AMD Radeon RX 7700 vs AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data is decisively lopsided. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT wins eight of the nine recorded benchmark comparisons, with the RX 7700 taking just a single, albeit spectacular, victory. The most significant gap appears in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where the RX 7900 XT scores 5623 against the RX 7700's 2865, a 49% deficit for the smaller card. This is the largest performance delta in the entire comparison and sets the tone for the rest of the results.

In the PassMark suite, the RX 7900 XT maintains a consistent lead across every API generation. DirectX 10 shows 158 versus 92, a 41.8% margin. DirectX 11 shows 340 versus 186, a 45.3% margin. DirectX 12 shows 110 versus 96, a narrower 12.7% gap. Even DirectX 9, the oldest API in the set, favors the RX 7900 XT at 322 versus 261, an 18.9% difference. The pattern is clear: the RX 7900 XT is faster in every legacy and current DirectX workload recorded.

The PassMark G3D score reinforces this dominance. The RX 7900 XT posts 29009, while the RX 7700 manages 20974, a 27.7% advantage for the larger card. Compute performance follows the same trajectory: the RX 7900 XT scores 16828 in PassMark GPU Compute, against 10963 for the RX 7700, a 34.9% lead. Even the 2D score, which is typically less dependent on raw shading power, favors the RX 7900 XT, though only by 2.1% (1232 versus 1206).

The single RX 7700 win is extraordinary in its magnitude. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 7700 scores 106028, while the RX 7900 XT scores only 12756. This is a 731.2% advantage for the RX 7700. The anomaly is so stark that it suggests a workload characteristic unique to the RX 7700's driver or hardware scheduling in that specific OpenCL test. No other benchmark in the recorded data comes close to this discrepancy, and it stands as the only counterpoint to the RX 7900 XT's otherwise total sweep.

The averaged benchmark scores tell a different story than the individual tests. The RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852, while the RX 7900 XT averages 13745. This inverted relationship is explained by the Geekbench outlier. If that single result is excluded, the RX 7700's remaining scores are all lower than the RX 7900 XT's. The average is skewed upward by the one dominant win, and the database's percentile rankings reflect a similar distortion. The RX 7700 sits at the 58th percentile against all GPUs, while the RX 7900 XT sits at the 55th percentile, despite the RX 7900 XT winning eight of nine direct comparisons.

Where Each One Wins

From a pure win-count perspective, the RX 7900 XT is the clear victor in rasterization, legacy API compatibility, and compute-heavy workloads. Its DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and DirectX 12 scores are all higher, making it the stronger choice for modern gaming and for older titles that rely on those APIs. The PassMark G3D result, a 27.7% margin, indicates that general 3D rendering tasks will feel noticeably faster on the RX 7900 XT. The compute score, 34.9% higher for the RX 7900 XT, suggests it handles general-purpose GPU workloads with more headroom.

The RX 7700's win is isolated to Geekbench OpenCL. This is a specific OpenCL compute benchmark, and the RX 7700's score of 106028 is not just a win, it is a blowout. For users whose primary workload is OpenCL-based compute, the recorded data shows the RX 7700 outperforming the RX 7900 XT by a factor of more than eight. That is a massive, workload-specific advantage that cannot be ignored. However, no other benchmark in the database corroborates this result, so it should be treated as an outlier rather than a general trend.

For gaming, the RX 7900 XT is the pick. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score, which is a modern DirectX 12 gaming benchmark, shows a 49% lead. The DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 PassMark scores, which reflect real-world game API performance, also favor the RX 7900 XT. The RX 7700's Geekbench win does not translate into any gaming advantage in the recorded data.

For compute tasks that use OpenCL, the RX 7700's win is so large that it may be the deciding factor for users who prioritize that specific API. But for everything else, the RX 7900 XT dominates.

Architecture Differences

Both cards share the same RDNA 3.0 architecture and are built on TSMC's 5 nm process node. The underlying design philosophy is identical, but the physical implementation differs substantially. The RX 7700 uses the Navi 32 chip with a die size of 346 mm² and 28,100 million transistors. The RX 7900 XT uses the Navi 31 chip with a die size of 529 mm² and 57,700 million transistors. The larger die packs more than double the transistors, and the transistor density is higher on the RX 7900 XT: 109.1M per mm² versus 81.2M per mm².

The compute configuration is where the RX 7900 XT asserts its dominance. It has 5376 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 192 render output units. The RX 7700 has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The RX 7900 XT has 84 ray tracing cores, while the RX 7700 has 40. In every compute-related metric, the RX 7900 XT has exactly double or more than double the resources of the RX 7700, with the shading units and TMUs being exactly double and the ROPs and RT cores being more than double.

The clock speeds are the one area where the RX 7700 fights back. The RX 7700 has a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz. The RX 7900 XT has a lower base clock of 1387 MHz and a boost clock of 2394 MHz, with a game clock of 2025 MHz. The RX 7700's higher clocks partially compensate for its smaller compute core count, but the raw throughput numbers still favor the RX 7900 XT. The RX 7900 XT delivers 51.48 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 103.0 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio), while the RX 7700 delivers 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 and 25.18 TFLOPS of FP16 (1:1 ratio). The FP16 difference is notable: the RX 7900 XT has a dedicated 2:1 FP16 path, while the RX 7700 runs FP16 at the same rate as FP32.

