AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 6800S Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and AMD Radeon RX 6800S share the same Navi 23 chip and RDNA 2.0 architecture, yet they are positioned for different environments: a desktop card versus a mobile IGP. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy, with the RX 6600 XT winning 8 of 11 head-to-head benchmarks, but the RX 6800S countering in specific API workloads like Vulkan and DirectX 12. This analysis walks through the architectural kinship, specification deltas, and benchmark results to determine which GPU suits which use case.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT leads with an average benchmark score of 24,442, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800S trails at 24,063. This places the RX 6600 XT in the 70th percentile of all GPUs, versus the 69th percentile for the RX 6800S.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in raw compute performance?

A: The RX 6600 XT delivers 10.60 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is significantly higher than the RX 6800S’s 8.602 TFLOPS. This advantage explains the RX 6600 XT’s 22.4% lead in the Passmark GPU compute benchmark (7,520 vs 6,144).

Q: Which GPU wins in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800S wins the Passmark DirectX 12 test with a score of 65, compared to the RX 6600 XT’s 61, a 6.2% margin. This is one of only three benchmark victories for the RX 6800S.

Q: Are the memory configurations identical?

A: Yes, both GPUs feature 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is also identical at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective).

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RX 6600 XT has a TDP of 160 W, while the RX 6800S is rated at 100 W. This 60 W difference reflects the mobile optimization of the RX 6800S, which requires no power connectors and is classified as an IGP.

Q: Which GPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 6600 XT boosts to 2589 MHz, whereas the RX 6800S boosts to 2100 MHz. The RX 6600 XT also has a higher base clock (1968 MHz vs 1800 MHz) and game clock (2359 MHz vs 1975 MHz).

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs are built on the same Navi 23 chip using TSMC’s 7 nm process, with 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 46.7M / mm². They share the RDNA 2.0 architecture and the same generation (Navi II / RX 6000 series for the desktop; Navi Mobile / RX 6000M for the mobile variant). This means the core configuration is identical: 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 32 ray tracing cores.

The architectural differences are primarily in clock behavior and power delivery. The RX 6600 XT operates at a base clock of 1968 MHz, a game clock of 2359 MHz, and a boost clock of 2589 MHz. The RX 6800S runs lower across the board: 1800 MHz base, 1975 MHz game, and 2100 MHz boost. This clock reduction directly impacts throughput rates—the RX 6600 XT achieves 165.7 GPixel/s pixel rate and 331.4 GTexel/s texture rate, while the RX 6800S falls to 134.4 GPixel/s and 268.8 GTexel/s.

The FP32 compute also reflects this: 10.60 TFLOPS for the RX 6600 XT versus 8.602 TFLOPS for the RX 6800S, with FP16 scaling at a 2:1 ratio (21.21 vs 17.20 TFLOPS). The power envelope differs dramatically—160 W TDP with a 1x 8-pin connector for the desktop card, versus 100 W TDP with no connectors for the mobile IGP. The RX 6800S also has no fixed dimensions or display outputs, being "Portable Device Dependent," while the RX 6600 XT is a dual-slot card with 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward choice for performance seekers: the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. It wins the majority of benchmarks (8 of 11), holds a higher average score (24,442 vs 24,063), and offers superior raw compute (10.60 vs 8.602 TFLOPS). The RX 6600 XT’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, sits 1.1% behind in average score, while the RX 6800S is 0.4% behind the same RTX 2080 SUPER—meaning the RX 6600 XT and RX 6800S are close in overall standing but with the desktop card consistently ahead.

For mobile users, the RX 6800S makes sense only if power constraints are paramount. Its 100 W TDP versus 160 W, plus the absence of external power connectors, makes it a viable IGP solution for laptops. However, the performance penalty is real: it loses in DirectX 10 (109 vs 91), DirectX 11 (163 vs 139), and OpenCL (80,503 vs 73,202), among others. The RX 6800S wins in Vulkan (81,272 vs 72,417) and DirectX 12 (65 vs 61), suggesting it may be preferable for specific modern API workloads, but this is a narrow niche.

