AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Comparison

The Verdict

The data presents a clear but nuanced picture. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER wins 7 of the 10 recorded head-to-head benchmarks, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT takes 3. However, the margin of victory in the most modern DirectX 12 test belongs to AMD, which is a significant data point for future-looking workloads. The RTX 2070 SUPER is the overall average benchmark leader with an average score of 20282, while the RX 6600 XT averages 24442, though this figure is inflated by its strong showing in a single Geekbench Metal test where the RTX 2070 SUPER has no recorded score.

For gamers focused on raw performance per benchmark suite, the RTX 2070 SUPER is the safer pick based on the majority of wins. It leads in legacy DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and DirectX 12 tests, and it dominates in the Vulkan API with a 20.1% advantage. The RX 6600 XT is the better choice for users prioritizing the latest 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 workload, where it leads by 9.3%, and for those who value a more efficient, compact card. The RX 6600 XT also offers a superior 2D performance score, which may benefit desktop responsiveness.

The RTX 2070 SUPER sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, while the RX 6600 XT sits higher at the 70th percentile. This suggests that despite losing the majority of head-to-head tests, the AMD card ranks above its rival in the broader database distribution. The RTX 2070 SUPER's closest rivals in the database include the Intel Arc B570 and A750, with scores within 1.5% of its average, indicating a crowded mid-range field. The RX 6600 XT's nearest rivals, including the RTX 2080 SUPER at a 1.1% delta, show it competes in a higher performance tier.

Architecture Differences

The two cards represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using a 7 nm process at TSMC, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER uses the Turing architecture on a 12 nm process, also from TSMC. The process node difference is stark: 7 nm versus 12 nm, which contributes to the AMD card's smaller die size of 237 mm² compared to NVIDIA's 545 mm². Despite the smaller die, the RX 6600 XT packs 11,060 million transistors versus 13,600 million on the RTX 2070 SUPER, resulting in a transistor density of 46.7M per mm² for AMD versus 25.0M per mm² for NVIDIA.

Memory configurations differ in bus width and bandwidth. Both cards feature 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, but the RTX 2070 SUPER uses a 256-bit bus delivering 448.0 GB/s, while the RX 6600 XT uses a 128-bit bus delivering 256.0 GB/s. The AMD card compensates with higher clocks: a boost clock of 2589 MHz and a game clock of 2359 MHz, versus the RTX 2070 SUPER's boost of 1770 MHz and base of 1605 MHz. The RX 6600 XT also runs its memory at 16 Gbps effective versus 14 Gbps on the NVIDIA card.

Compute resources are distributed differently. The RTX 2070 SUPER has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, while the RX 6600 XT has 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. NVIDIA's card also includes 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, while AMD offers 32 RT cores and no tensor cores. In raw throughput, the RX 6600 XT leads in FP32 with 10.60 TFLOPS versus 9.062 TFLOPS for NVIDIA, and in texture rate at 331.4 GTexel/s versus 283.2 GTexel/s. The AMD card also has a higher pixel rate at 165.7 GPixel/s versus 113.3 GPixel/s.

Power and physical characteristics differ substantially. The RX 6600 XT has a TDP of 160 W with a single 8-pin connector and a suggested 450 W PSU, while the RTX 2070 SUPER has a TDP of 215 W with a 6-pin plus 8-pin configuration and a suggested 550 W PSU. The AMD card is significantly shorter at 190 mm versus 267 mm for NVIDIA, and slightly narrower at 110 mm versus 116 mm. Both are dual-slot cards. The RX 6600 XT uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RTX 2070 SUPER uses PCIe 3.0 x16. Display outputs are similar, but NVIDIA adds a USB Type-C port alongside its HDMI 2.0 and three DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, while AMD offers HDMI 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER comes in the Geekbench Vulkan test, where it scores 90637 against the RX 6600 XT's 72417, a 20.1% advantage. This is a substantial margin in a modern cross-platform graphics API. The RTX 2070 SUPER also wins in PassMark DirectX 10 with 132 versus 109, a 17.4% lead, and in PassMark DirectX 9 with 223 versus 194, a 13% edge. In the DirectX 12 PassMark test, NVIDIA leads 67 to 61, a 9% margin.

