AMD Radeon RX 6600 vs AMD Radeon RX 6700S Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700S records an average benchmark score of 22154, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600 records 19036. The RX 6700S sits in the 67th percentile of all GPUs, compared to the RX 6600's 63rd percentile.

Q: How do the two compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 6600 scores 1492 versus the RX 6700S's 1451, a 2.7% advantage for the RX 6600. In PassMark DirectX 12, the RX 6700S wins with 58 points versus 51 points, a 13.7% lead.

Q: Which card wins in compute-oriented workloads?

A: The RX 6700S dominates Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 70965, which is 146% higher than the RX 6600's 28850. However, in PassMark GPU Compute, the RX 6600 wins with 6554 versus 5990, an 8.6% margin.

Q: Are the memory specifications identical?

A: Yes, both cards use 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is also the same at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RX 6700S has a TDP of 80 W and requires no power connectors, while the RX 6600 has a TDP of 132 W and needs a single 8-pin power connector. The RX 6600's suggested PSU is 300 W.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 6600 boosts to 2491 MHz, significantly higher than the RX 6700S's boost of 2000 MHz. The RX 6600 also has a higher base clock at 1626 MHz versus 1700 MHz for the RX 6700S.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same Navi 23 chip, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 7 nm process. The transistor count is identical at 11,060 million, and the die size is the same at 237 mm², resulting in a transistor density of 46.7M / mm² for both. This means the fundamental silicon is the same, but the implementation differs significantly.

The RX 6700S belongs to the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) generation, designed for integrated use in laptops and portable devices. Its slot width is listed as "IGP" and display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," reflecting its mobile-first design. The RX 6600, by contrast, belongs to the Navi II (RX 6000) generation and is a dual-slot desktop card with 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

The clock strategy reveals the core architectural difference. The RX 6700S has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 1890 MHz, and a boost of 2000 MHz. The RX 6600 has a lower base clock at 1626 MHz but a much higher game clock at 2044 MHz and a boost of 2491 MHz. This suggests the RX 6700S is tuned for sustained operation within a tight power envelope, while the RX 6600 is allowed to run faster when thermals permit.

The power delivery reinforces this split. The RX 6700S draws only 80 W with no power connectors, while the RX 6600 draws 132 W and requires a single 8-pin connector. Both use PCIe 4.0 x8 interfaces, but the RX 6700S is designed to fit into thin-and-light chassis, while the RX 6600 expects a more conventional desktop setup with a 300 W suggested PSU.

The shading resources are identical: 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 28 ray tracing cores. The pixel rate and texture rate differ due to clock speeds. The RX 6700S delivers 128.0 GPixel/s and 224.0 GTexel/s, while the RX 6600 reaches 159.4 GPixel/s and 279.0 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput follows the same pattern: 7.168 TFLOPS for the RX 6700S versus 8.928 TFLOPS for the RX 6600, with FP16 at 14.34 TFLOPS and 17.86 TFLOPS respectively (both at 2:1 ratio).

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API coverage is fully aligned.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6700S wins 3 of the 11 head-to-head benchmarks, while the RX 6600 takes 8. The RX 6700S's victories are concentrated in compute and modern API workloads. It wins Geekbench OpenCL by a massive 146%, Geekbench Vulkan by 12.6%, and PassMark DirectX 12 by 13.7%. These results suggest the RX 6700S has a particular strength in heterogeneous compute and Vulkan-based rendering, likely benefiting from its mobile tuning and driver optimizations for those paths.

The RX 6600's wins are broader but often narrower. It leads in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (2.7%), Geekbench Metal (17.6%), PassMark DirectX 10 (8.4%), PassMark DirectX 11 (11.8%), PassMark DirectX 9 (1%), PassMark G2D (16.9%), PassMark G3D (0.2%), and PassMark GPU Compute (8.6%). The pattern shows the RX 6600 excels in legacy DirectX APIs and 2D workloads, while its lead in modern 3DMark is modest.

For users prioritizing compute-heavy tasks like OpenCL acceleration, the RX 6700S is the clear choice. For general gaming across a mix of DirectX versions, the RX 6600 tends to edge ahead, though often by small margins. The RX 6700S also holds the overall average score advantage, so it is not simply a specialist card; it trades blows in different scenarios.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in several key specification fields. The clock speeds are distinct: the RX 6700S has a base of 1700 MHz, game of 1890 MHz, and boost of 2000 MHz, while the RX 6600 has a base of 1626 MHz, game of 2044 MHz, and boost of 2491 MHz. The memory clock is identical at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective speed.

