AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 6700S Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6700S and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT are separated by more than just a generation of silicon; the data reveals two distinct philosophies for achieving similar overall performance. The RX 6700S, a mobile-focused RDNA 2.0 part, wins the majority of benchmark comparisons (6 wins vs 5) but does so with a dramatically lower power envelope. The RX 5600 XT, a desktop card from the RDNA 1.0 era, counters with raw rasterization wins in specific workloads. The result is a near statistical dead heat in average score, but a very different story in efficiency and feature support.

The Verdict

The benchmark data paints a nuanced picture for potential buyers. The AMD Radeon RX 6700S is the better choice for users prioritizing a modern feature set and efficiency within a constrained power budget. Its average benchmark score of 22154 places it just 0.1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 5700, a desktop-class card, and 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile. This level of performance, achieved at an 80 W TDP, is a significant engineering accomplishment compared to the RX 5600 XT’s 150 W TDP.

Conversely, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is the pick for users who specifically need higher raw throughput in older DirectX 11 and 9 titles, or who value a desktop form factor with a dual-slot design and dedicated power connector. Its average score of 20713 is 6.5% lower than the RX 6700S’s average, yet it manages to win in specific legacy API tests. The RX 5600 XT’s lead in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is notable, but its overall percentile ranking (66th) is just one point below the RX 6700S (67th), indicating they occupy nearly the same performance tier in the broader GPU landscape.

For a new system, the data strongly favors the RX 6700S. Its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and superior Vulkan performance (35.5% higher) suggest it will handle modern and future titles better, while its lower power draw makes it more flexible for compact builds. The RX 5600 XT, with its launch MSRP of 279 USD, remains a valid choice for legacy DirectX workloads or for users who require the bandwidth of a 192-bit memory bus, but its architectural age shows in API-level comparisons.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent a generational leap within AMD’s RDNA architecture. The RX 6700S is built on RDNA 2.0 and uses the Navi 23 chip, while the RX 5600 XT is based on the original RDNA 1.0 and the Navi 10 chip. This architectural shift is the primary driver of their performance differences.

The most significant addition to the RX 6700S is the inclusion of 28 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent from the RX 5600 XT. This hardware enables real-time ray tracing support, which is a key component of the DirectX 12 Ultimate API that the RX 6700S supports. The RX 5600 XT is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1), lacking the full feature set of the newer spec.

Both GPUs are manufactured on the same 7 nm process at TSMC, but the transistor layout differs. The RX 6700S packs 11,060 million transistors into a smaller 237 mm² die, resulting in a higher transistor density of 46.7M / mm². The RX 5600 XT has 10,300 million transistors on a larger 251 mm² die, with a lower density of 41.0M / mm². This suggests the RDNA 2.0 architecture is more efficient in its use of silicon area.

The shader configuration also diverges. The RX 5600 XT actually has more shading units (2304 vs 1792) and more texture mapping units (144 vs 112), yet both GPUs have the same number of ROPs (64). This means the RX 6700S achieves its performance through architectural efficiency and higher clock speeds rather than sheer core count. The RX 6700S has a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 2000 MHz, significantly higher than the RX 5600 XT’s 1130 MHz base and 1560 MHz boost.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results reveal a clear split between API generations. The RX 6700S dominates in modern APIs, while the RX 5600 XT clings to leads in older ones. The largest margin of victory for the RX 6700S is in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it scores 76150 versus 56218, a massive 35.5% advantage. This indicates the RDNA 2.0 architecture has far better low-level API optimization. Similarly, in Passmark DirectX 11, the RX 6700S scores 134 against 96, a 39.6% lead, showcasing its strength in a widely-used gaming API.

The RX 6700S also wins in Passmark DirectX 12 (58 vs 52, an 11.5% lead) and Passmark DirectX 10 (87 vs 73, a 19.2% lead). Its most important overall win is in Passmark G3D, where it scores 15066 against 13457, a 12% improvement. This aggregate 3D graphics test is a strong indicator of overall gaming performance. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6700S edges out a win with 70965 vs 68537, a modest 3.5% lead.

