Radeon R9 Fury X vs Radeon RX Vega 56

Speed and memory

The Radeon R9 Fury X and the Radeon RX Vega 56 are within a few percent of each other for gaming in our model, so you will not see a difference in play.

The Radeon R9 Fury X has 4 GB of video memory and the Radeon RX Vega 56 has 8 GB. That difference matters at 1440p and in new games at High textures, and it can outweigh a small speed advantage as the card ages.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Call of Duty (26 against 37 fps), and the smallest is in Red Dead Redemption 2 (49 against 52 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon R9 Fury X is rated at 275 W and the Radeon RX Vega 56 at 210 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 650 W for the first and 550 W for the second. A gap of 65 W shows up in heat and fan noise, and in your electricity use over a few years.

At launch the Radeon R9 Fury X cost $649 and the Radeon RX Vega 56 $399. Per dollar, the Radeon RX Vega 56 gave more performance (3.5 points per $100 against 2.2). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon R9 Fury X if you want the faster card, and you can accept 4 GB of memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the Radeon RX Vega 56 if the price gap matters more than the small speed difference, and you value the extra video memory. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.