AMD Radeon RX 570 vs AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 570 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT represent two distinct eras of AMD graphics technology, separated by four years of architectural evolution. The benchmark data from the database shows a clear generational gap, with the newer RX 6600 XT winning all four recorded head-to-head tests. However, the RX 570 still holds relevance in legacy scenarios, particularly for older API workloads and systems constrained by power or interface limitations. This analysis breaks down where each card excels, the architectural reasons behind their performance differences, and what the recorded numbers mean for real-world usage.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6600 XT dominates across every benchmark test recorded in the database. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 6600 XT scores 1804 compared to the RX 570's 880, a 51.2% advantage. The gap widens in compute-oriented tests: Geekbench OpenCL shows the RX 6600 XT at 80503 versus 32084 for the RX 570, a 60.1% lead. Geekbench Metal similarly favors the newer card, with 88720 against 39349, a 55.6% difference. Even in Vulkan, where the RX 570 is relatively stronger, the RX 6600 XT still leads 72417 to 42752, a 41% margin.

The RX 570's only potential wins are situational rather than benchmark-based. Its 150 W TDP and single 6-pin power connector make it easier to slot into older systems with modest power supplies, though the RX 6600 XT also requires only a 450 W suggested PSU. The RX 570's PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is backward compatible with older motherboards, whereas the RX 6600 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which can run on PCIe 3.0 slots but with reduced bandwidth. For users running DirectX 9 or OpenGL legacy titles, the RX 570's GCN architecture retains mature driver support, but the database does not include direct comparison scores for those APIs.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The RX 570 uses Polaris 20, based on GCN 4.0, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It packs 5,700 million transistors into a 232 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 24.6 million per mm². The RX 6600 XT uses Navi 23, based on RDNA 2.0, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It contains 11,060 million transistors in a 237 mm² die, achieving 46.7 million transistors per mm², nearly double the density. This node advantage allows the RX 6600 XT to run at much higher clocks: a base of 1968 MHz and boost of 2589 MHz versus the RX 570's 1168 MHz base and 1244 MHz boost. The RX 6600 XT also has a game clock of 2359 MHz, a feature absent on the RX 570.

Memory configurations differ significantly. The RX 570 offers 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6600 XT provides 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, but with a higher 2000 MHz memory clock (16 Gbps effective) achieving 256.0 GB/s. The narrower bus is compensated by faster memory and better compression. Both cards have 2048 shading units and 128 texture mapping units, but the RX 6600 XT doubles the ROPs to 64 versus 32. The RX 6600 XT also includes 32 ray tracing cores, a feature entirely absent on the RX 570. Pixel rate jumps from 39.81 GPixel/s to 165.7 GPixel/s, and texture rate from 159.2 GTexel/s to 331.4 GTexel/s. FP32 compute doubles from 5.095 TFLOPS to 10.60 TFLOPS, while FP16 sees a 4x increase from 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1) to 21.21 TFLOPS (2:1).

API support also advances. The RX 570 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The RX 6600 XT supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 6600 XT's display outputs include HDMI 2.1, whereas the RX 570 uses HDMI 2.0b, plus a DVI port that the newer card lacks. Both are dual-slot cards, but the RX 570 measures 241 mm (9.5 inches) in length, while the RX 6600 XT is shorter at 190 mm (7.5 inches) with specified height and width of 110 mm and 40 mm respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher raw compute performance?

A: The RX 6600 XT delivers 10.60 TFLOPS FP32, more than double the RX 570's 5.095 TFLOPS. In FP16, the RX 6600 XT reaches 21.21 TFLOPS (2:1), while the RX 570 offers 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1).

Q: Is the RX 570 competitive in any modern benchmark?

A: The database shows the RX 570 wins zero of four head-to-head tests. Its closest result is Geekbench Vulkan, where it trails by 41%, while the largest deficit is 60.1% in Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: How does memory capacity and bandwidth compare?

A: The RX 570 has 4 GB GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6600 XT has 8 GB GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, providing both more capacity and higher bandwidth.

