[SOLVED] Radeon RX Vega 56 performance less than expected?

[EphyMusic]

Hello all! I'm having some minor inconveniences (let's be honest, frame rates are the least of our worries) with my RX Vega 56.

I've been comparing some frame rates between my RX Vega 56 (56 from here on) and my RX 580 (580 from here on). I'll be using GTA V and Destiny 2 as reference points.

GTA V stats:
56, max graphics settings, no OC (VSync on)
Peak FPS: 62
Lowest FPS: 28
Avg: 47
Util: 99-100%

580, max graphics settings, no OC (VSync on)
Peak FPS: 60
Lowest FPS: 58
Avg: 60
Util: ~78%


Destiny 2 stats:
56, max graphics settings, no OC (VSync on)
Peak FPS : 58
Lowest FPS: 50
Avg: 57
Util: ~87%

580, max graphics settings, no OC (VSync on)
Peak FPS: 60
Lowest FPS: 22
Avg: 44
Util: 92%

I'm honestly not certain as to what is going on. The 56 has vastly better specs, for the most part. More compute units, faster memory (I think, AMD states that the HBM2 memory on the 56 has an "effective" memory speed of 1.6Gbps as compared to the 580 with 8Gbps GDDR5, yet it has a max bandwidth of 410Gbps versus the 580's 256Gbps, as well as being 2048-bit instead of 256-bit on the 580, so I'm a tad confused here). I don't know what's causing it to have better performance in some games, but vastly worse performance in others, not to mention not matching up with benchmarks performed by other people (I have VSync on with a 60Hz monitor, so I know I'm not going to get anything more than 60FPS, but I expect it to hold a steady 60 in GTA V).

For completeness:

Motherboard: Asus Prime X370-A
CPU: Ryzen 5 1600 (no OC)
Memory: 16GB (2x8GB) 3000MHz (properly set in BIOS, because that's apparently a thing)
GPU:Radeon RX Vega 56 ASRock Phantom Gaming (Blower Style Cooler, uber sexy shroud)
GPU: Radeon RX 580 Sapphire Pulse (Also very sexy shroud, two fan cooling system)
PSU:Corsair RM850X (850W)

Graphics Drivers: AMD Radeon Software 2020 Edition v20.1.4 (have not updated to v20.2.1 yet, will update soon and try, but this has been an issue for several months. Hopefully the new update may bring better compatibility to the card)

Chipset Drivers: Bruh, I got no clue. I didn't even use the disc. But I have recently run Asus' bios and chipset update utility tools (EZ Update and AI Suite 3), and I don't have any notifications, so they are the latest.

Motherboard BIOS:v5222 (according to AI Suite 3)

Windows Updates: Completely Up To Date

GPU BIOS: The Current BIOS I'm on (this seems to have a dual bios switch, it's on the one that gives me less issues) is 016.001.001.000

Both of these games are installed on a Samsung QVO 860 1TB SSD.
My operating system (Win10 Pro 64-Bit) is installed on a Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache HDD


If anyone can help me figure out nani in the heckie is going on, that'd be much appreciated, thanks!

Edit: As an aside, not related to the GPU at all but just to these forums, I'm seeing this chat bubble looking icon with an ! inside of it that has the value "1" (you can see it on my user info attached to this post on the left), and I'm really struggling to figure out what it is, as mousing over it doesn't give me any information and I cannot, for the life of me, get any information by looking it up on google (it seems to think I'm trying to find information about live support chat on Tom's Hardware).

 

[dotas1]

What is the exact make and model of your PSU?

Do you have the latest GPU drivers, chipset drivers, BIOS and windows updates?

The icon that you are referring to in your edit, is the number of best solution(s) you have on these forums.

 

[EphyMusic]

I don't recall having any "Best Solutions" but heck, I'll take it!

My apologies, I did indeed forget to mention those! I'll provide them here and edit my OP to include those!

PSU: Corsair RM850X (850W)

Graphics Drivers: AMD Radeon Software 2020 Edition v20.1.4 (have not updated to v20.2.1 yet, will update soon and try, but this has been an issue for several months. Hopefully the new update may bring better compatibility to the card)

Chipset Drivers: Bruh, I got no clue. I didn't even use the disc. But I have recently run Asus' bios and chipset update utility tools (EZ Update and AI Suite 3), and I don't have any notifications, so they are the latest.

Motherboard BIOS:v5222 (according to AI Suite 3)

Windows Updates: Completely Up To Date

GPU BIOS: The Current BIOS I'm on (this seems to have a dual bios switch, it's on the one that gives me less issues) is 016.001.001.000

 

[EphyMusic]

If you'd like, I can actually copy and paste the full GPU spec thingy from my Radeon Software for the 56.

