AMD Radeon RX 6650M vs NVIDIA Quadro GP100 Comparison

The data shows a clear performance hierarchy between the NVIDIA Quadro GP100 and the AMD Radeon RX 6650M, but the comparison is not as straightforward as a single score might suggest. In the only benchmark where both were tested head-to-head, the Quadro GP100 dominates, yet the RX 6650M counters with a separate benchmark victory of its own. The Quadro GP100 leverages its massive memory bus and compute resources to secure a decisive lead in OpenCL, while the RX 6650M demonstrates superior efficiency and modern API support. Below, the numbers are dissected to determine which GPU is better suited for specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sole direct benchmark comparison between these two cards is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the results are lopsided. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445 points, while the AMD Radeon RX 6650M trails with 65,800 points. This translates to a 32.9% advantage for the Quadro GP100, a substantial margin that underscores the raw compute disparity between the two architectures. The Quadro GP100’s lead is rooted in its 3,584 shading units and 10.34 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, versus the RX 6650M’s 1,792 shading units and 8.659 TFLOPS. In this specific metric, the Quadro GP100 is the unequivocal winner.

However, the RX 6650M is not without its own benchmark claim. In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the AMD card scores 77,735 points, a result not available for the Quadro GP100. This score is notably higher than the RX 6650M’s own OpenCL result, indicating that the card’s RDNA 2.0 architecture is particularly well-optimized for Vulkan workloads. While no direct comparison exists, the Vulkan score suggests that in API-specific scenarios, the RX 6650M can significantly outperform its OpenCL showing. The Quadro GP100, with its Vulkan 1.3 support, lacks a comparable data point, leaving this metric as a distinct win for AMD.

Looking at the broader context of the OpenCL result, the Quadro GP100’s 87,445 score places it in the 93rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A4500 Mobile at 91,134 (4% higher) and the NVIDIA RTX A4500 at 91,671 (4.6% higher), showing that the Quadro GP100 is competitive with much newer professional cards. Conversely, the RX 6650M’s average benchmark score of 71,768 (combining its OpenCL and Vulkan results) sits in the 91st percentile, with rivals like the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 at 72,379 (0.8% higher) and the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal at 72,098 (0.5% higher) closely matching its performance. This indicates that while the Quadro GP100 is a top-tier compute card, the RX 6650M is a solid mid-range performer that holds its own against older flagship models.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 wins unequivocally in raw compute performance, as evidenced by its 32.9% lead in OpenCL. This advantage is driven by its massive 16 GB of HBM2 memory with a 4096-bit bus width and 732.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is over three times the RX 6650M’s 224.0 GB/s. For workloads that are memory-bandwidth intensive or require large datasets, such as scientific simulation, data analysis, or AI inference, the Quadro GP100’s architecture is clearly superior. Its 96 ROPs and 224 TMUs also provide high pixel and texture rates (138.5 GPixel/s and 323.2 GTexel/s), making it a capable choice for professional visualization tasks that demand high fill rates.

The AMD Radeon RX 6650M wins in the Vulkan API domain, where its score of 77,735 demonstrates strong low-level API performance. This is particularly relevant for gaming or applications that leverage Vulkan’s explicit control over the GPU. The RX 6650M also benefits from a more modern feature set, including DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) support and 28 ray tracing cores, which the Quadro GP100 lacks entirely. For users who prioritize ray-traced effects or real-time rendering in Vulkan-based engines, the RX 6650M is the more capable card despite its lower raw compute. Additionally, the RX 6650M’s 120 W TDP is nearly half of the Quadro GP100’s 235 W, making it a more power-efficient option for mobile or thermally constrained systems.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher OpenCL benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 scores 87,445 in OpenCL, which is 32.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M’s 65,800.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon RX 6650M have any benchmark advantage over the Quadro GP100?

A: Yes, the RX 6650M scores 77,735 in Geekbench Vulkan, a test for which no Quadro GP100 score is available, indicating a potential strength in Vulkan workloads.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in terms of memory capacity and bandwidth?

