AMD Radeon RX 6700S vs AMD Radeon RX 9070 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 and the AMD Radeon RX 6700S represent two very different points in AMD’s recent GPU history. The RX 9070 is a current-generation desktop part built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture, while the RX 6700S is an end-of-life mobile processor based on RDNA 2.0. The benchmark data shows a decisive overall victory for the newer card, with the RX 9070 winning 9 out of 10 head-to-head comparisons. However, the single loss for the RX 9070 is significant, revealing a specific architectural advantage for the older mobile chip in at least one workload.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most dramatic disparity in performance appears in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which is a modern, demanding DirectX 12 benchmark. The RX 9070 scores 6290, while the RX 6700S manages only 1451. This represents a staggering 333.5% advantage for the RX 9070, indicating a massive gulf in raw rasterization and overall graphics capability under current API load conditions. This result alone frames the entire comparison: the RX 9070 is in a completely different performance tier.

Beyond the flagship 3DMark result, the RX 9070 demonstrates overwhelming superiority in compute and legacy API workloads. In Passmark GPU Compute, the RX 9070 scores 14737 against 5990 for the RX 6700S, a 146% lead. This suggests the newer card has more than double the raw computational throughput, which is critical for non-graphics tasks like rendering and scientific simulations. Similarly, the Geekbench OpenCL score shows the RX 9070 at 131539 versus 70965, an 85.4% advantage, reinforcing its strength in general-purpose compute.

The gap remains consistently large across various DirectX generations. In Passmark DirectX 11, the RX 9070 is ahead by 109.7% (281 vs 134). For older APIs, the lead is also substantial: 75.9% in DirectX 9 (343 vs 195) and 62.1% in DirectX 10 (141 vs 87). Even in DirectX 12, where the RX 6700S is expected to be more efficient, the RX 9070 still wins by 27.6% (74 vs 58). This consistency across API generations shows that the performance advantage is not tied to a specific software path but is a fundamental property of the hardware.

The only category where the RX 6700S comes out on top is the Geekbench Vulkan test. Here, the RX 6700S scores 76150, while the RX 9070 scores 58705, giving the older chip a -22.9% delta (meaning it is 22.9% faster). This is a curious anomaly, as the RX 9070 dominates OpenCL. The result suggests that while the RX 9070 has superior raw hardware, there may be driver-level or micro-architectural inefficiencies that surface specifically in this Vulkan test, or that the RX 6700S has a particular optimization that favors this workload. In the remaining tests, the RX 9070’s wins are robust: 68.5% in Passmark G3D (25381 vs 15066) and 73.2% in Passmark G2D (1280 vs 739).

Architecture Differences

The fundamental reason for this performance disparity lies in the architectural and manufacturing differences between the two GPUs. The RX 9070 is built on the TSMC 4 nm process node, while the RX 6700S uses the older TSMC 7 nm node. This process advantage allows the RX 9070 to pack 53,900 million transistors into a 357 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 151.0M / mm². In contrast, the RX 6700S has only 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die, with a density of 46.7M / mm². The newer node and higher density are foundational to the RX 9070’s superior performance.

The compute resource allocation is starkly different. The RX 9070 features 3584 shading units, 224 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 128 render output units (ROPs). The RX 6700S is configured with exactly half the shading units (1792) and TMUs (112), and half the ROPs (64). This doubling of core resources directly translates to the near-doubling of compute performance seen in the benchmarks. The RX 9070 also has 56 ray tracing cores, double the 28 found on the RX 6700S, indicating a significant jump in ray tracing capability, although no specific ray tracing benchmark is in the data.

Memory configuration is another critical divider. The RX 9070 comes with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. The RX 6700S has only 8 GB on a 128-bit bus, yielding 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This nearly threefold difference in memory bandwidth explains the RX 9070’s dominance in high-resolution and texture-heavy workloads. Clock speeds also differ: the RX 9070 has a base clock of 1330 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz, while the RX 6700S has a higher base clock of 1700 MHz but a lower boost of 2000 MHz. This suggests the RX 9070 relies on its massive core count and bandwidth rather than raw clock speed.