The verdict is clear: the RX 6600 XT is the superior performer for desktop builds, while the RX 6800S is a compromise for portable systems where power efficiency outweighs peak performance.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs diverge in several key specification fields:

• Base Clock: RX 6600 XT at 1968 MHz; RX 6800S at 1800 MHz.
• Boost Clock: RX 6600 XT at 2589 MHz; RX 6800S at 2100 MHz.
• Game Clock: RX 6600 XT at 2359 MHz; RX 6800S at 1975 MHz.
• Pixel Rate: RX 6600 XT at 165.7 GPixel/s; RX 6800S at 134.4 GPixel/s.
• Texture Rate: RX 6600 XT at 331.4 GTexel/s; RX 6800S at 268.8 GTexel/s.
• FP32 Compute: RX 6600 XT at 10.60 TFLOPS; RX 6800S at 8.602 TFLOPS.
• FP16 Compute: RX 6600 XT at 21.21 TFLOPS (2:1); RX 6800S at 17.20 TFLOPS (2:1).
• TDP: RX 6600 XT at 160 W; RX 6800S at 100 W.
• Slot Width: RX 6600 XT is dual-slot; RX 6800S is IGP.
• Power Connectors: RX 6600 XT has 1x 8-pin; RX 6800S has none.
• Suggested PSU: RX 6600 XT at 450 W; RX 6800S has no listed value.
• Display Outputs: RX 6600 XT has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a; RX 6800S is portable device dependent.
• Dimensions: RX 6600 XT is 190 mm x 110 mm x 40 mm; RX 6800S has no listed dimensions.
• Release Date: RX 6600 XT on 2021-07-29; RX 6800S on 2022-01-03.
• Predecessor: RX 6600 XT’s is Navi; RX 6800S’s is Polaris Mobile.
• Launch MSRP: RX 6600 XT at 379 USD; RX 6800S has no launch MSRP.

Identical specifications include memory (8 GB GDDR6, 128-bit, 256.0 GB/s), core counts (2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 32 RT cores), process node (7 nm), transistor count (11,060 million), die size (237 mm²), transistor density (46.7M / mm²), memory clock (2000 MHz / 16 Gbps effective), bus interface (PCIe 4.0 x8), and APIs (DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan 1.4).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The RX 6600 XT dominates in raw compute and legacy APIs. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RX 6600 XT scores 1,804 against the RX 6800S’s 1,689, a 6.8% lead. The gap widens in Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 6600 XT posts 80,503 versus 73,202, a 10% advantage. The largest margin comes in Passmark G2D, with the RX 6600 XT at 912 versus 732—a 24.6% difference that highlights the desktop card’s superior 2D processing.

Compute-heavy workloads favor the RX 6600 XT even more decisively. In Passmark GPU Compute, the RX 6600 XT scores 7,520 against 6,144, a 22.4% win. The DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 tests also go to the RX 6600 XT: 109 vs 91 (19.8% lead) and 163 vs 139 (17.3% lead), respectively. Geekbench Metal shows a narrower 4.1% margin (88,720 vs 85,256), and Passmark G3D gives the RX 6600 XT a 3.5% edge (16,461 vs 15,908).

The RX 6800S takes three victories, all in specific API contexts. Its biggest win is in Geekbench Vulkan, scoring 81,272 against the RX 6600 XT’s 72,417—a 10.9% margin. This is notable because Vulkan is often used in modern game engines. The RX 6800S also wins Passmark DirectX 12 (65 vs 61, a 6.2% lead) and Passmark DirectX 9 (200 vs 194, a 3% margin). These wins suggest the RX 6800S has better optimization for newer and older API paths, despite its lower clocks.

Overall, the RX 6600 XT wins 8 benchmarks, the RX 6800S wins 3. The average scores reflect this: 24,442 for the RX 6600 XT, 24,063 for the RX 6800S. The RX 6600 XT’s nearest rival is the Intel Arc A350M at -0.8% delta, while the RX 6800S’s closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER at -0.4%.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the clear winner for desktop gaming and compute-heavy tasks. Its advantages in DirectX 10 (19.8% lead), DirectX 11 (17.3%), and GPU Compute (22.4%) make it the better choice for legacy titles and general-purpose compute workloads like OpenCL. The 10% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and the 24.6% lead in Passmark G2D further cement its position for productivity and 2D applications. For users targeting DirectX 11 games or OpenCL-based software, the RX 6600 XT is unequivocally superior.

The RX 6800S wins in specific modern and legacy API scenarios. Its 10.9% lead in Geekbench Vulkan is the most significant, indicating that Vulkan-based games may run better on this mobile GPU despite its lower clock speeds. The 6.2% win in Passmark DirectX 12 suggests it handles the latest Microsoft API more efficiently. The 3% edge in DirectX 9 is marginal but shows competence in older titles. For mobile users who prioritize Vulkan or DirectX 12 games, the RX 6800S could offer a better experience per watt, given its 100 W TDP versus 160 W.

In practice, the RX 6600 XT is the pick for desktop users who want maximum performance across the board. The RX 6800S is only preferable in constrained mobile environments where its power efficiency (100 W, no connectors) and Vulkan/DirectX 12 strengths align with the workload. The data does not support choosing the RX 6800S for raw compute or legacy API performance, where the RX 6600 XT leads by double digits.