AMD Radeon RX 6600 vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Comparison

# NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER vs AMD Radeon RX 6600

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER and AMD Radeon RX 6600 represent two distinct approaches to mid-range and upper-mid-range graphics, separated by two years of architectural evolution. Benchmark data shows the RTX 2070 SUPER winning 8 of 10 head-to-head tests, yet the RX 6600 counters in two specific workloads, and the overall average scores sit closer than the win count suggests. The RTX 2070 SUPER posts an average benchmark score of 20,282 against the RX 6600's 19,036, a gap of roughly 6.5%, while the percentile rankings differ by just two points — 65th versus 63rd percentile among all GPUs. This narrow overall margin, combined with dramatic swings in individual tests, makes the comparison more nuanced than a simple victory lap for the older NVIDIA card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result in the entire comparison comes from Geekbench OpenCL, where the RTX 2070 SUPER scores 83,358 against the RX 6600's 28,850 — a staggering 188.9% advantage. This is not a marginal win but a complete rout, suggesting fundamental differences in how each card handles compute-heavy OpenCL workloads. The NVIDIA card's 2,560 shading units and 320 tensor cores likely contribute to this massive gap, though the data alone cannot confirm the exact cause. Vulkan performance tells a similar story, though less extreme: 90,637 versus 67,623, a 34% margin in favor of the RTX 2070 SUPER.

In DirectX 12 workloads, the RTX 2070 SUPER maintains its lead with a 31.4% advantage in Passmark's DirectX 12 test (67 versus 51) and a 10.7% edge in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 (1,651 versus 1,492). The Passmark G3D test, which aggregates overall gaming performance, shows the RTX 2070 SUPER ahead by 20.4% (18,169 versus 15,096). Compute performance follows suit: Passmark GPU Compute scores 7,557 for NVIDIA versus 6,554 for AMD, a 15.3% difference. Even legacy DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 tests favor the RTX 2070 SUPER, with 13.2% and 38.9% leads respectively.

The RX 6600's two wins are narrow but notable. In Passmark DirectX 11, it edges out the RTX 2070 SUPER by 0.7% (152 versus 151), a statistical tie that suggests parity in that specific API. The second win comes in Passmark G2D, a 2D graphics test, where the RX 6600 scores 889 versus 878, a 1.2% margin. These wins are hardly decisive, but they demonstrate that the AMD card is not uniformly slower — it holds its own in specific scenarios. The pattern suggests the RX 6600's newer architecture compensates for fewer resources in some workloads, while the RTX 2070 SUPER's sheer scale dominates in compute-heavy tests.

Architecture Differences

The two cards come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The RTX 2070 SUPER uses NVIDIA's Turing architecture on a 12 nm TSMC process, packing 13,600 million transistors into a 545 mm² die with a transistor density of 25.0M per mm². The RX 6600 employs AMD's RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 7 nm TSMC process, fitting 11,060 million transistors into a much smaller 237 mm² die with a density of 46.7M per mm². The process node difference explains the density gap: AMD crams nearly twice as many transistors per square millimeter, though the NVIDIA chip has more total transistors overall.

Chip configurations diverge sharply. The RTX 2070 SUPER features 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, plus 40 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores. The RX 6600 counters with 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, along with 28 ray tracing cores but no tensor cores at all. Despite having fewer shading units, the RX 6600 achieves a higher pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s versus 113.3 GPixel/s for the RTX 2070 SUPER, thanks to its much higher boost clock of 2,491 MHz against 1,770 MHz. Texture rates are nearly identical — 279.0 GTexel/s for AMD versus 283.2 GTexel/s for NVIDIA — despite the NVIDIA card having more TMUs. FP32 performance is close as well: 8.928 TFLOPS for the RX 6600 versus 9.062 TFLOPS for the RTX 2070 SUPER.

Memory architectures take entirely different paths. Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6, but the RTX 2070 SUPER uses a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the RX 6600 uses a 128-bit bus delivering 224.0 GB/s — exactly half. The RX 6600 compensates with PCIe 4.0 x8 connectivity versus PCIe 3.0 x16 on the RTX 2070 SUPER, though the practical impact depends on platform support. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, so API feature sets are equivalent on paper.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 2070 SUPER dominates in compute-heavy and API-modern workloads. Its OpenCL score of 83,358 versus 28,850 represents a 188.9% advantage, making it the clear choice for applications that leverage OpenCL for general-purpose GPU computing. Vulkan performance is also strongly in NVIDIA's favor at 34% ahead, which matters for games built on that API. DirectX 12 and DirectX 10 workloads show 31.4% and 38.9% leads respectively, reinforcing the pattern that the RTX 2070 SUPER excels in newer and more demanding rendering paths. The 20.4% G3D advantage and 15.3% compute lead further cement its position as the stronger all-around performer.

