AMD Radeon RX 7600S vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile Comparison

# Where Each One Wins

The benchmark split between these two mobile GPUs is clear: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile dominates compute and legacy DirectX 10 workloads, while the AMD Radeon RX 7600S takes the modern gaming and rasterization tests. Out of 10 head-to-head benchmarks, the AMD card wins 7, while NVIDIA wins 3.

The RX 7600S's wins are concentrated in the PassMark suite. It leads by 30.8% in DirectX 9, 21.4% in DirectX 11, and 10.8% in DirectX 12. The 7600S also wins the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test by 3.5%, the PassMark G3D test by 14.1%, and the PassMark G2D test by 24.2%. The compute test also favors AMD, with a 12.3% lead in PassMark GPU Compute.

The RTX 3060 Mobile's wins are narrower in count but significant in magnitude. It leads by 16.9% in Geekbench OpenCL, 8.8% in Geekbench Vulkan, and 21.6% in PassMark DirectX 10. These results point to a GPU that retains an advantage in raw compute-oriented APIs and older DirectX paths, while the AMD card excels in the more current gaming API tests.

The overall average benchmark score tells a slightly different story: the RTX 3060 Mobile posts an average of 18159 across all recorded tests, while the RX 7600S averages 16696. This is because the Geekbench OpenCL score (79483 versus 68012) carries heavy weight. The NVIDIA card sits at the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, the AMD at the 60th. So while the AMD card wins more individual gaming-style tests, the NVIDIA card's compute strength yields a higher aggregate score.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different fabs and design philosophies. The RTX 3060 Mobile uses the GA106 chip on an 8 nm Samsung process, with 12,000 million transistors on a 276 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 43.5M per mm². The RX 7600S uses the Navi 33 chip on a 6 nm TSMC process, with 13,300 million transistors on a smaller 204 mm² die, yielding a much higher density of 65.2M per mm².

The architecture generations differ: NVIDIA uses Ampere, AMD uses RDNA 3.0. The NVIDIA chip has 3840 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. The AMD chip has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. This explains the different fill rate numbers: the AMD card reaches 140.8 GPixel/s pixel rate and 246.4 GTexel/s texture rate, versus the NVIDIA's 68.40 GPixel/s and 171.0 GTexel/s.

Ray tracing hardware is present on both, with 30 RT cores on the NVIDIA and 28 on the AMD. Tensor cores are exclusive to the NVIDIA (120 of them); the AMD has no tensor core count in the database. The AMD's FP32 throughput is 15.77 TFLOPS, higher than the NVIDIA's 10.94 TFLOPS. The AMD also does FP16 at a 2:1 ratio (31.54 TFLOPS), while the NVIDIA does FP16 at 1:1 (10.94 TFLOPS).

Memory configurations differ. The NVIDIA has 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The AMD has 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s. Clock speeds are also different: the NVIDIA runs at 900 MHz base and 1425 MHz boost, while the AMD runs at 1500 MHz base, 1865 MHz game clock, and 2200 MHz boost. The AMD's memory runs at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective), while the NVIDIA's runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective).

Power targets are close: the NVIDIA is rated at 80 W TDP, the AMD at 75 W. Both use PCIe 4.0 x16 and have no power connectors, as they are mobile parts. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The Verdict

Based on the recorded data, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S is the better choice for modern DirectX gaming workloads. It wins the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the PassMark G3D test, and all three DirectX 9/11/12 PassMark tests. The margins are substantial: 30.8% in DirectX 9, 21.4% in DirectX 11. For anyone focused on gaming performance in titles that use DirectX 11 or 12, the 7600S has the edge.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile retains a clear lead in compute and legacy APIs. Its 16.9% lead in Geekbench OpenCL and 8.8% lead in Geekbench Vulkan indicate better performance in applications that use those APIs. The 21.6% lead in PassMark DirectX 10 is noteworthy, though that API is less relevant for modern gaming.

There is also a memory capacity difference: the AMD offers 8 GB versus the NVIDIA's 6 GB. That matters for games that use more than 6 GB of VRAM. The AMD also has a higher pixel rate and texture rate, which align with its rasterization wins.

For a user prioritizing modern gaming and raster performance, the RX 7600S. For compute-heavy tasks and legacy DirectX 10 workloads, the RTX 3060 Mobile. The overall average score favors the NVIDIA, but that is driven by the Geekbench OpenCL outlier. The wins count (7 vs 3) favors the AMD. The RX 7600S is also a newer part (2023 release vs 2021) and still active in production, while the RTX 3060 Mobile is end-of-life. The database shows the AMD card as the more balanced and current option.

