AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX dominates the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT in nearly every recorded benchmark category. Out of ten head-to-head tests, the RX 7900 XTX wins nine. The single exception is Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 7600 XT takes a decisive victory with a score of 92426 against 50465, a 45.4% margin. That result stands out because it is the only test where the smaller card outperforms the flagship.

For traditional DirectX gaming workloads, the RX 7900 XTX is overwhelmingly ahead. It leads by 113.2% in PassMark DirectX 11, 101.5% in PassMark DirectX 12, and 95.3% in PassMark DirectX 10. The RX 7600 XT is not close in any of these legacy or modern rasterization paths. The gap narrows somewhat in DirectX 9, where the RX 7900 XTX still wins by 44.7%.

Compute and modern API workloads also favor the RX 7900 XTX. In PassMark GPU Compute, it scores 17689 versus 8987, a 96.8% lead. In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 7900 XTX scores 85612 against 48366, a 77% advantage. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test shows the largest single delta: the RX 7900 XTX scores 6841, the RX 7600 XT scores 2348, a 191.4% difference.

The RX 7600 XT is not without purpose. Its OpenCL win suggests a different compute character, and its lower power draw makes it a fit for systems where the RX 7900 XTX would be overkill. But in raw benchmark terms, the RX 7900 XTX is the clear performance leader in the database.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the RDNA 3.0 architecture and belong to the Radeon RX 7000 series, but they are built on different chips and process nodes. The RX 7900 XTX uses the Navi 31 chip, codenamed Plum Bonito, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. The RX 7600 XT uses the Navi 33 chip, codenamed Hotpink Bonefish, fabricated on a 6 nm process at TSMC.

The transistor counts differ enormously. The RX 7900 XTX packs 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 109.1M per mm². The RX 7600 XT has 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die, with a density of 65.2M per mm². That is a 4.3x difference in transistor count and a 2.6x difference in die area.

The RX 7900 XTX ships with 6144 shading units, 384 texture mapping units, 192 ROPs, and 96 ray tracing cores. The RX 7600 XT has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 32 ray tracing cores. The RX 7900 XTX therefore has triple the shading units and ray tracing cores, and double the ROPs.

Memory architecture also splits the two. The RX 7900 XTX uses 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384 bit bus, delivering 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7600 XT uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128 bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s. The bandwidth gap is substantial and shows up in high resolution and texture heavy workloads.

Clock behavior differs too. The RX 7600 XT has a higher base clock at 1980 MHz versus 1929 MHz, and a higher boost clock at 2755 MHz versus 2498 MHz. The game clock also favors the RX 7600 XT at 2470 MHz versus 2365 MHz. Despite lower clocks, the RX 7900 XTX wins overwhelmingly due to its larger execution resources.

The RX 7900 XTX uses a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface, while the RX 7600 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x8. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 7900 XTX adds a USB Type-C display output alongside one HDMI 2.1a and two DisplayPort 2.1 ports, while the RX 7600 XT offers one HDMI 2.1a and three DisplayPort 2.1 ports without USB Type-C.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result in the head-to-head data is 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The RX 7900 XTX scores 6841, the RX 7600 XT scores 2348. That is a 191.4% advantage for the larger card, the largest delta in the entire comparison. This test stresses modern DX12 rendering and the RX 7900 XTX simply has far more compute and memory bandwidth to draw on.

In PassMark DirectX 11, the RX 7900 XTX scores 356 against 167, a 113.2% lead. DirectX 12 shows a similar pattern: 131 versus 65, a 101.5% advantage. DirectX 10 is close in percentage terms: 166 versus 85, a 95.3% win. DirectX 9 narrows the gap considerably, with the RX 7900 XTX at 330 and the RX 7600 XT at 228, a 44.7% lead. Even the smallest DirectX win is still a comfortable margin.

PassMark G3D, a general 3D graphics score, gives the RX 7900 XTX 31238 and the RX 7600 XT 17132, an 82.3% difference. PassMark GPU Compute shows 17689 versus 8987, a 96.8% lead. PassMark G2D, which tests 2D graphics performance, is closer: 1267 versus 1030, a 23% win for the RX 7900 XTX.

