AMD Radeon RX 6800S vs AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data draws a clear line between these two AMD Radeon parts. The RX 7700 XT wins 9 of 10 head-to-head tests, with decisive margins in compute, rasterization, and modern API workloads. The RX 6800S secures a single but striking victory in Geekbench Vulkan, where it leads by 75%.

For a desktop gamer or compute-focused user, the RX 7700 XT is the obvious choice from the data: it delivers 47.1% higher OpenCL scores, 52.4% higher Passmark compute scores, and 29.4% higher Passmark G3D scores. The RX 6800S, despite its lower overall average benchmark score (24063 vs 22549), actually posts a higher percentile ranking (69th vs 67th) because its average is buoyed by a strong Vulkan result.

The 6800S is an end-of-life mobile part (IGP slot width, no power connectors, portable-device-dependent outputs), while the 7700 XT is an active desktop card (dual-slot, 2x 8-pin, 550 W suggested PSU). The data suggests the 7700 XT is for those who need raw throughput; the 6800S is only preferable if Vulkan-specific performance in a mobile form factor is the sole priority. Its single benchmark win is a real anomaly worth examining, but it does not outweigh the 7700 XT's consistency across every other test.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different RDNA generations and process nodes. The RX 6800S uses RDNA 2.0 on a 7 nm TSMC process, with a 237 mm² die containing 11,060 million transistors (density of 46.7M per mm²). The RX 7700 XT moves to RDNA 3.0 on a 5 nm TSMC process, with a larger 346 mm² die and 28,100 million transistors (density of 81.2M per mm²). That node shrink and density increase is a fundamental divergence: the 7700 XT packs roughly 2.5x the transistors into a die that is only about 46% larger by area.

Core configuration differs substantially. The 6800S has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 32 ray accelerators. The 7700 XT nearly doubles those counts: 3456 shading units, 216 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 54 ray accelerators. Memory also diverges. The 6800S uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 7700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, yielding 432.0 GB/s bandwidth — a 68.75% increase in memory bandwidth alone.

Clock behavior is notable. The 6800S has a higher base clock (1800 MHz vs 1435 MHz) and a lower boost clock (2100 MHz vs 2544 MHz). The 7700 XT's game clock is 2171 MHz, while the 6800S's game clock is 1975 MHz. The 7700 XT also runs memory at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) versus 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) on the 6800S. FP32 throughput tells the story: the 7700 XT delivers 35.17 TFLOPS versus 8.602 TFLOPS — a 4.1x gap. FP16 also differs: the 7700 XT is 1:1 (35.17 TFLOPS), while the 6800S is 2:1 (17.20 TFLOPS).

Form factor and power are starkly different. The 6800S is rated at 100 W TDP, uses no power connectors, and is an IGP-class mobile part. The 7700 XT is 245 W TDP, requires 2x 8-pin connectors, and a 550 W suggested PSU. The 7700 XT is physically 267 mm long, 135 mm tall, and 50 mm wide; the 6800S has no listed dimensions, consistent with its mobile integration.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7700 XT wins in every category that measures raw execution throughput. Passmark GPU Compute shows a 52.4% margin (12912 vs 6144), which aligns with its 4.1x higher FP32 rating. DirectX 11 performance is 40.1% higher (232 vs 139). DirectX 9 is 32% higher (294 vs 200). DirectX 10 is 23.5% higher (119 vs 91). DirectX 12 is 17.7% higher (79 vs 65). The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the 7700 XT at 3316 versus 1689 — a 49.1% lead. Even 2D performance (Passmark G2D) favors the 7700 XT by 37% (1161 vs 732).

The RX 6800S has exactly one winning scenario: Geekbench Vulkan. There, it scores 81272 versus 46443, a 75% advantage. This is a significant outlier, given that the 7700 XT wins Geekbench OpenCL by 47.1% (138383 vs 73202). The Vulkan result suggests the 6800S's RDNA 2.0 architecture handles that specific Vulkan workload with unusual efficiency, or the 7700 XT's driver path for that test is suboptimal. In practical terms, the 6800S is the pick for Vulkan-focused applications; the 7700 XT is superior for OpenCL, DirectX across all versions, compute, and overall 3D.

