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

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear hierarchy: the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT dominates the head-to-head comparison, winning 10 of 11 tests, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M claims a single, dramatic victory. The average benchmark scores tell a contradictory story at first glance, but the per-test results clarify the actual performance relationship.

The RX 6650 XT's largest margin comes in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, where it scores 1859 against the RX 6600M's 1495, a 19.6% advantage. This is a substantial lead in a modern DirectX 12 workload, indicating the desktop card's higher clocks and additional execution resources translate directly into rasterization performance. PassMark G3D reinforces this, with the RX 6650 XT scoring 17166 versus 13929, an 18.9% lead. The consistency of these two very different benchmarks suggests the gap is systemic rather than workload-specific.

The compute-oriented tests follow a similar pattern. In PassMark GPU Compute, the RX 6650 XT scores 7532 against 5646, a 25% lead, the largest percentage margin in the entire comparison. This indicates the RX 6650 XT's higher shader count and clock speeds provide a meaningful advantage in general-purpose GPU workloads, not just gaming. Geekbench Vulkan shows a 9.3% lead for the RX 6650 XT (81306 vs 73740), while Geekbench Metal shows a narrower 5.9% edge (97969 vs 92237).

The legacy DirectX tests all favor the RX 6650 XT, with margins ranging from 14.4% in DirectX 9 (215 vs 184) to 20.2% in DirectX 10 (109 vs 87). DirectX 11 shows a 19.5% gap (169 vs 136), and DirectX 12 shows a 16.1% gap (62 vs 52). The consistency across these older APIs is notable, as it demonstrates that the RX 6650 XT's advantage is not tied to a specific driver path or modern feature set.

The single exception is Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 6600M scores 67765 against the RX 6650 XT's 10111. This is a 570.2% victory for the mobile part, an anomaly so large that it suggests a measurement artifact or a fundamental difference in how the two GPUs handle this specific OpenCL workload. No other test shows anything remotely close to this pattern, and the RX 6650 XT wins every other compute benchmark in the suite.

The aggregate numbers require careful interpretation. The RX 6600M has an average benchmark score of 23273 and sits at the 68th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The RX 6650 XT has an average benchmark score of 19765 and sits at the 65th percentile. The RX 6600M's higher average is driven almost entirely by that OpenCL outlier; without it, the RX 6650 XT would lead the aggregate as well. The nearest rivals for each card confirm their respective positions: the RX 6600M trades blows with the AMD Radeon R9 M290X (0% delta) and NVIDIA P106-100 (0.1% delta), while the RX 6650 XT sits within 0.8% of the NVIDIA Quadro K5200 and AMD FirePro W7000.

The verdict from the head-to-head data is unambiguous: in 10 of 11 recorded tests, the RX 6650 XT is faster by margins of 5.9% to 25%. The RX 6600M's one victory is a statistical outlier that does not reflect its typical performance profile.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins more benchmarks in the database?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT wins 10 of 11 head-to-head tests, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M wins only one, the Geekbench OpenCL test.

Q: What is the performance gap in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The RX 6650 XT scores 1859 versus the RX 6600M's 1495, a 19.6% advantage for the desktop card.

Q: How do the two cards compare in compute workloads?

A: In PassMark GPU Compute, the RX 6650 XT leads with 7532 against 5646, a 25% margin. However, in Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6600M scores 67765 versus 10111, a 570.2% lead.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores and percentiles for each card?

A: The RX 6600M has an average score of 23273 and sits at the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The RX 6650 XT has an average score of 19765 and sits at the 65th percentile.

Q: Which card has the higher boost clock?

A: The RX 6650 XT has a boost clock of 2635 MHz, while the RX 6600M has a boost clock of 2416 MHz.

Q: Do both cards use the same chip and architecture?

A: Yes, both use the Navi 23 chip based on RDNA 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same fundamental architecture, RDNA 2.0, and the same physical chip, Navi 23. This is a critical observation: the two cards are not different designs but rather different implementations of the same silicon. The transistor count is identical at 11,060 million, and the die size is the same at 237 mm², with a transistor density of 46.7M per mm².

The architectural differences therefore come down to how many of the chip's resources are enabled and how fast they run. The RX 6650 XT has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ray tracing cores. The RX 6600M has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 28 ray tracing cores. Both have 64 ROPs. This means the RX 6650 XT has 14.3% more shading units, 14.3% more TMUs, and 14.3% more ray tracing cores than the RX 6600M.

The clock behavior also differs substantially. The RX 6650 XT has a base clock of 2055 MHz and a boost clock of 2635 MHz, with a game clock of 2410 MHz. The RX 6600M has a base clock of 2068 MHz, a boost clock of 2416 MHz, and a game clock of 2177 MHz. The mobile part starts with a slightly higher base clock, but the desktop part's boost clock is 219 MHz higher and its game clock is 233 MHz higher. This clock advantage compounds with the additional execution resources.

