AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE vs AMD Radeon RX 6650M Comparison

# AMD Radeon RX 6650M vs AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE

The AMD Radeon RX 6650M and AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE are both Navi 23-based graphics cards from the Radeon RX 6000 series, sharing the same RDNA 2.0 architecture, 7 nm process node, and identical core configurations. Despite these similarities, the data reveals a split decision: the RX 6600 LE wins the OpenCL benchmark by 5%, while the RX 6650M takes the Vulkan benchmark by 7.3%. Both cards occupy the 91st percentile among all GPUs, with average benchmark scores of 71,768 for the RX 6650M and 70,829 for the RX 6600 LE, placing them within 1.3% of each other overall.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650M leads with an average benchmark score of 71,768, compared to 70,829 for the AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE, a difference of 1.3% in favor of the RX 6650M.

Q: How do the two cards compare in the OpenCL benchmark?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE wins the Geekbench OpenCL test with a score of 69,229 versus 65,800 for the RX 6650M, representing a 5% advantage for the RX 6600 LE.

Q: Which GPU performs better in Vulkan workloads?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650M takes the Geekbench Vulkan test decisively, scoring 77,735 compared to 72,428 for the RX 6600 LE, a 7.3% margin in favor of the RX 6650M.

Q: Are both GPUs based on the same chip and architecture?

A: Yes, both use the Navi 23 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process, with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die.

Q: What are the thermal design power ratings for each card?

A: The RX 6650M has a 120 W TDP, while the RX 6600 LE has a higher 132 W TDP, reflecting the desktop card's different power delivery and cooling requirements.

Q: What is the memory configuration on both GPUs?

A: Both cards feature 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and a 1750 MHz memory clock (14 Gbps effective).

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture: RDNA 2.0 on the Navi 23 chip, fabricated at TSMC's 7 nm node. The transistor count is identical at 11,060 million, and the die size matches at 237 mm², yielding the same transistor density of 46.7M per mm². Core configuration is also identical: 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, 64 raster operations pipelines, and 28 ray tracing cores. Neither card includes tensor cores.

The architectural differences emerge in clock behavior and power characteristics. The RX 6650M, designed for mobile integration, has a base clock of 2068 MHz, a game clock of 2222 MHz, and a boost clock of 2416 MHz. The RX 6600 LE, a desktop card, runs a lower base clock of 1626 MHz but a higher boost clock of 2495 MHz, with a game clock of 2045 MHz. These clock differences produce slightly different throughput numbers: the RX 6650M achieves 8.659 TFLOPS FP32 and 17.32 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1), while the RX 6600 LE reaches 8.942 TFLOPS FP32 and 17.88 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1).

The power envelope also differs meaningfully. The RX 6650M carries a 120 W TDP and is listed as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, reflecting its mobile-oriented design. The RX 6600 LE has a 132 W TDP, a dual-slot form factor, a single 8-pin power connector, and a suggested 300 W PSU. These differences align with their intended deployment contexts: one for portable devices, the other for desktop systems.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data divides the two GPUs along API lines. The RX 6600 LE wins the Geekbench OpenCL test, scoring 69,229 against the RX 6650M's 65,800, a 5% advantage. This suggests the RX 6600 LE has an edge in OpenCL compute workloads, which are common in scientific computing, video encoding, and certain professional applications that leverage this API.

Conversely, the RX 6650M dominates the Geekbench Vulkan test, posting 77,735 versus 72,428 for the RX 6600 LE, a 7.3% margin. Vulkan is widely used in modern gaming and graphics-heavy applications, so the RX 6650M's strength here indicates better performance in contemporary game engines and GPU-accelerated rendering tasks that favor Vulkan's lower-level access.

In terms of nearest rivals, the RX 6650M's average score of 71,768 puts it 0.5% behind the NVIDIA TITAN X Pascal (72,098) and 0.8% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64 (72,379), while sitting 2.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition (73,370). The RX 6600 LE's average of 70,829 places it 1% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A3000 Mobile (70,140), 1.2% ahead of the NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (69,986), and 1.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 8200 (69,870). Each card's win profile maps to different use cases: the RX 6650M for Vulkan-centric gaming and the RX 6600 LE for OpenCL-based compute tasks.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across several specification fields, despite their shared core architecture. Clock speeds diverge noticeably: the RX 6650M has a higher base clock (2068 MHz vs 1626 MHz) and game clock (2222 MHz vs 2045 MHz), but the RX 6600 LE has a higher boost clock (2495 MHz vs 2416 MHz). This translates into different pixel and texture rates: the RX 6650M delivers 154.6 GPixel/s and 270.6 GTexel/s, while the RX 6600 LE achieves 159.7 GPixel/s and 279.4 GTexel/s, with the desktop card slightly ahead in both.

