AMD Radeon RX 6700 vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 5 GB and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 represent two distinct eras of graphics hardware. The data in the database shows a clear performance gulf between them, with the AMD card winning both recorded head-to-head tests by a wide margin. However, the comparison is not solely about raw speed; architectural differences and API support create a nuanced picture for different types of workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark results are decisively in favor of the AMD Radeon RX 6700. In the recorded head-to-head tests, the RX 6700 wins both. The most significant victory comes in the Geekbench OpenCL test, where the RX 6700 scores 97,841 against the GTX 1060 5 GB's 33,397. This represents a 65.9% lead for the AMD card, a massive gap in compute performance.

The second head-to-head test, Geekbench Vulkan, also goes to the RX 6700. Its score of 83,974 is 59.5% higher than the GTX 1060 5 GB's 33,991. This suggests the AMD architecture has a substantial advantage in modern graphics API workloads, likely due to its newer design and feature set.

Where the GTX 1060 5 GB does hold its own is in its percentile ranking. It sits at the 78th percentile of all GPUs, which is higher than the RX 6700's 75th percentile. This indicates that while the RX 6700 is faster in direct comparison, the GTX 1060 5 GB's average benchmark score of 33,694 is closer to the performance of other high-end cards from its generation. The RX 6700's average score of 30,433 is pulled down by its broader range of benchmark results, which include lower scores in some legacy tests.

The GTX 1060 5 GB's nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA RTX A5000, AMD Radeon RX 7700S, AMD Radeon HD 7950, and AMD Radeon RX 480, all within a 0.9% delta of its average score. For the RX 6700, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA CMP 70HX, NVIDIA Tesla M60, AMD Radeon RX 6800, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, with deltas ranging from -0.2% to 1.6%. This places the RX 6700 in a performance tier that is roughly comparable to the RTX 3070 Ti, while the GTX 1060 5 GB sits near the RX 480.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures. The GTX 1060 5 GB uses NVIDIA's Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It features 4,400 million transistors on a 200 mm² die. In contrast, the RX 6700 uses AMD's RDNA 2.0 architecture, also fabricated by TSMC but on a much more advanced 7 nm process. This allows AMD to pack 17,200 million transistors into a 335 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 51.3M per mm² compared to 22.0M per mm² for the NVIDIA chip.

The core configurations differ substantially. The GTX 1060 5 GB has 1,280 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 40 raster operations pipelines. The RX 6700 more than doubles the shading units to 2,304, increases TMUs to 144, and raises ROPs to 64. This gives the RX 6700 a theoretical pixel rate of 156.8 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 352.8 GTexel/s, compared to 68.36 GPixel/s and 136.7 GTexel/s for the GTX 1060 5 GB.

Memory architecture is another key divider. The GTX 1060 5 GB uses 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 160-bit bus, yielding 160.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6700 doubles the memory capacity to 10 GB, uses faster GDDR6, and while it keeps the same 160-bit bus width, it achieves 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth due to the higher effective memory clock of 16 Gbps versus 8 Gbps.

Clock speeds also favor the AMD card. The RX 6700 has a base clock of 1941 MHz and a boost clock of 2450 MHz, with a game clock of 2174 MHz. The GTX 1060 5 GB operates at a base of 1506 MHz and a boost of 1709 MHz. This, combined with the higher core count, results in the RX 6700 delivering 11.29 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the GTX 1060 5 GB delivers 4.375 TFLOPS.

The RX 6700 also introduces features absent from the older card, including 36 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2). The GTX 1060 5 GB is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, but the AMD card has a significant advantage in FP16 throughput, offering 22.58 TFLOPS (2:1) versus the GTX 1060 5 GB's 68.36 GFLOPS (1:64).

The Verdict

The data clearly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 6700 is the superior performer for modern workloads. Its 65.9% lead in OpenCL and 59.5% lead in Vulkan are decisive. Any user prioritizing compute performance, modern API support, or higher resolutions should choose the RX 6700 based on these results.

The GTX 1060 5 GB, while older, still holds a respectable position in the database's percentile ranking. Its 78th percentile placement is higher than the RX 6700's 75th, which suggests that for its generation, it was a well-optimized card. However, this does not translate to a win in direct comparison. The GTX 1060 5 GB's lower power draw of 120 W versus 175 W and its smaller physical footprint (250 mm length versus 267 mm) could make it a candidate for legacy system upgrades where power supply and case space are constraints.

