AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 7600 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a split decision between these two AMD Radeon cards. The RX 7600 wins 6 of the 10 head-to-head tests, while the RX 5700 XT takes 4. However, the margin of victory varies dramatically across tests, revealing distinct performance profiles rather than a simple overall winner.

Starting with the most striking result: in Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 7600 delivers a score of 88,051 versus the RX 5700 XT’s 9,524. That is an 89.2% advantage, by far the largest gap in any test. This is not a marginal win; the RX 7600 is over nine times faster in this compute workload. The data indicates a fundamental generational leap in raw compute throughput, consistent with the RX 7600’s FP32 rating of 21.75 TFLOPS versus 9.754 TFLOPS for the older card.

The reverse is equally stark in Geekbench Vulkan. Here, the RX 5700 XT scores 68,310 against the RX 7600’s 34,401, a 98.6% lead. This near-doubling of performance in the older card’s favor is puzzling given the newer architecture, but the numbers are unambiguous. The RX 5700 XT wins this test by the same magnitude that it loses OpenCL, suggesting workload-specific strengths rather than an overall superiority in either direction.

In DirectX 11, the RX 7600 wins decisively with a score of 172 versus 116, a 32.6% advantage. This is a substantial margin for a legacy API, indicating that the newer card handles driver-level optimizations for this workload better. Conversely, in DirectX 12, the RX 5700 XT edges ahead at 64 versus 58, a 10.3% lead. In DirectX 10, the RX 5700 XT wins 97 to 84, a 15.5% margin. The two cards tie exactly in DirectX 9 at 226 points each, which the data records as a win for the RX 5700 XT due to the tiebreaker rule, though the delta is 0%.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the RX 7600 ahead at 2,310 versus 2,134, a 7.6% advantage. This modern, demanding workload favors the newer architecture, but the margin is modest compared to the OpenCL gap. In PassMark G3D, the overall gaming-oriented score, the RX 7600 wins narrowly at 16,634 versus 16,277, just 2.1% apart. This near-parity in the aggregate gaming metric contrasts sharply with the extremes seen in compute and Vulkan tests.

Compute performance leans clearly toward the RX 7600. Beyond the OpenCL blowout, the PassMark GPU Compute test shows it ahead at 8,790 versus 7,650, a 13% win. The RX 7600 also wins the 2D graphics test (PassMark G2D) at 984 versus 922, a 6.3% margin, suggesting better desktop and 2D acceleration characteristics.

The average benchmark scores tell a slightly different story than the head-to-head results. The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16,361 across all tests, while the RX 7600 averages 15,171. This is a 7.3% lower average for the newer card, despite winning more head-to-head matchups. This discrepancy arises because the RX 5700 XT’s Vulkan score is so high (68,310) that it pulls its average up, even though it loses several other tests. The RX 7600’s OpenCL score (88,051) is even higher, but its Vulkan score (34,401) drags the average down. The percentile rankings reflect this: the RX 5700 XT sits at the 59th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7600 is at the 57th percentile. Despite the newer architecture, the older card ranks slightly higher overall because of its Vulkan dominance.

Nearest rival data adds context. The RX 5700 XT’s closest competitor is the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with an average score of 16,351, a mere 0.1% difference. The RX 7600’s nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15,199, just 0.2% behind. These comparisons show that both cards sit in crowded performance tiers, with the RX 5700 XT’s tier being slightly higher on average.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split recommendation based on workload priorities. For users running compute-heavy applications, particularly OpenCL workloads, the RX 7600 is the unequivocal choice. Its 89.2% lead in Geekbench OpenCL is the single largest performance gap in the entire dataset, and its 13% advantage in PassMark GPU Compute reinforces this direction. The 21.75 TFLOPS FP32 rating versus 9.754 TFLOPS for the RX 5700 XT explains why.

For Vulkan-based applications, the RX 5700 XT is the better option. Its 98.6% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is equally decisive in the opposite direction, and nothing in the other tests compensates for that magnitude of loss in the newer card. Users running Vulkan titles or workloads should favor the older card without hesitation.

