AMD Radeon RX 560X vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear pattern in direct comparisons between the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL and the AMD Radeon RX 560X. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the Vega M GL scores 19,549 against 17,020 for the RX 560X, a delta of 14.9 percent in favor of the Vega M GL. In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the Vega M GL records 22,757 while the RX 560X manages 20,231, a 12.5 percent advantage for the Vega M GL. Both head-to-head benchmarks therefore go to the same GPU, with the Vega M GL winning by a margin that is meaningful but not overwhelming.

Looking at the average benchmark score across both tests, the Vega M GL lands at 21,153, while the RX 560X sits at 18,626. That places the Vega M GL at the 66th percentile of all GPUs in the database, against the 62nd percentile for the RX 560X. The percentile gap is small, but the raw score difference is substantial: roughly 2,527 points, or about 13.6 percent above the RX 560X on average. In performance percentile terms, the Vega M GL sits four points higher, which suggests it occupies a slightly more competitive tier in the overall distribution.

The nearest rivals for each GPU put these numbers into context. The Vega M GL's closest competitors include the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (average score 21,237, delta of negative 0.4 percent), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 (21,035, delta of positive 0.6 percent), the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21,379, delta of negative 1.1 percent), and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20,713, delta of positive 2.1 percent). This means the Vega M GL is essentially trading blows with a set of GPUs that include mobile and desktop parts, with deltas all within roughly two percent. For the RX 560X, the nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT (18,685, delta of negative 0.3 percent), the AMD FirePro D500 (18,533, delta of positive 0.5 percent), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (18,789, delta of negative 0.9 percent), and the NVIDIA Tesla K80 (18,866, delta of negative 1.3 percent). The RX 560X is thus clustered with a different set of hardware, one that includes professional and workstation-class parts, and it holds its own within that grouping.

The differences in these rival clusters are instructive. The Vega M GL's rivals include the RX 5600 XT, which is a desktop GPU, and the RTX 5050, a modern part; the deltas are all under 2.2 percent, so the Vega M GL is not decisively ahead or behind any of them. The RX 560X's rivals include the RTX 2070 and the Tesla K80, and again the deltas are all under 1.4 percent. Neither GPU dominates its immediate competition, but the Vega M GL operates in a higher average score band, which is the key takeaway from the head-to-head data.

Where Each One Wins

The wins are entirely one-sided in the recorded benchmarks. The Vega M GL takes both the OpenCL and Vulkan tests, so in compute workloads and in graphics API performance, it is the stronger part. The OpenCL delta of 14.9 percent suggests that general-purpose compute tasks, which often scale with memory bandwidth and shader throughput, favor the Vega M GL. The Vulkan delta of 12.5 percent indicates that gaming or graphics workloads using Vulkan also run faster on the Vega M GL, though the margin is slightly narrower than in OpenCL.

The RX 560X has no benchmark wins in the database. That does not mean it is without merit, but the recorded data gives it no category where it comes out ahead. Its closest rival deltas show it is competitive within its own peer group, but against the Vega M GL specifically, it trails in both measured tests. For users who prioritize the two benchmarks in this database, the RX 560X is simply the slower option.

Where the RX 560X might still be relevant is in its form factor and power profile, but those are not benchmark wins. The data shows the Vega M GL is an integrated graphics part with a 65 W TDP, while the RX 560X is a dual-slot discrete card with a 75 W TDP. The RX 560X has a higher base clock (1175 MHz versus 931 MHz) and a higher boost clock (1275 MHz versus 1011 MHz), yet it still loses both tests. This suggests that the Vega M GL's advantages in memory bandwidth and shader count outweigh the RX 560X's clock speed advantage, at least in these workloads.

For use-case segmentation, the OpenCL result points to compute tasks like rendering, physics simulation, or machine learning inference, where the Vega M GL's HBM2 memory and wider bus provide a clear edge. The Vulkan result points to modern game engines or graphics applications that leverage Vulkan, again favoring the Vega M GL. The RX 560X, without a single win, has no benchmark-backed use case where it is the recommended choice over the Vega M GL.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL is the faster GPU in both recorded benchmarks. It wins the OpenCL test by 14.9 percent and the Vulkan test by 12.5 percent, and it holds a higher average benchmark score of 21,153 versus 18,626. The Vega M GL also sits at a higher percentile (66th versus 62nd), which aligns with its superior raw performance.

For a user choosing between these two, the Vega M GL is the pick for anyone running OpenCL or Vulkan workloads. Its 4 GB of HBM2 memory with a 1024-bit bus and 179.2 GB/s bandwidth gives it a structural advantage over the RX 560X's 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s. Even though the RX 560X has higher clocks and a slightly higher FP32 throughput (2.611 TFLOPS versus 2.588 TFLOPS), the Vega M GL wins because of its memory subsystem and higher shading unit count (1280 versus 1024).

