AMD Radeon RX 6700 vs AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data contains two direct comparisons between the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 and the AMD Radeon RX 6700. In both tests, the RX 6700 emerges as the clear winner, though the margins differ significantly between workloads.

The first benchmark, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, shows the RX 6700 scoring 2014 points against 1501 points for the RX Vega 56. This represents a 25.5% advantage for the newer card. The delta is substantial, indicating that in modern DirectX 12 rendering workloads, the RX 6700's architectural efficiency provides a commanding lead. The RX Vega 56's older GCN design, while still capable, cannot match the per-clock throughput of the RDNA 2 architecture in this scenario.

The second comparison, Geekbench Metal, reveals an even larger gap. The RX 6700 scores 122223 points versus 73512 points for the RX Vega 56, a difference of 39.9%. This benchmark exercises compute and graphics workloads through Apple's Metal API, and the results indicate that the RX 6700 delivers roughly two-thirds more performance in this particular test. The RX Vega 56 trails significantly, and the margin here is more than double the gap seen in the 3DMark test.

Looking at the aggregate benchmark data, the RX Vega 56 posts an average benchmark score of 37507 across all recorded tests, while the RX 6700 averages 30433. This appears counterintuitive given the head-to-head results, but it reflects the different benchmark suites available for each card. The RX Vega 56 has only two recorded benchmarks in the database, both of which are the same tests used in the head-to-head comparison. The RX 6700, by contrast, has eleven recorded benchmarks, including several Passmark tests that score on different scales. The Passmark DirectX 9 score of 250, DirectX 11 score of 166, and DirectX 10 score of 115 are particularly low relative to the card's other results, which pulls down its average.

The percentile rankings reinforce the mixed picture. The RX Vega 56 sits at the 81st percentile among all GPUs in the database, while the RX 6700 ranks at the 75th percentile. This suggests that the RX Vega 56, despite losing both head-to-head tests, occupies a higher relative position when considering the entire benchmark landscape. The nearest rivals for the RX Vega 56 include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 with an average score of 37628 and a delta of -0.3%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 at 37648 with a delta of -0.4%, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 at 37157 with a delta of 0.9%. The RX 6700's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA CMP 70HX at 30476 with a delta of -0.1%, the NVIDIA Tesla M60 at 30490 with a delta of -0.2%, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 at 30095 with a delta of 1.1%, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti at 29945 with a delta of 1.6%.

These rival comparisons show that the RX Vega 56 sits in a performance tier that includes some high-end NVIDIA cards like the RTX 4070, while the RX 6700 competes with a different set of cards including the RTX 3070 Ti. The delta values indicate that both cards are within roughly 2% of their nearest competitors, suggesting tight competition in their respective segments.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent fundamentally different architectural generations from AMD. The RX Vega 56 uses the Vega 10 chip built on GCN 5.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The RX 6700 uses the Navi 22 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, built on a 7 nm process at TSMC. This process shrink from 14 nm to 7 nm is a major factor in the performance and efficiency differences.

The transistor counts reflect the different design philosophies. The Vega 10 chip contains 12,500 million transistors on a die size of 495 mm², yielding a transistor density of 25.3 million per square millimeter. The Navi 22 chip packs 17,200 million transistors into a smaller 335 mm² die, achieving a density of 51.3 million per square millimeter. The RX 6700's die is approximately one-third smaller physically, yet contains nearly 40% more transistors, demonstrating the density advantages of the newer process node.

Memory configurations differ substantially. The RX Vega 56 uses 8 GB of HBM2 memory with a 2048-bit bus and bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s. The RX 6700 uses 10 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 160-bit bus and bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The Vega 56 has a much wider memory bus and higher raw bandwidth, but the RX 6700 compensates with a larger capacity and faster effective memory speed of 16 Gbps compared to 1600 Mbps effective for the Vega 56. The memory clock difference is massive: 2000 MHz for the RX 6700 versus 800 MHz for the RX Vega 56.

The compute unit configurations differ as well. The RX Vega 56 has 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units. The RX 6700 has fewer shading units at 2304 and fewer TMUs at 144, but retains 64 ROPs. The RX 6700 also includes 36 ray tracing cores, a feature completely absent from the RX Vega 56. This represents a significant architectural addition, as the RDNA 2 architecture introduces dedicated hardware for ray tracing workloads.