The average benchmark scores reinforce the split. The 6800S averages 24063, the 7700 XT averages 22549. Yet the 6800S sits at the 69th percentile of all GPUs, the 7700 XT at the 67th. This happens because the 6800S's Vulkan score inflates its average relative to its peers. The 7700 XT's nearest rivals are the RTX 5060 Mobile (0.5% ahead) and RTX 4060 Mobile (0.8% behind); the 6800S's nearest rivals include the RTX 2080 SUPER (0.4% behind) and RX 9070 (0.8% ahead).

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800S has the higher average benchmark score at 24063, versus 22549 for the RX 7700 XT. However, the 7700 XT wins 9 of the 10 individual head-to-head tests.

Q: Why does the RX 6800S have a higher percentile rank despite losing most benchmarks?

A: The 6800S ranks in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, while the 7700 XT ranks in the 67th. This is because the 6800S's Geekbench Vulkan score of 81272 (75% higher than the 7700 XT's 46443) raises its average score relative to its peer group.

Q: Is the RX 7700 XT better for compute workloads?

A: Yes. Passmark GPU Compute shows the 7700 XT at 12912 versus 6144 for the 6800S, a 52.4% advantage. Geekbench OpenCL also favors the 7700 XT by 47.1% (138383 vs 73202).

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The 6800S has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The 7700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 432.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU is more power-hungry?

A: The RX 7700 XT has a 245 W TDP and requires 2x 8-pin power connectors plus a 550 W suggested PSU. The RX 6800S has a 100 W TDP and uses no power connectors, consistent with its mobile IGP design.

Q: What is the production status of each GPU?

A: The RX 6800S is end-of-life, released on 2022-01-03. The RX 7700 XT is active, released on 2023-09-05, and has a listed launch MSRP of 449 USD.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest win for the RX 7700 XT is in Passmark GPU Compute, where it scores 12912 versus 6144 — a 52.4% margin. This is consistent with its FP32 throughput of 35.17 TFLOPS versus 8.602 TFLOPS. The second-largest margin is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12: 3316 versus 1689, a 49.1% lead. That test reflects the 7700 XT's higher texture rate (549.5 GTexel/s vs 268.8 GTexel/s) and pixel rate (244.2 GPixel/s vs 134.4 GPixel/s).

Geekbench OpenCL shows a 47.1% advantage for the 7700 XT (138383 vs 73202), aligning with its greater shading unit count (3456 vs 2048) and ROP count (96 vs 64). DirectX 11 sees a 40.1% gap (232 vs 139), DirectX 9 a 32% gap (294 vs 200), and Passmark G3D a 29.4% gap (22547 vs 15908). DirectX 10 is closer at 23.5% (119 vs 91), as is DirectX 12 at 17.7% (79 vs 65). Even Passmark G2D shows a 37% difference (1161 vs 732).

The RX 6800S's sole victory is Geekbench Vulkan: 81272 versus 46443, a 75% advantage. This is the largest single delta in either direction across all ten tests. It is notably the 6800S's Vulkan score is higher than its own OpenCL score (73202), while the 7700 XT's Vulkan score (46443) is far below its OpenCL score (138383). The 7700 XT's Vulkan result is anomalously low relative to its other metrics, which explains the 6800S's win. In every other test, the 7700 XT leads by margins ranging from 17.7% to 52.4%.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Radeon RX 6800S | AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | RDNA 3.0 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 11,060 million | 28,100 million |

| Die Size | 237 mm² | 346 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 46.7M / mm² | 81.2M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1800 MHz | 1435 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2100 MHz | 2544 MHz |

| Game Clock | 1975 MHz | 2171 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) | 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 12 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 432.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 3456 |

| TMUs | 128 | 216 |

| ROPs | 64 | 96 |

| Ray Accelerators | 32 | 54 |

| Pixel Rate | 134.4 GPixel/s | 244.2 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 268.8 GTexel/s | 549.5 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 8.602 TFLOPS | 35.17 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 17.20 TFLOPS (2:1) | 35.17 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 100 W | 245 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | None listed | 550 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2023-09-05 |

| Launch MSRP | None listed | 449 USD |

Both GPUs share the same DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4 API support. The 7700 XT is larger, faster, and more power-hungry, with double the die density and a 4.1x FP32 advantage. The 6800S is a compact mobile part with no external power requirement, but its only benchmark win is the Vulkan outlier. The data favors the 7700 XT for essentially every practical workload.