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT's most notable victory is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 1804 against 1651, a 9.3% advantage. This is the most modern test in the suite and may indicate better optimization for contemporary rendering paths. The RX 6600 XT also wins in PassMark DirectX 11 with 163 versus 151, a 7.9% lead, and in PassMark G2D with 912 versus 878, a 3.9% margin.

In compute workloads, the two cards are nearly identical. The PassMark GPU Compute test shows the RTX 2070 SUPER at 7557 versus 7520 for the RX 6600 XT, a razor-thin 0.5% difference. The Geekbench OpenCL test also favors NVIDIA, with 83358 versus 80503, a 3.4% margin. The PassMark G3D test, which represents overall 3D performance, goes to NVIDIA with 18169 versus 16461, a 9.4% lead.

The Geekbench Metal benchmark is exclusive to the RX 6600 XT in this comparison, with a score of 88720. The RTX 2070 SUPER has no recorded Metal result, which means Apple ecosystem users would only have the AMD option to consider.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher overall average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT has an average benchmark score of 24442, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER averages 20282. However, this metric is affected by the RX 6600 XT's Geekbench Metal score, which has no NVIDIA counterpart.

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

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the RX 6600 XT leads with 1804 versus 1651, a 9.3% advantage. But in the PassMark DirectX 12 test, the RTX 2070 SUPER wins with 67 versus 61, a 9% margin.

Q: Which card is more power-efficient?

A: The RX 6600 XT has a TDP of 160 W and requires a 450 W PSU, while the RTX 2070 SUPER has a TDP of 215 W and needs a 550 W PSU. The AMD card achieves higher FP32 throughput at lower power.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER delivers 448.0 GB/s over a 256-bit bus, while the RX 6600 XT provides 256.0 GB/s over a 128-bit bus. The NVIDIA card has 75% more bandwidth.

Q: Do both cards support the same modern APIs?

A: Yes, both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The RX 6600 XT uses the RDNA 2.0 architecture, while the RTX 2070 SUPER uses Turing.

Q: Which card ranks higher among all GPUs in the database?

A: The RX 6600 XT is at the 70th percentile, while the RTX 2070 SUPER is at the 65th percentile. This indicates the AMD card sits in a higher performance tier overall.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the clear winner for users who prioritize legacy API performance. It leads in DirectX 9 by 13%, DirectX 10 by 17.4%, and DirectX 12 (PassMark) by 9%. Its Vulkan advantage is overwhelming at 20.1%, making it the preferred choice for Vulkan-based games and applications. The RTX 2070 SUPER also wins in the PassMark G3D overall 3D score by 9.4%, suggesting better general 3D rendering capability. For compute workloads, it edges out the AMD card in OpenCL by 3.4% and in GPU Compute by 0.5%, though the latter is essentially a tie.

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT wins in the most forward-looking test, 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, with a 9.3% advantage. This may indicate better architectural efficiency for modern rendering pipelines. It also wins in DirectX 11 by 7.9%, which remains a widely used API. The G2D victory with 912 versus 878 suggests better 2D desktop performance. The RX 6600 XT is also the only card with a Geekbench Metal score, making it the sole choice for Apple-centric workflows.

Physically, the RX 6600 XT is the more compact and efficient option. At 190 mm in length and 160 W TDP, it fits in smaller cases with less power overhead. The RTX 2070 SUPER at 267 mm and 215 W requires more space and a stronger PSU. For users building a small form factor system or upgrading an older PC with a 450 W PSU, the AMD card is the pragmatic choice. The RTX 2070 SUPER's additional tensor cores and USB Type-C output may appeal to users with specific compute or connectivity needs, but the benchmark data does not show a clear advantage in those areas.