AMD Radeon RX 7600 vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear split between these two AMD Radeon RX 7000 series cards. Across the ten recorded tests, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT claims nine victories, with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 managing a single, albeit massive, win.

The most dramatic result comes from the Geekbench OpenCL test. The RX 7600 scores 88,051, while the RX 7900 XT scores only 12,756. This represents a 590.3% advantage for the RX 7600, a reversal of the overall performance hierarchy seen elsewhere. This result is the single largest delta in the entire comparison, and it suggests a workload-specific anomaly or a driver-level quirk rather than a general computing superiority for the smaller card.

Outside of that outlier, the RX 7900 XT dominates. In the modern DirectX 12 stress test, 3DMark Steel Nomad, the RX 7900 XT scores 5,623 against the RX 7600's 2,310. That is a 58.9% lead for the larger card, positioning it as decisively faster in a demanding current-generation API scenario. The Geekbench Vulkan test reinforces this pattern, with the RX 7900 XT scoring 71,068 versus 34,401, a 51.6% difference in its favor.

The Passmark suite shows a consistent margin across the board. In the legacy DirectX 9 test, the RX 7900 XT scores 322 against 226, a 29.8% lead. This gap widens for newer APIs: DirectX 10 shows a 46.8% advantage (158 vs. 84), DirectX 11 a 49.4% advantage (340 vs. 172), and DirectX 12 a 47.3% advantage (110 vs. 58). The pattern is consistent, the RX 7900 XT scales its performance advantage across the DirectX feature levels.

The compute and rasterization metrics continue the trend. In Passmark G3D, the RX 7900 XT scores 29,009 versus 16,634, a 42.7% lead. The Passmark GPU Compute test shows a 47.8% advantage for the RX 7900 XT (16,828 vs. 8,790). Even the 2D graphics test, Passmark G2D, goes to the RX 7900 XT with a score of 1,232 versus 984, a 20.1% difference. The data shows a card that is broadly faster in almost every measured category, with the single OpenCL anomaly being the only exception.

Where Each One Wins

The use-case split is defined by the one test the RX 7600 wins. The Geekbench OpenCL result indicates that in OpenCL compute workloads, the RX 7600 outperforms the RX 7900 XT by a staggering margin. For users running applications that rely heavily on OpenCL acceleration, the recorded data suggests the RX 7600 is the better performer. This is a highly specialized scenario, but the data is unambiguous in that specific test.

For everything else, the RX 7900 XT is the clear winner. Its advantages are most pronounced in DirectX 12 gaming (58.9% in 3DMark Steel Nomad) and Vulkan gaming (51.6% in Geekbench Vulkan). These are the APIs used by modern games, so the RX 7900 XT is positioned as the stronger choice for contemporary gaming workloads. The consistent 40-50% leads in the Passmark DirectX 10, 11, and 12 tests confirm that this advantage holds across a range of DirectX versions.

The RX 7900 XT also wins in compute, with a 47.8% lead in Passmark GPU Compute. While this is not as large as the RX 7600's OpenCL win, it shows that the larger card is generally faster in compute tasks that use the Passmark harness. The RX 7900 XT's 42.7% lead in Passmark G3D further establishes its dominance in general 3D rendering workloads. In short, the RX 7600 wins in one specific compute API, while the RX 7900 XT wins in gaming, most compute, and even 2D tasks.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is substantial, even though both are built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The RX 7600 uses the Navi 33 chip, fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC. The RX 7900 XT uses the Navi 31 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at the same foundry. The process difference is reflected in transistor density: the Navi 31 chip has a density of 109.1M transistors per mm², while the Navi 33 chip has 65.2M per mm².

The scale difference is enormous. The Navi 31 chip contains 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, while the Navi 33 chip has 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. This directly translates into a much larger execution engine. The RX 7900 XT has 5,376 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 192 raster operation pipelines. The RX 7600 has 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The RX 7900 XT has 84 ray tracing cores versus 32 on the RX 7600.

Memory configuration is another major divergence. The RX 7900 XT features 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7600 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s. The memory clock difference is notable: the RX 7900 XT runs at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective), while the RX 7600 runs at 2250 MHz (18 Gbps effective). The larger bus width and higher memory clock give the RX 7900 XT a 2.8x bandwidth advantage.

