AMD Radeon RX 6600 vs Intel Arc B570 Comparison

Intel Arc B570 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 represent two distinct approaches to the mainstream GPU segment, with the former built on Intel's latest Xe2-HPG architecture and the latter on AMD's mature RDNA 2.0 design. The benchmark data reveals a split decision: each card wins exactly five of the ten head-to-head tests, yet the magnitude of those victories differs dramatically, with Intel's wins often being decisive while AMD's are narrower. This analysis breaks down the specific numbers, architectural foundations, and practical implications for each card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking disparity appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where the Intel Arc B570 scores 2649 against the RX 6600's 1492, a 77.5% advantage. This is the single largest delta in the entire comparison, indicating that Intel's card holds a commanding lead in modern, compute-heavy DirectX 12 workloads. The gap is not a fluke of one benchmark—it aligns with the Geekbench OpenCL result, where Intel scores 83514 versus AMD's 28850, a staggering 189.5% difference. That OpenCL margin is nearly double the next-largest win, suggesting Intel's architecture excels at raw compute throughput in ways that AMD's older design cannot match.

In Vulkan, the Intel card again takes the lead, posting 96844 against 67623, a 43.2% advantage. This is a more moderate but still substantial win, reinforcing that Intel's Xe2-HPG handles modern graphics APIs with considerably more headroom. The PassMark DirectX 12 test tells a similar story: Intel scores 72 versus AMD's 51, a 41.2% margin, though the absolute numbers here are low enough that they carry less weight than the 3DMark or Geekbench results. Finally, in PassMark GPU Compute, Intel wins 7281 to 6554, an 11.1% edge that shows its compute advantage extends even to older benchmark suites.

AMD's wins are concentrated in legacy DirectX tests and 2D performance. In PassMark DirectX 10, the RX 6600 scores 95 against Intel's 65, a 31.6% margin. DirectX 11 shows a similar pattern: 152 versus 118, a 22.4% lead. DirectX 9 is closer, with AMD winning 197 to 164, a 16.8% edge. The PassMark G2D test, which measures 2D graphics and desktop compositing, goes to AMD 889 to 661, a 25.6% advantage. Most notably, the PassMark G3D test—a broad 3D graphics benchmark—is won by AMD at 15096 versus 14195, but only by 6%, which is the narrowest margin in either direction.

The overall picture is clear: Intel dominates in modern, compute-intensive scenarios with margins ranging from 11.1% to 189.5%, while AMD wins in legacy API tests and 2D tasks with margins between 6% and 31.6%. The average benchmark scores reflect this split: Intel's average is 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, while AMD's average is 19036, in the 63rd percentile. Intel's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (avg score 20534, deltaPct 0.1%), while AMD sits within 0.3% of the NVIDIA Tesla K20m and 1% of the RTX 4050 Mobile, indicating that the RX 6600 is surrounded by older and mobile-class parts.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is fundamental. Intel's Arc B570 uses the BMG-G21 chip built on a 5 nm TSMC process, packing 19,600 million transistors into a 272 mm² die for a density of 72.1 million transistors per mm². AMD's RX 6600 uses the Navi 23 chip on a 7 nm TSMC process, with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die, yielding a density of 46.7 million transistors per mm². Intel's process advantage allows it to fit nearly 78% more transistors into only 15% more die area, which directly explains the compute performance gap.

The memory subsystems diverge sharply. Intel offers 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while AMD offers 8 GB on a 128-bit bus, capped at 224.0 GB/s. That 156 GB/s bandwidth advantage for Intel is substantial and shows up in memory-intensive workloads like the 3DMark Steel Nomad test. Clock speeds also differ: Intel runs at a flat 2500 MHz for both base and boost, while AMD's base is 1626 MHz with a boost of 2491 MHz and a game clock of 2044 MHz. Intel's constant 2500 MHz means it does not rely on boost behavior, whereas AMD's performance varies with thermal headroom.

Shader and compute resources favor Intel on paper. Intel has 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, versus AMD's 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Intel's pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s versus AMD's 159.4 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s versus 279.0 GTexel/s. In FP32 throughput, Intel reaches 11.52 TFLOPS against AMD's 8.928 TFLOPS, a 29% gap that explains the OpenCL and compute benchmark results. FP16 follows the same pattern: 23.04 TFLOPS versus 17.86 TFLOPS, both at a 2:1 ratio.