 

[logainofhades]

I would say that R5 1600 is what is holding you back, especially with it not being overclocked. Also have you run DDU, and then reinstalled drivers, before swapping cards? You could also have a driver issue, if you have not.

 

[EphyMusic]

Also have you run DDU, and then reinstalled drivers, before swapping cards? You could also have a driver issue, if you have not.

I have reinstalled drivers several times between cards, and it makes no difference in performance to when I don't bother resintalling at all between card swaps. Each time, I use AMD's Clean Up Utility.

I would say that R5 1600 is what is holding you back, especially with it not being overclocked.

As for my CPU, it barely licks at 70-80% in both games, so I can't say I believe I'm encountering a bottleneck there.

 

[dotas1]

Bottleneck is not what most people think it is. You can be bottlenecked with just 1 core being at 90+ usage and the rest almost idling. It always depends on what the application/program/game can utilise.
You need to check each core individually and not as a whole. Also, the clock speed of each core plays a significant role.

 

[bignastyid]

The icon with the ! is reactions not best answers.

 

[EphyMusic]

You need to check each core individually and not as a whole.

I have done so, these games do utilize all threads... relatively equally, it seems.

But if the CPU was the limiting factor here, wouldn't I expect to see relatively equal performance in both of the cards?

 

[EphyMusic]

I'm going to go ahead and put another piece of information in here (and update OP):

Both of these games are installed on a Samsung QVO 860 1TB SSD.
My operating system (Win10 Pro 64-Bit) is installed on a Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache HDD

 

[dotas1]

The icon with the ! is reactions not best answers.

Wow, I honestly thought it was for best answers. Well, live and learn...

For the OP now. I am a bit curious what will happen if you remove the Vsync while using the Vega 56. Also as someone else mentioned, you can always use DDU in safe mode to remove and reinstall your drivers just to be sure.
How To - How to perform a CLEAN install of your video card drivers. | Tom's Hardware Forum

 

[EphyMusic]

Regarding Vsync: I have just tried, and if there is a difference, it's rather negligible. Frame standards on the 56 are still within the ranges mentioned in OP for GTA V, new peak of 70 in Destiny 2. But that's not saying much.

 

[Inteltillamd]

Im having problems with vega 64 also.
My games like BF5 loads 4-5 time longer from origin to the game menu using 64. When i used gtx 1060 it was waaaay fast loading times.

alos watching 8k 60 fp was smoother with gtx 1060 6GB at 40% usage on GPU and a mere 9% on cpu.
With vega im getting 23% on GPU and 80% on cpu.

cpu is amd 1800x stock speeds

 

[Inteltillamd]

i guess vega grafix are just badly utilized and loading on its GPU is imbalanced

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Vegas are good cards. I was doing ok with a 1660 super (about the performance of a 1070) and a 1700x. I had the 1700x overclocked to 3.8ghz. However, I will say that I just upgraded to a ryzen 3600. Wow. I feel like I started getting better smother frame rates.

I did have a Vega 56 that I sold and could get up to 90-100 fps. Haven't tried with my 1660 super and my 3600 yet since I'd beaten the game.

However, I will say the 3600 feels so much faster. At least on the last poster, the fact that you have low gpu utilization but 80% CPU usage, that tells you your CPU is having a hard time keeping up and is bottlenecking the Vega card. In other words, depending on the game, the Vega is to powerful for the 1800x. Which actually surprises me. Maybe 8k is to much for it, but it should handle a movie.

To the op, what resolution are you playing at? If 1080p, what's probably happening is that the Vega card is probably choking your CPU. In other words at say 1080p or below your card is pushing more fps than your CPU can handle. Try overclocking if you haven't already. Also, if you didn't change settings on your games, turn your settings on your games to max. What you're trying to do is make the Vega do most of the heavy lifting. I play at 1080p 144hz. My system ran almost everything at high fps maxed out with my 1700x.

However if you left the settings lower like your 580 probably needed, your Vega is probably yawning on you and saying basically give me something I can do, and is feeding so many fps that your 1600 is struggling to keep up.

 

[Inteltillamd]

Ok. Here goes.

gtx 1060 with the same settings in bf5 as with vega and with vega im hitting 90% usage and 1800x at only 20-30-40 som are 50-56 % usage. Never above the 60%. How is my 1800x a bottleneck.?

FPS is not the problem here. Its the loading times from origin to the start menu and from when i quit a game session to get back to game menu is when its veeeeery very slow.


and about 8k.

why is my 1060 veing taxed most of the heavylifting at 40% and my 1800x At mere 9%.
Shouldnt the cpu tell the vega to do thesame aswell?
Or vega is not listening to the cpus commands to do tasks.