For general gaming and DirectX workloads, the results are mixed. The RX 7600 wins DirectX 11 by 32.6% and 3DMark Steel Nomad by 7.6%, while the RX 5700 XT wins DirectX 12 by 10.3% and DirectX 10 by 15.5%. The PassMark G3D score, which aggregates gaming performance, shows the RX 7600 ahead by only 2.1%. This slim margin suggests that for typical gaming, the two cards are nearly interchangeable, with the RX 7600 holding a slight edge.

The average benchmark score favors the RX 5700 XT at 16,361 versus 15,171, a 7.3% difference. This is a meaningful overall advantage, driven almost entirely by the Vulkan result. The percentile rankings confirm this: 59th for the RX 5700 XT versus 57th for the RX 7600. A user who values overall performance across all tested workloads, without weighting any specific API, would see the RX 5700 XT as the stronger card.

The production status matters here. The RX 5700 XT is end-of-life, while the RX 7600 is active. This affects long-term availability and driver support, but the benchmark data itself does not quantify that difference. What the data does show is that the RX 7600 wins more individual tests (6 versus 4), but the RX 5700 XT wins the tests that matter more for its average and percentile standing. The choice depends on whether the user prioritizes compute and modern DirectX workloads (RX 7600) or Vulkan and legacy DirectX performance (RX 5700 XT).

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16,361, compared to 15,171 for the RX 7600. This is a 7.3% advantage for the older card.

Q: Which card wins more head-to-head benchmark tests?

A: The RX 7600 wins 6 of the 10 head-to-head tests, while the RX 5700 XT wins 4. However, the RX 5700 XT’s wins include the largest single margin (98.6% in Geekbench Vulkan).

Q: What is the biggest performance gap in either direction?

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 7600 scores 88,051 versus 9,524 for the RX 5700 XT, an 89.2% advantage. The second-largest is Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 5700 XT leads by 98.6% with 68,310 versus 34,401.

Q: How do the cards compare in DirectX 12?

A: The RX 5700 XT wins DirectX 12 with a score of 64 versus 58 for the RX 7600, a 10.3% margin. The RX 7600 wins DirectX 11 by 32.6% (172 versus 116) and ties DirectX 9 at 226 points.

Q: Which card has the better percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RX 5700 XT ranks at the 59th percentile, while the RX 7600 ranks at the 57th percentile. The RX 5700 XT’s higher average score places it slightly higher in the overall distribution.

Q: What does the PassMark G3D score indicate about gaming performance?

A: The PassMark G3D score shows the RX 7600 ahead at 16,634 versus 16,277 for the RX 5700 XT, a 2.1% difference. This suggests near-parity in aggregate gaming performance, with the RX 7600 holding a slight edge.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every internal specification. The RX 5700 XT uses a 7 nm process node, while the RX 7600 uses 6 nm. The RX 5700 XT has 10,300 million transistors on a 251 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 41.0M per mm². The RX 7600 has 13,300 million transistors on a smaller 204 mm² die, yielding 65.2M per mm². This higher density reflects the newer manufacturing process.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The RX 5700 XT has a base clock of 1605 MHz, a boost clock of 1905 MHz, and a game clock of 1755 MHz. The RX 7600 runs at 1720 MHz base, 2655 MHz boost, and 2250 MHz game clock. The RX 7600’s boost clock is 750 MHz higher.

Memory configurations diverge. Both have 8 GB of GDDR6, but the RX 5700 XT uses a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 7600 uses a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7600 has higher effective memory speed at 18 Gbps versus 14 Gbps for the RX 5700 XT.

Compute unit counts differ. The RX 5700 XT has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 7600 has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 7600 includes 32 ray tracing cores, while the RX 5700 XT has none listed.