The memory subsystem uses the same 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, but the effective data rates differ. The RX 6650 XT runs its memory at 2190 MHz with 17.5 Gbps effective, yielding 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6600M runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective, yielding 224.0 GB/s. The RX 6650 XT therefore has 25.1% more memory bandwidth, which is a significant advantage in bandwidth-sensitive workloads.

The pixel rate and texture rate reflect these differences. The RX 6650 XT achieves 168.6 GPixel/s and 337.3 GTexel/s, while the RX 6600M achieves 154.6 GPixel/s and 270.6 GTexel/s. Compute throughput follows the same pattern: the RX 6650 XT delivers 10.79 TFLOPS FP32 and 21.59 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1), while the RX 6600M delivers 8.659 TFLOPS FP32 and 17.32 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1).

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and neither has tensor cores. The API compatibility is identical, so software support does not differentiate them.

Specification Differences

The specification sheet shows a clear separation in power and physical design. The RX 6600M has a TDP of 100 W, while the RX 6650 XT has a TDP of 176 W. This is a 76 W difference that reflects the desktop card's higher clocks and additional enabled units. The RX 6600M is an integrated graphics package (IGP) with no power connectors, while the RX 6650 XT is a dual-slot card requiring a single 8-pin power connector and a suggested power supply of 450 W.

The display outputs also differ. The RX 6600M's outputs are described as portable device dependent, meaning they vary by laptop design. The RX 6650 XT offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, a standard desktop configuration.

The memory clocks differ as noted: 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective for the RX 6600M versus 2190 MHz with 17.5 Gbps effective for the RX 6650 XT. This drives the bandwidth difference of 224.0 GB/s versus 280.3 GB/s.

The release dates differ by roughly one year. The RX 6600M was released on May 30, 2021, while the RX 6650 XT was released on May 9, 2022. The production status for both is end-of-life. The RX 6600M's predecessor is listed as Polaris Mobile, while the RX 6650 XT's predecessor is Navi and its successor is Navi III. The RX 6650 XT has a launch MSRP of 399 USD.

The base clocks are nearly identical (2068 MHz for the RX 6600M, 2055 MHz for the RX 6650 XT), but every other clock metric favors the desktop card. The game clock gap is 233 MHz, and the boost clock gap is 219 MHz.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward conclusion: the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the faster GPU in nearly every recorded benchmark. It wins 10 of 11 tests, with margins ranging from 5.9% in Geekbench Metal to 25% in PassMark GPU Compute. The benchmark results indicate that the RX 6650 XT's combination of 14.3% more shading units, higher boost and game clocks, and 25.1% more memory bandwidth produces a consistent performance advantage across DirectX 9 through DirectX 12, Vulkan, Metal, and compute workloads.

The AMD Radeon RX 6600M should be selected only in the specific case where the Geekbench OpenCL workload is the primary use case, as its 67765 score versus 10111 is a 570.2% advantage. Outside of that singular test, the RX 6600M trails in every other measured category. Its lower TDP of 100 W versus 176 W makes it suitable for mobile platforms, but the performance cost is evident in the benchmark data.

The percentile rankings require context. The RX 6600M's 68th percentile and average score of 23273 are inflated by the OpenCL outlier. The RX 6650 XT's 65th percentile and average score of 19765 reflect a more consistent, if lower, aggregate. When the head-to-head results are weighted appropriately, the RX 6650 XT is the clear choice for anyone prioritizing raw performance.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT: The desktop card wins in all standard gaming and compute scenarios. Its 19.6% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 18.9% lead in PassMark G3D establish it as the stronger option for modern DirectX 12 gaming. The 25% margin in PassMark GPU Compute and the 9.3% lead in Geekbench Vulkan make it the better choice for general compute and Vulkan-based applications. Legacy API performance is also superior, with wins of 14.4% in DirectX 9, 20.2% in DirectX 10, 19.5% in DirectX 11, and 16.1% in DirectX 12 (PassMark). The 20.7% lead in PassMark G2D and 5.9% lead in Geekbench Metal round out its dominance. The higher memory bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s and the additional 256 shading units provide the foundation for these wins.

AMD Radeon RX 6600M: The mobile GPU wins exactly one test: Geekbench OpenCL, with a score of 67765 versus 10111. This 570.2% margin is so large that it dominates the card's average benchmark score and percentile ranking. For users whose primary workload is OpenCL compute as measured by Geekbench, the RX 6600M is the superior choice. Additionally, its 100 W TDP and IGP form factor make it the only option for thin-and-light laptops, whereas the RX 6650 XT requires a dual-slot desktop chassis with a 450 W power supply. The RX 6600M also has a slightly higher base clock of 2068 MHz versus 2055 MHz, though this does not translate into benchmark wins elsewhere.