AMD Radeon RX 570 vs AMD Radeon RX 6700 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 and the AMD Radeon RX 570 represent two distinctly different eras of GPU design, and the benchmark data reflects a generational chasm. The RX 6700, built on RDNA 2.0, holds a commanding lead across every shared test, while the RX 570, a GCN 4.0 part, remains a capable legacy option. The data shows a clear hierarchy: the RX 6700 is the far more powerful card, but the RX 570’s lower power draw and simpler power connector requirements make it a practical choice for older or more constrained systems.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive victory for the RX 6700 comes in the Geekbench Metal test, where it scores 122,223 against the RX 570’s 39,349. That is a 210.6% advantage, meaning the RX 6700 more than triples the RX 570’s output in this API. Similarly, in Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6700 posts 97,841 versus 32,084, a 205% lead. These are not marginal gains; they represent a complete architectural leap in compute throughput.

The gap narrows somewhat in the Vulkan benchmark, but the result is still lopsided. The RX 6700 scores 83,974, while the RX 570 manages 42,752, giving the newer card a 96.4% advantage. This suggests that even in a modern, low-level API where the older GCN architecture can flex its muscles, the RX 6700’s raw shader power and higher clocks simply overwhelm it.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test tells a similar story, with the RX 6700 hitting 2,014 points and the RX 570 trailing at 880. That is a 128.9% delta, reinforcing that the RX 6700 is roughly twice as fast in this demanding DirectX 12 workload. Across all four head-to-head tests, the RX 6700 wins 4-0, with no single benchmark where the RX 570 comes out ahead.

When placed against its own nearest rivals, the RX 6700’s average benchmark score of 30,433 sits just 0.1% below the NVIDIA CMP 70HX (30,476) and 1.1% above the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30,095). The RX 570, with an average score of 28,766, is similarly positioned within its own peer group, trailing the AMD Radeon RX 470 by 0.8% and leading the AMD Radeon R9 M295X by 0.7%. This shows both cards are mid-pack performers in their respective generations, but the RX 6700’s absolute score is roughly 5.8% higher than the RX 570’s average.

Architecture Differences

The RX 6700 is built on a 7 nm TSMC process, packing 17,200 million transistors into a 335 mm² die. This yields a transistor density of 51.3 million per square millimeter. The RX 570, by contrast, uses a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process, with just 5,700 million transistors on a 232 mm² die, giving it a density of 24.6 million per square millimeter. The newer node is the primary driver of the RX 6700’s efficiency and clock headroom.

The core architectures are fundamentally different. The RX 6700 uses RDNA 2.0, which brings dedicated ray tracing cores (36 of them) and a 2:1 FP16 ratio, delivering 22.58 TFLOPS FP16 versus 11.29 TFLOPS FP32. The RX 570 uses GCN 4.0, which has no ray tracing support and offers a 1:1 FP16 ratio, meaning it does 5.095 TFLOPS for both FP16 and FP32. The RX 6700’s raw FP32 throughput is 11.29 TFLOPS, more than double the RX 570’s 5.095 TFLOPS.

Memory configurations also diverge sharply. The RX 6700 comes with 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 570 has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, which provides 224.0 GB/s. Despite the narrower bus, the RX 6700’s faster GDDR6 memory gives it a 42.9% bandwidth advantage. Clock speeds follow the same trend: the RX 6700 boosts to 2450 MHz with a base of 1941 MHz, while the RX 570 boosts to just 1244 MHz and idles at 1168 MHz.

The RX 6700 also features more execution resources: 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, compared to the RX 570’s 2048 shaders, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This translates to a pixel rate of 156.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 352.8 GTexel/s for the RX 6700, versus 39.81 GPixel/s and 159.2 GTexel/s for the RX 570. The RX 6700’s pixel throughput is nearly four times higher, which directly impacts rasterization-heavy workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher ray tracing performance?

A: The RX 6700 is the only card with dedicated ray tracing hardware, featuring 36 RT cores. The RX 570 has no RT cores at all, so it cannot perform hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RX 6700 has a TDP of 175 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector, while the RX 570 has a TDP of 150 W and uses a single 6-pin connector. Both recommend a 450 W power supply.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The RX 6700 offers 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus. The RX 570 provides 224.0 GB/s from 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus. The RX 6700’s bandwidth is 42.9% higher.