Geekbench Vulkan heavily favors the RX 7900 XTX at 85612 versus 48366, a 77% margin. The only reverse result is Geekbench OpenCL, where the RX 7600 XT scores 92426 and the RX 7900 XTX scores 50465. That 45.4% win for the RX 7600 XT is an outlier relative to every other test, and it suggests the smaller card has a particular strength in OpenCL compute paths that does not translate to other workloads.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every core specification. The RX 7900 XTX has 6144 shading units, 384 TMUs, 192 ROPs, and 96 RT cores. The RX 7600 XT has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, 64 ROPs, and 32 RT cores. The RX 7900 XTX also has a much larger memory subsystem: 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384 bit bus with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, versus 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 128 bit bus with 288.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The process nodes differ: 5 nm for the RX 7900 XTX, 6 nm for the RX 7600 XT. Transistor counts are 57,700 million versus 13,300 million. Die sizes are 529 mm² versus 204 mm². Transistor density is 109.1M per mm² versus 65.2M per mm².

Clock speeds favor the RX 7600 XT. Its base clock is 1980 MHz, boost is 2755 MHz, and game clock is 2470 MHz. The RX 7900 XTX runs at 1929 MHz base, 2498 MHz boost, and 2365 MHz game clock. Memory clocks also differ: the RX 7900 XTX runs at 2500 MHz with 20 Gbps effective, while the RX 7600 XT runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective.

Power and connectivity diverge as well. The RX 7900 XTX has a TDP of 355 W, uses two 8-pin power connectors, and suggests a 750 W PSU. The RX 7600 XT has a TDP of 190 W, uses one 8-pin connector, and suggests a 450 W PSU. The RX 7900 XTX is 287 mm long, 110 mm tall, and 51 mm wide. The RX 7600 XT is 204 mm long, 115 mm tall, with no recorded width. Both are dual-slot cards.

Display outputs differ: the RX 7900 XTX has 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C. The RX 7600 XT has 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1. The RX 7900 XTX uses PCIe 4.0 x16, the RX 7600 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x8.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX wins 9 of 10 recorded tests. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT wins only Geekbench OpenCL.

Q: How large is the performance gap in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The RX 7900 XTX scores 6841 versus 2348 for the RX 7600 XT, a 191.4% advantage.

Q: Does the RX 7600 XT win any compute test?

A: Yes. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 7600 XT scores 92426 against 50465 for the RX 7900 XTX, a 45.4% margin.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RX 7900 XTX delivers 960.0 GB/s over a 384 bit bus with 24 GB of GDDR6. The RX 7600 XT delivers 288.0 GB/s over a 128 bit bus with 16 GB of GDDR6.

Q: How do the process nodes compare?

A: The RX 7900 XTX is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 57,700 million transistors on a 529 mm² die. The RX 7600 XT is built on a 6 nm process at TSMC with 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die.

Q: Which card has higher clock speeds?

A: The RX 7600 XT has higher clocks: 1980 MHz base, 2755 MHz boost, and 2470 MHz game clock. The RX 7900 XTX runs at 1929 MHz base, 2498 MHz boost, and 2365 MHz game clock.

The Verdict

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the clear performance choice. It wins 9 of 10 head-to-head tests, often by large margins. In DirectX 11, DirectX 12, Vulkan, and 3DMark Steel Nomad, the RX 7900 XTX leads by between 77% and 191.4%. Its 24 GB memory pool, 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, and 96 RT cores make it the stronger option for demanding DX12 and Vulkan workloads.

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the choice only when OpenCL compute performance is the priority. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 92426 is 45.4% higher than the RX 7900 XTX, a rare bright spot. It also has a much lower TDP at 190 W versus 355 W, a smaller physical footprint at 204 mm length, and a single 8-pin power connector. For systems constrained by power or space, the RX 7600 XT is the practical pick.

The data does not support the RX 7600 XT as a general performance competitor. Its higher clock speeds do not compensate for the massive difference in shading units, memory bandwidth, and transistor count. The RX 7900 XTX sits at the 64th percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 19410. The RX 7600 XT sits at the 60th percentile with an average score of 17083. Both are mid-pack in the overall distribution, but the RX 7900 XTX is consistently faster in almost every recorded test.

The verdict is straightforward. For maximum rasterization and ray tracing performance, the RX 7900 XTX wins. For OpenCL compute and lower power operation, the RX 7600 XT has a role. The benchmark record leaves little room for ambiguity.