AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 7700 Comparison

The Verdict

The benchmark data delivers a decisive outcome: the AMD Radeon RX 7700 wins all nine head-to-head comparisons against the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT. There is no benchmark category in the data where the RX 7600 XT takes the lead. For users prioritizing raw performance, the RX 7700 is the clear choice. However, the RX 7600 XT holds its own as a more compact, lower-power alternative that still delivers competitive results in legacy DirectX workloads. The RX 7700’s wins range from a modest 7.6% advantage in Passmark DirectX 10 to a commanding 32.3% lead in Passmark DirectX 12. The average benchmark score tells a different story: the RX 7600 XT averages 17,083, placing it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7700 averages 15,852, sitting in the 58th percentile. This discrepancy stems from the RX 7700’s nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15,862, -0.1%) and AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16,014, -1%)—which pull its average down despite its higher individual test scores. In practical terms, the RX 7700 is faster in every measured test, but the RX 7600 XT benefits from a stronger overall standing relative to the broader GPU landscape.

Architecture Differences

Both cards belong to the Radeon RX 7000 series and share the RDNA 3.0 architecture, but they are built on different silicon. The RX 7600 XT uses the Navi 33 chip, codenamed Hotpink Bonefish, fabricated on TSMC’s 6 nm process. It packs 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 65.2M per mm². The RX 7700 steps up to the Navi 32 chip, codenamed Wheat Nas, on TSMC’s 5 nm process, with 28,100 million transistors across a 346 mm² die—a density of 81.2M per mm². The RX 7700’s newer process node and larger die translate directly into more compute resources: 2,560 shading units versus 2,048, 160 texture mapping units versus 128, and 96 raster operations pipelines versus 64. Ray tracing hardware follows suit, with the RX 7700 featuring 40 RT cores against the RX 7600 XT’s 32.

Memory configuration is another major divider. The RX 7600 XT runs 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7700 also has 16 GB of GDDR6, but on a 256-bit bus, more than doubling bandwidth to 624.1 GB/s. Clock speeds favor the smaller card in raw frequency: the RX 7600 XT boosts to 2755 MHz with a game clock of 2470 MHz, while the RX 7700 boosts to 2459 MHz and games at 2041 MHz. Yet the RX 7700’s higher memory clock (2438 MHz, 19.5 Gbps effective) and wider bus compensate. The RX 7700 also leads in throughput metrics: 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 versus 22.57 TFLOPS, 393.4 GTexel/s versus 352.6 GTexel/s, and 236.1 GPixel/s versus 176.3 GPixel/s.

Power and physical design differ meaningfully. The RX 7600 XT draws 190 W TDP with a single 8-pin connector and a suggested 450 W PSU, while the RX 7700 requires 200 W, two 8-pin connectors, and a 550 W PSU. Both are dual-slot cards, but the RX 7600 XT is noticeably shorter at 204 mm (8 inches) and 115 mm tall (4.5 inches), versus the RX 7700’s 267 mm (10.5 inches) length, 135 mm (5.3 inches) height, and 50 mm (2 inches) width. The RX 7700 also adds a USB Type-C output alongside its 1x HDMI 2.1a and 2x DisplayPort 2.1, while the RX 7600 XT offers 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and both use PCIe 4.0—but the RX 7700 runs at x16, double the RX 7600 XT’s x8 interface.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 7700 wins everywhere in this dataset, but the magnitude of its victories varies by workload. Its largest edge comes in Passmark DirectX 12, where it scores 96 versus the RX 7600 XT’s 65—a 32.3% gap. This suggests the RX 7700 is substantially better suited to modern, feature-rich graphics APIs. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7700 posts 2,865 against 2,348, an 18% advantage, reinforcing its strength in current-generation gaming workloads. Compute performance follows the same pattern: Passmark GPU Compute shows 10,963 for the RX 7700 versus 8,987, an 18% lead, and Geekbench OpenCL shows 106,028 versus 92,426, a 12.8% gain. The RX 7700 also wins synthetic rasterization tests, with Passmark G3D at 20,974 versus 17,132 (18.3%) and Passmark G2D at 1,206 versus 1,030 (14.6%).

