AMD Radeon RX 6800 vs NVIDIA TITAN RTX Comparison

The NVIDIA TITAN RTX and AMD Radeon RX 6800 are both end-of-life products that occupied very different positions in the GPU landscape, and their benchmark results reflect that split. The TITAN RTX, built on NVIDIA’s Turing architecture, posts a higher average benchmark score of 31,676 compared to the RX 6800’s 30,095, yet the AMD card wins 6 of the 10 direct head-to-head comparisons. This is not a simple story of one card being faster; it is a story of each card dominating in different software environments, with the NVIDIA card leading in modern DX12 and compute-heavy workloads while the AMD card sweeps legacy DirectX tests and general graphics workloads.

Where Each One Wins

The data splits cleanly along workload type. The NVIDIA TITAN RTX takes the modern and compute-oriented tests. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 3,794 against the RX 6800’s 3,188, a 19% lead. That gap widens dramatically in Geekbench OpenCL, where the TITAN RTX posts 144,858 versus 24,508 for the RX 6800 — a staggering 491.1% advantage. The TITAN RTX also wins Geekbench Vulkan with 136,073 against 115,107, an 18.2% margin, and Passmark DirectX 10 with 147 versus 128, a 14.8% lead. These four wins suggest the TITAN RTX is the stronger choice for GPU compute, Vulkan-based applications, and the newest DirectX 12 rendering paths.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 counters across the rest of the field. Its biggest wins come in Passmark DirectX 9, where it scores 257 versus 223 for the TITAN RTX, a 13.2% advantage. It also leads in Passmark DirectX 11 by 11.7% (214 vs 189), in Passmark G2D by 13.1% (990 vs 860), in Passmark G3D by 7.1% (22,067 vs 20,491), and in Passmark GPU Compute by 7.6% (10,864 vs 10,034). The DirectX 12 result is nearly a tie, with the RX 6800 edging ahead 89 to 88, a 1.1% margin. The pattern is clear: the RX 6800 dominates legacy DirectX APIs and general-purpose graphics benchmarks, while the TITAN RTX owns the future-facing APIs and raw compute throughput.

Architecture Differences

The two cards are built on fundamentally different architectures and manufacturing processes. The NVIDIA TITAN RTX uses the TU102 chip on a 12 nm TSMC process, packing 18,600 million transistors onto a 754 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 24.7 million per square millimeter. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 uses the Navi 21 chip on a 7 nm TSMC process, with 26,800 million transistors on a 520 mm² die, achieving a much higher density of 51.5 million per square millimeter. The smaller, denser AMD chip is also clocked higher: the RX 6800 has a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 2105 MHz, while the TITAN RTX runs at 1350 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost.

Memory configurations also differ significantly. The TITAN RTX offers 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The RX 6800 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 512.0 GB/s. The TITAN RTX’s extra memory capacity and bandwidth are notable, but the RX 6800 compensates with faster 16 Gbps effective memory speed versus 14 Gbps on the TITAN RTX. In terms of compute units, the TITAN RTX has 4,608 shading units, 288 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 72 RT cores, and 576 tensor cores. The RX 6800 has 3,840 shading units, 240 TMUs, 96 ROPs, and 60 RT cores, but no tensor cores. Despite fewer shading units, the RX 6800’s higher clocks yield a nearly identical FP32 throughput: 16.17 TFLOPS versus 16.31 TFLOPS for the TITAN RTX. The pixel rate favors the AMD card at 202.1 GPixel/s versus 169.9 GPixel/s, while the texture rate is close: 505.2 GTexel/s for AMD versus 509.8 GTexel/s for NVIDIA.

Both cards support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The TITAN RTX uses PCIe 3.0 x16, while the RX 6800 uses PCIe 4.0 x16. Physical dimensions are similar at 267 mm in length, though the RX 6800 is slightly taller (120 mm vs 116 mm) and thicker (40 mm vs 35 mm). Both are dual-slot cards requiring 2x 8-pin power connectors and a 600 W suggested PSU. The TITAN RTX’s TDP is 280 W, while the RX 6800 is rated at 250 W. Display outputs differ: the TITAN RTX offers 1x HDMI 2.0 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a plus USB Type-C, while the RX 6800 has 1x HDMI 2.1 and 2x DisplayPort 1.4a plus USB Type-C.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single margin in the comparison is the Geekbench OpenCL result, where the TITAN RTX scores 144,858 against 24,508 for the RX 6800. That 491.1% delta is unprecedented in this pairing and points to a fundamental difference in how each card handles OpenCL compute workloads. The TITAN RTX’s 576 tensor cores and 16.31 TFLOPS FP32 output appear to give it an overwhelming edge in this test, despite the RX 6800’s comparable FP32 rating. This is the test that dominates the average score calculation, pushing the TITAN RTX to 31,676 versus 30,095 for the RX 6800.

