AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data reveals a clear split between these two GPUs, with each taking wins in different types of workloads. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER wins 6 of the 10 head-to-head tests, while the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT takes 4. The most dramatic NVIDIA victory comes in Geekbench Vulkan, where the RTX 4070 SUPER scores 205,624 versus 148,525 for the RX 6900 XT, a 27.8% advantage. That is the largest delta in either direction across all tests.

The RTX 4070 SUPER also shows strength in DirectX 9 legacy performance, scoring 344 versus 268, a 22.1% lead. In PassMark G3D, it posts 29,995 against 26,732, a 10.9% edge. The compute-focused PassMark GPU Compute test also favors NVIDIA, with 17,108 versus 14,547, a 15% advantage. Even the 2D test shows NVIDIA ahead, 1,184 versus 1,055, a 10.9% gap.

The AMD card fights back in several areas. Its biggest win is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 6900 XT scores 187,673 versus 172,795 for the RTX 4070 SUPER, an 8.6% lead. The older DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 PassMark tests both go to AMD, with scores of 279 versus 273 (2.2%) and 113 versus 110 (2.7%) respectively. The DirectX 10 test is a dead heat at 167 for both, with AMD credited the win by a 0% delta tiebreaker.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which represents modern rendering workloads, clearly favors NVIDIA: 4,627 versus 4,079, an 11.8% gap. This is notable because it suggests the RTX 4070 SUPER handles current-generation DirectX 12 titles more effectively, while AMD only manages narrow wins in older DirectX versions and OpenCL compute.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT has a higher average benchmark score at 50,951, compared to 43,223 for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER. The RX 6900 XT sits at the 86th percentile across all GPUs, while the RTX 4070 SUPER sits at the 83rd.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER is essentially level with the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, trailing by just 0.1%. It also trails the GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile by 0.1% and the Quadro M6000 by 0.2%, while sitting 1% behind the RTX 4090 Mobile.

Q: Where does the RX 6900 XT stand relative to its closest competitors?

A: The RX 6900 XT trails the NVIDIA CMP 50HX by 1.6%, but leads the Radeon RX Vega 64 by 1.9%, the RTX 5070 Ti by 2%, and the Intel Arc A550M by 2.4%.

Q: Which GPU wins in Vulkan performance?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER dominates in Vulkan, scoring 205,624 versus 148,525 for the RX 6900 XT. This is a 27.8% advantage, the largest single-test gap in the head-to-head data.

Q: Are the two GPUs evenly matched in any test?

A: The PassMark DirectX 10 test is a perfect tie at 167 for both cards. The closest competitive margins are in DirectX 11 (2.2% for AMD) and DirectX 12 (2.7% for AMD), both narrow wins for the RX 6900 XT.

Q: Which GPU has the higher raw pixel throughput?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT has a higher pixel rate at 288.0 GPixel/s, compared to 198.0 GPixel/s for the RTX 4070 SUPER. This aligns with its higher ROP count of 128 versus 80.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The RX 6900 XT uses the Navi 21 chip built on RDNA 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. The RTX 4070 SUPER uses the AD104 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process, also at TSMC. The process node difference is significant: 5 nm allows for much higher transistor density, at 121.8 million transistors per square millimeter versus 51.5 million for the 7 nm chip.

The transistor counts tell an interesting story. The RTX 4070 SUPER packs 35,800 million transistors onto a 294 mm² die, while the RX 6900 XT has 26,800 million transistors spread across a much larger 520 mm² die. This means the NVIDIA chip achieves its higher transistor count in a substantially smaller physical package, a direct result of the denser 5 nm process.

Shading unit counts diverge sharply. The RTX 4070 SUPER has 7,168 shading units, while the RX 6900 XT has 5,120. However, AMD compensates with more texture mapping units, 320 versus 224, and more ROPs, 128 versus 80. The RT core counts also differ, with AMD featuring 80 RT cores and NVIDIA featuring 56, though NVIDIA adds 224 tensor cores which AMD lacks entirely.

The memory subsystems reflect different priorities. AMD uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, while NVIDIA uses 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus. Bandwidth is nearly identical, with AMD at 512.0 GB/s and NVIDIA at 504.2 GB/s. The FP32 compute figures favor NVIDIA heavily at 35.48 TFLOPS versus 23.04 TFLOPS for AMD, and the FP16 ratios differ: AMD offers 46.08 TFLOPS at a 2:1 ratio, while NVIDIA matches its FP32 at 35.48 TFLOPS with a 1:1 ratio.

