AMD Radeon RX 6600M vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data paints a one-sided picture: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile wins all 10 recorded head-to-head tests, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M does not take a single victory. This is not a close contest across the board, but the margin varies significantly by workload type, which matters for real-world use.

The NVIDIA part dominates in raw compute and modern API workloads. Its largest win comes in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 2869 versus 1495 for the AMD, a 91.9% advantage. That is nearly double the performance in a DirectX 12 rasterization test, suggesting the 3080 Ti Mobile is the clear choice for current-generation game engines that lean heavily on modern graphics APIs.

Synthetic compute tests reinforce this. In Geekbench OpenCL, the NVIDIA scores 117866 against 67765, a 73.9% lead. The AMD does not even have a Geekbench Metal score in the head-to-head data, while the NVIDIA has no Metal result either; the only comparable cross-API results are OpenCL and Vulkan, both of which favor NVIDIA heavily.

For older DirectX versions, the NVIDIA still wins, but by smaller margins. In Passmark DirectX 9, the NVIDIA scores 201 versus 184, only 9.2% ahead. In DirectX 11, the gap is 20.6% (164 versus 136). This suggests legacy titles, which are often CPU-bound or less GPU-intensive, will show a smaller but still noticeable performance gap. The AMD part is not completely outclassed there, but it remains behind.

The 2D performance gap is also modest: Passmark G2D shows 818 versus 728, a 12.4% difference. This indicates that everyday desktop workloads, window compositing, and video playback are not where the big performance gulf appears. The AMD is closer in those lighter tasks.

The verdict from the wins column is straightforward: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is the higher-performing part in every measured category, with the largest advantages in next-generation DX12 and compute-heavy tasks, and the smallest in legacy DX9 and 2D operations.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile uses the GA103 chip built on Samsung's 8 nm process, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M uses the Navi 23 chip on TSMC's 7 nm node. The process difference is notable: 7 nm is a smaller node, which typically allows higher clock speeds at lower power, and the AMD data confirms this with a boost clock of 2416 MHz versus 1260 MHz for NVIDIA.

However, the NVIDIA chip is far larger. It packs 22,000 million transistors on a 496 mm² die, while the AMD has 11,060 million transistors on 237 mm². Transistor density is actually similar: 44.4M per mm² for NVIDIA and 46.7M per mm² for AMD, so the NVIDIA die is bigger because it contains roughly twice the transistor count. This translates into a massive difference in shading units: the NVIDIA has 7424 shading units, 232 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, while the AMD has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. NVIDIA also has 58 RT cores and 232 tensor cores; AMD has 28 ray accelerators (listed as RT cores) and no tensor core equivalent.

Memory configurations differ sharply as well. NVIDIA uses 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, yielding 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. AMD uses 8 GB on a 128-bit bus, giving 224.0 GB/s. That is less than half the bandwidth, which explains part of the NVIDIA's advantage in bandwidth-sensitive workloads.

Clock speeds tell the opposite story. AMD's base clock is 2068 MHz and boost is 2416 MHz, with a game clock of 2177 MHz. NVIDIA's base is 810 MHz with a 1260 MHz boost. Despite the lower clocks, NVIDIA achieves higher pixel rate? No, actually the AMD has a higher pixel rate at 154.6 GPixel/s versus 121.0 GPixel/s for NVIDIA. Texture rate is close: 270.6 GTexel/s for AMD versus 292.3 GTexel/s for NVIDIA. The NVIDIA still wins overall due to its massive shader count and memory bandwidth.

FP32 throughput is 18.71 TFLOPS for NVIDIA versus 8.659 TFLOPS for AMD, a 2.16x difference. Interestingly, AMD's FP16 is 17.32 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio), which nearly matches NVIDIA's FP16 of 18.71 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). This means in workloads that can use FP16, the AMD is not as far behind as FP32 numbers suggest, though it still trails.

Power targets are close: NVIDIA is rated at 115 W TDP, AMD at 100 W. Both are end-of-life products, with NVIDIA releasing on 2022-01-24 and AMD on 2021-05-30. NVIDIA uses PCIe 4.0 x16, while AMD uses PCIe 4.0 x8, which could matter for external GPU bandwidth in some scenarios.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest single win for the NVIDIA part is in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, where it scores 2869 versus 1495, a 91.9% delta. This is a modern DX12 workload that stresses geometry, ray tracing, and memory bandwidth, all areas where NVIDIA's larger die and 512 GB/s bandwidth shine.

Geekbench OpenCL shows a 73.9% lead for NVIDIA (117866 versus 67765). This is a general compute test that includes integer and floating-point operations, memory access, and cryptography. The NVIDIA's 18.71 TFLOPS FP32 and 232 tensor cores likely drive this large margin.

Passmark DirectX 12 shows a 69.2% gap (88 versus 52), which is smaller in absolute terms but still decisive. DirectX 12 is the modern API for gaming, and NVIDIA's lead here aligns with the 3DMark result, though the Passmark test is less demanding.

Vulkan performance has NVIDIA ahead by 45.8% (107502 versus 73740). Vulkan is another modern low-level API, and the NVIDIA maintains a strong but less extreme lead compared to DirectX 12.

Passmark G3D, a general 3D graphics test, shows 19288 versus 13929, a 38.5% advantage for NVIDIA. This is a broad measure of gaming performance and confirms the NVIDIA part is about 38% faster in typical 3D rendering tasks.

Passmark GPU Compute shows 8471 versus 5646, a 50% lead. Compute workloads like physics simulation, video encoding, and scientific calculations will see a clear NVIDIA advantage.

