AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 6800S Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data splits these two AMD GPUs into clear roles. The AMD Radeon RX 6800S wins 8 of 11 head-to-head tests, including all three Geekbench compute tests and the PassMark G3D suite. Its average benchmark score of 24063 places it at the 69th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 5600 XT averages 20713 and sits at the 66th percentile. The RX 6800S also lands within 0.4% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24170) and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 9070 (23877), showing it competes above its class in raw aggregate output.

The RX 5600 XT is the pick for legacy DirectX 9 workloads and 2D desktop tasks. It wins PassMark DirectX 9 by 1% (202 vs 200) and PassMark G2D by 15.9% (870 vs 732). It also edges out the RX 6800S in PassMark GPU compute, 6296 vs 6144, a 2.4% margin. Users focused on older API titles or compute-heavy PassMark workloads will find the RX 5600 XT holds its own despite the lower overall score.

For everything modern, the RX 6800S is the stronger choice. Its Vulkan advantage is massive at 44.6% (81272 vs 56218), and it leads by 18.2% in PassMark G3D (15908 vs 13457). The RX 6800S also delivers 6.1% higher Metal scores (85256 vs 80376) and 6.8% higher OpenCL scores (73202 vs 68537). The RX 5600 XT trails in every DirectX 10, 11, and 12 test, with deficits of 24.7%, 44.8%, and 25% respectively. The verdict is straightforward: the RX 6800S for modern APIs and general 3D performance, the RX 5600 XT for legacy API compatibility and 2D throughput.

Architecture Differences

The RX 6800S uses the Navi 23 chip built on RDNA 2.0, a 7 nm design from TSMC with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. The RX 5600 XT uses Navi 10 built on the older RDNA 1.0 architecture, also 7 nm TSMC, with 10,300 million transistors on a larger 251 mm² die. The transistor density reflects this: 46.7M per mm² for the RX 6800S versus 41.0M per mm² for the RX 5600 XT. The RX 6800S belongs to the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) generation, while the RX 5600 XT is from the Navi (RX 5000) family.

Clock speeds differ sharply. The RX 6800S runs a base clock of 1800 MHz, a game clock of 1975 MHz, and a boost of 2100 MHz. The RX 5600 XT operates at 1130 MHz base, 1375 MHz game, and 1560 MHz boost. The RX 6800S has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, plus 32 ray tracing cores. The RX 5600 XT has more shading units at 2304 and more TMUs at 144, but the same 64 ROPs and no ray tracing cores. Despite fewer shading units, the RX 6800S achieves higher pixel rate (134.4 GPixel/s vs 99.84 GPixel/s) and texture rate (268.8 GTexel/s vs 224.6 GTexel/s), driven by its higher clocks.

Memory configurations also diverge. The RX 6800S has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth and 2000 MHz memory clock (16 Gbps effective). The RX 5600 XT has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a wider 192-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth and 1500 MHz memory clock (12 Gbps effective). The RX 5600 XT offers more bandwidth, but the RX 6800S has more capacity. The RX 6800S is an integrated GPU (IGP) form factor with no power connectors and a 100 W TDP, while the RX 5600 XT is a dual-slot card with a single 8-pin connector, 150 W TDP, and a 450 W suggested PSU. The RX 6800S uses PCIe 4.0 x8, the RX 5600 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16. The RX 6800S supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX 5600 XT is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1) with the same Vulkan 1.4 support. The RX 5600 XT offers fixed display outputs (1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a) and measures 267 mm (10.5 inches) long; the RX 6800S has portable-device-dependent outputs. The RX 6800S launched on 2022-01-03, two years after the RX 5600 XT's 2020-01-20 release. The RX 5600 XT carries a launch MSRP of 279 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win belongs to the RX 6800S in PassMark DirectX 11, where it scores 139 against 96, a 44.8% advantage. The Vulkan gap is nearly identical: 81272 vs 56218, a 44.6% lead. These two tests define the RX 6800S as the modern-API specialist. DirectX 10 shows a 24.7% edge (91 vs 73), and DirectX 12 follows at 25% (65 vs 52). In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 6800S wins by a slim 1.2% (1689 vs 1669), indicating near parity in that specific workload.