The RX 5600 XT’s wins are fewer but still significant. Its most notable victory is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 1669 against 1451, a 13.1% lead. This is a surprising result given the RX 6700S’s superiority in other DX12 tests, suggesting the RX 5600 XT’s higher memory bandwidth (288.0 GB/s vs 224.0 GB/s) benefits this specific workload. It also wins in Geekbench Metal (80376 vs 72864, a 9.3% lead) and Passmark G2D (870 vs 739, a 15.1% lead). Two other wins are narrow: Passmark DirectX 9 (202 vs 195, a 3.5% lead) and Passmark GPU Compute (6296 vs 5990, a 4.9% lead).

Specification Differences

The specification sheet highlights the fundamental design goals of each card. The RX 6700S is a mobile-first product, classified as an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) with no power connectors and a TDP of just 80 W. The RX 5600 XT is a traditional desktop card with a dual-slot cooler, a single 8-pin power connector, and a TDP of 150 W. The physical length of the RX 5600 XT is 267 mm (10.5 inches), while the RX 6700S’s dimensions are listed as portable device dependent.

Memory configuration is another key differentiator. The RX 6700S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 5600 XT has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a wider 192-bit bus, yielding a higher 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. This explains the RX 5600 XT’s win in the memory-sensitive 3DMark Steel Nomad test. The RX 6700S compensates with faster effective memory speed (14 Gbps vs 12 Gbps).

Interface and output capabilities differ as well. The RX 6700S uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface and has portable device-dependent display outputs. The RX 5600 XT uses a full PCIe 4.0 x16 interface and provides 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs. The RX 6700S supports the newer DirectX 12 Ultimate API, while the RX 5600 XT is capped at DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700S has a higher average benchmark score of 22154, compared to the RX 5600 XT’s 20713. This represents a 6.5% difference in favor of the RX 6700S.

Q: Why does the RX 6700S win in Vulkan but lose in Metal?

A: The RX 6700S scores 76150 in Geekbench Vulkan, a 35.5% lead over the RX 5600 XT’s 56218, indicating superior low-level API optimization. However, in Geekbench Metal, the RX 5600 XT scores 80376 against 72864, a 9.3% lead, suggesting the older architecture is better optimized for Apple’s Metal API.

Q: Does the RX 5600 XT have a higher memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, the RX 5600 XT has a memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s due to its 192-bit bus, while the RX 6700S has 224.0 GB/s on a 128-bit bus. This may explain the RX 5600 XT’s 13.1% win in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two cards?

A: The RX 6700S has a TDP of 80 W, while the RX 5600 XT has a TDP of 150 W. This makes the RX 6700S significantly more power-efficient, nearly halving the power draw.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Only the AMD Radeon RX 6700S supports ray tracing, as it includes 28 dedicated ray tracing cores. The RX 5600 XT has no ray tracing cores listed in its specifications.

Q: How do their overall performance percentiles compare?

A: The RX 6700S is in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 5600 XT is in the 66th percentile. This indicates they perform at a very similar level overall, despite the architectural differences.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6700S is the clear winner for modern gaming and compute workloads. Its 35.5% lead in Geekbench Vulkan and 39.6% lead in Passmark DirectX 11 make it the superior choice for current game engines and applications that leverage these APIs. The inclusion of ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate future-proofs it for upcoming titles. Its 12% win in Passmark G3D confirms it is generally faster in 3D rendering, and its lower 80 W TDP makes it ideal for thin-and-light laptops or compact desktops where heat and power are at a premium.

The RX 5600 XT has a narrower set of advantages, but they are relevant for specific users. Its 13.1% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 suggests it handles certain modern, memory-heavy workloads better, likely due to its 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. Its wins in Geekbench Metal (9.3% lead) make it a better option for macOS-based workflows. The 15.1% lead in Passmark G2D indicates superior 2D desktop performance, and its 4.9% win in Passmark GPU Compute shows it has a slight edge in compute tasks. For users running legacy DirectX 9 applications, the RX 5600 XT’s 3.5% win is a minor but notable advantage.