Power requirements also reflect the architecture gap. The RX 6900 XT has a TDP of 300 W and needs a 700 W power supply, while the RTX 4070 SUPER draws 220 W with a 550 W suggested PSU. Both support PCIe 4.0 x16, DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every measurable specification. The RX 6900 XT uses a 7 nm process, the RTX 4070 SUPER uses 5 nm. AMD's chip has 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die; NVIDIA has 35,800 million on 294 mm². Base clocks are 1825 MHz for AMD versus 1980 MHz for NVIDIA, with boost clocks of 2250 MHz versus 2475 MHz. AMD lists a game clock of 2015 MHz while NVIDIA lists none.

Memory configurations differ in size, type, and bus width: 16 GB GDDR6 on 256-bit versus 12 GB GDDR6X on 192-bit. Bandwidth is close, 512.0 GB/s versus 504.2 GB/s. Shading units favor NVIDIA at 7,168 versus 5,120, but TMUs and ROPs favor AMD at 320 and 128 versus 224 and 80. RT cores favor AMD at 80 versus 56, while tensor cores exist only on NVIDIA at 224.

Pixel rate is 288.0 GPixel/s for AMD versus 198.0 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rate is 720.0 GTexel/s versus 554.4 GTexel/s. FP32 is 23.04 TFLOPS versus 35.48 TFLOPS. FP16 is 46.08 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 35.48 TFLOPS (1:1). TDP is 300 W versus 220 W. AMD uses two 8-pin power connectors, NVIDIA uses one 16-pin. AMD is triple-slot, NVIDIA is dual-slot. Both are 267 mm long, but AMD is 120 mm tall and 50 mm wide, while NVIDIA is 112 mm tall and 42 mm wide.

Display outputs are similar, with AMD adding a USB Type-C port that NVIDIA lacks. Both support 1x HDMI 2.1, with AMD offering 2x DisplayPort 1.4a and NVIDIA offering 3x. Release dates differ by over three years: October 2020 for AMD, January 2024 for NVIDIA. Both are end-of-life products.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT wins in scenarios that leverage its larger memory pool and higher bandwidth. With 16 GB of VRAM versus 12 GB, it is better suited for workloads that exceed the smaller frame buffer. Its OpenCL advantage of 8.6% suggests it handles general-purpose compute tasks more effectively in that API. The narrow DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 wins, 2.2% and 2.7% respectively, indicate it holds its own in older DirectX titles. The higher pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 720.0 GTexel/s suggest it can fill frames faster in fill-rate-bound scenarios.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER wins in modern rendering and compute APIs. The 27.8% Vulkan advantage is decisive, as is the 11.8% lead in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which represents current-generation game workloads. The 15% lead in GPU compute and 22.1% lead in DirectX 9 indicate strong performance across both old and new compute paths. The higher FP32 throughput of 35.48 TFLOPS supports these results. Its lower TDP of 220 W means it achieves these wins while drawing less power.

For users prioritizing rasterization-heavy legacy titles, the RX 6900 XT offers marginal wins in DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 legacy modes. For those focused on Vulkan-based games, modern DirectX 12 engines, or compute-heavy applications, the RTX 4070 SUPER is clearly ahead. The 2D test win for NVIDIA (1,184 versus 1,055) also suggests better desktop and 2D acceleration.

The Verdict

The data presents a generational contrast. The RX 6900 XT, released in 2020, maintains a higher average benchmark score of 50,951 versus 43,223, and sits at the 86th percentile compared to the RTX 4070 SUPER's 83rd. This overall average is buoyed by its strong OpenCL and legacy DirectX results. However, the RTX 4070 SUPER wins the majority of head-to-head tests, 6 to 4, and does so with particularly large margins in the most modern APIs.

The RTX 4070 SUPER is the better choice for Vulkan-centric workloads, modern DirectX 12 gaming, and compute tasks that use its tensor cores or benefit from its higher FP32 throughput. Its 27.8% Vulkan lead and 11.8% Steel Nomad advantage make it the stronger pick for current-generation game engines. The lower TDP and smaller physical footprint are practical benefits.

The RX 6900 XT is the better choice for users who need 16 GB of VRAM, prefer OpenCL compute, or play older DirectX titles where its narrow wins apply. Its higher average benchmark score and higher percentile ranking indicate it remains a capable card overall. The 8.6% OpenCL lead and the 2.7% DirectX 12 legacy win give it specific niches where it outperforms.

The choice depends on workload priorities. For modern API performance and efficiency, the RTX 4070 SUPER wins. For legacy API support, larger memory capacity, and raw fill-rate throughput, the RX 6900 XT holds advantages. The recorded data does not declare a universal winner, but the RTX 4070 SUPER's wins in the most demanding modern tests carry greater weight for current gaming and compute scenarios.