AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 6800S Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S is overwhelmingly one-sided. The RX 6700 XT wins 10 out of 11 recorded tests, with the only exception being a single compute-oriented workload. The average benchmark score for the RX 6700 XT is 27,425, while the RX 6800S trails at 24,063, a gap of roughly 14% in overall performance.

The largest margin of victory comes in Geekbench Metal, where the RX 6700 XT scores 130,896 against the RX 6800S's 85,256. That is a 53.5% lead, the most decisive result in the entire dataset. PassMark GPU Compute tells a similar story: the RX 6700 XT posts 9,336 versus 6,144, a 52% advantage. These two tests highlight the desktop card's substantial raw throughput advantage.

In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 6700 XT scores 2,435 compared to the RX 6800S's 1,689, a 44.2% lead. This is a modern DirectX 12 workload, and the result indicates that the desktop part maintains its dominance in current-generation gaming scenarios. PassMark DirectX 10 shows a 36.3% gap (124 vs. 91), while PassMark G2D (2D graphics) favors the RX 6700 XT by 29.9% (951 vs. 732).

The margins narrow in some legacy and API-specific tests, but the RX 6700 XT still comes out ahead. PassMark DirectX 11 shows a 24.5% lead (173 vs. 139), PassMark G3D is 24.4% higher (19,786 vs. 15,908), and PassMark DirectX 9 is 21% ahead (242 vs. 200). DirectX 12 in PassMark shows an 18.5% advantage (77 vs. 65), and Geekbench Vulkan is 15% higher for the RX 6700 XT (93,500 vs. 81,272).

The single win for the RX 6800S comes in Geekbench OpenCL, where it scores 73,202 against the RX 6700 XT's 44,152. That is a 39.7% margin in favor of the mobile part, an unusual inversion that suggests the OpenCL workload is sensitive to factors other than raw shader count or memory bandwidth. It is worth remembering this is the only test where the RX 6800S leads, and the magnitude of its victory there is substantial.

The percentile rankings place the RX 6700 XT in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 6800S sits in the 69th percentile. The RX 6700 XT's nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile (average score 27,435, delta 0%), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (27,565, -0.5%), and the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (27,135, +1.1%). The RX 6800S, by contrast, sits near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (24,170, -0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (24,236, -0.7%), and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 (23,877, +0.8%).

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same RDNA 2.0 architecture and are built on TSMC's 7 nm process node. However, the underlying chips are different in scale and intent. The RX 6700 XT uses the Navi 22 chip, while the RX 6800S uses the Navi 23. The Navi 22 die measures 335 mm² and contains 17,200 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 51.3 million per mm². The Navi 23 is smaller at 237 mm² with 11,060 million transistors, giving a density of 46.7 million per mm².

The RX 6700 XT is a desktop part in the Navi II (RX 6000) generation, while the RX 6800S belongs to the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) generation. This distinction is reflected in power and physical design. The RX 6700 XT has a TDP of 230 W, uses a dual-slot cooler, and requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector. The RX 6800S is an integrated graphics package (IGP) with a 100 W TDP and no dedicated power connectors; it relies entirely on the host system's power delivery.

Core configurations differ significantly. The RX 6700 XT has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The RX 6800S has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Ray tracing cores are also reduced on the mobile part: 40 on the RX 6700 XT versus 32 on the RX 6800S. Neither GPU features tensor cores.

Clock speeds favor the desktop card substantially. 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 6800S runs at 1800 MHz base, 1975 MHz game, and 2100 MHz boost. The combination of more cores and higher clocks gives the RX 6700 XT an FP32 throughput of 13.21 TFLOPS, while the RX 6800S delivers 8.602 TFLOPS.

Memory is another major divider. The RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 384.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6800S has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, for 256.0 GB/s. Both run memory at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed, but the wider bus gives the desktop card a 50% bandwidth advantage.