Clock speeds show a clear generational improvement. The RX Vega 56 has a base clock of 1156 MHz and a boost clock of 1471 MHz. The RX 6700 operates at a base clock of 1941 MHz, a boost clock of 2450 MHz, and a game clock of 2174 MHz. The RX 6700's boost clock is approximately 67% higher than the Vega 56's, which helps compensate for its lower shading unit count.

The resulting throughput figures tell a nuanced story. The RX Vega 56 achieves a pixel rate of 94.14 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 329.5 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 10.54 TFLOPS. The RX 6700 delivers a pixel rate of 156.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 352.8 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 11.29 TFLOPS. Despite having 35% fewer shading units, the RX 6700 achieves higher FP32 performance, pixel rate, and texture rate, all due to its superior clock speeds and architectural efficiency. FP16 performance follows the same pattern: 21.09 TFLOPS for the Vega 56 versus 22.58 TFLOPS for the RX 6700.

Power consumption favors the RX 6700 despite its higher performance. The RX Vega 56 has a TDP of 210 W and requires two 8-pin power connectors with a suggested PSU of 550 W. The RX 6700 has a TDP of 175 W, needs only one 8-pin connector, and suggests a 450 W PSU. The newer card delivers more performance while consuming 35 W less power, a direct result of the 7 nm process efficiency.

PCIe interface support also differs. The RX Vega 56 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RX 6700 supports PCIe 4.0 x16, doubling the available bandwidth for data transfers between the GPU and system.

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly favors the AMD Radeon RX 6700 in both recorded head-to-head tests. The RX 6700 leads by 25.5% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and by 39.9% in Geekbench Metal. These are substantial margins that indicate a meaningful performance advantage in both gaming and compute workloads.

However, the broader database context complicates a simple recommendation. The RX Vega 56 holds an 81st percentile ranking versus the RX 6700's 75th percentile, and the Vega 56's average benchmark score of 37507 exceeds the RX 6700's 30433. This discrepancy stems from the different benchmark suites recorded for each card, with the RX 6700 including several low-scoring Passmark tests that drag down its average.

For users prioritizing the specific workloads represented in the head-to-head tests, the RX 6700 is the stronger choice. Its 25.5% advantage in DX12 gaming and 39.9% advantage in Metal compute represent real-world performance gains that would be noticeable in actual use. The RX 6700 also offers newer features including ray tracing cores, DirectX 12 Ultimate support, and Vulkan 1.4 support.

The RX Vega 56 retains some advantages worth noting. Its wider 2048-bit memory bus and higher bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s may benefit certain memory-intensive workloads, despite the lower memory capacity of 8 GB versus 10 GB. Its higher percentile ranking suggests that in the broader context of all recorded benchmarks, it performs competitively against a different set of rivals.

The production status of both cards is end-of-life, so neither represents a current purchase recommendation. For those choosing between these two based on the available data, the RX 6700 wins on raw performance in the tested workloads, efficiency, and modern feature support. The RX Vega 56 remains a capable card for its era, but the architectural and process node advantages of the RX 6700 are impossible to ignore.

FAQ

Q: Which card performs better in DirectX 12 gaming workloads?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 scores 2014 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 compared to 1501 for the RX Vega 56, a 25.5% advantage for the RX 6700.

Q: How do the two cards compare in Metal API performance?

A: The RX 6700 scores 122223 in Geekbench Metal versus 73512 for the RX Vega 56, giving the RX 6700 a 39.9% lead.

Q: Which card has more memory bandwidth?

A: The RX Vega 56 has higher memory bandwidth at 409.6 GB/s due to its 2048-bit HBM2 interface, while the RX 6700 provides 320.0 GB/s over a 160-bit GDDR6 bus.

Q: Does the RX 6700 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 6700 includes 36 ray tracing cores, a feature the RX Vega 56 does not have.

Q: Which card consumes less power?