Q: Is the RX 570 still viable for modern games?

A: The data suggests it is a legacy part. Its DirectX support is limited to 12 (12_0), whereas the RX 6700 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The RX 570’s average benchmark score of 28,766 places it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable but far below the RX 6700’s 75th percentile.

Q: Which card supports more display outputs?

A: The RX 6700 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RX 570 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RX 6700’s HDMI 2.1 is newer, but the RX 570 offers a legacy DVI port.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The RX 6700 has a density of 51.3 million transistors per mm², while the RX 570 has 24.6 million per mm². This is a direct result of the 7 nm process versus the 14 nm process.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every measurable specification. The RX 6700 uses a 7 nm process from TSMC, while the RX 570 uses 14 nm from GlobalFoundries. Transistor counts are 17,200 million versus 5,700 million, and die sizes are 335 mm² versus 232 mm². Clock speeds: the RX 6700 has a base of 1941 MHz and a boost of 2450 MHz, while the RX 570 has a base of 1168 MHz and a boost of 1244 MHz. The RX 6700 also has a defined game clock of 2174 MHz, which the RX 570 lacks.

Memory is another major split: the RX 6700 has 10 GB of GDDR6 at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), while the RX 570 has 4 GB of GDDR5 at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). Bus widths are 160-bit and 256-bit respectively, but bandwidth favors the RX 6700 at 320.0 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s. The RX 6700 has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs; the RX 570 has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The RX 6700 includes 36 RT cores, while the RX 570 has none.

Power and connectivity differ as well. The RX 6700 draws 175 W with a 1x 8-pin connector, while the RX 570 draws 150 W with a 1x 6-pin connector. Both suggest a 450 W PSU. The RX 6700 uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RX 570 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are also different: the RX 6700 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RX 570 has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. API support favors the RX 6700 with DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, versus DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 for the RX 570.

The Verdict

The benchmark results are unambiguous: the RX 6700 is the superior card in every shared test. Its wins are not close—210.6% in Metal, 205% in OpenCL, 128.9% in 3DMark Steel Nomad, and 96.4% in Vulkan. The RX 6700’s average benchmark score of 30,433 is 5.8% higher than the RX 570’s 28,766, and it sits in the 75th percentile of all GPUs versus the RX 570’s 74th. The RX 6700 also brings modern features like ray tracing, PCIe 4.0, and DirectX 12 Ultimate, none of which the RX 570 can offer.

However, the RX 570 is not without its niche. It draws 25 W less power, uses a simpler 6-pin connector instead of an 8-pin, and retains a DVI output for legacy monitors. Its 14 nm process and GCN architecture are dated, but its 4 GB of VRAM and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are still workable for 1080p gaming at lower settings. For anyone building a new system or upgrading from an older card, the RX 6700 is the obvious choice. For someone with a strict power budget or an older power supply without an 8-pin connector, the RX 570 remains a functional, if much slower, alternative.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6700 wins in every compute-heavy scenario. Its FP32 throughput of 11.29 TFLOPS dwarfs the RX 570’s 5.095 TFLOPS, making it the clear pick for 3D rendering, video encoding, or any GPU-accelerated workload. Its 36 RT cores enable ray-traced effects that are impossible on the RX 570, and its 10 GB of VRAM provides headroom for high-resolution textures that would exhaust the RX 570’s 4 GB. The RX 6700’s higher pixel rate (156.8 GPixel/s) and texture rate (352.8 GTexel/s) also make it better suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p or above.

The RX 570 wins in the specific case of legacy system compatibility. Its 150 W TDP and 6-pin connector fit into older power supplies and cases that lack modern 8-pin PCIe power cables. Its DVI output connects directly to older monitors without adapters. In terms of raw performance, the RX 570 is outclassed, but for a budget build that prioritizes low power draw and compatibility over frame rates, it is a functional choice. Its 74th percentile ranking shows it is not obsolete, but it is a card for secondary or retro systems, not a primary gaming rig.