AMD Radeon RX 6500M vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive advantage for the AMD Radeon RX 6500M in the two directly comparable benchmark tests. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6500M scores 38,586 against 11,347 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, a delta of 240.1%. That is more than three times the raw score of the older card. The margin is even larger in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 6500M posts 43,837 versus 11,415, a 284% advantage. In both tests, the winner is the same, and the database records two wins for the AMD part and zero for the NVIDIA part.

These are not marginal gains. The Vulkan result in particular shows the RX 6500M delivering nearly four times the performance of the GTX 660 in a modern API. The OpenCL result, while slightly smaller in relative terms, still represents a 240% lead. For context, the RX 6500M's average benchmark score across all recorded tests is 10,362, which places it at the 48th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The GTX 660 averages 9,022, at the 45th percentile. The gap in average score is about 14.9%, but the head-to-head tests reveal a much larger divergence in specific workloads.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card helps frame these numbers. The RX 6500M sits close to the NVIDIA Tesla C2075, which averages 10,400, a delta of -0.4%, and the AMD Radeon RX 550X at 10,481, which is -1.1%. The GTX 660, meanwhile, is nearly tied with the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition at 9,037 (-0.2%) and the GeForce GTX 560 at 9,058 (-0.4%). Neither card is a standout in its own peer group, but the RX 6500M's peer group sits roughly 15% higher on average.

The available head-to-head data is limited to two tests, but both point in the same direction. The RX 6500M is not just faster; it is faster by a margin that dwarfs most generational improvements. The GTX 660's best showing in the database is its Geekbench Vulkan score of 11,415, which is still less than one-third of the RX 6500M's Vulkan result.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6500M wins with a score of 38,586 compared to 11,347 for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, a 240.1% advantage.

Q: Is the RX 6500M also ahead in Vulkan?

A: Yes. The RX 6500M scores 43,837 in Geekbench Vulkan, while the GTX 660 scores 11,415, giving the AMD card a 284% lead.

Q: How do the two cards compare in overall average benchmark score?

A: The RX 6500M has an average benchmark score of 10,362, while the GTX 660 averages 9,022. The RX 6500M also sits at the 48th percentile of all GPUs, versus the 45th percentile for the GTX 660.

Q: What memory configurations do these cards use?

A: The RX 6500M has 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 64-bit bus with 144.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 660 has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus with 144.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has a higher transistor density?

A: The RX 6500M has a transistor density of 50.5M per mm², versus 11.5M per mm² for the GTX 660.

Q: What is the power draw difference?

A: The RX 6500M has a TDP of 50 W, while the GTX 660 has a TDP of 140 W. The GTX 660 also requires a 300 W suggested PSU and a 6-pin power connector, while the RX 6500M uses no power connectors.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different design eras and fundamentally different architectural philosophies. The AMD Radeon RX 6500M is built on RDNA 2.0 architecture using the Navi 24 chip, fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC. It packs 5,400 million transistors into a 107 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 50.5M per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, by contrast, uses the Kepler architecture with the GK106 chip, manufactured on a 28 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains 2,540 million transistors spread across a 221 mm² die, for a density of just 11.5M per mm². The RX 6500M crams more than twice the transistors into less than half the silicon area.

The RX 6500M belongs to the Navi Mobile generation within the RX 6000M series, while the GTX 660 is part of the GeForce 600 generation. This generational gap shows up directly in feature support. The RX 6500M includes 16 ray tracing cores, a technology absent from the GTX 660 entirely. The AMD card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, whereas the GTX 660 maxes out at DirectX 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175. OpenGL support is the same at 4.6 for both. The RX 6500M also carries a 2:1 FP16 rate of 9.830 TFLOPS, while the GTX 660 has no recorded FP16 capability.

The memory subsystems reflect different priorities. The RX 6500M uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 64-bit bus, achieving 144.0 GB/s. The GTX 660 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 192-bit bus, achieving 144.2 GB/s. The bandwidth is nearly identical, but the AMD card does it with a much narrower bus and faster memory, rated at 18 Gbps effective versus 6 Gbps effective for the GTX 660. The RX 6500M also uses a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, while the GTX 660 uses PCIe 3.0 x16.

Rasterization and compute resources differ in interesting ways. The RX 6500M has 1,024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 660 has 960 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The GTX 660 has more texture units, but the RX 6500M compensates with much higher clock speeds. The RX 6500M boosts to 2400 MHz with a base of 2000 MHz and a game clock of 2191 MHz. The GTX 660 runs at a 980 MHz base and 1032 MHz boost. The result is a pixel rate of 76.80 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 153.6 GTexel/s for the RX 6500M, versus 20.64 GPixel/s and 82.56 GTexel/s for the GTX 660.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. Process node: 6 nm for the RX 6500M, 28 nm for the GTX 660. Transistor count: 5,400 million versus 2,540 million. Die size: 107 mm² versus 221 mm². Transistor density: 50.5M per mm² versus 11.5M per mm².

