AMD Radeon R9 370X vs AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT and the AMD Radeon R9 370X represent two distinct eras of AMD graphics, separated by nearly a decade of architectural evolution. The data shows a decisive generational leap, with the RX 7600 XT dominating in every head-to-head comparison, yet the R9 370X retains a distinct profile in the benchmark database that makes its historical position worth examining.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT wins 2 out of 2 shared tests, with no victories recorded for the R9 370X. This is not a close contest. The RX 7600 XT’s performance advantage is so pronounced that it redefines the comparison entirely. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 7600 XT scores 92,426 against the R9 370X’s 25,893, a delta of 257%. In the Geekbench Vulkan test, the RX 7600 XT posts 48,366 versus 9,018, a delta of 436.3%.

The R9 370X, however, holds its own in a different sense: its average benchmark score of 15,862 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, which is remarkably close to the RX 7600 XT’s 60th percentile and average score of 17,083. This suggests that while the R9 370X is utterly outclassed in raw compute tests, its overall standing in the database is not as distant as the head-to-head numbers imply. The RX 7600 XT’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (avg score 17,208, delta -0.7%) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17,037, delta 0.3%), placing it in a modern performance tier. The R9 370X, by contrast, sits near the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852, delta 0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129, delta -1.7%), indicating it is being compared against much more recent hardware than its release era would suggest.

For use-case analysis, the RX 7600 XT is the clear choice for any workload relying on current API standards like Vulkan, where its 436.3% lead over the R9 370X demonstrates a fundamental capability gap. The R9 370X shows no scenario in the data where it wins, making it a legacy part that should only be considered for retro-computing or compatibility with older software environments.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two GPUs is vast, explaining the performance chasm. The RX 7600 XT uses the Navi 33 chip built on RDNA 3.0 architecture, codenamed Hotpink Bonefish, part of the Navi III (RX 7000) generation. It is fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC, containing 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 65.2M per mm². The R9 370X uses the Trinidad chip based on GCN 1.0 architecture, part of the Pirate Islands (R9 300) generation, built on a 28 nm process also at TSMC, with 2,800 million transistors on a 212 mm² die, resulting in a density of 13.2M per mm². The RX 7600 XT packs nearly five times the transistors into a slightly smaller die.

Clock speeds tell a similar story. The RX 7600 XT has a base clock of 1980 MHz, a boost clock of 2755 MHz, and a game clock of 2470 MHz, while the R9 370X runs at a base of 980 MHz and a boost of 1030 MHz. Memory configurations diverge sharply: the RX 7600 XT offers 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the R9 370X provides 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 179.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7600 XT’s memory clock is 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective), versus 1400 MHz (5.6 Gbps effective) for the R9 370X.

Compute resources favor the newer card overwhelmingly. The RX 7600 XT has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with 32 ray tracing cores. The R9 370X has 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with no ray tracing support. Pixel rate for the RX 7600 XT is 176.3 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 352.6 GTexel/s, while the R9 370X manages 32.96 GPixel/s and 82.40 GTexel/s. FP32 performance reaches 22.57 TFLOPS on the RX 7600 XT (with FP16 at 22.57 TFLOPS at 1:1 ratio), versus 2.637 TFLOPS on the R9 370X, with no FP16 data listed.

API support further separates them. The RX 7600 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the R9 370X tops out at DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170. Power requirements are similar in TDP—190 W for the RX 7600 XT versus 180 W for the R9 370X—but the newer card uses a single 8-pin connector while the older one requires two 6-pin connectors. The RX 7600 XT is a dual-slot card measuring 204 mm in length and 115 mm in height, while the R9 370X is also dual-slot but slightly longer at 221 mm and shorter at 111 mm.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The two shared benchmark tests highlight the generational gulf. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 7600 XT scores 92,426, which is 257% higher than the R9 370X’s 25,893. This is not a marginal improvement; it is a near-quadrupling of raw compute throughput. The RX 7600 XT’s FP32 output of 22.57 TFLOPS, combined with its GDDR6 memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, allows it to feed its 2048 shading units far more effectively than the R9 370X can feed its 1280 units with 179.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the delta widens to 436.3%, with the RX 7600 XT scoring 48,366 against the R9 370X’s 9,018. This massive percentage increase suggests that the R9 370X is not merely slower but fundamentally handicapped in modern Vulkan workloads, likely due to its GCN 1.0 architecture lacking features that RDNA 3.0 leverages. The RX 7600 XT’s Vulkan 1.4 support versus the R9 370X’s Vulkan 1.2.170 is another indicator of capability, though the score gap far exceeds what API version alone would explain.

Comparing average benchmark scores, the RX 7600 XT holds a 7.7% lead (17,083 versus 15,862), but this aggregates different test suites. The RX 7600 XT’s individual scores include a Passmark G3D result of 17,132 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 92,426, while the R9 370X’s highest listed score is its Geekbench OpenCL at 25,893. The R9 370X also has a Geekbench Metal score of 12,676, a test not run on the RX 7600 XT, giving it a niche where it can be evaluated separately.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the RX 7600 XT in OpenCL compute?

A: The RX 7600 XT scores 92,426 in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 257% higher than the R9 370X’s 25,893.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The largest delta appears in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 7600 XT leads by 436.3%, scoring 48,366 versus 9,018.

Q: Do both cards support ray tracing?

A: No. The RX 7600 XT has 32 ray tracing cores, while the R9 370X lists no ray tracing cores at all.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The RX 7600 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the R9 370X has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 179.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: Both have similar TDPs—190 W for the RX 7600 XT and 180 W for the R9 370X—and both suggest a 450 W power supply. The RX 7600 XT uses one 8-pin connector, while the R9 370X requires two 6-pin connectors.

Q: Which card has better API support?

A: The RX 7600 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The R9 370X is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.170.

The Verdict

The data is conclusive: the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the superior product by every measurable metric in the shared benchmarks. Its 257% lead in OpenCL and 436.3% lead in Vulkan are not incremental improvements but represent a complete architectural overhaul. The RX 7600 XT’s RDNA 3.0 architecture, with 2048 shading units, 32 ray tracing cores, and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, places it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs, competing with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (avg score 17,208, delta -0.7%). It is an active production card with a launch MSRP of 329 USD, supporting modern APIs like DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4.

The R9 370X, despite being end-of-life since 2015, holds a surprisingly high 58th percentile ranking with an average score of 15,862, placing it near the AMD Radeon RX 7700 (15,852, delta 0.1%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16,129, delta -1.7%). Its GCN 1.0 architecture, 1280 shading units, and 2 GB of GDDR5 memory are severely dated, but its 256-bit bus and 179.2 GB/s bandwidth were respectable for its era. Its launch MSRP was 199 USD.

For any modern workload—gaming, compute, or content creation—the RX 7600 XT is the only reasonable choice. The R9 370X should be reserved for legacy systems running older DirectX 11-era software or for collectors preserving the Pirate Islands generation. The benchmark data leaves no room for ambiguity: the RX 7600 XT wins every head-to-head test, and the R9 370X’s only virtue is its historical context, not its current performance.