The RX 560X, on the other hand, is not without a role. It is a discrete card with its own power connectors (none required) and a suggested PSU of 250 W, making it a simple drop-in for a desktop system. Its 170 mm length is compact, and its dual-slot design is standard. But from a pure performance standpoint, the database shows no scenario where the RX 560X outperforms the Vega M GL.

The verdict is therefore straightforward: for benchmark performance, choose the Vega M GL. For a user who specifically needs a standalone PCIe card with a lower transistor count and smaller die (the RX 560X has 3,000 million transistors on a 123 mm² die, versus 5,000 million on 208 mm² for the Vega M GL), the RX 560X remains a viable option, but it will deliver less compute and graphics throughput in the measured tests.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 19,549 against 17,020 for the AMD Radeon RX 560X, a delta of 14.9 percent.

Q: How much faster is the Vega M GL in Vulkan?

A: The Vega M GL scores 22,757 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the RX 560X scores 20,231, giving the Vega M GL a 12.5 percent advantage.

Q: What is the average benchmark score for each GPU?

A: The Vega M GL has an average benchmark score of 21,153, and the RX 560X has an average of 18,626.

Q: Do the two GPUs have different memory types?

A: Yes, the Vega M GL uses 4 GB of HBM2 with a 1024-bit bus and 179.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 560X uses 4 GB of GDDR5 with a 128-bit bus and 112.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Are the clocks different between the two?

A: The RX 560X has a higher base clock of 1175 MHz and a boost clock of 1275 MHz, compared to 931 MHz base and 1011 MHz boost for the Vega M GL.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units?

A: The Vega M GL has 1280 shading units, while the RX 560X has 1024 shading units.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs share the same GCN 4.0 architecture and are both built on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries, but they differ substantially in chip design. The Vega M GL uses the Polaris 22 chip, which is a 208 mm² die with 5,000 million transistors. The RX 560X uses the Polaris 21 chip, a 123 mm² die with 3,000 million transistors. The transistor density is nearly identical (24.0M per mm² for the Vega M GL versus 24.4M per mm² for the RX 560X), which is expected given the same process node.

The Vega M GL's memory architecture is the most significant difference. It employs HBM2 memory with a 1024-bit bus, giving it a memory bandwidth of 179.2 GB/s. The RX 560X relies on GDDR5 with a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s. This bandwidth gap is a major reason for the Vega M GL's performance advantage in the recorded benchmarks, as memory-bound workloads benefit directly from higher bandwidth.

The Vega M GL also has more texture mapping units (80 versus 64) and more ROPs (32 versus 16). Its pixel rate is 32.35 GPixel/s, compared to 20.40 GPixel/s for the RX 560X. However, the texture rate is very close: 80.88 GTexel/s for the Vega M GL versus 81.60 GTexel/s for the RX 560X. The FP32 compute is also nearly equal, at 2.588 TFLOPS versus 2.611 TFLOPS. This means the Vega M GL's wins come from memory bandwidth and pixel throughput, not raw shader math.

The Vega M GL is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a slot width of IGP, meaning it is designed to be part of a mobile or compact platform. The RX 560X is a dual-slot discrete card with a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface and a length of 170 mm. The Vega M GL has no power connectors listed, while the RX 560X also has none, but the RX 560X suggests a 250 W PSU. The Vega M GL has a lower TDP of 65 W versus 75 W for the RX 560X.

Both GPUs support DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, so API feature levels are identical. The display outputs differ: the Vega M GL is listed as "Portable Device Dependent," while the RX 560X offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. Production status for both is end-of-life, but the release dates differ: the Vega M GL was released on 2018-01-31, and the RX 560X on 2018-04-10.

Specification Differences

The key specification differences between the two GPUs are as follows. The chip is Polaris 22 for the Vega M GL and Polaris 21 for the RX 560X. The die size is 208 mm² versus 123 mm². Transistor count is 5,000 million versus 3,000 million. Base clock is 931 MHz versus 1175 MHz, and boost clock is 1011 MHz versus 1275 MHz. Memory type is HBM2 versus GDDR5, with a bus width of 1024 bit versus 128 bit, and bandwidth of 179.2 GB/s versus 112.0 GB/s. Shading units are 1280 versus 1024, TMUs are 80 versus 64, and ROPs are 32 versus 16. Pixel rate is 32.35 GPixel/s versus 20.40 GPixel/s, while texture rate is 80.88 GTexel/s versus 81.60 GTexel/s. FP32 is 2.588 TFLOPS versus 2.611 TFLOPS. TDP is 65 W versus 75 W. Slot width is IGP versus dual-slot, and the bus interface is IGP versus PCIe 3.0 x8. Display outputs are portable-device-dependent versus 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RX 560X lists a suggested PSU of 250 W and a length of 170 mm, both absent for the Vega M GL.