Clock speeds tell a more nuanced story. The RX 7600 has a higher base clock at 1720 MHz versus 1387 MHz, a higher boost clock at 2655 MHz versus 2394 MHz, and a higher game clock at 2250 MHz versus 2025 MHz. Despite lower clocks, the RX 7900 XT achieves far higher throughput due to its massive core count. The FP32 performance figures illustrate this: the RX 7900 XT delivers 51.48 TFLOPS versus 21.75 TFLOPS for the RX 7600. The FP16 performance shows a different ratio: the RX 7900 XT achieves 103.0 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) while the RX 7600 stays at 21.75 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio).

The power and interface specifications also diverge. The RX 7900 XT has a TDP of 300 W and requires a 700 W power supply, while the RX 7600 has a TDP of 165 W and a 450 W suggested PSU. Both use dual-slot coolers, but the RX 7900 XT requires two 8-pin power connectors versus one 8-pin on the RX 7600. The bus interface differs as well: the RX 7900 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while the RX 7600 uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The RX 7900 XT also includes a USB Type-C display output alongside its HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, while the RX 7600 has three DisplayPort 2.1 outputs to the RX 7900 XT's two.

The Verdict

The choice between these two cards depends entirely on workload priority. For users whose primary concern is OpenCL compute performance, the recorded data points squarely at the AMD Radeon RX 7600. Its 590.3% lead in that benchmark is not just a win, it is a category-defining advantage. This card also carries a much lower power requirement at 165 W and is still in active production, while the RX 7900 XT is listed as end-of-life.

For gaming and general GPU compute, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is the superior option. It leads in every gaming-related benchmark, with margins ranging from 29.8% in DirectX 9 to 58.9% in 3DMark Steel Nomad. Its 84 ray tracing cores versus 32 give it a structural advantage in ray-traced workloads, and its 20 GB memory buffer with 800.0 GB/s bandwidth is far more suited to high-resolution textures and large datasets. The RX 7900 XT also wins in Passmark G3D and GPU Compute, making it the better all-rounder for 3D rendering and non-OpenCL compute.

The RX 7600's higher clock speeds (1720 MHz base, 2655 MHz boost) do not compensate for the RX 7900 XT's core count advantage. The larger card's 51.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance versus 21.75 TFLOPS is a 2.4x difference that dominates any clock speed advantage. The RX 7900 XT is the choice for users who prioritize raw performance in modern APIs. The RX 7600 is the choice for users with a specific need for OpenCL acceleration or those constrained by power and physical size, as it is 204 mm long versus 276 mm for the RX 7900 XT.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in 3DMark Steel Nomad?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT scores 5,623 compared to the RX 7600's 2,310, a 58.9% lead.

Q: Is the RX 7600 better at any workload?

A: Yes, in the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 7600 scores 88,051 versus 12,756 for the RX 7900 XT, a 590.3% advantage.

Q: How do the memory configurations differ?

A: The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus with 800.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 7600 has 8 GB on a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s.

Q: What are the power requirements?

A: The RX 7900 XT has a 300 W TDP and a suggested 700 W PSU, while the RX 7600 has a 165 W TDP and a suggested 450 W PSU.

Q: Which card has more ray tracing cores?

A: The RX 7900 XT has 84 ray tracing cores, while the RX 7600 has 32.

Q: What is the production status of each card?

A: The RX 7600 is listed as active, while the RX 7900 XT is listed as end-of-life.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7600 | AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT |

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

| Chip | Navi 33 | Navi 31 |

| Process Node | 6 nm | 5 nm |

| Transistors | 13,300 million | 57,700 million |

| Die Size | 204 mm² | 529 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 65.2M / mm² | 109.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1720 MHz | 1387 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2655 MHz | 2394 MHz |

| Game Clock | 2250 MHz | 2025 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2250 MHz 18 Gbps effective | 2500 MHz 20 Gbps effective |

| Memory Size | 8 GB | 20 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 320 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 288.0 GB/s | 800.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2048 | 5376 |

| TMUs | 128 | 336 |

| ROPs | 64 | 192 |

| RT Cores | 32 | 84 |

| Pixel Rate | 169.9 GPixel/s | 459.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 339.8 GTexel/s | 804.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 21.75 TFLOPS | 51.48 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 21.75 TFLOPS (1:1) | 103.0 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 165 W | 300 W |

| Power Connectors | 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |

| Suggested PSU | 450 W | 700 W |

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

| Display Outputs | 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 2.1 | 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C |

| Length | 204 mm (8 inches) | 276 mm (10.9 inches) |

| Height | 115 mm (4.5 inches) | 110 mm (4.3 inches) |

| Width | Not specified | 51 mm (2 inches) |

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

| Release Date | 2023-05-24 | 2022-11-02 |

| Launch MSRP | 269 USD | 899 USD |