A: The RX 6700 has a TDP of 175 W and requires a 450 W PSU, while the RX Vega 56 has a TDP of 210 W and suggests a 550 W PSU.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The RX Vega 56 comes with 8 GB of HBM2 memory, while the RX 6700 offers 10 GB of GDDR6 memory.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6700 wins in both recorded head-to-head benchmarks, establishing clear superiority in modern DirectX 12 rendering and Metal compute workloads. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows a 25.5% advantage, indicating that the RX 6700 handles contemporary graphics APIs more efficiently. The Geekbench Metal result shows an even larger 39.9% margin, suggesting the RDNA 2 architecture excels in compute-heavy tasks exposed through Metal.

The RX 6700 also wins on efficiency metrics. Its lower TDP of 175 W versus 210 W means less heat generation and lower power draw under load. The single 8-pin power connector simplifies installation compared to the Vega 56's dual 8-pin requirement. The smaller physical footprint, measuring 267 mm in length versus 280 mm, makes the RX 6700 easier to fit in compact cases.

The RX 6700 offers modern API support including DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and ray tracing cores. These features enable compatibility with current and future game titles that leverage advanced graphics techniques. The PCIe 4.0 interface doubles the bus bandwidth compared to the Vega 56's PCIe 3.0, reducing potential bottlenecks in data-heavy scenarios.

The RX Vega 56 wins in memory bandwidth, offering 409.6 GB/s compared to 320.0 GB/s for the RX 6700. This could provide an advantage in workloads that are highly sensitive to memory throughput, such as certain compute tasks or high-resolution texture streaming. The Vega 56's wider 2048-bit bus versus the 160-bit bus of the RX 6700 represents a fundamental design difference that favors the older card in bandwidth-bound scenarios.

The RX Vega 56 also holds a higher percentile ranking at 81 compared to the RX 6700's 75, and its average benchmark score of 37507 exceeds the RX 6700's 30433. This suggests that in the broader context of the database's recorded tests, the Vega 56 performs at a higher relative level against its competitors.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category. The RX Vega 56 uses the Vega 10 chip with GCN 5.0 architecture on a 14 nm GlobalFoundries process, while the RX 6700 uses the Navi 22 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 7 nm TSMC process.

Transistor counts differ significantly: 12,500 million for the Vega 10 on a 495 mm² die, versus 17,200 million for the Navi 22 on a 335 mm² die. Transistor density rises from 25.3M per mm² to 51.3M per mm².

Clock speeds show the RX 6700 with a base clock of 1941 MHz, boost of 2450 MHz, and game clock of 2174 MHz, compared to the RX Vega 56's base of 1156 MHz and boost of 1471 MHz. Memory clocks are 2000 MHz for the RX 6700 versus 800 MHz for the Vega 56.

Memory specifications differ in capacity, type, bus width, and bandwidth: 8 GB HBM2 on a 2048-bit bus with 409.6 GB/s for the Vega 56, versus 10 GB GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s for the RX 6700.

Compute unit counts favor the Vega 56 with 3584 shading units and 224 TMUs, while the RX 6700 has 2304 shading units and 144 TMUs. Both have 64 ROPs. The RX 6700 adds 36 ray tracing cores.

Throughput figures favor the RX 6700 in pixel rate (156.8 GPixel/s versus 94.14 GPixel/s) and texture rate (352.8 GTexel/s versus 329.5 GTexel/s), as well as FP32 (11.29 TFLOPS versus 10.54 TFLOPS) and FP16 (22.58 TFLOPS versus 21.09 TFLOPS).

Power requirements favor the RX 6700 with 175 W TDP and a single 8-pin connector, versus 210 W and dual 8-pin connectors for the Vega 56. Suggested PSU ratings are 450 W for the RX 6700 and 550 W for the Vega 56.

The RX 6700 supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the Vega 56 uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are similar with 1x HDMI and 3x DisplayPort, though the HDMI version differs: 2.1 for the RX 6700 versus 2.0b for the Vega 56.

API support differences include DirectX 12 Ultimate for the RX 6700 versus DirectX 12 (12_1) for the Vega 56, and Vulkan 1.4 versus Vulkan 1.3. Both support OpenGL 4.6.

Physical dimensions show the RX 6700 slightly shorter at 267 mm versus 280 mm, with similar height (110 mm versus 111 mm) and identical width of 40 mm. Both are dual-slot cards with different power connector requirements.