AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN is lopsided, with the newer AMD card taking two of the three recorded tests in decisive fashion. The most dramatic margin appears in the Geekbench Metal test, where the RX 5700 XT scores 74,647 against the GTX TITAN's 8,218. That is a delta of 808.3%, meaning the AMD card outperforms the NVIDIA card by a factor of roughly nine in this specific API test. This is not a close contest by any measure; the data indicates a generational gap in graphics compute capability.

The Geekbench Vulkan test tells a similar story, though with a slightly smaller gap. The RX 5700 XT records 68,310 points, while the GTX TITAN manages only 10,027. The delta here is 581.3%, still an overwhelming victory for the AMD part. Vulkan is a low-level API that tends to reward modern architectures with efficient resource utilization, and the results reflect that advantage clearly.

However, the GTX TITAN does not go down without a win. In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the NVIDIA card posts 24,873 points compared to the RX 5700 XT's 9,524. That is a delta of -61.7%, meaning the GTX TITAN is about 61.7% ahead of the RX 5700 XT in this workload. OpenCL has historically been a strong area for Kepler-based NVIDIA cards, and this result shows that even an older architecture can dominate in certain compute scenarios. It is a notable counterpoint to the AMD card's sweeping victories elsewhere.

Looking at the aggregate scores, the RX 5700 XT holds an average benchmark score of 16,361 across all recorded tests, landing it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The GTX TITAN, by contrast, has an average score of 14,373 and sits in the 56th percentile. While the percentile gap is modest, the average score difference of roughly 1,988 points masks the volatility in individual tests: the AMD card wins big in two APIs, and the NVIDIA card wins big in one.

The nearest rivals for the RX 5700 XT further contextualize its standing. The AMD Radeon Pro 5600M sits just 0.1% behind with an average score of 16,351, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell and AMD Radeon PRO W7500 both trail by 0.3%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 is 0.9% ahead. This places the RX 5700 XT in a tightly packed cluster of modern cards, all within a single percentage point of each other. For the GTX TITAN, its nearest rivals are far less prestigious: the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 is 0.1% behind, the AMD Radeon Vega 11 is 0.1% ahead, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M is 0.2% behind, and the Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics is 0.4% ahead. The GTX TITAN is effectively competing with integrated and entry-level discrete graphics, a clear sign of its age.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the clear choice for modern graphics APIs. Its Geekbench Metal score of 74,647 is not just a win; it is a rout, with the GTX TITAN reaching only 11% of that figure. This suggests that any workload leveraging Apple's Metal API will see massive performance gains on the AMD card. Similarly, the Vulkan score of 68,310 versus 10,027 indicates that Vulkan-based games and compute applications are far better served by the RX 5700 XT. The database shows two wins for AMD out of three head-to-head tests, and both are by margins exceeding 500%.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, on the other hand, is the winner in OpenCL compute. Its 24,873 score versus the RX 5700 XT's 9,524 shows a 61.7% advantage, which is substantial. For users running OpenCL-accelerated workloads, the GTX TITAN remains a viable option despite its age. This is likely due to the card's high shading unit count of 2,688 and its 224 texture mapping units, which provide raw compute throughput that the RX 5700 XT's 2,560 shaders and 160 TMUs cannot match in this specific API.

For gaming and general 3D rendering, the RX 5700 XT's higher clock speeds and modern architecture give it a decisive edge. The AMD card boosts to 1,905 MHz, while the GTX TITAN peaks at 876 MHz. Even the RX 5700 XT's base clock of 1,605 MHz is nearly double the GTX TITAN's boost clock. This clock advantage translates directly to the pixel and texture rates: the RX 5700 XT achieves 121.9 GPixel/s and 304.8 GTexel/s, while the GTX TITAN manages only 49.06 GPixel/s and 196.2 GTexel/s. The AMD card is 148% faster in pixel throughput and 55% faster in texture throughput.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from different eras of GPU design, and the architectural gap is stark. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT uses the Navi 10 chip built on RDNA 1.0 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN uses the GK110 chip on the Kepler architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 28 nm process. The node difference is enormous: 7 nm versus 28 nm, which explains the transistor density disparity. The RX 5700 XT packs 10,300 million transistors into a 251 mm² die, yielding a density of 41.0 million transistors per square millimeter. The GTX TITAN has 7,080 million transistors spread across a much larger 561 mm² die, for a density of just 12.6 million per square millimeter.

