AMD Radeon RX 6600S vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Comparison

AMD Radeon RX 6600S vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560

The AMD Radeon RX 6600S and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 represent two very different eras of GPU design, separated by roughly a decade of architectural evolution. The recorded data shows a single direct head-to-head comparison, with the modern AMD part dominating that test by a massive margin. However, the broader benchmark database reveals a more nuanced picture when considering average scores and percentile rankings, as the RX 6600S sits at the 49th percentile of all GPUs while the GTX 560 rests at the 45th percentile. This analysis will break down the measured performance, architectural differences, and the specific use cases where each card retains a distinct advantage.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison between the two cards in the database is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is decisively one-sided. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S scored 66,435 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 managed 9,058 points. This gives the RX 6600S a 633.4% advantage over the GTX 560, a performance gap that is almost entirely explained by the generational and architectural chasm between the two products. The RX 6600S is not merely faster; it is in a completely different performance class in this compute-oriented workload.

When examining the average benchmark scores across all recorded tests, the picture shifts slightly but still favors the AMD card. The RX 6600S has an average benchmark score of 10,629, while the GTX 560 has an average of 9,058. This represents a difference of roughly 17% in favor of the RX 6600S, a much smaller margin than the OpenCL test suggests. The discrepancy between the OpenCL result and the average score indicates that the GTX 560 performs relatively better in other workloads, or that the RX 6600S has some tests where its performance is less dominant. The database shows the RX 6600S winning the only head-to-head benchmark, but the average scores narrow the overall gap considerably.

Looking at the nearest rivals for each card provides additional context for their respective performance tiers. The RX 6600S is surrounded by a cluster of cards with average scores ranging from 10,481 to 10,761. It sits 0.4% above the AMD Radeon R9 M275X, 1.4% above the AMD Radeon RX 550X, and 0.6% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti, while also trailing the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 by 1.2%. The GTX 560, by contrast, is grouped with a different set of rivals, including the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition (0.2% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 (0.4% higher), the AMD Radeon 550X (1.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon 890M (1.7% lower). These groupings show that the RX 6600S competes in a mid-range tier, while the GTX 560, despite its age, still finds itself in a comparable overall performance neighborhood.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 6600S wins the sole direct benchmark, the Geekbench OpenCL test, by a colossal 633.4%. This result indicates that the AMD card is overwhelmingly superior in compute-heavy and API-agnostic workloads that stress raw processing throughput. The RX 6600S also shows strength in the database's other metrics, with a Passmark G3D score of 12,649 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 4,879, both of which contribute to its higher average benchmark score of 10,629. Its percentile ranking of 49 places it just below the median of all GPUs in the database, but still well above the GTX 560's 45th percentile.

The GTX 560, despite losing the head-to-head OpenCL test, demonstrates that its average score of 9,058 is competitive with a much newer set of cards. The database shows it within 1.7% of the AMD Radeon 890M and within 0.4% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, which suggests that in certain legacy or driver-optimized workloads, the older Fermi architecture can still hold its own. The GTX 560 has a Passmark G2D score that is not directly compared here, but its overall average score indicates that it is not completely obsolete in every scenario. The RX 6600S wins on raw compute and modern API support, while the GTX 560's relevance is limited to a narrow band of legacy performance where its average score keeps it within striking distance of newer entry-level parts.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two GPUs is stark and explains nearly all observed performance differences. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S uses the Navi 23 chip built on RDNA 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. It packs 11,060 million transistors into a 237 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 46.7 million per square millimeter. The GTX 560, in contrast, uses the GF114 chip based on the much older Fermi 2.0 architecture, built on a 40 nm process, also at TSMC. It contains only 1,950 million transistors on a larger 332 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of just 5.9 million per square millimeter. The RX 6600S has over five times the transistor density, which directly translates into its massive compute advantage.

Memory configurations also differ substantially. The RX 6600S features 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 560 has only 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 128.0 GB/s of bandwidth. While the GTX 560 has a wider bus, the RX 6600S still achieves 75% more bandwidth due to the higher-speed GDDR6 memory. The RX 6600S has 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, along with 28 ray tracing cores. The GTX 560 has 336 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with no ray tracing support whatsoever. These core counts explain the RX 6600S's pixel rate of 128.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.0 GTexel/s, compared to the GTX 560's 11.34 GPixel/s and 45.36 GTexel/s.

The compute output is equally lopsided. The RX 6600S delivers 7.168 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 14.34 TFLOPS of FP16 performance at a 2:1 ratio. The GTX 560 manages only 1,088.6 GFLOPS of FP32 and has no recorded FP16 capability. The RX 6600S also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, while the GTX 560 is limited to DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, with no Vulkan support listed. Power and interface differences are notable as well: the RX 6600S has an 80 W TDP, is an integrated form factor (IGP) with no power connectors, and uses PCIe 4.0 x8. The GTX 560 has a 150 W TDP, is a dual-slot card requiring two 6-pin power connectors and a 450 W power supply, and uses PCIe 2.0 x16. The RX 6600S was released in 2022 as part of the Radeon RX 6000 series, while the GTX 560 launched in 2011 in the GeForce 500 generation, with the GeForce 600 as its successor.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600S has an average benchmark score of 10,629, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 has an average of 9,058, a difference of about 17% in favor of the AMD card.

Q: How large is the margin in the only head-to-head benchmark?

A: In the Geekbench OpenCL test, the RX 6600S scored 66,435 against the GTX 560's 9,058, giving the AMD card a 633.4% advantage.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two cards?

A: The RX 6600S provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, while the GTX 560 provides 128.0 GB/s from 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Does the GTX 560 support ray tracing?

A: No, the GTX 560 has no ray tracing cores, whereas the RX 6600S includes 28 ray tracing cores.

Q: What are the power requirements for each card?

A: The RX 6600S has an 80 W TDP and requires no power connectors, while the GTX 560 has a 150 W TDP and needs two 6-pin power connectors with a 450 W power supply.

Q: How do the two cards rank among all GPUs in the database?

A: The RX 6600S is at the 49th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 560 is at the 45th percentile.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for anyone needing modern compute performance: the AMD Radeon RX 6600S is the superior card in nearly every measurable way. Its 633.4% lead in the Geekbench OpenCL test, its higher average score of 10,629, its 7.168 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, and its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 make it the obvious pick for current workloads, particularly those involving ray tracing, high-bandwidth memory, or compute-intensive tasks. The RX 6600S also achieves this with a much lower 80 W TDP and no external power connectors, making it far more efficient and easier to integrate into a portable system.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560, however, is not without its place in the database. Its average score of 9,058 places it within 1.7% of the AMD Radeon 890M and within 0.4% of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660, showing that for legacy applications or older DirectX 11-era games, it can still deliver usable performance. Its 256-bit memory bus and 128.0 GB/s bandwidth are modest by modern standards, but its 336 shading units and 56 TMUs remain functional for basic tasks. The GTX 560 launched with a 199 USD MSRP, and its end-of-life status means it is a historical product rather than a current recommendation.

For a user building or upgrading a system today, the RX 6600S is the rational choice based on benchmark results alone. For a user maintaining a vintage system or testing legacy software, the GTX 560's average scores show it remains a relevant data point in the database, but it cannot compete with the RX 6600S in any direct comparison. The verdict is straightforward: the RX 6600S wins on performance, efficiency, and feature support, while the GTX 560 remains a footnote in performance history with its 45th percentile ranking.