AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results paint a clear picture: the AMD Radeon RX 6800 wins 10 of 11 direct comparisons, with only a single test going to the RX 6700 XT. The largest margin comes in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RX 6800 scores 3188 against 2435 for the RX 6700 XT, a 30.9% advantage. That is a substantial gap for a same-architecture, same-generation pairing.

Geekbench Vulkan also shows a strong lead for the RX 6800: 115107 versus 93500, a 23.1% difference. DirectX 11 results follow a similar pattern, with the RX 6800 at 214 and the RX 6700 XT at 173, translating to a 23.7% edge. PassMark G3D, a broader gaming-oriented metric, puts the RX 6800 at 22067 and the RX 6700 XT at 19786, an 11.5% gap. The RX 6800 also wins in PassMark GPU Compute (10864 vs 9336, a 16.4% margin) and PassMark DirectX 12 (89 vs 77, a 15.6% margin).

The RX 6700 XT’s single victory is striking: Geekbench OpenCL. There, the RX 6700 XT scores 44152 while the RX 6800 manages only 24508, a 44.5% deficit for the larger card. That is an outlier worth investigating. OpenCL workloads can be sensitive to driver scheduling and memory configuration, but the sheer magnitude of the swing suggests the RX 6700 XT has a particular strength in this compute path that the RX 6800 does not match.

Smaller wins for the RX 6800 appear in Geekbench Metal (153635 vs 130896, a 17.4% lead), PassMark DirectX 10 (128 vs 124, a 3.2% edge), and PassMark DirectX 9 (257 vs 242, a 6.2% margin). Even in 2D tests, the RX 6800 leads: PassMark G2D shows 990 versus 951, a 4.1% difference. Across the full suite, the RX 6800’s average benchmark score is 30095, versus 27425 for the RX 6700 XT. That places the RX 6800 in the 75th percentile among all GPUs, while the RX 6700 XT sits at the 72nd percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6800 is the clear choice for modern DirectX 12 and Vulkan gaming. Its 30.9% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 and 23.1% lead in Geekbench Vulkan indicate that newer, lower-level API workloads scale well with the RX 6800’s larger shader array and wider memory bus. DirectX 11 performance also favors the RX 6800 by 23.7%, meaning even older titles benefit from the bigger die. For ray tracing and high-resolution textures, the RX 6800’s 16 GB frame buffer and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth give it a theoretical edge, and the benchmark data supports that in most scenarios.

The RX 6700 XT’s niche is OpenCL compute. Its 44.5% margin over the RX 6800 in Geekbench OpenCL is the only place where it decisively beats the larger card. This suggests that for users running OpenCL-based applications, whether for certain rendering pipelines, physics simulations, or machine learning inference, the RX 6700 XT may deliver surprisingly competitive performance despite its lower average score. However, that advantage does not extend to GPU compute as measured by PassMark, where the RX 6800 leads by 16.4%. The discrepancy between OpenCL and PassMark compute results implies the RX 6700 XT’s strength is specific to the OpenCL path, not general compute throughput.

In legacy DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 workloads, both cards are close, with the RX 6800 leading by 6.2% and 3.2%, respectively. Those margins are modest, suggesting that for very old titles, the choice between the two matters less. The RX 6700 XT also trails in 2D performance by 4.1%, though that is unlikely to affect real-world desktop usage.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the RDNA 2.0 architecture and are built on TSMC’s 7 nm process, but they use different dies. The RX 6800 uses Navi 21, a 520 mm² die with 26,800 million transistors, while the RX 6700 XT uses Navi 22, a 335 mm² die with 17,200 million transistors. Transistor density is nearly identical: 51.5M per mm² for the RX 6800 versus 51.3M per mm² for the RX 6700 XT. That means the RX 6800’s performance advantage comes from sheer scale, not process refinement.

The shader configuration tells the story. The RX 6800 has 3840 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, 96 raster output pipelines, and 60 ray tracing cores. The RX 6700 XT has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 40 RT cores. That is a 50% difference in shader count and a matching 50% difference in TMUs and RT cores. The RX 6800’s pixel rate is 202.1 GPixel/s versus 165.2 GPixel/s for the RX 6700 XT, and its texture rate is 505.2 GTexel/s versus 413.0 GTexel/s. FP32 throughput is 16.17 TFLOPS versus 13.21 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 32.33 TFLOPS versus 26.43 TFLOPS (both at 2:1 ratio).