FAQ

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

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600S wins 7 out of 10 head-to-head benchmarks, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile wins 3.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest delta is in PassMark DirectX 9, where the AMD Radeon RX 7600S leads by 30.8%. The largest NVIDIA lead is 21.6% in PassMark DirectX 10.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile has higher bandwidth at 336.0 GB/s, compared to the AMD Radeon RX 7600S at 256.0 GB/s. However, the AMD has more memory capacity: 8 GB versus 6 GB.

Q: Are both cards compatible with DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which GPU has a higher pixel rate?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600S has a pixel rate of 140.8 GPixel/s, which is 2.06 times the NVIDIA's 68.40 GPixel/s.

Q: What is the transistor density difference?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600S has a transistor density of 65.2M per mm² on a 204 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile has a density of 43.5M per mm² on a 276 mm² die.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test gives the AMD Radeon RX 7600S a 1888 score versus the NVIDIA's 1821, a 3.5% lead for the AMD. The margin is modest, but the AMD wins the latest DirectX 12 test.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA wins decisively: 79483 versus 68012, a 16.9% lead. This is the largest NVIDIA win in the entire dataset. Geekbench Vulkan also goes to NVIDIA: 80344 versus 73868, an 8.8% lead. These two tests contribute heavily to the NVIDIA's higher average benchmark score.

The PassMark tests show a clear pattern. In DirectX 10, the NVIDIA wins 90 to 74, a 21.6% lead. In DirectX 11, the AMD wins 140 to 110, a 21.4% lead. In DirectX 12, the AMD wins 65 to 58, a 10.8% lead. In DirectX 9, the AMD wins 211 to 146, a 30.8% lead. The DirectX 9 gap is the largest of any head-to-head test.

The PassMark G2D test (2D graphics) goes to the AMD: 776 versus 588, a 24.2% lead. The PassMark G3D test (3D graphics) goes to the AMD: 15408 versus 13230, a 14.1% lead. The PassMark GPU Compute test goes to the AMD: 6520 versus 5718, a 12.3% lead.

The overall average benchmark score for the NVIDIA is 18159, while the AMD is 16696. The NVIDIA's percentile is 62 versus the AMD's 58. Despite having fewer wins, the NVIDIA's average is higher because its Geekbench OpenCL score is far above the AMD's in absolute terms, and the Geekbench tests are weighted equally with the PassMark tests in the average. The AMD's highest wins are in PassMark tests, which have lower absolute scores, so they contribute less to the average.

Specification Differences

The two GPUs differ in these recorded specifications:

• Process node: NVIDIA 8 nm (Samsung), AMD 6 nm (TSMC)
• Transistors: NVIDIA 12,000 million, AMD 13,300 million
• Die size: NVIDIA 276 mm², AMD 204 mm²
• Transistor density: NVIDIA 43.5M / mm², AMD 65.2M / mm²
• Base clock: NVIDIA 900 MHz, AMD 1500 MHz
• Boost clock: NVIDIA 1425 MHz, AMD 2200 MHz
• Game clock: undefined for NVIDIA, AMD 1865 MHz
• Memory clock: NVIDIA 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective), AMD 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective)
• Memory size: NVIDIA 6 GB, AMD 8 GB
• Memory bus width: NVIDIA 192 bit, AMD 128 bit
• Memory bandwidth: NVIDIA 336.0 GB/s, AMD 256.0 GB/s
• Shading units: NVIDIA 3840, AMD 1792
• TMUs: NVIDIA 120, AMD 112
• ROPs: NVIDIA 48, AMD 64
• RT cores: NVIDIA 30, AMD 28
• Tensor cores: NVIDIA 120, AMD null (none)
• Pixel rate: NVIDIA 68.40 GPixel/s, AMD 140.8 GPixel/s
• Texture rate: NVIDIA 171.0 GTexel/s, AMD 246.4 GTexel/s
• FP32: NVIDIA 10.94 TFLOPS, AMD 15.77 TFLOPS
• FP16: NVIDIA 10.94 TFLOPS (1:1), AMD 31.54 TFLOPS (2:1)
• TDP: NVIDIA 80 W, AMD 75 W
• Slot width: NVIDIA null, AMD IGP
• Release date: NVIDIA 2021-01-11, AMD 2023-01-03
• Production status: NVIDIA End-of-life, AMD Active
• Predecessor: NVIDIA GeForce 20 Mobile, AMD Polaris Mobile
• Foundry: NVIDIA Samsung, AMD TSMC

Both use the same bus interface (PCIe 4.0 x16), have no external power connectors, and have portable-device-dependent display outputs.