AMD Radeon RX 6700S vs NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 6700S and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 represent two very different approaches to mobile graphics, separated by process technology and design philosophy. The RX 6700S is a modern, power-efficient RDNA 2.0 part aimed at thin gaming laptops, while the Quadro RTX 5000 is a workstation-class Turing GPU built for maximum compute and professional reliability. The benchmark data shows a clear, if narrow, overall victory for the NVIDIA card, which wins 7 of the 9 head-to-head comparisons, yet the AMD card holds its ground in specific legacy and 2D workloads. Both sit at the 67th percentile among all GPUs, with average benchmark scores of 22154 for the AMD and 21629 for the NVIDIA, indicating they are closely matched in overall performance despite their architectural chasms.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive win for the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it scores 92309 against the AMD’s 76150. That is a substantial 17.5% advantage, making it the largest margin in any test. This result highlights the NVIDIA card’s superior raw throughput in modern, low-level graphics APIs, a domain where its 3072 shading units and 384 tensor cores can flex their muscle. The AMD Radeon RX 6700S, with its 1792 shading units, trails significantly in this compute-heavy workload.

Similarly, in Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA card posts 78999 versus the AMD’s 70965, a 10.2% lead. This is another compute-oriented benchmark, and the pattern is consistent: when the workload scales across many cores, the Quadro RTX 5000’s larger die and higher transistor count (13,600 million vs 11,060 million) translate directly into higher scores. The NVIDIA card also wins the Passmark G3D test, scoring 15616 to the AMD’s 15066, a 3.5% margin. While not as lopsided as the Geekbench results, this still demonstrates that the NVIDIA card holds a performance edge in general 3D rendering tasks.

The story shifts slightly in the legacy DirectX tests. In Passmark DirectX 10, the NVIDIA card wins 113 to 87, a 23% blowout that is its second-largest victory. The DirectX 11 test also favors NVIDIA, 140 to 134, a modest 4.3% gap. However, the DirectX 12 test is nearly a dead heat, with the NVIDIA card scoring 59 and the AMD scoring 58, a negligible 1.7% difference. This tightness suggests that the AMD RDNA 2.0 architecture is well-optimized for modern API overhead, even if it cannot overcome the raw power deficit. The DirectX 9 test is a perfect tie at 195 points, with the AMD card credited with the win due to the 0% delta.

Where the AMD card truly shines is in the Passmark G2D test, scoring 739 against the NVIDIA’s 709, a 4.2% advantage. This 2D performance win is notable, as it indicates the RX 6700S has a more efficient graphics pipeline for desktop composition and 2D acceleration tasks. In the Passmark GPU Compute test, the NVIDIA card wins again, 6525 to 5990, an 8.2% gap that reinforces its compute superiority.

Where Each One Wins

The data paints a clear picture of two distinct usage profiles. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 is the undisputed champion of compute-heavy and modern-API workloads. Its victories in Geekbench OpenCL, Geekbench Vulkan, and Passmark GPU Compute make it the obvious choice for applications that leverage general-purpose GPU computing, such as rendering, scientific simulation, or machine learning inference. The 17.5% lead in Vulkan is particularly telling, as it suggests the NVIDIA card will excel in Vulkan-based games and professional visualization tools that use that API. The 23% margin in DirectX 10 also indicates strong legacy API performance, though that is less relevant for modern workloads.

Conversely, the AMD Radeon RX 6700S carves out its niche in 2D performance and legacy DirectX 9 compatibility. The 4.2% win in Passmark G2D means it will feel snappier in desktop environments, web browsing, and 2D productivity applications. Its tie with the NVIDIA card in DirectX 9 shows that older games or applications running on that API will perform identically. The near-tie in DirectX 12 (a 1.7% difference) is also a strategic win for AMD, as it shows the RX 6700S is not far behind in the most important modern gaming API. For a gamer prioritizing DirectX 12 titles, the AMD card offers a competitive experience at a fraction of the power draw.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gulf between these two GPUs is vast. The AMD Radeon RX 6700S is built on TSMC’s 7 nm process node, packing 11,060 million transistors into a compact 237 mm² die. This yields a high transistor density of 46.7M per mm², evidence of modern manufacturing efficiency. Its RDNA 2.0 architecture features 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 28 ray tracing cores. The memory subsystem is a 128-bit GDDR6 bus with 8 GB of memory, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1700 MHz with a boost of 2000 MHz, and it operates within a remarkably low 80 W TDP, making it suitable for integrated-style (IGP) slot designs with no external power connectors.