Pixel rate differs: the RX 6700S achieves 128.0 GPixel/s, while the RX 6600 reaches 159.4 GPixel/s. Texture rate also differs: 224.0 GTexel/s for the RX 6700S versus 279.0 GTexel/s for the RX 6600. FP32 compute is 7.168 TFLOPS versus 8.928 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 14.34 TFLOPS versus 17.86 TFLOPS, both at 2:1 ratio.

The TDP is a major differentiator: 80 W for the RX 6700S versus 132 W for the RX 6600. The RX 6700S has no power connectors and an IGP slot width, while the RX 6600 uses a dual-slot design with one 8-pin connector and a suggested PSU of 300 W. The RX 6600 has physical dimensions of 190 mm length, 110 mm height, and 40 mm width.

Display outputs differ: the RX 6700S is "Portable Device Dependent," while the RX 6600 offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a. The RX 6700S released on 2022-01-03, while the RX 6600 released earlier on 2021-10-12. The RX 6600 has a listed launch MSRP of 329 USD. The RX 6700S lists its predecessor as Polaris Mobile, while the RX 6600 lists Navi as predecessor and Navi III as successor.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win belongs to the RX 6700S in Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 70965 against 28850, a staggering 146% delta. This is the most decisive result in the entire comparison and indicates a fundamental advantage in OpenCL compute workloads. The RX 6700S also wins Geekbench Vulkan with 76150 versus 67623, a 12.6% lead, and PassMark DirectX 12 with 58 versus 51, a 13.7% margin.

The RX 6600's biggest win is in Geekbench Metal, scoring 88398 against 72864, a 17.6% advantage. This is notable because Metal is Apple's API, and the RX 6600's strong showing there suggests its higher clocks translate well to that environment. The RX 6600 also wins PassMark G2D with 889 versus 739, a 16.9% lead, and PassMark DirectX 11 with 152 versus 134, an 11.8% margin.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 6600 narrowly wins 1492 to 1451, just 2.7% ahead. PassMark G3D is nearly a tie: 15096 for the RX 6600 versus 15066 for the RX 6700S, a 0.2% difference. PassMark DirectX 9 is also close at 197 versus 195, a 1% edge for the RX 6600. PassMark DirectX 10 goes to the RX 6600 at 95 versus 87, an 8.4% lead, and PassMark GPU Compute goes to the RX 6600 at 6554 versus 5990, an 8.6% margin.

The average benchmark scores tell a different story: the RX 6700S averages 22154, while the RX 6600 averages 19036. This means the RX 6700S's OpenCL win heavily inflates its average, despite losing most individual tests. The nearest rivals for the RX 6700S include the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (delta -0.1%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (delta -1.3%), and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (delta -1.7%). The RX 6600's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K6000 (delta 0%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile (delta -0.1%), and NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation (delta 0.4%).

The Verdict

The data paints a clear split: the RX 6700S is the compute specialist, the RX 6600 is the generalist. If the workload centers on OpenCL or Vulkan, the RX 6700S is the obvious pick, with its 146% OpenCL lead and 12.6% Vulkan advantage being decisive. Its lower 80 W TDP and connector-free design also make it more suitable for compact or integrated systems.

The RX 6600 is the better choice for a broader range of gaming scenarios. It wins 8 of 11 head-to-head tests, including the modern 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, and it dominates in legacy DirectX 9, 10, and 11 APIs. Its higher boost clock of 2491 MHz and FP32 throughput of 8.928 TFLOPS give it a raw performance edge in most rasterization tasks.

The overall average score favors the RX 6700S at 22154 versus 19036, but this is skewed by the outlier OpenCL result. The percentile ranking confirms the RX 6700S is stronger overall (67th vs 63rd percentile), but the RX 6600's wins are more consistent across the benchmark suite.

For a user with a fixed desktop setup and a 300 W PSU, the RX 6600 offers the better balance of gaming performance and API compatibility. For a user prioritizing compute acceleration or working within a constrained power budget, the RX 6700S is the data-backed recommendation. The choice ultimately hinges on whether OpenCL/Vulkan compute or broad DirectX gaming coverage matters more.