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AMD Instinct MI250 vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX: Comparison
Instinct MI250 vs Radeon RX 7900 XTX: the memory bandwidth difference
Start with memory bandwidth, because it is the widest measured gap between them: Instinct MI250 3200 GB/s against Radeon RX 7900 XTX 960 GB/s, 70% in favour of Instinct MI250. Instinct MI250 also leads on memory bus width, 8192 bit on the Instinct MI250 versus 384 bit on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX. Radeon RX 7900 XTX also leads on tdp, 500 W on the Instinct MI250 versus 355 W on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX. Boost clock runs the same way, 1700 MHz on the Instinct MI250 versus 2500 MHz on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, another win for Radeon RX 7900 XTX. They differ on slot width too, Not Applicable on the Instinct MI250 versus 2.5 on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
Which should you buy, Instinct MI250 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX?
The Instinct MI250 is the one to take 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. it is the wrong buy for anyone who prioritizes ray tracing quality or DLSS-tier upscaling. It also earns its place with buyers who want a 24GB frame buffer and flagship rasterization without RTX 4090 pricing. Our rating of the Radeon RX 7900 XTX (8/10): AMD's chiplet flagship: 24GB and strong rasterization for far less than NVIDIA's top card, with ray tracing as the clear weak spot.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX differ on product type?
Yes. Product Type reads Datacenter Accelerator on the Instinct MI250 versus Desktop Add-In Card on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
Is the GPU Brand the same on the Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX?
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 7900 XTX
- AMD
Product Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter Accelerator
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- Desktop Add-In Card
Series
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Instinct
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- Radeon RX 7000
Board Partner
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Reference
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- Reference
Tier
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- Flagship
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- GDDR6Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 1700 MHz-32%
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 2500 MHzBest
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 500 W-41%
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 355 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI250
- CDNA2
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- RDNA 3
Slot Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Not Applicable
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 2.5
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 13312
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 6144
Compute Blocks
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 208
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 96
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 8192 bitBest
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 384 bit-95%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 3200 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 960 GB/s-70%
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 11/08/2021
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- 2022-12-13
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI250 if you want the higher memory bus width (8192 bit vs 384 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (3200 GB/s vs 960 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX if you want the higher boost clock (2500 MHz vs 1700 MHz) and the lower TDP (355 W vs 500 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI250 | AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $999.00 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 7900 XTX
8 / 10 Expert Rating
AMD's chiplet flagship: 24GB and strong rasterization for far less than NVIDIA's top card, with ray tracing as the clear weak spot.