The power and interface profiles are also distinct. The RX 9070 is a desktop card with a 220 W TDP, requiring two 8-pin power connectors and a 550 W suggested PSU, and it uses a PCIe 5.0 x16 interface. The RX 6700S is a mobile chip with an 80 W TDP and no dedicated power connectors, using a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. The RX 9070’s higher power budget is a direct enabler of its higher clock speeds and core count. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but the RX 9070 is the active production part released in March 2025, while the RX 6700S is marked as end-of-life since January 2022.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 9070 is the clear winner for almost every conceivable use case based on the data. Its 333.5% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad indicates it is the superior choice for modern, high-fidelity gaming. Its 146% lead in GPU compute makes it ideal for content creation, 3D rendering, and any workload that leverages GPGPU acceleration. The consistent wins across DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12 mean it will handle both legacy titles and the latest releases with far greater ease. The 68.5% advantage in Passmark G3D confirms its dominance in general 3D graphics.

The RX 6700S’s single win in Geekbench Vulkan (a 22.9% advantage) is the only scenario where the data supports choosing it. This could indicate that in specific Vulkan-based applications or games that are particularly well-optimized for the RDNA 2.0 architecture, the older chip may perform competitively or even better. However, this is a narrow niche. Given its 8 GB of memory versus the 16 GB on the RX 9070, the RX 6700S is also more limited in memory capacity, which could be a bottleneck in future titles or at higher resolutions. The RX 6700S’s lower power draw of 80 W makes it a better fit for thin-and-light laptops, but the RX 9070’s performance metrics are in a different league.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in DirectX 12?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is faster. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 6290 compared to the RX 6700S's 1451, a 333.5% difference. In the Passmark DirectX 12 test, the RX 9070 wins with 74 points versus 58, a 27.6% lead.

Q: Does the RX 6700S win any benchmark?

A: Yes. The RX 6700S wins the Geekbench Vulkan test, scoring 76150 compared to the RX 9070's 58705, making it 22.9% faster in that specific test.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RX 9070 has a memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s thanks to its 16 GB GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. The RX 6700S has 224.0 GB/s from its 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus.

Q: How do their compute performances compare?

A: The RX 9070 is significantly stronger. It leads by 146% in Passmark GPU Compute (14737 vs 5990) and by 85.4% in Geekbench OpenCL (131539 vs 70965).

Q: Are there major architectural differences?

A: Yes. The RX 9070 uses the RDNA 4.0 architecture on a 4 nm node with 53,900 million transistors. The RX 6700S uses RDNA 2.0 on a 7 nm node with 11,060 million transistors. The RX 9070 also has double the shading units (3584 vs 1792) and double the ray tracing cores (56 vs 28).

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The RX 9070 has a higher boost clock of 2520 MHz, while the RX 6700S boosts up to 2000 MHz. The RX 6700S has a higher base clock (1700 MHz vs 1330 MHz), but the RX 9070’s boost is faster.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear verdict: the AMD Radeon RX 9070 is the superior product in nearly every measurable way. It wins 9 of 10 head-to-head benchmarks, with its only loss being a single Vulkan test. The RX 9070’s architecture, built on a more advanced process node with more transistors, cores, and memory bandwidth, results in massive performance advantages. For anyone building a desktop system focused on high-end gaming or compute tasks, the RX 9070 is the definitive choice.

The RX 6700S, while a capable mobile GPU for its time, is now end-of-life and outclassed. Its 8 GB memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are less than half of the RX 9070’s, and its compute performance is a fraction. The only reason to consider it would be if a specific application relies heavily on the Vulkan API where it excels, or if the ultra-low 80 W power draw is a primary requirement for a portable device. However, based on the aggregate data, the RX 9070 is the performance leader by a wide margin. Its 69th percentile ranking among all GPUs, compared to the RX 6700S’s 67th, further validates its position as the higher-performing part. The RX 9070 is the rational pick for any workload that demands the highest frame rates and compute throughput.