In contrast, the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 is a behemoth built on the older 12 nm process, housing 13,600 million transistors on a massive 545 mm² die. Its transistor density is just 25.0M per mm², reflecting the less advanced process. The Turing architecture is equipped with 3072 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, but its distinguishing feature is the inclusion of 48 RT cores and 384 tensor cores. These tensor cores are critical for AI-accelerated workloads, giving the NVIDIA card a feature set the AMD card lacks entirely. Memory is also doubled: 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth—exactly twice that of the AMD card. The base clock is 1620 MHz with a boost of 1815 MHz. This hardware comes at a cost, however: a 230 W TDP, requiring a dual-slot cooler, a 6-pin and 8-pin power connector, and a suggested 550 W power supply.

The clock speeds tell a story of their own. The AMD card runs faster at both base and boost, but the NVIDIA card’s sheer number of cores compensates. In raw throughput, the NVIDIA card delivers 11.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus the AMD’s 7.168 TFLOPS, and 22.30 TFLOPS of FP16 versus 14.34 TFLOPS. The NVIDIA card also has a higher texture rate (348.5 GTexel/s vs 224.0 GTexel/s) despite a slightly lower pixel rate (116.2 GPixel/s vs 128.0 GPixel/s). The bus interface also differs: the AMD uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the NVIDIA uses PCIe 3.0 x16, though this has minimal impact on gaming performance.

The Verdict

From the data, the choice is straightforward for different user types. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 is the superior performer in almost every measurable way, winning 7 of 9 benchmarks with significant margins in compute and modern API tests. Its 17.5% lead in Vulkan and 10.2% lead in OpenCL make it the definitive choice for professionals running CUDA-accelerated applications, 3D rendering, or any workload that can utilize its 384 tensor cores. The 16 GB of memory is a practical advantage for large datasets, and its higher average benchmark score of 21629, though slightly lower than the AMD’s 22154, is underpinned by more consistent wins across diverse tests. The launch MSRP for the NVIDIA card is 2,299 USD, reflecting its workstation positioning.

The AMD Radeon RX 6700S, while losing the overall performance war, wins the efficiency battle. Its 80 W TDP versus the NVIDIA’s 230 W means it can be deployed in much thinner, lighter laptops without active cooling or bulky power connectors. For a user who primarily plays DirectX 12 games, the 1.7% performance gap in that specific test is negligible, and the AMD card’s 4.2% win in G2D makes it a better daily driver for desktop productivity. It is the rational choice for gamers who want a capable, modern GPU in a portable chassis and do not need the compute muscle or tensor core acceleration of the workstation card. The data does not support the AMD card for professional compute; it is a gaming and general-purpose part first.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700S has a higher average benchmark score at 22154, compared to the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000’s 21629, despite the NVIDIA card winning more individual head-to-head tests.

Q: How much faster is the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 scores 92309 in the Geekbench Vulkan test, which is 17.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6700S’s score of 76150.

Q: Does the AMD Radeon RX 6700S win any benchmarks against the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon RX 6700S wins the Passmark G2D test (739 vs 709, a 4.2% lead) and is credited with a win in the Passmark DirectX 9 test due to a tie at 195 points.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference between the two GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, while the AMD Radeon RX 6700S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA card’s bandwidth is 448.0 GB/s, double the AMD card’s 224.0 GB/s.

Q: Which GPU has more shading units and tensor cores?

A: The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 has 3072 shading units and 384 tensor cores, whereas the AMD Radeon RX 6700S has 1792 shading units and no tensor cores. The NVIDIA card also has 48 RT cores compared to the AMD’s 28.

Q: What is the TDP of each GPU?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700S has a TDP of 80 W and uses an IGP slot design with no power connectors. The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 has a TDP of 230 W, requires a dual-slot cooler, and needs a 6-pin plus 8-pin power connector with a suggested 550 W power supply.