AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 vs NVIDIA GB10 Comparison

NVIDIA GB10 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 represent two distinct eras of computing, and benchmark results from the database confirm a decisive performance gap. The GB10, built on a modern 5 nm process, delivers an average benchmark score of 117,393, placing it in the 95th percentile of all GPUs. The Radeon Pro Vega 64, a 14 nm design from 2017, achieves an average score of 72,379, sitting in the 91st percentile. The head-to-head data shows the GB10 leads by 69% in OpenCL and 54.6% in Vulkan, making it the clear winner in raw compute. However, the two cards serve fundamentally different purposes, and the Radeon Pro Vega 64 retains relevance in specific legacy and Mac-centric workflows.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GB10 dominates in every benchmark category recorded in the database. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GB10 scores 120,137 against the Radeon Pro Vega 64's 71,094, a 69% advantage. In Geekbench Vulkan, the GB10 scores 114,648 versus 74,174, a 54.6% lead. These results indicate that for any modern compute workload, from machine learning inference to general-purpose GPU computing, the GB10 is the superior choice. Its FP32 throughput of 29.71 TFLOPS more than doubles the Radeon Pro Vega 64's 11.06 TFLOPS, and its FP16 performance of 29.71 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio) outpaces the older card's 22.12 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) in scenarios where 1:1 throughput is advantageous.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64, despite losing all head-to-head comparisons, maintains a niche. Its Geekbench Metal score of 71,868 is the only benchmark not shared with the GB10, which has no recorded Metal results. This makes the Vega 64 the only option for macOS environments that rely on Metal API acceleration. The card's 16 GB of HBM2 memory with 402.4 GB/s bandwidth, while smaller and slower than the GB10's 128 GB LPDDR5X at 273.2 GB/s, still provides ample capacity for older professional applications. Its 2048-bit memory bus, significantly wider than the GB10's 256-bit bus, offers a bandwidth advantage in memory-bound legacy workloads. The Vega 64 also supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, whereas the GB10 lists N/A for all three APIs, making the AMD card the pragmatic choice for systems requiring these graphics APIs.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GB10 leads with an average benchmark score of 117,393, compared to the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64's 72,379. The GB10 also ranks in the 95th percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega 64 ranks in the 91st.

Q: How large is the performance gap in OpenCL?

A: The GB10 scores 120,137 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the Vega 64 scores 71,094. This represents a 69% advantage for the NVIDIA part.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 win any benchmark?

A: No, the head-to-head data records zero wins for the Vega 64. The GB10 wins both shared tests: OpenCL and Vulkan.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The GB10 features 128 GB of LPDDR5X on a 256-bit bus with 273.2 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 64 has 16 GB of HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus with 402.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The GB10 has a TDP of 140 W, while the Vega 64 is rated at 250 W. The GB10 achieves higher performance with 110 W less power draw.

Q: Are there any API differences that matter?

A: Yes, the Vega 64 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GB10 lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, though it does have recorded Vulkan benchmark results.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test. The NVIDIA GB10 posts a score of 120,137, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 manages 71,094. The delta of 69% is substantial, indicating that the GB10's architecture delivers nearly 1.7 times the compute throughput in this workload. This aligns with the raw specifications: the GB10's FP32 rate of 29.71 TFLOPS is 2.7 times the Vega 64's 11.06 TFLOPS, though real-world scaling is never perfectly linear.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the gap narrows slightly but remains decisive. The GB10 scores 114,648 against the Vega 64's 74,174, a 54.6% difference. Vulkan is a lower-level API that can benefit from the Vega 64's wide 2048-bit memory bus, which explains the reduced gap compared to OpenCL. The Vega 64's 402.4 GB/s memory bandwidth is 47% higher than the GB10's 273.2 GB/s, and this advantage likely mitigates some of the compute deficit.

The GB10's nearest rival in the database is the NVIDIA RTX 4000 SFF Ada Generation, with an average score of 117,088 and a delta of just 0.3%. This places the GB10 in elite company, while the Vega 64 sits near the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal, which scores 72,098 with a 0.4% delta. The performance gap between the two cards is therefore not just a generation gap, it is a class gap. The GB10 is positioned among modern workstation and server GPUs, while the Vega 64 aligns with mid-range Pascal-era parts.

Specification Differences

The most obvious difference is memory capacity. The GB10 ships with 128 GB of LPDDR5X, eight times the Vega 64's 16 GB of HBM2. The memory type differs as well, with the GB10 using a 256-bit bus and the Vega 64 using a 2048-bit bus. Bandwidth tells a different story: the Vega 64's 402.4 GB/s exceeds the GB10's 273.2 GB/s, a 47% advantage for the older card.

Clock speeds also diverge significantly. The GB10 runs at a base clock of 1665 MHz and boosts to 2418 MHz, while the Vega 64 operates at 1250 MHz base and 1350 MHz boost. The GB10's memory clock is 1067 MHz (8.5 Gbps effective), compared to the Vega 64's 786 MHz (1572 Mbps effective). The GB10's higher clocks contribute to its 69% OpenCL lead.

The compute units are vastly different in count. The GB10 features 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 48 ROPs, 48 RT cores, and 384 tensor cores. The Vega 64 has 4096 shading units, 256 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with no RT or tensor cores. The GB10's pixel rate is 116.1 GPixel/s versus 86.40 GPixel/s for the Vega 64, and its texture rate is 928.5 GTexel/s versus 345.6 GTexel/s.

Power and interface specifications also differ. The GB10 has a TDP of 140 W with a suggested PSU of 300 W, while the Vega 64 draws 250 W with no suggested PSU listed. Both use PCIe, but the GB10 uses PCIe 5.0 x16, while the Vega 64 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. The GB10 has one HDMI output, while the Vega 64's outputs are listed as portable device dependent.

Architecture Differences

The NVIDIA GB10 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB20B chip manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The die size is 382 mm², and while the transistor count is listed as unknown, the process node allows for 6144 shading units, 48 RT cores, and 384 tensor cores. This architecture supports FP32 and FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, both rated at 29.71 TFLOPS. The GB10 also includes ray tracing cores and tensor cores, which are absent on the AMD part.

The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 uses the GCN 5.0 architecture, with the Vega 10 chip produced on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The die is larger at 495 mm², and the transistor count is listed as 12,500 million with a density of 25.3M per mm². The Vega 64 has no RT cores or tensor cores, reflecting its 2017 design. Its FP16 performance is 22.12 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio, meaning it executes half-precision at twice the rate of FP32, unlike the GB10's 1:1 ratio.

The GB10 is part of the Server Blackwell (Bxx) generation, released on October 14, 2025, and is currently in active production. It succeeds the Server Hopper series and will be followed by Server Rubin. The Vega 64, released on June 26, 2017, belongs to the Radeon Pro Mac (Vega Series) generation and is now end-of-life. The GB10's launch MSRP is 3,999 USD, while the Vega 64 has no recorded launch MSRP.

The API support further highlights the architectural divergence. The GB10 lists N/A for DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan, yet it produces Vulkan benchmark scores, suggesting a specialized compute-focused design. The Vega 64 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, making it a more conventional graphics card. The GB10's 48 ROPs are fewer than the Vega 64's 64 ROPs, but its 384 TMUs dwarf the Vega 64's 256, and its 6144 shading units provide 50% more compute lanes. These architectural choices explain why the GB10 excels in parallel compute while the Vega 64 retains utility in graphics and legacy API environments.