The legacy DirectX tests show the smallest gaps. DirectX 10 has NVIDIA at 131 versus 87, a 50.6% delta. DirectX 11 has 164 versus 136, a 20.6% delta. DirectX 9 has 201 versus 184, just 9.2%. These older APIs tend to be less parallel and more clock-dependent, which helps the AMD's high boost clock of 2416 MHz close some of the gap, though not enough to win.

Passmark G2D (2D graphics) has NVIDIA at 818 versus 728, a 12.4% delta. This is the least demanding test and shows the AMD part is respectable for desktop use.

Overall, the database records 10 wins for NVIDIA and 0 for AMD. The average benchmark score is 25740 for NVIDIA versus 23273 for AMD, a 10.6% difference in the aggregate, though the individual test deltas vary from 9.2% to 91.9%.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU is faster in DirectX 12 games?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is substantially faster. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 it scores 2869 versus 1495, a 91.9% advantage. In Passmark DirectX 12 it scores 88 versus 52, a 69.2% lead.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon RX 6600M compare in legacy DirectX 9 games?

A: The AMD is much closer in older titles. In Passmark DirectX 9, the NVIDIA scores 201 versus 184, only 9.2% ahead. The AMD's higher boost clock of 2416 MHz partially compensates for its lower shader count in these less parallel workloads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The NVIDIA has 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth from 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus. The AMD has 224.0 GB/s from 8 GB on a 128-bit bus. NVIDIA provides over twice the bandwidth, which contributes to its large lead in modern API tests.

Q: Which GPU has better compute performance for non-gaming tasks?

A: The NVIDIA is far ahead. Passmark GPU Compute scores 8471 versus 5646, a 50% difference. Geekbench OpenCL shows 117866 versus 67765, a 73.9% lead. The NVIDIA's 18.71 TFLOPS FP32 versus AMD's 8.659 TFLOPS explains this.

Q: Are both GPUs the same generation?

A: No. The AMD is from the Radeon RX 6000 series with RDNA 2.0 architecture, released 2021-05-30. The NVIDIA is from the GeForce 30-series with Ampere architecture, released 2022-01-24. Both are now end-of-life products.

Q: What about 2D performance and desktop use?

A: The difference is small. Passmark G2D scores 818 for NVIDIA versus 728 for AMD, a 12.4% delta. Both are portable device dependent for display outputs, so the actual experience will depend on the laptop implementation.

Specification Differences

| Field | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile | AMD Radeon RX 6600M |

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

| Chip | GA103 | Navi 23 |

| Architecture | Ampere | RDNA 2.0 |

| Process node | 8 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | Samsung | TSMC |

| Transistors | 22,000 million | 11,060 million |

| Die size | 496 mm² | 237 mm² |

| Base clock | 810 MHz | 2068 MHz |

| Boost clock | 1260 MHz | 2416 MHz |

| Memory size | 16 GB | 8 GB |

| Memory bus | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory bandwidth | 512.0 GB/s | 224.0 GB/s |

| Shading units | 7424 | 1792 |

| TMUs | 232 | 112 |

| ROPs | 96 | 64 |

| RT cores | 58 | 28 |

| Tensor cores | 232 | None |

| Pixel rate | 121.0 GPixel/s | 154.6 GPixel/s |

| Texture rate | 292.3 GTexel/s | 270.6 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 18.71 TFLOPS | 8.659 TFLOPS |

| FP16 | 18.71 TFLOPS (1:1) | 17.32 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 115 W | 100 W |

| Bus interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x8 |

| Release date | 2022-01-24 | 2021-05-30 |

The data shows the NVIDIA is a much larger chip with more of everything except clock speed and pixel rate. AMD compensates with a smaller, denser, higher-clocked design that achieves a better pixel rate, but the NVIDIA's raw resources dominate.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is the faster GPU in every recorded test. It wins all 10 head-to-head benchmarks with deltas ranging from 9.2% in DirectX 9 to 91.9% in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The average benchmark score is 25740 versus 23273, a 10.6% overall advantage.

Who should pick the NVIDIA? Anyone running modern DirectX 12 or Vulkan games, compute-heavy applications, or tasks that benefit from large memory bandwidth. The 91.9% lead in Steel Nomad and 73.9% in OpenCL make it the clear choice for future-proof gaming and professional workloads. The 16 GB memory and 512 GB/s bandwidth also provide headroom for high-resolution textures and data-intensive tasks.

Who should consider the AMD? Users whose workloads are primarily legacy DirectX 9 or 11 titles, where the gap shrinks to 9.2% and 20.6% respectively. The AMD also has a higher pixel rate (154.6 GPixel/s versus 121.0), which could matter for certain pixel-bound effects. Its lower TDP of 100 W versus 115 W might fit thinner laptops, though both are end-of-life products now.

The percentile data places NVIDIA at the 71st percentile of all GPUs and AMD at the 68th, so both are above average but not top-tier. The nearest rivals for NVIDIA are AMD Radeon Pro W5700 (0.1% faster), AMD FirePro D700 (0.4% slower), AMD Radeon RX 6700M (0.4% slower), and AMD FirePro W7100 (0.4% slower). For AMD, the closest competitors are AMD Radeon R9 M290X (equal), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 (0.1% faster), NVIDIA P106-100 (0.1% faster), and AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 (0.2% faster).

In short, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile is the definitive winner for modern, demanding workloads. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M is a capable, more efficient alternative that narrows the gap in older APIs but cannot match the NVIDIA's raw performance in any measured category. The database records 10 wins for NVIDIA and 0 for AMD, and the numbers support that verdict clearly.