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 RX Vega 56 vs Radeon Vega Frontier Edition 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 RX Vega 56 vs Radeon Vega Frontier Edition: 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 RX Vega 56

2017

Why buy it

✅13.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $600 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 155.7% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 32.6 vs 12.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs Unknown).
✅Radeon Vega Frontier Edition is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX Vega 56 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon Vega Frontier Edition

2017

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega 56 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
150.4% HIGHER MSRP
$999 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 12.8 vs 32.6 G3D/$ ($999 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX Vega 56 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 13.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (13,026 vs 12,753), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX Vega 56 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 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 RX Vega 56 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $600 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 155.7% (32.6 vs 12.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon RX Vega 56 vs Radeon Vega Frontier Edition Technical Specifications

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

Radeon RX Vega 56

The Radeon RX Vega 56 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 14 2017. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1156 MHz to 1471 MHz. It has 3584 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 210W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 13,026 points. Launch price was $399.

Radeon Vega Frontier Edition

The Radeon Vega Frontier Edition is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 27 2017. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1382 MHz to 1600 MHz. It has 4096 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 12,753 points. Launch price was $999.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 13,026 and the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition reaches 12,753 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX Vega 56 is built on GCN 5.0 while the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition uses GCN 5.0, both on a 14 nm process. Shader units: 3,584 (Radeon RX Vega 56) vs 4,096 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Raw compute: 10.54 TFLOPS (Radeon RX Vega 56) vs 13.11 TFLOPS (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Boost clocks: 1471 MHz vs 1600 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 56	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
G3D Mark Score	13,026+2%	12,753
Architecture	GCN 5.0	GCN 5.0
Process Node	14 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	3584	4096+14%
Compute (TFLOPS)	10.54 TFLOPS	13.11 TFLOPS+24%
Boost Clock	1471 MHz	1600 MHz+9%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	224	256+14%
L1 Cache	0.88 MB	1 MB+14%
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 56	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
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

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX Vega 56 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition carries 0 MB. Radeon RX Vega 56 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 2048-bit on the Radeon RX Vega 56 and System on the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 56	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
VRAM Capacity	8 GB	Shared System RAM
Memory Type	HBM2	Shared
Memory Bandwidth	410 GB/s	System
Bus Width	2048-bit	System
L2 Cache	4 MB	4 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega 56) vs 12.1 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 56	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
DirectX	12 (12_1)	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+18%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 4.0 (Radeon RX Vega 56) vs VCE 4.0 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Decoder: UVD 7.0 vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega 56) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition).

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 56	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
Encoder	VCE 4.0	VCE 4.0
Decoder	UVD 7.0	UVD 7.0
Codecs	H.264,H.265,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX Vega 56 draws 210W versus the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition's 300W — a 35.3% difference. The Radeon RX Vega 56 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (Radeon RX Vega 56) vs 1W (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs Integrated. Card length: 280mm vs 268mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 85°C.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 56	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
TDP	210W-30%	300W
Recommended PSU	650W	1W-100%
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	Integrated
Length	280mm	268mm
Height	111mm	105mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	62.0+46%	42.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon RX Vega 56 came in at $399, while the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition launched at $999. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega 56 was 60.1% cheaper ($600 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 32.6 (Radeon RX Vega 56) vs 12.8 (Radeon Vega Frontier Edition) — the Radeon RX Vega 56 offers 154.7% better value.

Feature	Radeon RX Vega 56	Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
MSRP	$399-60%	$999
Performance per Dollar	32.6+155%	12.8
Codename	Vega 10	Vega 10
Release	August 14 2017	June 27 2017
Ranking	#199	#203

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