AMD Radeon RX 6800S vs AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive performance gap between the AMD Radeon RX 6800S and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL across the two benchmark tests where both were measured. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6800S scores 73,202 against 19,549 for the RX Vega M GL, a difference of 274.5%. This is not a marginal improvement; it represents a multi-generational leap in raw compute throughput. The OpenCL result reflects general-purpose GPU compute workloads, and the 6800S nearly quadruples the older part's output.

The second shared test, Geekbench Vulkan, tells a similar story. The RX 6800S posts 81,272 while the RX Vega M GL manages 22,757, yielding a delta of 257.1%. Vulkan is a low-level graphics API that tends to scale strongly with shading unit count and memory bandwidth, and the 6800S dominates on both fronts. Across the two head-to-head benchmarks, the RX 6800S wins 2 out of 2, with no tests favoring the RX Vega M GL.

When placed against the broader database, the RX 6800S holds an average benchmark score of 24,063, placing it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER at 24,170 (0.4% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 at 23,877 (0.8% slower). The RX Vega M GL, by contrast, averages 21,153, sitting in the 66th percentile. Its closest competitor is the AMD Radeon HD 8970M at 21,237 (0.4% faster), with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 at 21,035 (0.6% slower). The average score gap between the two AMD parts is roughly 2,910 points, which translates into the 6800S being about 13.8% ahead in aggregate database performance. That is the headline number: a comfortable, consistent lead, though not an overwhelming one in percentile terms.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6800S wins every scenario where both GPUs have been tested. In compute-heavy OpenCL workloads, its 8.602 TFLOPS FP32 throughput against 2.588 TFLOPS for the Vega M GL explains the 274.5% margin. For users running GPU-accelerated rendering, physics simulation, or machine learning inference, the 6800S is categorically superior.

In Vulkan-based gaming or compute tasks, the 6800S again takes the lead with 257.1% higher scores. The newer architecture's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) compared to the Vega M GL's DirectX 12 (12_0) also gives it access to features like hardware ray tracing via 32 dedicated RT cores, which the older part lacks entirely. For modern titles that leverage mesh shaders or variable rate shading, the 6800S is the only one of the two that can fully participate.

The RX Vega M GL does not win any recorded benchmark. However, its lower 65 W TDP against the 100 W TDP of the 6800S suggests that in thermally constrained chassis, the older part might be easier to cool, though no performance-per-watt figures are recorded in the database. The Vega M GL also uses HBM2 memory on a 1024-bit bus, which gives it 179.2 GB/s of bandwidth, but that is still 30% below the 256.0 GB/s of the 6800S. For legacy DirectX 9 or DirectX 10 workloads, the Vega M GL's PassMark scores are not recorded, so no direct comparison can be made, but the architectural gulf is wide enough to expect a similar outcome.

Architecture Differences

The RX 6800S is built on RDNA 2.0, specifically the Navi 23 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 7 nm process. It packs 11,060 million transistors into a 237 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 46.7 million per mm². The RX Vega M GL uses the older GCN 4.0 architecture with the Polaris 22 chip, built on GlobalFoundries' 14 nm node. It contains 5,000 million transistors on a 208 mm² die, for a density of 24.0 million per mm². The process node advantage alone explains much of the efficiency and clock speed gap.

Clock speeds differ dramatically. The 6800S runs at a base of 1800 MHz, boosts to 2100 MHz, and has a game clock of 1975 MHz. The Vega M GL sits at 931 MHz base and 1011 MHz boost, with no recorded game clock. The 6800S also runs its GDDR6 memory at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), while the Vega M GL's HBM2 runs at 700 MHz (1400 Mbps effective). Memory size is 8 GB versus 4 GB, and bus width is 128-bit versus 1024-bit. The wider bus on the Vega M GL compensates somewhat for the slower clock, but the 6800S still achieves 256.0 GB/s versus 179.2 GB/s.

