AMD Radeon RX 6800S vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Comparison

The benchmark data places the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti and the AMD Radeon RX 6800S very close in overall average score, with a difference of only 0.7% in favor of the older NVIDIA card. However, this aggregate similarity masks a fundamental split in workload types, as the AMD Radeon RX 6800S dominates every single head-to-head benchmark included in the comparison, while the GTX 780 Ti's standing comes from a narrower set of tests. The data tells a clear story of generational progress: the AMD card wins decisively in modern compute and graphics APIs, while the NVIDIA card's average is buoyed by its performance in a specific legacy workload.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6800S wins all three head-to-head benchmark comparisons, establishing a clean sweep across the tested workloads. Its most dominant victory comes in the Geekbench Metal test, where it scores 85,256 against the GTX 780 Ti's 18,144, a difference of 78.7%. This is a massive gap, indicating that the AMD card is vastly more capable in Apple's Metal API, which is critical for macOS applications and creative workloads. The AMD card also wins decisively in Geekbench OpenCL, scoring 73,202 versus 27,326 for the NVIDIA card, a 62.7% advantage, and in Geekbench Vulkan, where it scores 81,272 versus 27,238, a 66.5% lead. These results show that the RX 6800S is the clear choice for any modern compute or cross-platform graphics workload.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti's only claim to a win is its slightly higher average benchmark score of 24,236 versus 24,063 for the AMD card, which is a marginal 0.7% difference. This average is skewed by the fact that the GTX 780 Ti has only three benchmarks listed—all Geekbench tests—while the AMD card has a much wider range of tests, including multiple PassMark DirectX tests and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result. Looking at the nearest rivals data, the GTX 780 Ti sits between the GeForce GTX 1630 (average score 24,277, deltaPct 0.2% higher) and the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (average score 24,170, deltaPct 0.3% lower), meaning its average is tightly clustered with those cards. The AMD RX 6800S, by contrast, is placed between the RTX 2080 SUPER (deltaPct -0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 (deltaPct 0.8%), showing it fits in a similar performance tier despite its different benchmark profile.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two cards is stark. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti is built on the GK110B chip using the Kepler architecture, manufactured on a 28 nm process at TSMC. It packs 7,080 million transistors into a 561 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 12.6 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon RX 6800S uses the Navi 23 chip with the RDNA 2.0 architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a much more advanced 7 nm node. This newer process allows AMD to fit 11,060 million transistors into a smaller 237 mm² die, achieving a density of 46.7 million per square millimeter—more than three times the density of the NVIDIA chip.

Memory configurations also differ fundamentally. The GTX 780 Ti uses 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 336.6 GB/s. The RX 6800S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, which provides 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Despite having a narrower bus, the AMD card's faster memory clock speed (2000 MHz versus 1753 MHz) partially compensates, though the NVIDIA card still has higher raw bandwidth. In terms of compute resources, the GTX 780 Ti has more shading units (2,880 versus 2,048) and more texture mapping units (240 versus 128), but the AMD card has more ROPs (64 versus 48) and crucially includes 32 ray tracing cores, which the NVIDIA card lacks entirely.

The clock speeds show the efficiency of the newer architecture: the RX 6800S runs at a base clock of 1800 MHz and boost of 2100 MHz, with a game clock of 1975 MHz, while the GTX 780 Ti operates at a base of 875 MHz and boost of 928 MHz. This clock advantage, combined with the architectural improvements, results in the AMD card achieving higher theoretical performance: 8.602 TFLOPS FP32 versus 5.345 TFLOPS for NVIDIA. The AMD card also supports FP16 compute at 17.20 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), a feature the GTX 780 Ti does not have. Power draw tells a similar story of efficiency: the RX 6800S is rated at 100 W TDP and requires no power connectors, while the GTX 780 Ti draws 250 W and needs both a 6-pin and an 8-pin connector.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the AMD Radeon RX 6800S is the superior performer in every head-to-head comparison available. It wins the Geekbench Metal test by 78.7%, the OpenCL test by 62.7%, and the Vulkan test by 66.5%. These are not marginal wins; they are decisive, multi-generational leaps in performance. The AMD card also offers modern features like ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support, while the GTX 780 Ti is limited to DirectX 12 (11_1) and has no ray tracing capability. For anyone running modern compute workloads, creative applications, or Vulkan-based games, the RX 6800S is the clear choice.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti's slightly higher average benchmark score (24,236 versus 24,063) is a statistical artifact of having fewer and less diverse benchmarks, not a sign of real-world superiority. Its nearest rival comparison shows it performing within 0.3% of the RTX 2080 SUPER, but that card's average is also based on the same limited Geekbench tests. The GTX 780 Ti does have higher memory bandwidth (336.6 GB/s versus 256.0 GB/s) and more shading units, which could benefit specific bandwidth-sensitive workloads, but the data does not include any such tests to confirm this advantage. The GTX 780 Ti is end-of-life, was released in 2013, and has a launch MSRP of 699 USD. The RX 6800S, released in 2022, is also end-of-life but represents a much more modern and capable design despite its lower 69th percentile versus the GTX 780 Ti's 70th percentile.