In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the TITAN RTX wins again with 3,794 versus 3,188, a 19% lead. This is a modern rendering workload that favors the TITAN RTX’s architecture. The Geekbench Vulkan result is also a TITAN RTX win, with 136,073 against 115,107, an 18.2% margin. These two tests, combined with the OpenCL blowout, give the TITAN RTX a convincing case for forward-looking applications.

The RX 6800’s wins are more numerous but generally smaller in magnitude. Its best result is in Passmark DirectX 9, where 257 beats 223 by 13.2%. The Passmark DirectX 11 test shows a 214 to 189 win for AMD, an 11.7% margin. In Passmark G2D, the RX 6800 posts 990 versus 860, a 13.1% lead. The Passmark G3D test, which measures overall graphics performance, goes to the RX 6800 with 22,067 against 20,491, a 7.1% advantage. The Passmark GPU Compute test also favors the AMD card, 10,864 to 10,034, a 7.6% margin. The Passmark DirectX 12 result is essentially a tie at 89 to 88 for the RX 6800, a 1.1% difference. The RX 6800’s consistent wins across these tests indicate better optimization for legacy and general-purpose workloads.

The Verdict

The benchmark data indicates two distinct buyer profiles. The NVIDIA TITAN RTX is the pick for anyone running Geekbench OpenCL workloads, where its 491.1% lead over the RX 6800 is decisive. It also holds clear advantages in modern DX12 rendering (19% in Steel Nomad) and Vulkan (18.2%). Its 24 GB memory capacity and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth provide additional headroom for large datasets, though the RX 6800’s 16 GB and 512.0 GB/s are still substantial. The TITAN RTX’s 76th percentile ranking among all GPUs, compared to 75th for the RX 6800, reflects its higher average score.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 is the better choice for legacy API support. It wins Passmark DirectX 9, DirectX 11, G2D, G3D, and GPU Compute tests, with margins ranging from 7.1% to 13.2%. Its higher pixel rate (202.1 GPixel/s vs 169.9 GPixel/s) and faster boost clock (2105 MHz vs 1770 MHz) contribute to these wins. The RX 6800 also matches the TITAN RTX nearly exactly in DirectX 12 (89 vs 88), so it is not a slouch in modern APIs either. Its 7 nm process node and higher transistor density (51.5M / mm²) make it a more efficient design, though the TITAN RTX’s larger die and older 12 nm node are not directly penalized in these benchmarks.

Final call: the TITAN RTX wins on compute and future-facing APIs, while the RX 6800 wins on legacy compatibility and general graphics. Neither card is a clean winner across the board, but the TITAN RTX’s massive OpenCL advantage and 19% Steel Nomad lead make it the stronger all-rounder for modern workloads, despite the RX 6800’s greater number of test wins.

FAQ

Q: Which card has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The NVIDIA TITAN RTX has an average benchmark score of 31,676, compared to 30,095 for the AMD Radeon RX 6800.

Q: How large is the TITAN RTX’s lead in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The TITAN RTX scores 144,858 versus 24,508 for the RX 6800, a 491.1% advantage.

Q: In which tests does the RX 6800 beat the TITAN RTX?

A: The RX 6800 wins Passmark DirectX 9 (257 vs 223), DirectX 11 (214 vs 189), DirectX 12 (89 vs 88), G2D (990 vs 860), G3D (22,067 vs 20,491), and GPU Compute (10,864 vs 10,034).

Q: What are the memory capacities of the two cards?

A: The TITAN RTX has 24 GB of GDDR6 on a 384-bit bus, while the RX 6800 has 16 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus.

Q: Do both cards support the same DirectX version?

A: Yes, both support DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), as well as OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4.

Q: Which card has a higher boost clock?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 has a boost clock of 2105 MHz, while the NVIDIA TITAN RTX boost clock is 1770 MHz.