame buffer, ray tracing cores, and DirectX 12 Ultimate support make it better suited for contemporary titles with demanding visual features. Its higher pixel rate of 267.8 GPixel/s and texture rate of 535.7 GTexel/s suggest it handles high-resolution rendering more effectively.

The RX 5600 OEM, despite being end-of-life, holds a slight edge in aggregate benchmark scores at 58,085 versus 57,367. This suggests it may perform relatively better in a broader set of legacy or less demanding applications. Its lower TDP of 125 W and single 8-pin connector make it less power-hungry, and its 6 GB VRAM may suffice for older games or esports titles. However, its performance ceiling is firmly lower, with FP32 compute at 6.390 TFLOPS compared to 34.28 TFLOPS.

For users prioritizing raw compute and future-proofing, the RX 9070 GRE is the data-backed recommendation. For those with limited power budgets or playing older titles, the RX 5600 OEM's aggregate score shows it remains competitive in its niche. The 87th percentile ranking for both cards indicates that even the older model performs above the median GPU, but the architectural gap in every measurable specification except average score suggests the RX 9070 GRE is the more capable long-term investment. The RX 9070 GRE's launch MSRP is 549 USD.