FAQ

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti has an average benchmark score of 24,236, which is 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6800S's average of 24,063.

Q: How much faster is the AMD card in Geekbench Vulkan?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 81,272 in Geekbench Vulkan, compared to 27,238 for the GTX 780 Ti, making it 66.5% faster.

Q: Does the AMD card support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the AMD Radeon RX 6800S has 32 ray tracing cores, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The GTX 780 Ti has a TDP of 250 W and requires a 600 W suggested PSU with 1x 6-pin and 1x 8-pin connectors. The RX 6800S has a TDP of 100 W and requires no power connectors.

Q: Which card has more memory and what type?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800S has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti has 3 GB of GDDR5 memory.

Q: What is the transistor density difference between the two chips?

A: The AMD Navi 23 chip has a transistor density of 46.7 million per mm², while the NVIDIA GK110B chip has a density of 12.6 million per mm².

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The three head-to-head benchmarks provide a comprehensive picture of performance disparity. The largest margin is in Geekbench Metal, where the AMD Radeon RX 6800S scores 85,256 versus 18,144 for the GTX 780 Ti. This 78.7% delta is the most extreme difference in the entire comparison, highlighting the AMD card's superior support for modern graphics APIs on Apple platforms. The GTX 780 Ti's Kepler architecture was never designed for Metal, and the data reflects this fundamental incompatibility.

The Geekbench OpenCL test shows a similar but slightly smaller gap. The RX 6800S scores 73,202, while the GTX 780 Ti manages 27,326, resulting in a 62.7% difference. OpenCL is a general-purpose compute API used in many scientific and professional applications, so this result indicates that the AMD card will handle compute-heavy workloads substantially better. The GTX 780 Ti's raw compute throughput of 5.345 TFLOPS FP32 is simply outpaced by the RX 6800S's 8.602 TFLOPS.

The Geekbench Vulkan test narrows the gap slightly but still shows a commanding AMD win. The RX 6800S scores 81,272, against 27,238 for the GTX 780 Ti, a 66.5% difference. Vulkan is the most important cross-platform gaming API in the modern era, and this result suggests that the AMD card will provide a much smoother experience in Vulkan-based titles. The GTX 780 Ti's Vulkan support extends to version 1.2.175, while the RX 6800S supports Vulkan 1.4, giving the AMD card both a performance and feature-set advantage.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every measurable specification. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti uses the Kepler architecture with a GK110B chip on a 28 nm process, while the AMD Radeon RX 6800S uses RDNA 2.0 with a Navi 23 chip on 7 nm. The GTX 780 Ti has a larger die at 561 mm² versus 237 mm², but the AMD card has more transistors (11,060 million versus 7,080 million) due to the denser manufacturing process. Clock speeds are dramatically different, with the RX 6800S running at 1800 MHz base and 2100 MHz boost, while the GTX 780 Ti runs at 875 MHz base and 928 MHz boost.

Memory specifications show a trade-off: the GTX 780 Ti has a 384-bit bus with 3 GB GDDR5 and 336.6 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 6800S has a 128-bit bus with 8 GB GDDR6 and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth. The AMD card has fewer shading units (2,048 versus 2,880) and TMUs (128 versus 240), but more ROPs (64 versus 48) and includes 32 ray tracing cores. The AMD card achieves higher pixel rate (134.4 GPixel/s versus 55.68 GPixel/s) and texture rate (268.8 GTexel/s versus 222.7 GTexel/s). Power consumption diverges sharply, with the GTX 780 Ti rated at 250 W TDP requiring a 600 W PSU and dual power connectors, while the RX 6800S is rated at 100 W TDP with no power connectors and an IGP slot width. The GTX 780 Ti uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RX 6800S uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Display outputs differ as well, with the GTX 780 Ti offering 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.4a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2, while the RX 6800S is listed as "Portable Device Dependent" for its mobile form factor.