AMD Radeon RX 7600S vs AMD Radeon RX 7700 Comparison

The AMD Radeon RX 7600S and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 are both members of the Radeon RX 7000 series, yet they are engineered for entirely different segments of the market. The RX 7600S is a mobile-first part, built on the 6 nm process with a 75 W TDP, while the RX 7700 is a desktop-oriented card on the 5 nm process with a 200 W TDP. Benchmark data shows a clear hierarchy, with the RX 7700 winning all nine head-to-head comparisons. However, the context of each product’s design goals—power efficiency versus raw throughput—defines their respective value propositions, and the data quantifies the extent of that performance chasm.

Where Each One Wins

The division of wins is absolute: the benchmark results show the AMD Radeon RX 7700 winning 9 out of 9 tests, while the AMD Radeon RX 7600S records zero victories. This is not a close contest; the RX 7700 leads by a minimum of 19.2% in any given workload. The RX 7600S’s only logical advantage lies in its integration profile, being an IGP (integrated graphics processor) with no power connectors and a 75 W TDP, which suits thin-and-light laptops. The RX 7700, by contrast, is a dual-slot card requiring two 8-pin connectors and a 550 W suggested PSU, making it suitable only for full desktop builds.

Looking at the specific tests, the RX 7700 dominates compute-heavy and legacy DirectX workloads. Its largest margin comes in Passmark GPU Compute (40.5% ahead), followed closely by Geekbench OpenCL (35.9% ahead) and Passmark G2D (35.7% ahead). These are not marginal wins; they represent a fundamental throughput advantage. The RX 7600S, despite its lower power envelope, still posts respectable scores like 15408 in Passmark G3D, but the RX 7700’s 20974 in the same test underscores that the desktop part is in a different performance tier. The data suggests the RX 7600S is best positioned for light gaming and general productivity where its 60th percentile ranking among all GPUs is acceptable, while the RX 7700, ranked at the 58th percentile, trades blows with a different set of peers.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap begins with the silicon itself. The RX 7600S uses the Navi 33 chip built on a 6 nm process at TSMC, with 13,300 million transistors on a 204 mm² die. The RX 7700 uses the larger Navi 32 chip on a 5 nm process, packing 28,100 million transistors into a 346 mm² die. This results in a significantly higher transistor density for the RX 7700 (81.2M / mm² versus 65.2M / mm²), indicating a more modern and compact logic design. Both share the RDNA 3.0 architecture, but the RX 7700’s codename "Wheat Nas" versus the RX 7600S’s "Hotpink Bonefish" highlights their divergent design lineages within the same generation.

Core configuration differences are stark. The RX 7700 features 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, while the RX 7600S is cut down to 1,792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Ray tracing hardware also scales: the RX 7700 has 40 RT cores versus 28 on the RX 7600S. Clock speeds favor the RX 7700, with a boost of 2459 MHz and a game clock of 2041 MHz, compared to the RX 7600S’s 2200 MHz boost and 1865 MHz game clock. The memory subsystem is perhaps the most decisive differentiator: the RX 7700 offers 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth, whereas the RX 7600S has 8 GB on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s. This 2.4x bandwidth advantage is critical for high-resolution textures and compute workloads.

Additional differences include FP32 throughput (25.18 TFLOPS on the RX 7700 versus 15.77 TFLOPS on the RX 7600S) and pixel/texture rates. The RX 7700 achieves 236.1 GPixel/s and 393.4 GTexel/s, while the RX 7600S manages 140.8 GPixel/s and 246.4 GTexel/s. Notably, the RX 7700’s FP16 performance (25.18 TFLOPS, 1:1 ratio) matches its FP32, whereas the RX 7600S uses a 2:1 ratio, halving its FP16 throughput to 31.54 TFLOPS. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, and both use a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. The RX 7700’s display outputs (1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C) are fixed, while the RX 7600S’s are portable-device dependent.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: for anyone building a desktop system, the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the superior performer. It wins every benchmark, with margins ranging from 19.2% in DirectX 9 to 40.5% in GPU compute. Its 16 GB memory buffer and 624.1 GB/s bandwidth make it a more future-proof option for modern titles and compute tasks. The RX 7700’s nearest rivals—the AMD Radeon R9 370X (deltaPct -0.1%), AMD Radeon RX 9060 (-1%), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (-1.7%)—show it competitive with prior-generation high-end cards. However, its 58th percentile ranking means it is not a top-tier part, but rather a solid mid-range performer.

Conversely, the RX 7600S is not designed to compete with the RX 7700. Its 75 W TDP and IGP form factor are tailored for laptops where power efficiency is paramount. Its nearest rivals—NVIDIA T400 4 GB (-0.6%), NVIDIA T400 (1.1%), and NVIDIA Tesla M4 (-1.4%)—are all low-profile or professional cards, reinforcing its niche. The RX 7600S’s 60th percentile ranking is respectable for a mobile chip, but its 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus limit its ceiling. For a user prioritizing portability, the RX 7600S is a capable option; for desktop performance, the RX 7700 is the only logical choice. The benchmark results do not support any scenario where the RX 7600S is preferred over the RX 7700, given the latter’s comprehensive lead.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is faster in all nine head-to-head tests. Its largest lead is 40.5% in Passmark GPU Compute, and its smallest is 19.2% in Passmark DirectX 9.

Q: What is the memory capacity difference?

A: The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, while the RX 7600S has 8 GB on a 128-bit bus. Memory bandwidth is 624.1 GB/s for the RX 7700 and 256.0 GB/s for the RX 7600S.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The RX 7600S has a 75 W TDP and requires no power connectors, making it an IGP. The RX 7700 has a 200 W TDP, needs two 8-pin connectors, and recommends a 550 W PSU.

Q: Do they share the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use RDNA 3.0, but on different nodes. The RX 7600S uses Navi 33 on a 6 nm process, while the RX 7700 uses Navi 32 on a 5 nm process.

Q: Which GPU has higher clock speeds?

A: The RX 7700 has a boost clock of 2459 MHz and a game clock of 2041 MHz. The RX 7600S has a boost clock of 2200 MHz and a game clock of 1865 MHz.

Q: What is the performance percentile ranking for each?

A: The RX 7600S ranks in the 60th percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 7700 ranks in the 58th percentile, despite having higher absolute scores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most comprehensive victory for the RX 7700 comes in Passmark GPU Compute, where it scores 10963 against the RX 7600S’s 6520, a delta of -40.5%. This result indicates that the RX 7700’s additional shading units (2,560 vs 1,792) and higher memory bandwidth translate directly into raw compute throughput. Similarly, in Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 7700 posts 106028 versus 68012, a 35.9% margin, reinforcing its dominance in general-purpose GPU workloads.

In gaming-oriented tests, the RX 7700 maintains its lead but with slightly smaller margins. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2865 against 1888, a 34.1% advantage. Passmark G3D shows a 26.5% gap (20974 vs 15408), while Passmark DirectX 11 yields a 24.7% lead (186 vs 140). The smallest difference is in Passmark DirectX 9, where the RX 7700 scores 261 versus 211, a 19.2% margin, suggesting that legacy APIs narrow the gap but do not close it. Even in 2D performance, the RX 7700 wins decisively with a 1206 score versus 776 in Passmark G2D, a 35.7% delta, indicating that its faster clocks and memory subsystem benefit all workloads. Across the board, the RX 7700’s wins are consistent and substantial, leaving no benchmark category where the RX 7600S is competitive.