For users with a 300 W power supply recommendation, the GTX 1060 5 GB fits. The RX 6700 requires a 450 W recommended power supply and a single 8-pin connector instead of a 6-pin. The newer card also supports PCIe 4.0 x16, while the GTX 1060 5 GB is limited to PCIe 3.0 x16. In summary, the RX 6700 is the clear choice for performance, while the GTX 1060 5 GB may serve specific niche use cases in older systems.

FAQ

Q: Which card has higher compute performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 is significantly ahead. It scores 97,841 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 33,397 for the GTX 1060 5 GB, a 65.9% advantage.

Q: How do the cards compare in Vulkan performance?

A: The RX 6700 wins again with a Geekbench Vulkan score of 83,974 compared to 33,991 for the GTX 1060 5 GB, giving it a 59.5% lead.

Q: What are the memory specifications for each card?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has 5 GB of GDDR5 on a 160-bit bus with 160.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6700 has 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does the RX 6700 support ray tracing?

A: Yes, the RX 6700 has 36 ray tracing cores. The GTX 1060 5 GB has no ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the difference in their DirectX support?

A: The RX 6700 supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 1060 5 GB supports DirectX 12 (12_1).

Q: Which card has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The GTX 1060 5 GB has a higher average benchmark score of 33,694 compared to the RX 6700's 30,433. However, this does not reflect head-to-head results, where the RX 6700 dominates.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records two direct head-to-head tests, both won by the AMD Radeon RX 6700.

In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 6700 scores 97,841 against the GTX 1060 5 GB's 33,397. The delta of -65.9% indicates the GTX 1060 5 GB is trailing by that percentage. This is an enormous gap, more than doubling the NVIDIA card's output. The RX 6700's FP32 compute of 11.29 TFLOPS versus 4.375 TFLOPS for the GTX 1060 5 GB explains this result.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 6700 scores 83,974 versus 33,991. The delta is -59.5%, again favoring the AMD card. This test highlights the architectural efficiency of RDNA 2.0 in handling modern graphics workloads. The RX 6700's higher texture rate of 352.8 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 156.8 GPixel/s contribute to this outcome.

There are no benchmark tests where the GTX 1060 5 GB wins. The wins tally is 0 for the NVIDIA card and 2 for the AMD card. The RX 6700 also has a broader benchmark suite in the database, including PassMark tests for DirectX 9, 10, 11, and 12, as well as Geekbench Metal, where it scores 122,223. The GTX 1060 5 GB only has Geekbench OpenCL and Vulkan scores recorded.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ across nearly every major specification category.

The process node is a key difference: 16 nm for the GTX 1060 5 GB versus 7 nm for the RX 6700. This leads to a transistor count of 4,400 million versus 17,200 million, and die sizes of 200 mm² versus 335 mm². The transistor density is 22.0M per mm² for the NVIDIA card and 51.3M per mm² for the AMD card.

Clock speeds favor the RX 6700. Its base clock is 1941 MHz, boost is 2450 MHz, and game clock is 2174 MHz. The GTX 1060 5 GB has a 1506 MHz base and 1709 MHz boost, with no game clock specified. Memory clock is also higher on the AMD card at 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) versus 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective) for the NVIDIA card.

Memory capacity and type differ: 5 GB GDDR5 versus 10 GB GDDR6. Both use a 160-bit bus, but bandwidth is 160.2 GB/s versus 320.0 GB/s. Core counts are higher on the RX 6700: 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, compared to 1280, 80, and 40 respectively.

The RX 6700 has 36 ray tracing cores, while the GTX 1060 5 GB has none. FP32 performance is 11.29 TFLOPS versus 4.375 TFLOPS. FP16 performance is 22.58 TFLOPS (2:1) versus 68.36 GFLOPS (1:64). Power draw is 175 W versus 120 W, with a recommended PSU of 450 W versus 300 W. The power connector is 1x 8-pin versus 1x 6-pin.

The bus interface is PCIe 4.0 x16 for the RX 6700 and PCIe 3.0 x16 for the GTX 1060 5 GB. Display outputs are similar, with both offering 3x DisplayPort 1.4a, but the RX 6700 has 1x HDMI 2.1 while the GTX 1060 5 GB has 1x HDMI 2.0 and adds 1x DVI. The RX 6700 is longer at 267 mm versus 250 mm, and has specified dimensions of 110 mm height and 40 mm width, while the GTX 1060 5 GB only lists length. DirectX support is 12 Ultimate (12_2) versus 12 (12_1), and the RX 6700 supports Vulkan 1.4, which also appears for the GTX 1060 5 GB.