Q: Does the RX 6600 XT support ray tracing?

A: Yes, it includes 32 ray tracing cores. The RX 570 has no ray tracing cores at all.

Q: Are the power requirements similar?

A: The RX 570 has a 150 W TDP with a single 6-pin power connector. The RX 6600 XT has a 160 W TDP with a single 8-pin connector. Both suggest a 450 W power supply.

Q: What are the production statuses of these cards?

A: Both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The RX 570 was released in April 2017, and the RX 6600 XT in July 2021.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 570 | AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | RDNA 2.0 |

| Process Node | 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) | 7 nm (TSMC) |

| Transistors | 5,700 million | 11,060 million |

| Die Size | 232 mm² | 237 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 24.6M / mm² | 46.7M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1168 MHz | 1968 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1244 MHz | 2589 MHz |

| Game Clock | N/A | 2359 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective) | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB GDDR5 | 8 GB GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 256.0 GB/s |

| ROPs | 32 | 64 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | N/A | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 39.81 GPixel/s | 165.7 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 159.2 GTexel/s | 331.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 5.095 TFLOPS | 10.60 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 5.095 TFLOPS (1:1) | 21.21 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 150 W | 160 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 6-pin | 1x 8-pin |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.3 | 1.4 |

| Dimensions | 241 mm (9.5 inches) long | 190 mm (7.5 inches) long, 110 mm (4.3 inches) high, 40 mm (1.6 inches) wide |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records four direct comparisons between these cards, and the RX 6600 XT wins every one. The smallest margin appears in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 6600 XT scores 72417 against 42752, a 41% lead. This test likely benefits from the RX 570's GCN architecture having mature async compute, but the newer RDNA 2 implementation still pulls ahead substantially.

The largest gap is in Geekbench OpenCL, with the RX 6600 XT at 80503 and the RX 570 at 32084, a 60.1% difference. This aligns with the raw compute specifications: the RX 6600 XT's FP32 throughput of 10.60 TFLOPS is more than double the RX 570's 5.095 TFLOPS, and its FP16 support at 2:1 ratio further accelerates compute workloads. The OpenCL test heavily stresses shader throughput, where the RX 6600 XT's higher clocks and doubled ROP count provide a clear advantage.

Geekbench Metal shows a 55.6% win for the RX 6600 XT, scoring 88720 versus 39349. Metal performance on macOS or iOS environments benefits from the RX 6600 XT's modern architecture and faster memory subsystem. Even though the RX 570's 256-bit bus provides more raw memory lanes, the RX 6600 XT's GDDR6 at 16 Gbps effective delivers higher total bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test records 1804 for the RX 6600 XT and 880 for the RX 570, a 51.2% difference. This modern DirectX 12 workload takes advantage of the RX 6600 XT's DirectX 12 Ultimate feature set, including ray tracing and mesh shaders, which the RX 570 cannot fully utilize. The RX 6600 XT's 64 ROPs also help with pixel-heavy scenes, doubling the fill rate to 165.7 GPixel/s.

Comparing the average benchmark scores in the database, the RX 570 achieves 28766 across all recorded tests, placing it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 6600 XT averages 24442, which sits in the 70th percentile, though this lower average is influenced by additional PassMark tests recorded for the RX 6600 XT that are not available for the RX 570. The nearest rivals for the RX 570 include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M with an average score of 28874 (0.4% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 470 at 28996 (0.8% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 at 28421 (1.2% lower). For the RX 6600 XT, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 at 24277 (0.7% higher), the Intel Arc A350M at 24647 (0.8% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER at 24170 (1.1% higher).

The data clearly shows that the RX 6600 XT represents a generational leap over the RX 570 in every measurable aspect. Its 7 nm process, doubled transistor count, higher clocks, and modern feature set deliver consistent 41% to 60% performance improvements across all benchmark categories. The RX 570 remains a viable entry point for budget systems, but the RX 6600 XT's superior compute, memory bandwidth, and API support make it the definitive choice for current workloads.