AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark comparison between the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is not a close contest. Across all four recorded head-to-head tests, the RX 6800 XT emerges victorious, taking a clean 4-0 sweep. The margins, however, vary significantly depending on the workload, which reveals something about where each architecture excels.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RX 6800 XT scores 3689 against the RX 6850M XT's 2257. That is a delta of -38.8% for the mobile part, meaning the desktop card is nearly 39% faster in this synthetic DirectX 12 rasterization workload. This is the largest relative gap in the entire comparison, and it underscores the fundamental performance ceiling difference between a mobile-integrated GPU and a full-size desktop graphics card.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows an even more dramatic absolute difference. The RX 6800 XT posts 171304, while the RX 6850M XT manages only 85040. The delta here is -50.4%, meaning the desktop card is more than twice as fast in raw compute throughput as measured by OpenCL. This is the single biggest percentage gap in the dataset. For compute-heavy tasks such as rendering, simulation, or machine learning inference that leverage OpenCL, the RX 6800 XT is in a different league entirely.

The Metal API results follow a similar pattern. The RX 6800 XT scores 181337, compared to the RX 6850M XT's 128981, a delta of -28.9%. While still a decisive win for the desktop card, this is the smallest margin of the four tests. Metal is Apple's graphics API, and on this benchmark, the mobile part closes some of the gap relative to its performance in OpenCL and DX12.

The Vulkan results show the RX 6800 XT ahead by 27.3%, scoring 136875 versus 99483 for the RX 6850M XT. Again, a clear victory, but the margin is narrower than in OpenCL or Steel Nomad. This suggests that the RX 6850M XT's architecture is relatively more competitive in Vulkan-based workloads than in other API environments.

Looking at the broader database context, the RX 6850M XT holds a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the RX 6800 XT sits at the 85th percentile. This is an interesting inversion. Despite losing every head-to-head test, the mobile part has a higher percentile ranking. The reason is that the RX 6800 XT's average benchmark score of 48477 is dragged down by a set of PassMark tests that include older DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 results, where it scores very low (265 and 155 respectively). The RX 6850M XT, by contrast, has no such legacy tests in its record, and its average benchmark score of 78940 benefits from a cleaner dataset. The nearest rivals for the RX 6850M XT include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 at a 1.1% higher score and the RTX 5090 D at 1.6% lower. The RX 6800 XT sits near the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile, Intel Arc A550M, and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64, with deltas ranging from -3% to +1.5%.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs share the same RDNA 2.0 architecture and are built on TSMC's 7 nm process node. The foundry is identical, and the transistor density is nearly the same: 51.3 million transistors per square millimeter for the RX 6850M XT versus 51.5 million for the RX 6800 XT. This means the manufacturing technology is essentially equivalent, and the performance differences stem from chip size, configuration, and power envelope rather than process advantages.

The silicon itself is very different. The RX 6850M XT uses the Navi 22 chip, which contains 17,200 million transistors on a 335 mm² die. The RX 6800 XT uses the Navi 21 chip, with 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die. That is roughly 56% more transistors on a chip that is about 55% larger. The Navi 21 die has significantly more computational resources to draw upon.

The RX 6800 XT configures those extra transistors into 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 render output units. The RX 6850M XT has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The desktop card has nearly double the ROP count and almost double the shading units. Ray tracing hardware follows the same pattern: the RX 6800 XT has 72 RT cores, while the RX 6850M XT has 40. Neither card has tensor cores, so any AI acceleration is handled through other means.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The RX 6850M XT runs a base clock of 2321 MHz, a game clock of 2463 MHz, and a boost clock of 2581 MHz. The RX 6800 XT has a base clock of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. The mobile chip runs significantly higher clocks, which helps it compensate for having fewer execution units. However, the RX 6800 XT's raw throughput still overwhelms the mobile part. The desktop card delivers 20.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the RX 6850M XT delivers 13.21 TFLOPS. Texture fill rate is 648.0 GTexel/s versus 413.0 GTexel/s, and pixel rate is 288.0 GPixel/s versus 165.2 GPixel/s.

Memory subsystems also diverge. The RX 6850M XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, with memory clocks running at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The RX 6800 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with memory clocks at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. The desktop card has more capacity and higher bandwidth, even though its memory clock is lower. The wider bus is the deciding factor.

Power and physical design differ substantially. The RX 6850M XT has a TDP of 165 W, is integrated into the motherboard (IGP slot width), and requires no external power connectors. The RX 6800 XT has a TDP of 300 W, is a dual-slot card, uses two 8-pin power connectors, and recommends a 700 W power supply. The RX 6800 XT measures 267 mm in length, 120 mm in height, and 50 mm in width. The RX 6850M XT has no listed physical dimensions because it is designed for portable devices.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT wins decisively. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 3689 versus 2257 for the RX 6850M XT, a delta of -38.8% for the mobile part.

Q: Is the RX 6850M XT competitive in any benchmark?

A: It is not the winner in any of the four head-to-head tests. The closest margin is in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RX 6800 XT leads by 27.3%. In Metal, the margin is 28.9%. The largest gap is in OpenCL at 50.4%.

