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AMD Instinct MI210 vs AMD Radeon VII: Comparison
Instinct MI210 vs Radeon VII: the vram difference
Vram is where these two genuinely part company, Instinct MI210 64 GB against Radeon VII 16 GB, a 75% lead for Instinct MI210. Add memory bandwidth to that, 1600 GB/s on the Instinct MI210 versus 1024 GB/s on the Radeon VII, and the pattern holds. Card length runs the same way, 267 mm on the Instinct MI210 versus 305 mm on the Radeon VII, another win for Instinct MI210.
Instinct MI210 vs Radeon VII: which one fits your build
Buy the Instinct MI210 for double-precision workloads that don't need MI250X-level throughput, though it is the wrong buy for any desktop or workstation build - compute-only, no display output and maximum-throughput HPC nodes (use MI250X instead). The same goes for HPC and AI deployments in standard PCIe-slot servers without OAM sled support. The Radeon VII suits secondhand buyers wanting cheap high-bandwidth HBM2 for compute experiments and Blender/CUDA-free rendering hobbyists on a budget, though it is not the pick for anyone wanting ray tracing or DLSS/FSR frame generation and new GPU buyers with a fixed budget (better value elsewhere). Our rating of the Instinct MI210 (7.3/10): A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series. Our rating of the Radeon VII (5.5/10): A fascinating, oddly-specced legacy card - strong for old compute workloads and cheap secondhand VRAM, but not a sensible gaming buy anymore.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI210 and Radeon VII differ on boost clock?
Yes. Boost Clock reads 1700 MHz on the Instinct MI210 versus 1750 MHz on the Radeon VII.
Is the TDP the same on the Instinct MI210 and Radeon VII?
It is. Both are listed at 300 W, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
GPU Brand
- AMD Instinct MI210
- AMD
- AMD Radeon VII
- AMD
Series
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Instinct MI200
- AMD Radeon VII
- Radeon VII
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI210
- AMD Reference (PCIe dual-slot card, data center/OEM only)
- AMD Radeon VII
- AMD Reference
VRAM
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 64 GBBest
- AMD Radeon VII
- 16 GB-75%
Tier
- AMD Instinct MI210
- Datacenter / AI Accelerator
- AMD Radeon VII
- Flagship (2019)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI210
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon VII
- HBM2
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1700 MHz-3%
- AMD Radeon VII
- 1750 MHzBest
Ray Tracing Support
- AMD Instinct MI210
- No
- AMD Radeon VII
- No
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 300 W
- AMD Radeon VII
- 300 W
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI210
- CDNA 2 (single Graphics Compute Die)
- AMD Radeon VII
- Vega (GCN 5, 7nm)
Card Length
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 267 mmBest
- AMD Radeon VII
- 305 mm-14%
Slot Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2
- AMD Radeon VII
- 2
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 4096 bit
- AMD Radeon VII
- 4096 bit
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 1600 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon VII
- 1024 GB/s-36%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI210
- PCIe 4.0 x16
- AMD Radeon VII
- PCIe 3.0 x16
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI210
- 2022-03
- AMD Radeon VII
- 2019-02
Display Outputs
- AMD Instinct MI210
- N/A - compute-only, no display output
- AMD Radeon VII
- 3x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI210 if you want the higher VRAM (64 GB vs 16 GB), the lower TDP (300 W vs 300 W) and the lower card length (267 mm vs 305 mm).
Choose AMD Radeon VII if you want the higher boost clock (1750 MHz vs 1700 MHz).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI210 | AMD Radeon VII |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $699.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
AMD Instinct MI210
7.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A practical, PCIe-slot-friendly way to get CDNA 2 compute into a standard server, useful for smaller HPC and AI deployments, but clearly the entry point of its generation next to the dual-die MI250X and now well behind the MI300 series.
AMD Radeon VII
5.5 / 10 Expert Rating
A fascinating, oddly-specced legacy card - strong for old compute workloads and cheap secondhand VRAM, but not a sensible gaming buy anymore.