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AMD Instinct MI100 vs AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI100 and Radeon RX 5600 XT?
On tdp the spread is 100%, Instinct MI100 300 W against Radeon RX 5600 XT 150 W, so Radeon RX 5600 XT takes it. Instinct MI100 also leads on memory bandwidth, 1200 GB/s on the Instinct MI100 versus 288 GB/s on the Radeon RX 5600 XT. Add memory bus width to that, 4096 bit on the Instinct MI100 versus 192 bit on the Radeon RX 5600 XT, and the pattern holds. Boost clock runs the same way, 1502 MHz on the Instinct MI100 versus 1750 MHz on the Radeon RX 5600 XT, another win for Radeon RX 5600 XT. Radeon RX 5600 XT also leads on card length, 267 mm on the Instinct MI100 versus 230 mm on the Radeon RX 5600 XT.
Instinct MI100 vs Radeon RX 5600 XT: which one fits your build
The Instinct MI100 suits buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is the wrong buy for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is the wrong buy for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. Buy the Radeon RX 5600 XT for budget 1080p gaming builds and esports titles at high refresh rates, though it is not built for ray tracing or upscaling-dependent titles and 1440p gaming ambitions. Our rating of the Radeon RX 5600 XT (5.5/10): A solid 1080p card in its day; the lack of ray tracing and only 6GB VRAM make it a budget-tier pick against newer RDNA 2/3 options today.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI100 and Radeon RX 5600 XT differ on board partner?
Yes. Board Partner reads Reference on the Instinct MI100 versus AMD Reference on the Radeon RX 5600 XT.
Is the GPU Brand the same on the Instinct MI100 and Radeon RX 5600 XT?
It is. Both are listed at AMD, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI100
- AMD
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- AMD
Series
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Instinct
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- Radeon RX 5000
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Reference
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- AMD Reference
Tier
- AMD Instinct MI100
- Datacenter
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- Mainstream (Legacy)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI100
- HBM2
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- GDDR6Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 1502 MHz-14%
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 1750 MHzBest
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 300 W-100%
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 150 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI100
- CDNA
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- RDNA 1
Card Length
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 267 mm-16%
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 230 mmBest
Slot Width
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 2
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 2
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 7680
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 2304
Compute Blocks
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 120
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 36
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 4096 bitBest
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 192 bit-95%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI100
- 1200 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- 288 GB/s-76%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI100
- PCIe 4.0
- AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
- PCIe 4.0 x16
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI100 if you want the lower slot width (2 vs 2), the higher memory bus width (4096 bit vs 192 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (1200 GB/s vs 288 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT if you want the higher boost clock (1750 MHz vs 1502 MHz), the lower TDP (150 W vs 300 W) and the lower card length (230 mm vs 267 mm).
Verdict
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
5.5 / 10 Expert Rating
A solid 1080p card in its day; the lack of ray tracing and only 6GB VRAM make it a budget-tier pick against newer RDNA 2/3 options today.