A: The Quadro GP100 has 16 GB of HBM2 memory with a 4096-bit bus and 732.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 6650M has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Only the AMD Radeon RX 6650M supports ray tracing, featuring 28 dedicated RT cores, while the Quadro GP100 has none.

Q: What are the power consumption figures for each card?

A: The Quadro GP100 has a TDP of 235 W, whereas the RX 6650M has a TDP of 120 W.

Q: How do their percentile ranks compare?

A: The Quadro GP100 ranks in the 93rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 6650M ranks in the 91st percentile based on its average benchmark score.

Specification Differences

The most striking difference is in memory configuration. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 offers 16 GB of HBM2 across a 4096-bit bus, delivering 732.2 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the AMD Radeon RX 6650M provides 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s. This gives the Quadro GP100 a 3.3x bandwidth advantage. Compute resources also differ significantly: the Quadro GP100 has 3,584 shading units, 224 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, while the RX 6650M has 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Clock speeds favor AMD, with the RX 6650M boosting to 2416 MHz versus the Quadro GP100’s 1443 MHz, but the NVIDIA card’s larger core count offsets this.

The interface and connectivity also diverge. The Quadro GP100 uses PCIe 3.0 x16 and outputs 1x DVI and 4x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RX 6650M uses PCIe 4.0 x8 and has portable device-dependent outputs. Power requirements are distinct: the Quadro GP100 is a dual-slot card with a 1x 8-pin connector and a 550 W suggested PSU, whereas the RX 6650M is an IGP with no power connectors. The Quadro GP100 is physically large at 267 mm, while the RX 6650M has no listed dimensions. In terms of API support, the RX 6650M supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Quadro GP100 supports DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.3.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent entirely different architectural generations. The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 is built on the Pascal architecture using a 16 nm process at TSMC, packing 15,300 million transistors on a 610 mm² die with a transistor density of 25.1M per mm². It features 2:1 FP16 ratio, delivering 20.69 TFLOPS of FP16 compute. In contrast, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 7 nm process, also at TSMC, with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die and a much higher transistor density of 46.7M per mm². The RX 6650M also supports 2:1 FP16, achieving 17.32 TFLOPS.

The most significant architectural divergence is in feature support. The RX 6650M includes 28 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the Quadro GP100. The AMD card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which includes features like variable rate shading and mesh shaders, while the Quadro GP100 only meets DirectX 12_1 standards. The manufacturing process difference is stark: 7 nm versus 16 nm, resulting in the RX 6650M being far more transistor-dense despite having fewer total transistors. The Quadro GP100’s HBM2 memory is a professional-grade solution, while the RX 6650M uses consumer-oriented GDDR6. Finally, the Quadro GP100 is a workstation card (generation Quadro Pascal) with a dual-slot form factor, while the RX 6650M is a mobile IGP from the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) series, designed for laptops.

The Verdict

The NVIDIA Quadro GP100 is the clear choice for compute-heavy professional workloads where raw throughput and massive memory bandwidth are paramount. Its 32.9% OpenCL lead over the RX 6650M, combined with 16 GB of HBM2 and 732.2 GB/s bandwidth, makes it ideal for tasks like scientific computing, large-scale data processing, and professional rendering. The 93rd percentile rank and proximity to newer RTX A4500-class cards (within 4-4.6%) confirm its enduring compute prowess. Users needing Vulkan performance or ray tracing should look elsewhere, as the Quadro GP100 lacks RT cores and has no Vulkan benchmark data.

The AMD Radeon RX 6650M is the better option for modern gaming and API-optimized workloads. Its 77,735 Vulkan score demonstrates strong low-level API efficiency, and its DirectX 12 Ultimate support with 28 ray tracing cores enables features the Quadro GP100 cannot match. Its 120 W TDP makes it far more power-efficient, and its 7 nm process with higher transistor density (46.7M/mm²) indicates a more advanced manufacturing approach. While it trails in OpenCL compute, its 91st percentile rank and close rivalry with the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal (0.5% difference) show it is no slouch. For users in mobile platforms or those prioritizing ray tracing and Vulkan, the RX 6650M is the superior pick.