The bus interface also differs: the RX 6700 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RX 6800S uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs on the RX 6700 XT are 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, whereas the RX 6800S is described as portable device dependent, meaning its outputs vary by laptop implementation. The RX 6700 XT measures 267 mm in length, 110 mm in height, and 40 mm in width; the RX 6800S has no recorded dimensions, consistent with its integration into mobile platforms.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 6700 XT was released on March 2, 2021, and lists a launch MSRP of 479 USD. The RX 6800S was released on January 3, 2022, with no launch MSRP recorded. Both are end-of-life products.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear hierarchy. The RX 6700 XT is the faster GPU in nearly every measured workload, and the margins are often large. Its 53.5% lead in Geekbench Metal and 52% lead in PassMark GPU Compute are decisive. Even in the closest test, Geekbench Vulkan, it holds a 15% advantage. The RX 6800S is not without merit: its 39.7% win in Geekbench OpenCL shows that it can outperform the desktop card in specific compute scenarios, and its 100 W TDP makes it a far more power-efficient option for thin-and-light gaming laptops.

Buyers who prioritize raw gaming performance, especially in DirectX 12 titles and modern APIs, should choose the RX 6700 XT. Its 44.2% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad and 24.4% lead in PassMark G3D indicate a substantial real-world advantage in gaming workloads. The 12 GB memory capacity and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth also position it better for higher resolutions and texture-heavy titles.

The RX 6800S is the appropriate choice for a portable system where power draw and physical footprint are the primary constraints. Its 100 W TDP and IGP form factor allow it to fit into laptops where a 230 W dual-slot desktop card is physically impossible. The 8 GB memory and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p gaming, and the single OpenCL win suggests it can handle certain compute tasks competitively.

The database shows the RX 6700 XT sitting in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs, just behind the RTX 4070 Mobile and RTX 3090, while the RX 6800S sits in the 69th percentile, near the RTX 2080 SUPER and GTX 780 Ti. For a desktop user building a system, the RX 6700 XT is the obvious pick. For a laptop buyer who needs a discrete-class GPU in a low-power envelope, the RX 6800S is the only viable option between the two.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 27,425, compared to 24,063 for the AMD Radeon RX 6800S.

Q: How large is the performance gap in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RX 6700 XT scores 2,435, while the RX 6800S scores 1,689, giving the desktop card a 44.2% lead.

Q: Is there any test where the RX 6800S wins?

A: Yes, the RX 6800S wins Geekbench OpenCL with a score of 73,202 against the RX 6700 XT's 44,152, a 39.7% margin.

Q: What are the memory specifications of each card?

A: The RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6800S has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: How do the power requirements differ?

A: The RX 6700 XT has a TDP of 230 W and requires a 1x 6-pin plus 1x 8-pin power connector. The RX 6800S has a TDP of 100 W and uses no dedicated power connectors.

Q: Which GPU has a higher percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RX 6700 XT ranks in the 72nd percentile, while the RX 6800S ranks in the 69th percentile.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6700 XT is the winner in gaming and most graphics workloads. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result (2,435 vs. 1,689) shows a 44.2% advantage in modern DirectX 12 gaming. PassMark G3D (19,786 vs. 15,908) confirms a 24.4% lead in general 3D rendering. Legacy DirectX tests all favor the desktop card: DirectX 9 by 21%, DirectX 10 by 36.3%, DirectX 11 by 24.5%, and DirectX 12 by 18.5%. Geekbench Vulkan gives it a 15% win, and Geekbench Metal shows a 53.5% margin. PassMark G2D also favors it by 29.9%, indicating better 2D performance as well.

The RX 6800S wins only in Geekbench OpenCL, with a 39.7% margin (73,202 vs. 44,152). This makes it the better choice for OpenCL-based compute workloads, which may include certain scientific, productivity, or machine learning tasks that rely on that API. Its 100 W TDP and IGP form factor make it the only option for ultra-thin laptops, but within that constraint, it still delivers competitive performance: its PassMark G3D score of 15,908 places it near the RTX 2080 SUPER and GTX 780 Ti in the database.

For users building a desktop or using a machine with full-size expansion slots, the RX 6700 XT is the superior choice across nearly every measurable dimension. For users who require a discrete-class GPU in a portable, low-power system, the RX 6800S is the sole viable pick, and its OpenCL advantage gives it a niche in compute-oriented mobile workflows.