The RX 6600's wins are narrow and specific. Its DirectX 11 score of 152 essentially matches the RTX 2070 SUPER's 151, indicating that in older DirectX 11 titles, the two cards are indistinguishable. The G2D win of 889 versus 878 suggests slightly better 2D acceleration, though the 1.2% margin is within noise territory. More importantly, the RX 6600 achieves these results with a 132 W TDP against the RTX 2070 SUPER's 215 W, and it requires only a 300 W suggested PSU versus 550 W. The RX 6600 also occupies a smaller physical footprint — 190 mm length versus 267 mm — making it easier to fit in compact builds. For users prioritizing efficiency and size over raw compute performance, the RX 6600 presents a compelling case.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. The process node stands at 12 nm for NVIDIA versus 7 nm for AMD, with corresponding die sizes of 545 mm² and 237 mm². Transistor counts are 13,600 million for the RTX 2070 SUPER and 11,060 million for the RX 6600, while transistor densities are 25.0M/mm² and 46.7M/mm² respectively. Base clocks are similar — 1,605 MHz versus 1,626 MHz — but boost clocks diverge dramatically: 1,770 MHz for NVIDIA versus 2,491 MHz for AMD, with the RX 6600 also listing a game clock of 2,044 MHz.

Shader configurations differ substantially: 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 40 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores for the RTX 2070 SUPER, versus 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 28 RT cores for the RX 6600, which has no tensor cores. Memory bandwidth is halved on the AMD card (224.0 GB/s versus 448.0 GB/s) despite identical 8 GB GDDR6 capacity and 14 Gbps effective speed. Pixel rates favor AMD at 159.4 GPixel/s versus 113.3 GPixel/s, while texture rates are nearly equal at 279.0 versus 283.2 GTexel/s. FP32 performance is close at 8.928 versus 9.062 TFLOPS. Power requirements differ significantly: 215 W TDP versus 132 W, with the RTX 2070 SUPER needing 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin connectors and a 550 W PSU, while the RX 6600 uses a single 8-pin connector and a 300 W PSU. The RX 6600 uses PCIe 4.0 x8 versus PCIe 3.0 x16, and its dimensions are 190 mm × 110 mm × 40 mm against 267 mm × 116 mm × 35 mm. Display outputs also differ: the RTX 2070 SUPER includes a USB Type-C port alongside HDMI 2.0 and three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while the RX 6600 offers HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a without USB-C. Release dates are July 2019 for NVIDIA and October 2021 for AMD.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER averages 20,282 across all benchmark tests, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600 averages 19,036. The NVIDIA card also holds a higher percentile ranking at 65th versus 63rd among all GPUs.

Q: How large is the performance gap in OpenCL compute workloads?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER scores 83,358 in Geekbench OpenCL compared to the RX 6600's 28,850, giving NVIDIA a 188.9% advantage — the largest margin in any head-to-head test.

Q: Does the RX 6600 win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the RX 6600 wins two tests: Passmark DirectX 11 with a score of 152 versus 151 (a 0.7% margin), and Passmark G2D with 889 versus 878 (a 1.2% margin). Both wins are narrow.

Q: How do power requirements compare between the two cards?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has a TDP of 215 W and requires a 550 W suggested PSU, while the RX 6600 has a TDP of 132 W and a 300 W suggested PSU. The NVIDIA card needs both a 6-pin and 8-pin power connector, whereas the AMD card uses a single 8-pin connector.

Q: Are the memory configurations identical?

A: Both cards have 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, but the RTX 2070 SUPER uses a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 6600 uses a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth — a 2:1 difference in bandwidth.

Q: What ray tracing resources does each card have?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER features 40 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores, while the RX 6600 has 28 ray tracing cores and no tensor cores.

The Verdict

The data points to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER as the stronger performer in the majority of workloads, with 8 wins out of 10 head-to-head tests and substantial leads in compute-heavy benchmarks. Its 188.9% OpenCL advantage, 34% Vulkan lead, and 20.4% G3D edge make it the obvious choice for users prioritizing raw performance across modern APIs and general-purpose compute tasks. The 15.3% compute lead and 31.4% DirectX 12 advantage reinforce this conclusion. For gamers and creators running DirectX 12 or Vulkan titles, the RTX 2070 SUPER's higher bandwidth (448.0 GB/s versus 224.0 GB/s) and greater shading unit count (2,560 versus 1,792) translate into measurable performance gains.

However, the RX 6600 is not without merit. Its 132 W TDP, 300 W PSU requirement, and compact 190 mm length make it the more practical choice for small-form-factor or power-conscious builds. The 7 nm process yields nearly double the transistor density (46.7M/mm² versus 25.0M/mm²), and the higher boost clock of 2,491 MHz enables a superior pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s. The RX 6600's DirectX 11 parity and G2D win show it can handle legacy workloads competently, and its PCIe 4.0 x8 interface offers modern platform compatibility. The RTX 2070 SUPER's launch MSRP was 499 USD, while the RX 6600 launched at 329 USD.

The verdict depends on priorities. For maximum performance in compute and modern gaming APIs, the RTX 2070 SUPER is the data-backed choice, despite its older architecture and higher power draw. For users who value efficiency, smaller size, and adequate performance in DirectX 11 and lighter workloads, the RX 6600 delivers a compelling package that sacrifices raw throughput for practicality. The 6.5% average score gap in favor of NVIDIA is meaningful, but the RX 6600's efficiency advantages close the practical distance in many real-world scenarios.