Radeon Pro W5700X MPX Module in 2019 Mac Pro versus other GPUs
April 30th, 2020 by rob-ART morgan, mad scientist
Added two more game graphs on May 7th.
Apple's promised a 'mid level' GPU for the 2019 Mac Pro, the Radeon Pro W5700X, is now available for ordering. How does its performance compare to the Radeon Pro Vega II and some similar third party AMD GPUs?
GRAPH LEGEND
TEST GPUS
VII = AMD Radeon VII (16GB HBM2 memory)
Pro Vega II = Apple's Radeon Pro Vega II (32GB HBM2 memory)
Pro W5700X = Apple's Radeon Pro W5700X (16GB GDDR6 memory)
RX 5700 XT = ASUS AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (8GB GDDR6 memory)
RX 580 = MSI AMD Radeon RX 580 ARMOR MK (8G GDDR5 memory)
TEST MULE
2019 Mac Pro 12-core 3.30GHz W-3235 CPU, 96GB of 2933 MHz DDR4 ECC memory, 1TB PCIe based flash internal storage
Blender 2.82a - Metal Render of BMW Scene
AMD Radeon ProRender add-on enables Metal rendering in the latest version of Blender. We increased BMW scene samples from 64 to 512 to make it work harder. (LOWER Time in Seconds = FASTER)
DaVinci Resolve 16.2 - Looping Noise Reduction
Using the 1080p Candle Project, we applied the "3NR" preset and started a looping playback. We rendered noise reduction using Metal. (HIGHER Frames per Second = FASTER)
DaVinci Resolve 16.2 - Blur Effects
Using the 1080p Candle Project, we applied the "64 Blur Nodes" preset and started a looping playback. (HIGHER Frames per Second = FASTER)
Basemark GPU Metal
Used the 'Official Test': 3840x2160, High Quality, Fullscreen. (HIGHER Frames per Second = FASTER)
GFXBench Metal - Aztec Ruins (High Tier)
Ran at 2560x1440 Onscreen mode. (HIGHER Frames per Second = FASTER)
TW: Warhammer II (Metal)
Used the built-in Skaven benchmark at 3840x2160, Ultra Quality. (HIGHER Frames per Second = FASTER)
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Metal)
Used the built-in benchmark at 3840x2160, High Quality. (HIGHER Frames per Second = FASTER)
TW: Three Kingdoms (Metal)
Used the built-in Battle benchmark at 3840x2160, High Quality. (HIGHER Frames per Second = FASTER)
WHAT DID WE LEARN?
At $1000 USD, the Pro W5700X is not cheap, but its cost/performance ratio beats the $2800 USD Pro Vega II. Ditto for third party GPUs like the RX 5700 XT (@$400 USD) and the VII (@$700 USD).
Advantages to consider when comparing the Apple MPX modules to third party GPUs: the amount of video memory, the built-in Thunderbolt 3 functionality (dual channel, four ports), and no need for power cables.
We no longer have the Pro 580X MPX Module but we did include results for the RX 580 which is essentially identical in performance. Though many 2019 Mac Pros are purchased with the 'entry level' Pro 580X MPX Module, we predict owners will be looking to replace it with a more powerful GPU.
Though we included the Radeon VII, be aware that its fans go crazy when you put the 2019 Mac Pro to sleep. Keeping it 'awake' may be worth it considering how close it is to the performance of the Pro Vega II at a fraction of the cost.
FLASH! Just when we thought the Radeon VII was being orphaned, AMD announces the Radeon Pro VII. It will be pricey at $1899 but will offer 6.5 TFLOPS double precision and Infinity Fabric Link support.
Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to email me,
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OTHER GOOD SOURCES
Trans International sells various Mac upgrades including memory and storage.
Other World Computing sells memory, eGPUs, storage, and used Macs.
B&H Photo Video sells Apple products, GPUs, eGPUs, displays, storage, etc.
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copyright 2020 Rob Art Morgan
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