Memory configurations also differ significantly. The RX 5700 XT comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX TITAN has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on a wider 384-bit bus, but it only achieves 288.4 GB/s due to the slower 6 Gbps effective memory speed. The AMD card's memory runs at 14 Gbps effective, more than double the GTX TITAN's speed. This bandwidth advantage is critical for high-resolution textures and compute workloads that are memory-bound.

The feature sets reflect their respective generations. The RX 5700 XT supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The GTX TITAN supports DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The DirectX 12 feature level difference (12_1 versus 11_0) means the RX 5700 XT can handle more advanced DX12 features. Neither card has dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores, as both predate those technologies in their respective lineups. The RX 5700 XT also supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the GTX TITAN is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16.

Power and physical specifications show the RX 5700 XT is more efficient despite its higher performance. The AMD card has a TDP of 225 W and a suggested PSU of 550 W, while the GTX TITAN has a TDP of 250 W and a suggested PSU of 600 W. Both use a dual-slot design and require one 6-pin and one 8-pin power connector. The dimensions are nearly identical: the RX 5700 XT is 272 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 36 mm wide, while the GTX TITAN is 267 mm long, 111 mm tall, and 38 mm wide. The RX 5700 XT offers modern display outputs with 1x HDMI 2.0b and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, whereas the GTX TITAN has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 16,361, compared to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN's 14,373.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two cards?

A: The Geekbench Metal test shows the RX 5700 XT at 74,647 points versus the GTX TITAN's 8,218, a delta of 808.3% in favor of AMD.

Q: Is there any test where the GTX TITAN wins?

A: Yes, the Geekbench OpenCL test: the GTX TITAN scores 24,873 against the RX 5700 XT's 9,524, a 61.7% advantage for NVIDIA.

Q: How do the memory bandwidth figures compare?

A: The RX 5700 XT delivers 448.0 GB/s from 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, while the GTX TITAN provides 288.4 GB/s from 6 GB of GDDR5 on a 384-bit bus.

Q: What is the process node difference?

A: The RX 5700 XT uses TSMC's 7 nm process, while the GTX TITAN uses TSMC's 28 nm process.

Q: Which card supports a newer PCIe standard?

A: The RX 5700 XT supports PCIe 4.0 x16, whereas the GTX TITAN is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear recommendation for most users: the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the superior card in nearly every measurable way. It wins two of three head-to-head benchmarks, with margins of 808.3% and 581.3% in Metal and Vulkan respectively. Its average benchmark score is 1,988 points higher, and it sits in a higher percentile of all GPUs (59th versus 56th). The RX 5700 XT also offers more memory (8 GB versus 6 GB), higher bandwidth (448.0 GB/s versus 288.4 GB/s), and a much faster boost clock (1,905 MHz versus 876 MHz).

The GTX TITAN's sole advantage is in OpenCL compute, where it leads by 61.7%. For users with specific OpenCL-heavy workloads, this could be a deciding factor. However, the card's age is evident in its lower pixel and texture rates, older API support (DirectX 12 (11_0) versus 12_1), and smaller memory capacity. Its nearest rivals in the database are integrated graphics and low-end mobile parts, which shows how far it has fallen relative to modern hardware.

The recommendation is straightforward. For gaming, modern API workloads, and general-purpose GPU compute, the RX 5700 XT is the pick. For legacy OpenCL applications where the GTX TITAN's 2,688 shaders and 224 TMUs can be fully utilized, the NVIDIA card retains a niche. But the benchmark results indicate that the RX 5700 XT is the more capable and future-proof option, with the data showing a decisive overall victory for AMD.