Ray tracing resources differ in configuration: Intel has 18 RT cores while AMD has 28, but this does not translate into a win for AMD in any benchmark, suggesting Intel's RT cores are more efficient per unit. The cards also differ in display outputs: Intel provides 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 2.1, while AMD provides 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, giving Intel a modern connector advantage. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so feature-level API support is identical. Power consumption tells a nuanced story: Intel's TDP is 150 W with a suggested 450 W PSU, while AMD's TDP is 132 W with a suggested 300 W PSU. Intel uses more power, but its performance per watt in compute-heavy tasks is not directly measurable from the provided data.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split based on workload. For users running modern DirectX 12 or Vulkan applications, particularly those with compute-heavy effects like ray tracing or mesh shaders, the Intel Arc B570 is unequivocally the stronger card, with margins of 41.2% to 77.5% in those specific tests. Its 10 GB VRAM and 380 GB/s bandwidth also provide more headroom for high-resolution textures and future game releases. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 96844 versus 67623 reinforces that Intel's architecture is better optimized for contemporary graphics APIs.

For users who rely on legacy DirectX 9, 10, or 11 applications, or who prioritize 2D desktop performance, the AMD RX 6600 is the safer choice, winning those tests by 16.8% to 31.6%. The PassMark G3D result, which AMD wins by 6%, suggests that in older DirectX 11-based games, AMD's mature drivers and architecture still hold an edge. However, that margin is small, and the overall average benchmark score favors Intel (20556 vs 19036), as does the percentile ranking (65th vs 63rd).

The production status is also relevant: Intel's card is listed as Active with a release date of 2025-01-15, while AMD's is End-of-life with a release date of 2021-10-12. This means Intel's card is current-generation hardware, while AMD's is from a previous cycle. The launch MSRP for Intel is 219 USD, and for AMD it is 329 USD, making Intel's card the lower-priced option at launch despite its higher performance in modern tests.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in DirectX 12?

A: The Intel Arc B570 wins the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test with 2649 points versus 1492, a 77.5% advantage, and also wins PassMark DirectX 12 with 72 versus 51, a 41.2% margin.

Q: Does the AMD card win any compute benchmarks?

A: No. Intel wins all compute-related tests: Geekbench OpenCL by 189.5%, PassMark GPU Compute by 11.1%, and Geekbench Vulkan by 43.2%. AMD does not win any compute benchmark.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: Intel's Arc B570 has 380.0 GB/s across a 160-bit bus with 10 GB of GDDR6, while AMD's RX 6600 has 224.0 GB/s across a 128-bit bus with 8 GB of GDDR6.

Q: Are there any benchmark categories where AMD wins?

A: Yes, AMD wins PassMark DirectX 10 (95 vs 65), DirectX 11 (152 vs 118), DirectX 9 (197 vs 164), G2D (889 vs 661), and G3D (15096 vs 14195), though the G3D margin is only 6%.

Q: How do these cards compare to their nearest rivals?

A: Intel's average score of 20556 is 0.1% above the NVIDIA RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.1% below the Intel Arc A750. AMD's average of 19036 is 0.3% below the NVIDIA Tesla K20m and 0.4% above the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation.

Q: Which card has a newer architecture?

A: Intel uses Xe2-HPG on a 5 nm process, while AMD uses RDNA 2.0 on a 7 nm process. Intel's card was released on 2025-01-15 and is Active, while AMD's was released on 2021-10-12 and is End-of-life.

Where Each One Wins

Intel Arc B570 is the clear winner for modern gaming and compute workloads. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result (77.5% ahead) is the strongest indicator for current-generation game engines that leverage DirectX 12's low-level features. The Geekbench OpenCL score (189.5% ahead) makes this card the obvious choice for GPU compute tasks such as video encoding, scientific simulations, or machine learning inference, where raw FP32 throughput (11.52 TFLOPS vs 8.928 TFLOPS) translates directly into faster results. The 43.2% Vulkan advantage means it also handles cross-platform games and emulators better. With 10 GB of VRAM and 380 GB/s bandwidth, it is better equipped for 1440p gaming with high-resolution textures or for workloads that spill beyond 8 GB. The 41.2% DirectX 12 PassMark win confirms this is not a synthetic anomaly but a consistent architectural strength.

AMD Radeon RX 6600 wins for backward compatibility and legacy software. The DirectX 10 (31.6% ahead), DirectX 11 (22.4% ahead), and DirectX 9 (16.8% ahead) victories make it the safer choice for older game libraries, especially MMORPGs or indie titles that still use these APIs. The 25.6% G2D win means it handles 2D desktop compositing, multi-monitor productivity, and older 2D applications with less overhead. The PassMark G3D result, while only 6% ahead, suggests that in mixed DirectX 11 game workloads, AMD's mature driver stack still holds a slight edge. Its lower TDP of 132 W versus 150 W and 300 W PSU recommendation versus 450 W make it a better fit for small form factor builds or systems with weaker power supplies, though this is a qualitative advantage since no efficiency benchmarks are provided. The card's End-of-life status also means it may be available in existing systems, whereas Intel's card is the new entrant.