Radeon Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon Sky 500

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Radeon Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon Sky 500 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon Sky 500: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Radeon Pro Vega 16

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 150W, a 75W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon Sky 500 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2018 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 9.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $500 MSRP).

Radeon Sky 500

2013

Why buy it

✅1.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 9.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($500 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon Pro Vega 16 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Sky 500 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌100% higher power demand at 150W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon Sky 500 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon Pro Vega 16 instead at 4,809 vs 4,723, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon Sky 500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon Sky 500 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon Pro Vega 16 vs Radeon Sky 500 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Radeon Pro Vega 16

The Radeon Pro Vega 16 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 14 2018. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 815 MHz to 1190 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,809 points.

Radeon Sky 500

The Radeon Sky 500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 27 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 950 MHz. It has 1280 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 4,723 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 4,809 and the Radeon Sky 500 reaches 4,723 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon Pro Vega 16 is built on GCN 5.0 while the Radeon Sky 500 uses GCN 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 1,280 (Radeon Sky 500). Raw compute: 2.437 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 2.432 TFLOPS (Radeon Sky 500).

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon Sky 500
G3D Mark Score	4,809+2%	4,723
Architecture	GCN 5.0	GCN 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1024	1280+25%
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.437 TFLOPS	2.432 TFLOPS
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	80+25%
L1 Cache	256 KB	320 KB+25%
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon Sky 500
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon Pro Vega 16 has 0 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon Sky 500 carries 2 GB. Radeon Sky 500 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the Radeon Pro Vega 16 and 64-bit on the Radeon Sky 500. L2 Cache: 1 MB (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon Sky 500) — the Radeon Pro Vega 16 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon Sky 500
VRAM Capacity	Shared System RAM	2 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	1 MB+100%	0.5 MB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Pro Vega 16 draws 75W versus the Radeon Sky 500's 150W — a 66.7% difference. The Radeon Pro Vega 16 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1W (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 350W (Radeon Sky 500). Power connectors: Integrated vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon Sky 500
TDP	75W-50%	150W
Recommended PSU	1W-100%	350W
Power Connector	Integrated	PCIe-powered
Length	0mm	—
Height	0mm	—
Slots	0	—
Temp (Load)	80	—
Perf/Watt	64.1+103%	31.5

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon Pro Vega 16 came in at $0, while the Radeon Sky 500 launched at $500. On MSRP, Radeon Pro Vega 16 was 100+% cheaper ($500 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): Infinity (Radeon Pro Vega 16) vs 9.4 (Radeon Sky 500) — the Radeon Pro Vega 16 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Pro Vega 16 (2018 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon Pro Vega 16	Radeon Sky 500
MSRP	$0-100%	$500
Performance per Dollar	Infinity	9.4
Codename	Vega 12	Pitcairn
Release	November 14 2018	March 27 2013
Ranking	#451	#455

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