Memory is another major differentiator. The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus, delivering 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s. Both use the same GDDR6 type, but the RX 7900 XT has a wider bus and more memory. The effective memory clock is slightly higher on the RX 7900 XT at 20 Gbps versus 19.5 Gbps.

The pixel and texture rates scale with the compute resources. The RX 7900 XT produces 459.6 GPixel/s and 804.4 GTexel/s, while the RX 7700 produces 236.1 GPixel/s and 393.4 GTexel/s. The RX 7900 XT is roughly twice as fast in both metrics.

Power consumption is also higher on the RX 7900 XT, with a TDP of 300 W versus 200 W for the RX 7700. The suggested PSU is 700 W for the RX 7900 XT and 550 W for the RX 7700. Both cards use the same dual-slot form factor and 2x 8-pin power connectors. Display outputs are identical: 1x HDMI 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, and 1x USB Type-C. Both use PCIe 4.0 x16 and support the same APIs: DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The RX 7900 XT is longer at 276 mm versus 267 mm for the RX 7700, but it is shorter in height at 110 mm versus 135 mm. The widths are nearly identical at 51 mm and 50 mm, respectively.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT wins decisively with a score of 5623, which is 49% higher than the RX 7700's 2865.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the RX 7700 beats the RX 7900 XT?

A: Yes, in Geekbench OpenCL the RX 7700 scores 106028 versus 12756 for the RX 7900 XT, a 731.2% advantage. This is the only test in the database where the RX 7700 wins.

Q: How do the cards compare in DirectX 12 performance?

A: The RX 7900 XT leads in PassMark DirectX 12 with a score of 110, while the RX 7700 scores 96, a 12.7% difference. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test also shows a much larger 49% lead for the RX 7900 XT.

Q: What is the memory configuration difference?

A: The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 on a 320-bit bus with 800.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 7700 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus with 624.1 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which card has higher clock speeds?

A: The RX 7700 has a higher base clock (1900 MHz versus 1387 MHz) and a higher boost clock (2459 MHz versus 2394 MHz). However, the RX 7900 XT still delivers much higher overall throughput due to its larger core count.

Q: What is the FP16 compute difference?

A: The RX 7900 XT delivers 103.0 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio), while the RX 7700 delivers 25.18 TFLOPS of FP16 (1:1 ratio). The RX 7900 XT has a dedicated 2:1 FP16 path, making it four times faster in this specific compute mode.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT wins eight of the nine recorded comparisons, and its victories are not marginal. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 result shows a 49% lead, the DirectX 11 result shows a 45.3% lead, and the compute result shows a 34.9% lead. The RX 7900 XT is the faster card for gaming, for DirectX workloads, and for general compute.

The RX 7700's single Geekbench OpenCL win, while enormous in percentage terms (731.2%), is an isolated data point. No other benchmark corroborates it. Users who rely heavily on OpenCL compute may want to investigate further, but the weight of the evidence favors the RX 7900 XT.

The RX 7900 XT also offers more memory (20 GB versus 16 GB), higher bandwidth (800.0 GB/s versus 624.1 GB/s), and more than double the shading units, TMUs, ROPs, and ray tracing cores. Its lower clock speeds do not prevent it from outperforming the RX 7700 in almost every test.

The RX 7700 is a capable card, and its higher clocks and smaller die size make it more power-efficient, with a 200 W TDP versus 300 W. It also has a higher average benchmark score (15852 versus 13745) and a higher percentile ranking (58th versus 55th), but those figures are skewed by the Geekbench outlier.

For gaming, the RX 7900 XT is the clear choice. For any workload that uses DirectX, it is the clear choice. For OpenCL compute, the RX 7700 has a single, massive victory, but that is the only scenario where the data favors it. The RX 7900 XT is the stronger card overall.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 7700 | AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT |

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

| Chip | Navi 32 | Navi 31 |

| Codename | Wheat Nas | Plum Bonito |

| Transistors | 28,100 million | 57,700 million |

| Die Size | 346 mm² | 529 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 81.2M / mm² | 109.1M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1900 MHz | 1387 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2459 MHz | 2394 MHz |

| Game Clock | 2041 MHz | 2025 MHz |

| Memory Clock | 2438 MHz (19.5 Gbps effective) | 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 16 GB | 20 GB |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 320 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 624.1 GB/s | 800.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 5376 |

| TMUs | 160 | 336 |

| ROPs | 96 | 192 |

| RT Cores | 40 | 84 |

| Pixel Rate | 236.1 GPixel/s | 459.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 393.4 GTexel/s | 804.4 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 25.18 TFLOPS | 51.48 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 25.18 TFLOPS (1:1) | 103.0 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 200 W | 300 W |

| Suggested PSU | 550 W | 700 W |

| Length | 267 mm (10.5 inches) | 276 mm (10.9 inches) |

| Height | 135 mm (5.3 inches) | 110 mm (4.3 inches) |

| Width | 50 mm (2 inches) | 51 mm (2 inches) |

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

| Release Date | 2025-09-17 | 2022-11-02 |

| Launch MSRP | None | 899 USD |