Clock speeds flip the narrative. The RX 6700 XT has a base clock of 2321 MHz, a game clock of 2424 MHz, and a boost clock of 2581 MHz. The RX 6800’s base is 1700 MHz, game clock is 1815 MHz, and boost is 2105 MHz. Despite the RX 6700 XT’s higher clocks, the RX 6800’s larger execution resources win most benchmarks. Memory differs too: the RX 6800 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 6700 XT has 12 GB on a 192-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s. Both run at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed.

Power and connectivity also diverge. The RX 6800 has a 250 W TDP, requires 2x 8-pin power connectors, and suggests a 600 W PSU. The RX 6700 XT has a 230 W TDP, uses 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin, and suggests a 550 W PSU. The RX 6800’s display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, and 1x USB Type-C. The RX 6700 XT offers 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, with no USB Type-C. Both are dual-slot cards with the same 267 mm length and 40 mm width, but the RX 6800 is 120 mm tall versus 110 mm for the RX 6700 XT.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 averages 30095 points, while the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT averages 27425 points, a difference of 2670 points in favor of the RX 6800.

Q: Where does the RX 6700 XT beat the RX 6800?

A: In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6700 XT scores 44152 versus 24508 for the RX 6800, a 44.5% advantage. This is the only test in the head-to-head set where the RX 6700 XT wins.

Q: How do the memory configurations compare?

A: The RX 6800 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. Both use 2000 MHz memory with 16 Gbps effective speed.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The RX 6800’s Navi 21 die contains 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die. The RX 6700 XT’s Navi 22 die contains 17,200 million transistors on a 335 mm² die.

Q: Which card has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RX 6800 has 60 ray tracing cores, while the RX 6700 XT has 40 ray tracing cores.

Q: Are the power requirements very different?

A: The RX 6800 has a 250 W TDP and requires 2x 8-pin connectors with a 600 W suggested PSU. The RX 6700 XT has a 230 W TDP, uses 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin, and suggests a 550 W PSU.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 6800 | AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT |

|---|---|---|

| Chip | Navi 21 | Navi 22 |

| Transistors | 26,800 million | 17,200 million |

| Die size | 520 mm² | 335 mm² |

| Base clock | 1700 MHz | 2321 MHz |

| Game clock | 1815 MHz | 2424 MHz |

| Boost clock | 2105 MHz | 2581 MHz |

| Memory size | 16 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory bus | 256 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 384.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 3840 | 2560 |

| TMUs | 240 | 160 |

| ROPs | 96 | 64 |

| RT cores | 60 | 40 |

| Pixel rate | 202.1 GPixel/s | 165.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 505.2 GTexel/s | 413.0 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 16.17 TFLOPS | 13.21 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 32.33 TFLOPS (2:1) | 26.43 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 250 W | 230 W |

| Power connectors | 2x 8-pin | 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 600 W | 550 W |

| Display outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DP 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DP 1.4a |

| Height | 120 mm | 110 mm |

| Release date | 2020-10-27 | 2021-03-02 |

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous for gaming and most compute workloads. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 outperforms the RX 6700 XT in 10 of 11 benchmarks, with leads ranging from 3.2% in DirectX 10 to 30.9% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its 16 GB memory buffer, 256-bit bus, and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth provide a substantial foundation for high-resolution textures and modern rendering techniques. The average score difference of 2570 points (30095 versus 27425) places the RX 6800 three percentile points higher among all GPUs. Users who prioritize DirectX 12, Vulkan, or general GPU compute should choose the RX 6800 without hesitation.

The RX 6700 XT is the alternative for a specific scenario: OpenCL-heavy workloads. Its 44.5% victory in Geekbench OpenCL is the largest single-test margin in the entire comparison, and it achieves that with fewer shading units and lower memory bandwidth. For users whose applications rely on OpenCL, the RX 6700 XT may deliver performance that contradicts its lower average score. It also runs cooler in terms of power draw, at 230 W versus 250 W, and requires a less demanding PSU at 550 W versus 600 W. Its higher clock speeds (2581 MHz boost versus 2105 MHz) suggest that in workloads that favor clock frequency over raw execution width, the RX 6700 XT can punch above its class.

The choice comes down to workload. For DirectX 12 and Vulkan gaming, the RX 6800 is the stronger card, with a 30.9% and 23.1% margin respectively. For OpenCL compute, the RX 6700 XT is the surprise winner. Both cards are end-of-life products from the Radeon RX 6000 series, sharing the RDNA 2.0 architecture, but the RX 6800’s larger die and memory subsystem make it the default recommendation for most users. The RX 6700 XT’s niche OpenCL dominance is a reminder that benchmark averages can hide meaningful per-application strengths.