AMD Radeon RX 6700S vs NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a clear overall victory for the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation, which claims 9 of the 10 head-to-head benchmark wins. The AMD Radeon RX 6700S takes only a single test, but that win is notable for its specificity. In the Passmark DirectX 10 test, the AMD card scores 87 against 82 for the NVIDIA card, a 6.1% advantage. This is the only test where the AMD card leads, and it is a narrow one, suggesting that the Radeon's strengths are isolated to legacy DirectX 10 workloads.

The NVIDIA card's most commanding win comes in the Passmark G2D test, where it scores 1072 versus 739 for the AMD card, a delta of -31.1% from the AMD perspective. This is a substantial gap in 2D performance, and it is the largest percentage difference in the entire head-to-head set. The NVIDIA card also dominates in compute-oriented workloads. In the Passmark GPU Compute test, it scores 7834 against 5990, a 23.5% lead. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows a 17.9% advantage for the NVIDIA card, with scores of 1767 versus 1451. These three tests, G2D, GPU Compute, and Steel Nomad, represent the widest margins of victory and indicate where the Ada Lovelace architecture pulls away most decisively.

The remaining wins for the NVIDIA card are more moderate but consistent. In Passmark DirectX 12, it scores 71 versus 58, an 18.3% lead. DirectX 9 shows a 9.7% advantage, with scores of 216 versus 195. The Geekbench Vulkan test gives the NVIDIA card an 8.6% edge (83360 versus 76150), and the Geekbench OpenCL test shows a 9.1% lead (78074 versus 70965). The Passmark DirectX 11 result is the closest of all the NVIDIA wins, with a score of 138 versus 134, a delta of only -2.9%. Overall, the NVIDIA card's average benchmark score is 18954, while the AMD card averages 22154, a counterintuitive result given the head-to-head sweep. This discrepancy is explained by the different benchmark suites used in the averages: the AMD card includes a Geekbench Metal score of 72864, which is not present in the NVIDIA card's benchmark list, and the AMD card's percentile ranking is higher at 67 versus 63 for the NVIDIA card. The head-to-head tests, however, favor the NVIDIA card in nearly every category.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins the most head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation wins 9 of the 10 recorded head-to-head tests. The AMD Radeon RX 6700S wins only the Passmark DirectX 10 test.

Q: How large is the NVIDIA card's lead in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test?

A: The NVIDIA card scores 1767, while the AMD card scores 1451. This represents a 17.9% advantage for the NVIDIA card.

Q: What is the closest head-to-head result between the two cards?

A: The closest result is in Passmark DirectX 11, where the NVIDIA card scores 138 and the AMD card scores 134, a difference of only 2.9%.

Q: Does the AMD card have any advantage in compute performance?

A: No. The NVIDIA card leads in the Passmark GPU Compute test with 7834 versus 5990, a 23.5% advantage. The AMD card's only win is in Passmark DirectX 10.

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700S has a higher average benchmark score at 22154, compared to 18954 for the NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation. However, this average includes a Geekbench Metal score for the AMD card that is not recorded for the NVIDIA card.

Q: How do the two cards compare in 2D performance?

A: The NVIDIA card leads significantly in the Passmark G2D test, scoring 1072 versus 739 for the AMD card, a 31.1% difference.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6700S is the choice for scenarios that prioritize legacy DirectX 10 workloads. Its 6.1% win in that specific test is its only head-to-head victory, and no other benchmark in the recorded set shows the AMD card ahead. The card also carries a higher average benchmark score of 22154 and a higher percentile ranking of 67, which reflects its inclusion of a Geekbench Metal result and its placement among all GPUs in the database. For users whose primary concern is that average score or the Metal API, the AMD card has a statistical edge in the broader database context, even though it loses the direct comparisons.

The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation is the stronger performer across almost every measured workload. It wins in modern DirectX 12 (18.3% lead), DirectX 11 (2.9% lead), DirectX 9 (9.7% lead), Vulkan (8.6% lead), OpenCL (9.1% lead), and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test (17.9% lead). Its compute advantage is pronounced, with a 23.5% lead in Passmark GPU Compute. The 2D performance gap is the largest of any test, with a 31.1% lead in Passmark G2D. For any application that leans on compute shaders, ray tracing, or general 3D rendering, the NVIDIA card is the clear winner in the recorded data. The only area where the AMD card holds a head-to-head advantage is the single DirectX 10 test, which is a narrow and aging workload.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ substantially in memory configuration. The AMD Radeon RX 6700S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, also on a 128-bit bus, but with a higher bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This gives the NVIDIA card double the memory capacity and 14.3% more bandwidth.

Clock speeds differ as well. The AMD card has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a boost clock of 2000 MHz, and a game clock of 1890 MHz. The NVIDIA card has a base clock of 1620 MHz and a boost clock of 2130 MHz, with no recorded game clock. The NVIDIA card's boost clock is 130 MHz higher than the AMD card's boost clock.

Power and physical specifications diverge notably. The AMD card has a TDP of 80 W, while the NVIDIA card has a TDP of 70 W. The AMD card is listed as an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors, while the NVIDIA card is a dual-slot card with no power connectors and a suggested PSU of 250 W. The NVIDIA card has physical dimensions of 168 mm in length and 69 mm in height; the AMD card has no recorded dimensions. The AMD card's display outputs are listed as portable device dependent, while the NVIDIA card has 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.

The production status and release dates also differ. The AMD card is end-of-life, released on 2022-01-03, while the NVIDIA card is active, released on 2024-02-11. The NVIDIA card has a launch MSRP of 649 USD. The AMD card has no recorded launch MSRP.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Radeon RX 6700S uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture on a 7 nm process at TSMC, with the Navi 23 chip. The NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation uses the Ada Lovelace architecture on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with the AD107 chip. The process node difference is significant: 5 nm versus 7 nm, which contributes to the NVIDIA card's higher transistor density of 118.9M per mm² versus 46.7M per mm² for the AMD card.

Transistor counts and die sizes tell a complementary story. The NVIDIA card has 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die, while the AMD card has 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. The NVIDIA card packs more transistors into a smaller area, a direct result of the denser 5 nm process.

Compute unit counts favor the NVIDIA card in shading units and tensor cores. The NVIDIA card has 2816 shading units, 88 tensor cores, 22 RT cores, 88 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The AMD card has 1792 shading units, no tensor cores, 28 RT cores, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The AMD card has more RT cores, TMUs, and ROPs, but the NVIDIA card has more than 1.5 times the shading units. The NVIDIA card's tensor cores are a key architectural differentiator, as the AMD card has none. The AMD card's FP32 throughput is 7.168 TFLOPS, while the NVIDIA card reaches 12.00 TFLOPS. The NVIDIA card also has a 1:1 FP16 ratio at 12.00 TFLOPS, while the AMD card has a 2:1 FP16 ratio at 14.34 TFLOPS.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The NVIDIA card is part of the Workstation Ada generation and has a successor in Blackwell PRO W, while the AMD card is from the Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) generation and has no recorded successor. The AMD card's predecessor is Polaris Mobile, while the NVIDIA card's predecessor is Workstation Ampere. The NVIDIA card's 16 GB memory, tensor cores, and higher FP32 throughput make it a more capable compute platform, while the AMD card's higher clock speeds and larger ROP count serve its narrower set of wins.