Geekbench results all favor the RX 6800S. Metal scores sit at 85256 vs 80376 (6.1% ahead), OpenCL at 73202 vs 68537 (6.8% ahead), and Vulkan at 81272 vs 56218 (44.6% ahead). The PassMark G3D test gives the RX 6800S a solid 18.2% win (15908 vs 13457), reinforcing its general 3D superiority.

The RX 5600 XT claims three wins. Its PassMark G2D score of 870 beats 732 by 15.9%, the largest margin in its favor. PassMark GPU compute shows 6296 vs 6144, a 2.4% edge. DirectX 9 is a near tie at 202 vs 200, a 1% win for the RX 5600 XT. These wins are concentrated in legacy and compute domains, not in modern 3D rendering.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800S averages 24063 across all recorded benchmarks, while the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT averages 20713.

Q: How large is the Vulkan performance gap between these two cards?

A: The RX 6800S scores 81272 in Geekbench Vulkan versus 56218 for the RX 5600 XT, a 44.6% advantage for the RX 6800S.

Q: Does the RX 5600 XT win any benchmark tests?

A: Yes, it wins PassMark DirectX 9 (202 vs 200), PassMark G2D (870 vs 732), and PassMark GPU compute (6296 vs 6144).

Q: What memory configuration does each GPU use?

A: The RX 6800S has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 5600 XT has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do these GPUs support ray tracing?

A: The RX 6800S includes 32 ray tracing cores, while the RX 5600 XT has no ray tracing cores listed in its specifications.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RX 6800S has a 100 W TDP and no power connectors. The RX 5600 XT has a 150 W TDP, uses a single 8-pin connector, and requires a 450 W suggested PSU.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6800S dominates modern API workloads. Its Vulkan score is 44.6% higher, its DirectX 11 score is 44.8% higher, and its DirectX 10 and DirectX 12 scores are 24.7% and 25% higher respectively. The PassMark G3D result (18.2% ahead) confirms the RX 6800S as the better choice for contemporary 3D gaming and rendering tasks. Its 8 GB memory capacity also supports larger textures and assets than the 6 GB RX 5600 XT, and its 32 ray tracing cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing that the RX 5600 XT cannot perform. The RX 6800S also carries the higher transistor density (46.7M vs 41.0M per mm²) and the newer RDNA 2.0 architecture, which underpins its DirectX 12 Ultimate support versus the RX 5600 XT's DirectX 12 (12_1) baseline.

The RX 5600 XT wins in three specific areas. Its PassMark G2D lead of 15.9% makes it the better option for 2D desktop workloads and applications that stress 2D rendering. The GPU compute victory, though narrow at 2.4%, suggests the RX 5600 XT handles certain compute tasks slightly better in PassMark's measurement. The DirectX 9 win, while marginal at 1%, gives it an edge for older games and legacy applications that rely on DirectX 9. The RX 5600 XT also offers higher memory bandwidth (288.0 GB/s vs 256.0 GB/s) and a wider 192-bit bus, which can benefit bandwidth-sensitive workloads, though the RX 6800S compensates with higher clocks and newer architecture.

For a system builder choosing between these two end-of-life GPUs, the decision hinges on workload. Modern games, Vulkan-based titles, and DirectX 12 applications clearly favor the RX 6800S, which also delivers superior 3D performance overall. The RX 5600 XT remains viable for legacy API support, 2D-heavy environments, and compute-oriented PassMark tasks, and its dual-slot design with fixed display outputs suits traditional desktop builds. The RX 6800S, as an IGP with portable-device-dependent outputs, targets mobile systems, which explains its lower TDP of 100 W versus 150 W for the RX 5600 XT. The data shows a generational shift: RDNA 2.0's efficiency and feature set give the RX 6800S a decisive edge in modern workloads, while the RDNA 1.0 RX 5600 XT holds onto niche legacy strengths.