AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT vs NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile Comparison

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT are virtually inseparable in aggregate performance, with average benchmark scores of 27,435 and 27,425 respectively. The NVIDIA part edges ahead by a negligible 0.04%, placing both at the 73rd and 72nd percentiles of all GPUs. The data shows a classic modern-vs-previous-generation clash: the RTX 4070 Mobile leverages its newer architecture for decisive wins in compute-heavy and Vulkan workloads, while the RX 6700 XT counters with superior rasterization and 2D performance. There is no clear overall winner; the choice hinges entirely on workload priorities, with the RTX 4070 Mobile dominating OpenCL and the RX 6700 XT leading in DirectX 9, 2D, and compute tests.

The Verdict

Pick the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile if your primary workloads involve compute acceleration or Vulkan-based rendering. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 109,197 is a massive 147.3% higher than the RX 6700 XT’s 44,152, making it the clear choice for GPU-accelerated productivity tasks. It also wins in DirectX 11 (179 vs 173, a 3.5% lead) and DirectX 12 (85 vs 77, a 10.4% lead), giving it a slight edge in modern game APIs. However, these DirectX wins are modest single-digit percentage margins, not transformative leads.

Pick the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT if you prioritize raw rasterization throughput, 2D desktop responsiveness, or legacy API compatibility. It wins five of the nine head-to-head benchmarks, including Passmark G3D (19,786 vs 19,587, a 1% lead) and Passmark GPU Compute (9,336 vs 8,399, a 10% lead). Its 12 GB memory buffer and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth dwarf the RTX 4070 Mobile’s 8 GB and 256.0 GB/s, which matters for texture-heavy workloads. The RX 6700 XT also leads in DirectX 9 (242 vs 223, a 7.9% advantage) and DirectX 10 (124 vs 116, a 6.5% advantage), making it the better option for older titles.

Neither card is a universal winner. The RTX 4070 Mobile is a specialist for compute and Vulkan, while the RX 6700 XT is the more balanced performer for general gaming. If you must choose one for a mixed workload, the RX 6700 XT’s broader set of wins (5 vs 4) makes it the safer default, but the RTX 4070 Mobile’s OpenCL dominance is a decisive factor for any compute-centric user.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs represent fundamentally different design philosophies and manufacturing generations. The RTX 4070 Mobile uses the AD106 chip on NVIDIA’s Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It packs 22,900 million transistors into a compact 188 mm² die, achieving a transistor density of 121.8M / mm². In contrast, the RX 6700 XT uses the Navi 22 chip with AMD’s RDNA 2.0 architecture, fabricated on a 7 nm process. It has fewer transistors (17,200 million) but a much larger die (335 mm²), resulting in a density of only 51.3M / mm². The RTX 4070 Mobile’s process advantage is stark: it crams 33% more transistors into a 44% smaller die.

Core configurations differ dramatically. The RTX 4070 Mobile has 4,608 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, whereas the RX 6700 XT has 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The NVIDIA part has 80% more shaders, but the AMD part has 11% more TMUs and 33% more ROPs. This explains the performance split: more shaders benefit compute, while more ROPs and TMUs help fill-rate-bound tasks. The RTX 4070 Mobile also includes 36 RT cores and 144 tensor cores, while the RX 6700 XT has 40 RT cores and no tensor cores. Clock speeds favor AMD: the RX 6700 XT boosts to 2,581 MHz versus 1,695 MHz for the RTX 4070 Mobile, but the NVIDIA architecture compensates with higher instruction-level parallelism.

Memory subsystems are a major differentiator. The RX 6700 XT offers 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 384.0 GB/s bandwidth. The RTX 4070 Mobile has only 8 GB on a 128-bit bus, yielding 256.0 GB/s. This is a 50% bandwidth deficit for NVIDIA. Power and form factor also diverge: the RTX 4070 Mobile is an IGP with 115 W TDP and no power connectors, while the RX 6700 XT is a dual-slot card drawing 230 W with 1x 6-pin + 1x 8-pin connectors and a 550 W suggested PSU. The RTX 4070 Mobile uses PCIe 4.0 x8, while the RX 6700 XT uses x16. Both support DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Where Each One Wins

The RTX 4070 Mobile dominates in compute-heavy and Vulkan-accelerated scenarios. Its Geekbench OpenCL score of 109,197 versus 44,152 is the single largest margin in the entire comparison, a 147.3% advantage. This suggests the Ada Lovelace architecture’s tensor cores and higher shader count translate directly into compute throughput. It also wins in Vulkan (108,367 vs 93,500, a 15.9% lead), which is increasingly relevant for modern cross-platform engines. In DirectX 12, it holds a 10.4% lead (85 vs 77), and in DirectX 11 it wins by 3.5% (179 vs 173). These API-level wins make it the better choice for games using Vulkan or the latest DirectX 12 feature sets.

