AMD Radeon RX 6600S vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M Comparison

The Verdict

The data separates these two mobile GPUs by a generation gap that is impossible to ignore. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S is the clear choice for any modern workload, holding a benchmark advantage that is nothing short of dominant. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M, while a capable product in its era, is outclassed in every measurable way presented here.

If you are choosing between these two for a laptop, the RX 6600S is the only rational pick. It offers massively higher compute performance, a more advanced feature set, and lower power consumption. The GTX 870M is an end-of-life part from a previous generation that simply cannot keep pace. The data shows the RX 6600S sits at the 49th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 870M sits at the 48th percentile. Despite being neck-and-neck in percentile ranking, the average benchmark score tells a different story: the RX 6600S averages 10,629 points versus 9,959 for the GTX 870M. This is a straightforward recommendation: the RX 6600S is the superior part for anyone who values performance, efficiency, and modern API support.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide here is stark. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture, using the Navi 23 chip fabricated on a 7 nm process at TSMC. This is a modern design with 11,060 million transistors packed into a 237 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 46.7 million per square millimeter. It features 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, 64 render output units, and 28 dedicated ray tracing cores. The RX 6600S supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M is an older design based on the Kepler architecture, using the GK104 chip on a 28 nm process, also from TSMC. It houses 3,540 million transistors on a larger 294 mm² die, resulting in a much lower transistor density of 12.0 million per square millimeter. It has 1,344 shading units, 112 TMUs, and only 24 ROPs. It lacks any ray tracing cores and supports only DirectX 12 (11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The RX 6600S also uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface, while the GTX 870M relies on the older MXM-B (3.0) bus. The RX 6600S is an integrated graphics package (IGP), whereas the GTX 870M is an MXM module.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available in the data is the Geekbench OpenCL test, and the result is lopsided. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S scores 66,435 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M scores 12,630 points. This yields a delta of 426% in favor of the RX 6600S. That is not a marginal improvement; that is a generational leap. In raw compute throughput, the RX 6600S delivers 7.168 TFLOPS of FP32 performance versus 2.599 TFLOPS for the GTX 870M. The RX 6600S also offers 14.34 TFLOPS of FP16 performance, a feature the GTX 870M lacks entirely.

The RX 6600S also has a decisive win in memory bandwidth. It uses 4 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, achieving 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GTX 870M uses 3 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 192-bit bus, which provides only 120.0 GB/s. The RX 6600S has a pixel rate of 128.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 224.0 GTexel/s, both far exceeding the GTX 870M's 27.08 GPixel/s and 108.3 GTexel/s. The RX 6600S also runs cooler from a specification standpoint, with a TDP of 80 W compared to 100 W for the GTX 870M.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600S has an average benchmark score of 10,629 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M averages 9,959 points. This puts the RX 6600S ahead by roughly 6.7% on average.

Q: How large is the performance gap in the Geekbench OpenCL test?

A: The RX 6600S scores 66,435 points in Geekbench OpenCL, which is 426% higher than the GTX 870M's score of 12,630 points. The RX 6600S wins this benchmark outright.

Q: Which GPU supports ray tracing?

A: Only the AMD Radeon RX 6600S has dedicated ray tracing cores, with 28 of them included in its design. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M has no ray tracing cores at all.

Q: What are the DirectX version differences?

A: The RX 6600S supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 870M supports only DirectX 12 (11_0). This means the RX 6600S is compatible with the latest graphics features and APIs.

Q: How do the memory systems compare?

A: The RX 6600S uses 4 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 224.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the GTX 870M uses 3 GB of GDDR5 memory with a 120.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6600S provides nearly double the memory bandwidth.

Q: Which GPU has a lower power draw?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600S has a TDP of 80 W, which is 20 W lower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M's 100 W TDP. The RX 6600S achieves this higher performance while consuming less power.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Radeon RX 6600S wins in every category where data exists. It is the undisputed leader in compute performance, as shown by the 426% lead in Geekbench OpenCL. For any application that leverages general-purpose GPU compute—such as video encoding, rendering, or data processing—the RX 6600S is the clear winner. Its 7.168 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 14.34 TFLOPS of FP16 performance make it suitable for modern creative workloads. The inclusion of 28 ray tracing cores means it can handle DirectX 12 Ultimate games that require hardware-accelerated ray tracing, something the GTX 870M cannot do at all.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M has no benchmark wins in this comparison. Its only advantage is historical: it is a product of its time, using the Kepler architecture on a 28 nm process. It has a higher TDP at 100 W, but that does not translate into better performance. For users who are limited to legacy software that only runs on older drivers or specific OpenGL versions, the GTX 870M might still function, but it offers no performance benefit. In every scenario that involves modern games, compute workloads, or high-bandwidth memory access, the RX 6600S is the superior choice.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 6600S | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M |

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

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | Kepler |

| Chip | Navi 23 | GK104 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 11,060 million | 3,540 million |

| Die Size | 237 mm² | 294 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 46.7M / mm² | 12.0M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1700 MHz | 941 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2000 MHz | 967 MHz |

| Game Clock | 1881 MHz | N/A |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 3 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bus Width | 128 bit | 192 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 120.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 1344 |

| TMUs | 112 | 112 |

| ROPs | 64 | 24 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | N/A |

| Pixel Rate | 128.0 GPixel/s | 27.08 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 224.0 GTexel/s | 108.3 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 7.168 TFLOPS | 2.599 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 14.34 TFLOPS (2:1) | N/A |

| TDP | 80 W | 100 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | MXM Module |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | MXM-B (3.0) |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (11_0) |

| Vulkan Support | 1.4 | 1.2.175 |

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2014-03-11 |

| Predecessor | Polaris Mobile | GeForce 700M |

| Successor | N/A | GeForce 900M |

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

The specification table confirms the architectural gap. The RX 6600S has higher clocks, more shading units, more ROPs, faster memory, and double the FP32 compute throughput. It is also smaller, denser, and more power-efficient. The GTX 870M's only hardware advantages are a wider memory bus and a larger die, but neither translates into real-world wins. The conclusion is inescapable: the RX 6600S is the modern, capable part, and the GTX 870M is a relic best left in the past.