Clock speeds are not remotely close. The RX 6500M has a 2000 MHz base, 2400 MHz boost, and 2191 MHz game clock. The GTX 660 has a 980 MHz base and 1032 MHz boost, with no recorded game clock. Memory clocks also differ: 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) for the RX 6500M, 1502 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for the GTX 660.

Memory capacity and type: 4 GB GDDR6 versus 2 GB GDDR5. Bus width: 64 bit versus 192 bit. Bandwidth is nearly identical at 144.0 GB/s versus 144.2 GB/s, but achieved through very different means.

Compute resources: 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and 16 ray tracing cores for the RX 6500M. The GTX 660 has 960 shading units, 80 TMUs, 24 ROPs, and no ray tracing cores. FP32 output is 4.915 TFLOPS for the AMD card versus 1.981 TFLOPS for the NVIDIA card.

Power and physical specifications are starkly different. The RX 6500M has a 50 W TDP, is an IGP slot width, and uses no power connectors. The GTX 660 has a 140 W TDP, is dual-slot, requires a 6-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 300 W. The GTX 660 is 241 mm (9.5 inches) long; the RX 6500M has no recorded length. Display outputs: the GTX 660 has 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, while the RX 6500M's outputs are listed as portable device dependent.

API support differs on DirectX and Vulkan: 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 for the RX 6500M, versus 12 (11_0) and Vulkan 1.2.175 for the GTX 660. OpenGL is the same at 4.6. The GTX 660 has a launch MSRP of 229 USD; the RX 6500M has no recorded launch MSRP. Release dates: January 2022 for the RX 6500M, September 2012 for the GTX 660. Both are end-of-life. The GTX 660's predecessor is the GeForce 500 series and its successor is GeForce 700. The RX 6500M's predecessor is Polaris Mobile, with no successor recorded.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6500M wins in every directly measured head-to-head test. It is 240.1% ahead in Geekbench OpenCL and 284% ahead in Geekbench Vulkan. It also wins on average benchmark score, 10,362 versus 9,022, and on percentile ranking, 48th versus 45th. Its advantage in raw compute is substantial: 4.915 TFLOPS FP32 versus 1.981 TFLOPS. It has more memory (4 GB versus 2 GB), a newer memory type (GDDR6 versus GDDR5), and modern API support including ray tracing and DirectX 12 Ultimate.

The GTX 660 has no benchmark wins in the recorded data. It does, however, hold a few specification advantages that may matter in specific scenarios. It has a wider memory bus (192 bit versus 64 bit) and slightly higher memory bandwidth (144.2 GB/s versus 144.0 GB/s). It also has more texture mapping units (80 versus 64) and a full PCIe 3.0 x16 interface versus the RX 6500M's PCIe 4.0 x4. The GTX 660's dual-slot form factor and fixed display outputs (2x DVI, HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2) make it a conventional desktop card, whereas the RX 6500M is an IGP with portable device dependent outputs.

For users prioritizing raw performance, modern API support, and energy efficiency, the RX 6500M is the clear choice from the data. For users who need a traditional desktop card with a wide memory bus and multiple fixed display outputs, the GTX 660 retains some structural appeal, but not a performance one.

The Verdict

The data points to one conclusion: the AMD Radeon RX 6500M is the faster GPU by a wide margin. In the two head-to-head tests available, it leads by 240.1% and 284%. Its average benchmark score is 14.9% higher, and it sits three percentile points higher in the database ranking. The RX 6500M also delivers more than double the FP32 throughput, double the memory capacity, and a dramatically lower TDP at 50 W versus 140 W.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 is a much older design, released roughly a decade earlier, and the architecture gap shows. It lacks ray tracing cores, supports an older DirectX feature level, and has less than half the transistor count on a much larger die. Its only recorded advantages are a wider memory bus, a slightly higher memory bandwidth figure, more texture units, and a conventional desktop card layout with fixed display outputs.

Who should pick the RX 6500M? Anyone prioritizing performance, modern API support, memory capacity, or power efficiency. The benchmark data is unambiguous: it wins every recorded test. Who should pick the GTX 660? Only those who specifically need a dual-slot desktop card with DVI outputs and a 192-bit memory bus, or who are constrained by software that relies on older driver paths. From a pure performance standpoint, the recorded measurements do not favor the GTX 660 in any test. The RX 6500M is the superior choice across every benchmark in the database.