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AMD Instinct MI250 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 64: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX Vega 64?
The gap that matters here is memory bandwidth: Instinct MI250 3200 GB/s against Radeon RX Vega 64 484 GB/s, which puts Instinct MI250 85% ahead. Radeon RX Vega 64 also leads on tdp, 500 W on the Instinct MI250 versus 295 W on the Radeon RX Vega 64. Instinct MI250 also leads on memory bus width, 8192 bit on the Instinct MI250 versus 2048 bit on the Radeon RX Vega 64. Architecture is not the same on both, CDNA2 on the Instinct MI250 versus Vega on the Radeon RX Vega 64. They differ on slot width too, Not Applicable on the Instinct MI250 versus 2 on the Radeon RX Vega 64.
Which should you buy, Instinct MI250 or Radeon RX Vega 64?
Buy the Instinct MI250 for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is not built for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is the wrong buy for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. The Radeon RX Vega 64 is the one to take for secondhand budget builds where power cost isn't a big concern and retro AMD builds from the Vega era, though it is not the pick for anyone wanting ray tracing. Avoid it for power-conscious builds - 295W for 1080-class performance is inefficient by any modern standard. Our rating of the Radeon RX Vega 64 (4.7/10): ambitious but inefficient even at launch - a legacy budget card today, mostly notable now for its HBM2 memory and mining-era history.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX Vega 64 differ on boost clock?
Yes. Boost Clock reads 1700 MHz on the Instinct MI250 versus 1546 MHz on the Radeon RX Vega 64.
Is the GPU Brand the same on the Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX Vega 64?
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 MI250
- AMD
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- AMD
Series
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Instinct
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- Radeon RX Vega
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Reference
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- AMD Reference
Tier
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- Flagship (2017, legacy)
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- HBM2
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 1700 MHzBest
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- 1546 MHz-9%
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 500 W-69%
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- 295 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI250
- CDNA2
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- Vega (GCN 5)
Slot Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Not Applicable
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- 2
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 13312
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- 4096
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 8192 bitBest
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- 2048 bit-75%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 3200 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- 484 GB/s-85%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI250
- PCIe 4.0
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- PCIe 3.0 x16
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 11/08/2021
- AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
- 2017-08
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI250 if you want the higher boost clock (1700 MHz vs 1546 MHz), the higher memory bus width (8192 bit vs 2048 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (3200 GB/s vs 484 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 if you want the lower TDP (295 W vs 500 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI250 | AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $499.00 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 Radeon RX Vega 64
4.7 / 10 Expert Rating
Ambitious but inefficient even at launch - a legacy budget card today, mostly notable now for its HBM2 memory and mining-era history.