AMD Radeon RX 570X vs AMD Radeon Vega 11 Comparison

AMD Radeon Vega 11 and AMD Radeon RX 570X are both end-of-life AMD parts, but they target completely different segments. The Vega 11 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) built into a mobile chip, while the RX 570X is a dedicated dual-slot add-in card. The performance gap is substantial, but each has a distinct role. The Vega 11 is a low-power solution for basic computing and light gaming on the go, while the RX 570X is a dedicated GPU for 1080p gaming and content creation on a desktop. The benchmark data confirms a wide gulf in raw compute, but the Vega 11’s efficiency and the RX 570X’s memory subsystem make them suitable for different workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon Vega 11 wins in scenarios where power draw and system integration are the primary constraints. As an IGP, it consumes only 15 W, meaning it can be deployed in thin-and-light laptops without a dedicated power connector. Its performance is sufficient for everyday tasks like web browsing, office productivity, and video playback. The Vega 11 also excels in portability—it has no physical dimensions, no slot width, and relies on system memory, making it a zero-footprint solution. In synthetic benchmarks, its Geekbench scores are respectable for an integrated part, hitting 17,392 in Metal, 13,392 in OpenCL, and 12,273 in Vulkan. This makes it a viable option for users who occasionally dabble in light photo editing or older esports titles but do not want the bulk or power cost of a discrete GPU.

The AMD Radeon RX 570X wins in raw performance and dedicated memory bandwidth. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 224.0 GB/s, which is a massive advantage over the Vega 11’s system-shared memory. The RX 570X has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, translating to a pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s. This makes it the clear choice for modern 3D gaming, video editing, and GPU-accelerated rendering. In the only head-to-head benchmark available, Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 570X scores 38,939 versus the Vega 11’s 13,392—a 65.6% lead for the discrete card. The RX 570X also has a higher FP32 throughput at 5.095 TFLOPS, making it roughly 2.6 times faster than the Vega 11 in single-precision compute.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs are built on different architectures and process nodes. The Vega 11 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture on a 12 nm process at GlobalFoundries, while the RX 570X uses the older GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process, also at GlobalFoundries. The Vega 11’s chip is called Picasso, and it packs 4,940 million transistors into a 210 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 23.5M per mm². The RX 570X’s chip is Polaris 20, which has 5,700 million transistors on a larger 232 mm² die, resulting in a slightly higher density of 24.6M per mm². Despite the smaller process node, the Vega 11 has fewer transistors and a smaller die, reflecting its integrated nature.

The Vega 11 has 704 shading units, 44 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, while the RX 570X has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs—roughly three to four times more of each. The Vega 11’s FP16 performance is 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), while the RX 570X’s FP16 is identical to its FP32 at 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). This means the RX 570X does not get a speedup for half-precision workloads, whereas the Vega 11 does. The RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), giving the IGP a slight feature-level advantage in that API. Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.3, so API compatibility is otherwise similar.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The AMD Radeon RX 570X scores 38,939, while the AMD Radeon Vega 11 scores 13,392. This represents a 65.6% delta, with the RX 570X winning decisively. This is not a close contest; the discrete card delivers nearly three times the OpenCL performance. For compute-heavy tasks like rendering or machine learning inference, the RX 570X is clearly the superior choice. However, the Vega 11’s Geekbench Metal score of 17,392 is actually higher than its OpenCL score, indicating that it performs relatively better in Apple’s Metal API, though no direct comparison exists for that test against the RX 570X.

The RX 570X also shows strength in PassMark tests, scoring 1,923 in G3D and 750 in G2D. These scores are not available for the Vega 11, so direct comparison is impossible, but they indicate the RX 570X is a capable 2D and 3D performer for its class. The Vega 11’s average benchmark score is 14,352, which places it in the 56th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 570X’s average score is 13,871, placing it in the 55th percentile. Interestingly, the Vega 11 has a higher average score despite losing the head-to-head OpenCL test, which suggests its other benchmark results (Metal and Vulkan) are strong enough to lift its overall average. The RX 570X’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA RTX A2000 Mobile, which is only 0.4% faster, while the Vega 11’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which is 0.1% slower.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon Vega 11 | AMD Radeon RX 570X |

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

| Process Node | 12 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 4,940 million | 5,700 million |

| Die Size | 210 mm² | 232 mm² |

| Base Clock | 300 MHz | 1168 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1400 MHz | 1244 MHz |

| Memory Size | System Shared | 8 GB |

| Memory Type | System Shared | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus | System Shared | 256 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | System Dependent | 224.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 704 | 2048 |

| TMUs | 44 | 128 |

| ROPs | 8 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 11.20 GPixel/s | 39.81 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 61.60 GTexel/s | 159.2 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1.971 TFLOPS | 5.095 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 3.942 TFLOPS (2:1) | 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 15 W | 150 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

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

| Suggested PSU | None | 450 W |

| Bus Interface | IGP | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

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

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

| Release Date | 2019-09-29 | 2018-04-10 |

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in OpenCL compute?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570X is significantly faster, scoring 38,939 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 13,392 for the Vega 11, a 65.6% lead.

Q: Can the Vega 11 handle gaming?

A: The Vega 11 is an integrated GPU with 704 shading units and system-shared memory. It can handle light gaming and esports titles at low settings, but its 1.971 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is far below the RX 570X’s 5.095 TFLOPS, so demanding games will struggle.

Q: Does the RX 570X require a power supply upgrade?

A: Yes, the RX 570X has a 150 W TDP and requires a 1x 6-pin power connector, with a suggested PSU rating of 450 W. The Vega 11, being an IGP, requires no power connectors and has a 15 W TDP.

Q: Which card has better memory bandwidth?

A: The RX 570X has dedicated 8 GB GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 11 uses system-shared memory, and its bandwidth is system-dependent, offering no dedicated bandwidth.

Q: Are there any API differences?

A: The Vega 11 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the RX 570X supports DirectX 12 (12_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.3, so the Vega 11 has a slight edge in DirectX feature level, but the RX 570X’s raw power dominates.

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Vega 11 has a higher average benchmark score of 14,352 versus the RX 570X’s 13,871. However, the RX 570X wins the head-to-head OpenCL test, so the average is skewed by the Vega 11’s strong Metal and Vulkan scores.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 570X is the superior performer for any compute-intensive task. It delivers a 65.6% advantage in OpenCL, has 2.6 times the FP32 throughput, and offers 224.0 GB/s of dedicated memory bandwidth versus the Vega 11’s system-dependent shared memory. Its 2048 shading units and 32 ROPs make it a proper gaming and rendering GPU. The only reason to choose the Vega 11 is if you need an integrated solution with a 15 W TDP and no power connectors. It is ideal for ultra-portable laptops where battery life and thermal constraints trump raw performance. Its average benchmark score is slightly higher, but that is due to its strong Metal and Vulkan results, which may not translate to real-world gaming.

For a desktop builder, the RX 570X is the obvious pick. It requires a 450 W PSU and a dual-slot PCIe slot, but it delivers 5.095 TFLOPS and 8 GB of GDDR5. The Vega 11 is a fallback for users who cannot or will not install a discrete GPU. The RX 570X’s nearest rival is the RTX A2000 Mobile, while the Vega 11’s nearest rival is the GTX TITAN, which highlights that the Vega 11 is punching above its weight in synthetic tests. Still, in a head-to-head, the RX 570X wins the only direct benchmark, and the specification differences—more shading units, faster clocks, dedicated memory—leave no doubt. Choose the RX 570X for performance, choose the Vega 11 for integration and efficiency.