The power specifications are a major differentiator. The RX 6650M has a 120 W TDP, while the RX 6600 LE draws 132 W. The RX 6650M is classified as IGP with no power connectors and no suggested PSU, whereas the RX 6600 LE is dual-slot with a 1x 8-pin connector and a 300 W suggested PSU. Physical dimensions also differ: the RX 6600 LE measures 190 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 40 mm in width, while the RX 6650M has no listed dimensions due to its portable-device-dependent nature. Display outputs follow the same pattern: the RX 6650M is "Portable Device Dependent," while the RX 6600 LE offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

Production status and release timing separate them further. The RX 6650M was released on January 3, 2022, is end-of-life, and lists Polaris Mobile as its predecessor. The RX 6600 LE launched on December 7, 2023, remains active in production, and lists Navi as its predecessor with Navi III as its successor. The RX 6600 LE also belongs to the "Navi II (RX 6000)" generation, while the RX 6650M is part of the "Navi Mobile (RX 6000M)" generation. Both cards share the same bus interface (PCIe 4.0 x8), API support (DirectX 12 Ultimate 12_2, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4), and memory specifications (8 GB GDDR6, 128-bit bus, 224.0 GB/s bandwidth).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark results show a clear split: one win for each card, with the magnitudes differing substantially. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6600 LE outperforms the RX 6650M by 5%, scoring 69,229 against 65,800. This 3,429-point gap represents the RX 6600 LE's most significant victory and suggests a meaningful advantage in OpenCL compute environments, likely stemming from its higher boost clock and correspondingly higher FP32 throughput.

The Geekbench Vulkan test flips the result decisively in favor of the RX 6650M, which scores 77,735 versus 72,428 for the RX 6600 LE, a 7.3% difference and a 5,307-point margin. This is the larger of the two deltas, indicating that the RX 6650M's Vulkan performance is its standout feature. The RX 6650M's higher base and game clocks likely contribute to this advantage in Vulkan workloads, which tend to be more sensitive to sustained clock behavior than to peak boost frequencies.

Looking at the nearest rival data provides context for these scores. The RX 6650M's average of 71,768 is 1.3% ahead of the RX 6600 LE's 70,829, confirming that the overall performance gap is narrow. The RX 6650M sits within 0.8% of the Radeon Pro Vega 64 and 0.5% of the TITAN X Pascal, while the RX 6600 LE trails the RTX A3000 Mobile by just 1% and leads the Quadro P6000 by 1.2%. Both cards hold the 91st percentile among all GPUs, placing them in the upper tier of graphics hardware despite their different form factors and power profiles.

The Verdict

The data points to a nuanced recommendation rather than a clear winner. For users prioritizing Vulkan-based workloads, particularly modern gaming or graphics applications that leverage this API, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M is the stronger choice, delivering a 7.3% performance advantage in that benchmark. Its higher base and game clocks, combined with a lower 120 W TDP, make it an efficient option for mobile deployments where power consumption matters.

For users whose workloads rely on OpenCL compute, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 LE offers a 5% edge, with a higher boost clock and slightly better pixel and texture rates. As an active, dual-slot desktop card with a 132 W TDP and standard display outputs, it suits stationary systems where the 300 W suggested PSU is readily available.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story: the RX 6650M leads by 1.3% overall, but the RX 6600 LE's nearest rival comparisons show it within 1.4% of the Radeon Pro WX 8200 and 1% of the RTX A3000 Mobile, indicating competitive positioning. Neither card dominates the other across both tests, so the decision hinges on which API and form factor align with the user's specific requirements. The RX 6650M is the pick for Vulkan-centric portable systems; the RX 6600 LE is the pick for OpenCL-centric desktop builds.