Shader resources favor the 6800S heavily: 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs against 1280 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The 6800S also has 32 ray tracing cores, which the Vega M GL does not have at all. Pixel rate is 134.4 GPixel/s versus 32.35 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 268.8 GTexel/s versus 80.88 GTexel/s. FP16 throughput on the 6800S is 17.20 TFLOPS via a 2:1 ratio, while the Vega M GL manages only 2.588 TFLOPS at 1:1. The 6800S supports PCIe 4.0 x8, while the Vega M GL is integrated via an IGP bus interface, which limits its ability to access system memory beyond its dedicated pool.

API support also differs: the 6800S reaches DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the Vega M GL tops out at DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. Production status for both is end-of-life, but the 6800S released on 2022-01-03, while the Vega M GL came out on 2018-01-31, a gap of roughly four years.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher raw compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800S delivers 8.602 TFLOPS FP32, compared to 2.588 TFLOPS for the RX Vega M GL, a 3.3x advantage in favor of the 6800S.

Q: How do the two GPUs compare in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The RX 6800S scores 81,272, while the RX Vega M GL scores 22,757. The 6800S is 257.1% faster in this test.

Q: Does the RX Vega M GL have ray tracing support?

A: No. The RX 6800S includes 32 ray tracing cores, while the Vega M GL has no RT cores listed in the database.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RX 6800S uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX Vega M GL uses 4 GB of HBM2 on a 1024-bit bus with 179.2 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has better API support?

A: The RX 6800S supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, while the RX Vega M GL only reaches DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 6800S averages 24,063, placing it in the 69th percentile. The RX Vega M GL averages 21,153, placing it in the 66th percentile.

The Verdict

The data points in one direction: the AMD Radeon RX 6800S is the superior GPU for every measured workload. It wins both head-to-head benchmarks by margins exceeding 250%, holds a 13.8% lead in average benchmark score, and offers double the memory capacity (8 GB versus 4 GB) with higher bandwidth (256.0 GB/s versus 179.2 GB/s). Its architectural advantages, including RDNA 2.0, a 7 nm process, and dedicated ray tracing cores, make it the only viable choice for modern DirectX 12 Ultimate titles or Vulkan-based applications.

The RX Vega M GL still has a role in legacy scenarios. Its 65 W TDP is lower, and its 1024-bit HBM2 bus provides respectable bandwidth for its era. For systems that cannot accommodate a 100 W GPU or that rely on older DirectX 12 (12_0) code paths, the Vega M GL remains functional. But the benchmark evidence is unambiguous: the 6800S outperforms the Vega M GL in OpenCL by 274.5% and in Vulkan by 257.1%. Any user choosing between these two should select the RX 6800S unless power constraints or platform compatibility force the older part.

The percentile gap, 69th versus 66th, understates the real-world difference because the Vega M GL has fewer recorded benchmarks and its nearest rivals are lower-performing parts. The 6800S's nearest rivals include the RTX 2080 SUPER, a high-end desktop GPU, which indicates its performance class is far above the Vega M GL's neighborhood of HD 8970M and RTX 5050 competitors.

Specification Differences

| Field | AMD Radeon RX 6800S | AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | GCN 4.0 |

| Chip | Navi 23 | Polaris 22 |

| Process Node | 7 nm (TSMC) | 14 nm (GlobalFoundries) |

| Transistors | 11,060 million | 5,000 million |

| Die Size | 237 mm² | 208 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 46.7M / mm² | 24.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1800 MHz | 931 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2100 MHz | 1011 MHz |

| Game Clock | 1975 MHz | Not recorded |

| Memory Clock | 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) | 700 MHz (1400 Mbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 8 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB HBM2 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 1024 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 256.0 GB/s | 179.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 1280 |

| TMUs | 128 | 80 |

| ROPs | 64 | 32 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 32 | None |

| Pixel Rate | 134.4 GPixel/s | 32.35 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 268.8 GTexel/s | 80.88 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 8.602 TFLOPS | 2.588 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 17.20 TFLOPS (2:1) | 2.588 TFLOPS (1:1) |

| TDP | 100 W | 65 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | IGP |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.3 |

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2018-01-31 |