The RX 7600 XT’s best relative showing is in legacy DirectX 10, where it trails by only 7.6% (85 versus 92). Its other single-digit deficit appears nowhere else; in DirectX 11 it is 10.2% behind (167 versus 186), and in DirectX 9 it is 12.6% behind (228 versus 261). For users running older titles or applications that rely on DirectX 10-era code, the RX 7600 XT remains viable, but it cannot claim a win in any category. The RX 7700’s consistent dominance across API generations, compute, and memory-bound tests makes it the stronger all-rounder. The RX 7600 XT’s value lies in its smaller footprint and lower power draw—190 W versus 200 W—which may suit compact builds, but performance-oriented buyers will gravitate to the RX 7700.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in DirectX 12 workloads?

A: The RX 7700. It scores 96 in Passmark DirectX 12 versus the RX 7600 XT’s 65, a 32.3% advantage. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7700 also wins with 2,865 points against 2,348.

Q: Do both cards have the same memory capacity?

A: Yes, both have 16 GB of GDDR6. However, the RX 7700 uses a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth, while the RX 7600 XT uses a 128-bit bus with 288.0 GB/s.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient based on the data?

A: The RX 7600 XT has a lower TDP at 190 W versus 200 W for the RX 7700, and it requires a single 8-pin connector with a 450 W suggested PSU, compared to two 8-pin connectors and a 550 W PSU for the RX 7700.

Q: How do the two cards compare in compute performance?

A: The RX 7700 leads in Passmark GPU Compute with 10,963 points versus 8,987 (18% higher) and in Geekbench OpenCL with 106,028 versus 92,426 (12.8% higher).

Q: Which card is better for legacy DirectX 9 and 10 games?

A: The RX 7700 still wins, but by smaller margins. In DirectX 9, it scores 261 versus 228 (12.6% lead), and in DirectX 10, it scores 92 versus 85 (7.6% lead).

Q: What are the physical size differences?

A: The RX 7600 XT is 204 mm long and 115 mm tall, while the RX 7700 is 267 mm long, 135 mm tall, and 50 mm wide. The RX 7700 is a larger dual-slot card.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a clean sweep for the RX 7700 across all nine head-to-head tests. Starting with the most modern workload, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, the RX 7700 scores 2,865 against the RX 7600 XT’s 2,348, an 18% delta. This is a strong indicator for current-generation gaming, as the test stresses DX12 features where the RX 7700’s additional 512 shading units and 40 RT cores provide a measurable edge.

Geekbench OpenCL delivers a 12.8% win for the RX 7700, with 106,028 points versus 92,426. This compute-oriented test benefits from the RX 7700’s higher FP32 throughput of 25.18 TFLOPS versus 22.57 TFLOPS. The Passmark suite breaks down by API generation. In DirectX 10, the RX 7700 wins narrowly at 92 versus 85 (7.6%), showing that even older workloads favor the larger chip. DirectX 11 sees a 10.2% gap, with the RX 7700 posting 186 against 167. DirectX 12 is where the separation becomes dramatic: 96 versus 65, a 32.3% margin—the largest delta in the entire comparison. DirectX 9 follows with 261 versus 228, a 12.6% lead for the RX 7700.

The 2D and 3D synthetic tests reinforce the trend. Passmark G2D scores 1,206 for the RX 7700 versus 1,030 for the RX 7600 XT, a 14.6% difference. Passmark G3D shows 20,974 versus 17,132, an 18.3% gap that mirrors the 3DMark result. Finally, Passmark GPU Compute wraps up with 10,963 versus 8,987, another 18% edge. Across every test, the RX 7700’s wider memory bus (256-bit versus 128-bit) and higher bandwidth (624.1 GB/s versus 288.0 GB/s) likely contribute to its consistency, as does its larger transistor budget (28,100 million versus 13,300 million). The RX 7600 XT’s highest relative performance comes in DirectX 10, but it never approaches parity. The narrative is unambiguous: the RX 7700 is the superior performer in every measured category, with the largest win in the most modern API.