The RX 6700 XT wins in legacy APIs and 2D tasks. Its Passmark G2D score of 951 vs 763 is the second-largest margin in the comparison, a 19.8% advantage. This indicates faster desktop compositing and 2D rendering. It also leads in DirectX 9 (242 vs 223, a 7.9% win) and DirectX 10 (124 vs 116, a 6.5% win), making it the stronger card for older titles. The RX 6700 XT wins the overall Passmark G3D benchmark (19,786 vs 19,587, a 1% lead) and Passmark GPU Compute (9,336 vs 8,399, a 10% win). Its higher pixel rate (165.2 GPixel/s vs 81.36 GPixel/s) and texture rate (413.0 GTexel/s vs 244.1 GTexel/s) back up these rasterization wins.

The split is clean: NVIDIA wins compute and modern APIs; AMD wins rasterization, legacy APIs, and 2D. The RX 6700 XT’s 12 GB memory also gives it a capacity advantage that is not reflected in these synthetic scores but could matter in real-world texture-heavy workloads. The RTX 4070 Mobile’s wins are more lopsided (one massive, one large, two small), while the RX 6700 XT’s wins are more consistent across a broader range of tests.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile scores 27,435, which is 10 points higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT’s 27,425. This represents a 0% delta, meaning they are statistically tied.

Q: Why does the RTX 4070 Mobile win Geekbench OpenCL by such a large margin?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile scores 109,197 in Geekbench OpenCL versus 44,152 for the RX 6700 XT, a 147.3% advantage. This likely stems from its 4,608 shading units and 144 tensor cores, which are absent in the RX 6700 XT’s RDNA 2.0 design.

Q: Which card is better for older DirectX 9 games?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT wins Passmark DirectX 9 with a score of 242 versus 223 for the RTX 4070 Mobile, a 7.9% advantage. Its higher clock speeds (2,581 MHz boost) and 64 ROPs help in this legacy API.

Q: Does the RX 6700 XT have a memory advantage?

A: Yes. The RX 6700 XT has 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus with 384.0 GB/s bandwidth, while the RTX 4070 Mobile has 8 GB on a 128-bit bus with 256.0 GB/s. That is a 50% bandwidth difference and 50% more capacity.

Q: Which GPU wins in modern DirectX 12 workloads?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile wins Passmark DirectX 12 with a score of 85 versus 77 for the RX 6700 XT, a 10.4% lead. It also wins DirectX 11 by 3.5%, so NVIDIA holds the edge in current-generation APIs.

Q: How do their overall percentile rankings compare?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile sits at the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, while the RX 6700 XT is at the 72nd. Both are near the RTX 3090 in average score (27,565), with the RTX 3090 being 0.5% ahead of both.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The single most striking result is in Geekbench OpenCL, where the RTX 4070 Mobile scores 109,197 against the RX 6700 XT’s 44,152. That 147.3% delta is the largest of any test, and it completely reshapes the aggregate picture. No other benchmark in this comparison comes close to that margin; it is a generational leap in compute throughput. The RTX 4070 Mobile’s second win in Geekbench Vulkan is substantial but less dramatic: 108,367 vs 93,500, a 15.9% advantage. Together, these two wins account for the NVIDIA part’s entire aggregate lead, and they signal that Ada Lovelace’s compute and async compute capabilities are far ahead.

In Passmark DirectX 12, the RTX 4070 Mobile wins 85 to 77, a 10.4% margin. This is a meaningful lead for modern games, though the absolute scores are low. The Passmark DirectX 11 result is closer: 179 vs 173, a 3.5% win for NVIDIA. These API wins are consistent with the architecture’s focus on newer features, but they are not the dominant factor in the head-to-head. The RTX 4070 Mobile’s fourth and final win is in Passmark DirectX 11, which is the narrowest of its victories.

The RX 6700 XT’s wins are more numerous but generally smaller. Its largest victory is in Passmark G2D, where it scores 951 versus 763, a 19.8% advantage. This is a clear win for desktop usability and 2D rendering. In Passmark GPU Compute, the RX 6700 XT wins 9,336 to 8,399, a 10% margin, which partially offsets its massive OpenCL deficit. The Passmark DirectX 9 result favors AMD at 242 vs 223, a 7.9% win, and Passmark DirectX 10 goes to AMD at 124 vs 116, a 6.5% edge. The closest contest is Passmark G3D, where the RX 6700 XT wins 19,786 to 19,587, a mere 1% difference. That G3D result is the most important gaming metric, and AMD takes it by the thinnest of margins.

The wins break down as 4 for NVIDIA and 5 for AMD. NVIDIA’s victories are top-heavy: one colossal win, one large win, and two small wins. AMD’s victories are evenly distributed, with three moderate wins (G2D, Compute, DX9) and two narrow wins (DX10, G3D). The aggregate scores are nearly identical because NVIDIA’s OpenCL dominance is offset by AMD’s consistent wins across the Passmark suite. The data suggests that for any single benchmark, the winner is predictable, but for overall performance, the two cards are essentially interchangeable. The RTX 4070 Mobile is the compute specialist; the RX 6700 XT is the generalist.