Q: How do their memory configurations compare?

A: The RX 6800 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6850M XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth. The desktop card has both more capacity and higher bandwidth.

Q: What is the transistor count difference?

A: The RX 6800 XT uses the Navi 21 chip with 26,800 million transistors. The RX 6850M XT uses the Navi 22 chip with 17,200 million transistors. The desktop chip contains roughly 56% more transistors.

Q: Are there any architectural similarities?

A: Both are RDNA 2.0 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process, with transistor densities of 51.3M per mm² for the mobile chip and 51.5M per mm² for the desktop chip. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The RX 6850M XT has a 165 W TDP and needs no power connectors. The RX 6800 XT has a 300 W TDP, requires two 8-pin power connectors, and suggests a 700 W power supply.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ across nearly every specification category except architecture, process node, foundry, API support, and manufacturer.

• Chip: Navi 22 (RX 6850M XT) versus Navi 21 (RX 6800 XT)
• Transistors: 17,200 million versus 26,800 million
• Die size: 335 mm² versus 520 mm²
• Base clock: 2321 MHz versus 1825 MHz
• Boost clock: 2581 MHz versus 2250 MHz
• Game clock: 2463 MHz versus 2015 MHz
• Memory clock: 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) versus 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective)
• Memory size: 12 GB versus 16 GB
• Memory bus width: 192 bit versus 256 bit
• Memory bandwidth: 432.0 GB/s versus 512.0 GB/s
• Shading units: 2560 versus 4608
• TMUs: 160 versus 288
• ROPs: 64 versus 128
• RT cores: 40 versus 72
• Pixel rate: 165.2 GPixel/s versus 288.0 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: 413.0 GTexel/s versus 648.0 GTexel/s
• FP32 performance: 13.21 TFLOPS versus 20.74 TFLOPS
• FP16 performance: 26.43 TFLOPS versus 41.47 TFLOPS (both 2:1 ratio)
• TDP: 165 W versus 300 W
• Slot width: IGP versus Dual-slot
• Power connectors: None versus 2x 8-pin
• Suggested PSU: Not listed versus 700 W
• Display outputs: Portable Device Dependent versus 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C
• Dimensions: Not listed versus 267 mm x 120 mm x 50 mm
• Release date: 2022-01-03 versus 2020-10-27
• Predecessor: Polaris Mobile versus Navi
• Successor: Not listed versus Navi III
• Launch MSRP: Not available versus 649 USD (stated once as launch MSRP)

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT wins in none of the recorded head-to-head benchmarks. The data shows zero wins for the mobile part and four wins for the desktop part. However, the mobile GPU does have advantages in specific use cases that are not captured by raw performance scores.

The RX 6850M XT is the only viable choice for portable devices. It has a 165 W TDP, requires no power connectors, and is designed as an integrated part of a motherboard. Its slot width is listed as IGP, meaning it is not a discrete card at all. Any system that needs graphics acceleration in a laptop or compact portable form factor must use this GPU. The RX 6800 XT, with its 300 W TDP, dual-slot design, and dual 8-pin connectors, physically cannot fit in such a device.

The RX 6800 XT wins in every performance metric that matters for desktop gaming and workstation tasks. It is ahead by 38.8% in DX12, 28.9% in Metal, 50.4% in OpenCL, and 27.3% in Vulkan. It also has more memory (16 GB versus 12 GB), higher bandwidth (512.0 GB/s versus 432.0 GB/s), more shading units, more RT cores, and roughly 57% higher FP32 throughput. For any user building a desktop system where power and space are not constraints, the RX 6800 XT is the superior choice.

The RX 6850M XT also holds a higher percentile ranking (92nd versus 85th) among all GPUs in the database. This is due to its benchmark score distribution being more consistent, without the legacy PassMark DirectX 9 and 10 results that lower the RX 6800 XT's average. For users who care about modern API performance only, the mobile part is relatively stronger than its raw average score suggests.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the faster GPU in every single benchmark test recorded. Its wins range from 27.3% in Vulkan to 50.4% in OpenCL, and it holds decisive advantages in DX12 and Metal as well. For any desktop use case where performance is the sole criterion, the RX 6800 XT is the clear choice.

The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, however, is not a failed product. It exists in a different category. Its 165 W TDP, lack of power connectors, and IGP slot width define it as a mobile solution. It is the only one of the two that can be used in a portable device. Its higher clock speeds (2321 MHz base versus 1825 MHz) show that AMD maximized the performance of the smaller Navi 22 chip within a constrained power envelope. The 92nd percentile ranking indicates that, relative to all GPUs in the database, it is a very strong performer in its class.

The verdict depends entirely on the user's context. A desktop gamer or workstation user should choose the RX 6800 XT, which offers up to twice the OpenCL compute performance, 56% more transistors, and a wider memory bus. A laptop buyer has no choice: the RX 6850M XT is the applicable product, and its performance is respectable given its integration constraints. The RX 6800 XT's launch MSRP was 649 USD, but the two products serve fundamentally different markets and cannot be directly substituted for one another. The recorded data shows that the RX 6800 XT is the stronger GPU, while the RX 6850M XT is the appropriate GPU for portable systems.