Power requirements favor the RX 7600. It has a TDP of 165 W with a single 8-pin connector and a suggested 450 W PSU. The RX 5700 XT draws 225 W, requires a 6-pin plus 8-pin connector, and suggests a 550 W PSU.

The PCIe interface differs: the RX 5700 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RX 7600 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs also differ, with the RX 5700 XT offering 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, while the RX 7600 has 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1.

Physical dimensions vary. The RX 5700 XT measures 272 mm in length, 111 mm in height, and 36 mm in width. The RX 7600 is shorter at 204 mm in length and slightly taller at 115 mm in height, with no width specified.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is generational. The RX 5700 XT uses RDNA 1.0 architecture on the Navi 10 chip, while the RX 7600 uses RDNA 3.0 on the Navi 33 chip, codenamed Hotpink Bonefish. Both are manufactured by TSMC but on different nodes: 7 nm for the older card, 6 nm for the newer.

The FP32 compute rating shows a massive difference: the RX 7600 delivers 21.75 TFLOPS versus 9.754 TFLOPS for the RX 5700 XT. This more than doubles the raw compute throughput. FP16 performance also differs: the RX 5700 XT achieves 19.51 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, while the RX 7600 achieves 21.75 TFLOPS at a 1:1 ratio. The 1:1 ratio means the RX 7600 does not halve its FP16 throughput, indicating a different execution design.

Pixel and texture rates reflect the clock advantages of the RX 7600. It has a pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s versus 121.9 GPixel/s for the RX 5700 XT, and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s versus 304.8 GTexel/s. Despite having fewer TMUs (128 versus 160), the RX 7600’s higher clocks compensate.

The RX 7600 adds 32 ray tracing cores, which the RX 5700 XT lacks entirely. This is a feature difference that affects any ray-traced workload. The DirectX support reflects this: the RX 7600 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the RX 5700 XT only supports DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

The release timeline spans four years: the RX 5700 XT launched on 2019-07-06, the RX 7600 on 2023-05-24. The RX 5700 XT is end-of-life, while the RX 7600 is active. The RX 5700 XT’s predecessor was Vega and its successor is Navi II; the RX 7600’s predecessor is Navi II and its successor is Navi IV.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7600 wins in compute-heavy and modern API workloads. Its dominance in Geekbench OpenCL (89.2% lead) and PassMark GPU Compute (13% lead) makes it the clear choice for OpenCL-based applications, machine learning inference, or any compute task using that API. Its DirectX 11 win (32.6%) and 3DMark Steel Nomad win (7.6%) indicate better performance in DX11 titles and modern DX12 games. The RX 7600 also wins the 2D test (6.3%), making it better for desktop acceleration and 2D graphics work.

The RX 5700 XT wins decisively in Vulkan. Its 98.6% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is the largest margin in any test, making it the superior choice for Vulkan-based games and compute workloads. It also wins DirectX 12 (10.3%) and DirectX 10 (15.5%), suggesting better optimization for those specific APIs. The tie in DirectX 9 at 226 points means neither card has an advantage in that legacy API.

For overall gaming, the PassMark G3D score shows the RX 7600 ahead by just 2.1%, so either card performs nearly identically in aggregate gaming tests. The RX 5700 XT’s higher average benchmark score (16,361 versus 15,171) and better percentile ranking (59th versus 57th) indicate that across all tested workloads, the older card holds a slight overall edge. Users running a mix of workloads should weigh the RX 5700 XT’s Vulkan strength against the RX 7600’s OpenCL strength.

The RX 7600’s lower power draw (165 W vs 225 W) and simpler connector requirement (1x 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin) make it the more efficient choice, though this is a specification difference rather than a benchmark result. Its smaller physical footprint (204 mm vs 272 mm length) also makes it easier to fit in compact cases. The RX 5700 XT’s wider memory bus (256-bit vs 128-bit) and higher bandwidth (448.0 GB/s vs 288.0 GB/s) give it an advantage in memory-bound workloads, though this does not translate to a definitive win in the benchmark data.