AMD announces two Radeon workstation graphics cards

AMD Radeon Pro W5500 black background
AMD Radeon Pro W5500 black background (Image credit: AMD)

What you need to know

  • AMD announced the Radeon Pro W5500 and Radeon Pro W5500M GPUs.
  • AMD designed the GPUs for designers, architects, engineers, and construction professionals.
  • The Radeon Pro W5500 will be available for $399 in mid-February, and the Radeon Pro W5500M will be available in Spring 2020.

AMD announced two new GPUs for workstations, the Radeon Pro W5500 and the Radeon Pro W5500M. AMD built the graphics cards to handle workloads from graphically demanding industries, including engineering, construction, design and manufacturing, and architecture. The Radeon Pro W5500 will be available for $399 in mid-February. AMD didn't release pricing details for the Radeon Pro W5500M today, but it will be available in Spring 2020. AMD's website has a page for anyone interested in purchasing Radeon Pro WX series GPUs.

The Radeon Pro W5500 utilizes AMD RDNA architecture, 7nm process technology, and GDDR6 memory. It also supports PCI Express 4.0. AMD states that the card "delivers incredible multitasking performance even in demanding situations, such as allowing professionals to continue developing their designs while rendering a visualization in the background."

AMD highlights that the card offers an estimated ten times better application workflow performance than competing cards, according to the SPECviewperf 13 benchmark while under a multitasking load. AMD also highlights that the card uses up to 32 percent less system power in SOLIDWORKS Than competing cards.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 AMD Radeon Pro W5500AMD Radeon Pro W5500M
Compute units2222
TeraflopsUp to 5.35Up to 4.79
Maximum power consumption125W85W
GDDR68GB4GB
Memory bandwidthUp to 224 GB/sUp to 224 GB/s
Memory interface128-bit128-bit
Display Outputs (DisplayPort 1.4)44

The card also works with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops as well as Microsoft Remote Desktop, so people can access their workstations from other devices.

AMD will showcase the Radeon Pro W5500 at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2020, which takes place from February 10 through February 12 in Nashville, Tennessee. AMD released less information about the Radeon Pro W5500M but included its specifications, which are listed above. For more GPU reading, have a look at our writeup about the best graphics cards around.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He's covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean's journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_. 

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