Key takeaways
- 6 GB (RX 5600 XT): increasingly forces low or medium textures at 1080p in new games, and 1440p is often unplayable in VRAM-heavy titles.
- 10 GB (RX 6700): comfortable for high textures at 1080p and generally workable at 1440p, with occasional texture adjustments in the newest releases.
Moving from an RX 5600 XT to an RX 6700 is a worthwhile upgrade for anyone gaming at 1080p or 1440p in current titles: you gain roughly 35-45% more performance at 1080p, a bigger lead at 1440p, 10 GB instead of 6 GB of VRAM, and hardware ray tracing that some new games now require just to launch. It pays off least for players who stick to light esports titles at 1080p, where the RX 5600 XT is still adequate.
For context, both cards are older AMD generations. As of October 2026 the current Radeon lineup is the RX 9000 series (RX 9060 XT, 9070, 9070 XT, 9070 GRE), and NVIDIA’s is RTX 50. The RX 6700 is most often bought used or as remaining stock, so the upgrade question is really about value against both used and new alternatives.
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What Changes on Paper
| Spec | Radeon RX 5600 XT | Radeon RX 6700 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 1.0, 7 nm | RDNA 2.0, 7 nm |
| Release date | 21 January 2020 | 9 June 2021 (listed) |
| Launch MSRP | $279 | No standard reference MSRP listed |
| Stream processors | 2,304 | 2,304 |
| Boost clock | 1,560 MHz | 2,450 MHz |
| VRAM | 6 GB GDDR6, 192-bit | 10 GB GDDR6, 160-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 288.0 GB/s | 320.0 GB/s |
| Cache | 3 MB L2 | 3 MB L2 + 80 MB L3 Infinity Cache |
| TDP | 150 W | 175 W |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Power connector | 1x 8-pin | 1x 8-pin |
| Length / width | 267 mm, 2-slot | 267 mm, 2-slot |
| Outputs | 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort | 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 1x USB Type-C |
The shader count is identical, which makes this a clean look at what RDNA 2 adds: about 57% higher boost clocks, an 80 MB Infinity Cache that effectively multiplies usable bandwidth, ray accelerators and DirectX 12 Ultimate support. The RX 6700 never had a widely publicized reference launch; it reached the market mainly through partner boards such as Sapphire and PowerColor, and Tom’s Hardware’s look at the Sapphire card highlighted a $299 price at the time.
The Performance Jump
Where each card lands
Tom’s Hardware’s test of the Sapphire RX 6700 10GB placed it about 12% behind the RX 6700 XT at 1080p ultra, roughly 25% faster than the RTX 3060 and only a few percent slower than the RTX 3060 Ti. On the other side, TechSpot’s (Hardware Unboxed) revisit of AMD’s mainstream cards found that even the entry-level RX 6600 was about 11% faster than the RX 5600 XT at 1080p and about 21% faster at 1440p, with the 1440p gap driven largely by the 5600 XT running out of VRAM.
Putting the two together
No major outlet published a direct RX 5600 XT versus RX 6700 chart, but the RX 6700 sits clearly above the RX 6600 in the same reviews. Chaining these results suggests the RX 6700 is roughly 35-45% faster at 1080p and around 50% or more at 1440p. In games that exceed 6 GB of VRAM, the difference can be far larger: TechSpot saw the RX 6600 more than double the RX 5600 XT’s frame rate at 1440p in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, because the older card ran out of memory.
Approximate frame rates
In demanding modern games at 1080p high, the RX 5600 XT now often sits in the 35-60 FPS range, while the RX 6700 typically lands around 60-90 FPS. At 1440p, the RX 6700 generally holds a playable 45-70 FPS in heavy titles where the RX 5600 XT struggles. These ranges vary with settings, CPU, game patch and driver version.
Features You Gain
Ray tracing and DirectX 12 Ultimate
The RX 5600 XT has no ray tracing hardware and does not support DirectX 12 Ultimate. That used to mean only missing optional effects. Now a growing number of games require RT-capable hardware to run at all; titles such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Doom: The Dark Ages list ray tracing support as a minimum requirement. The RX 6700 meets that bar, even if its ray tracing performance is modest.
Upscaling and frame generation
Both cards can use FSR upscaling and FSR 3 frame generation in supported games, plus Intel XeSS. The RX 6700 additionally supports AMD Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF), the driver-level frame generation that works in many DirectX 11 and 12 games without per-game support; AFMF is limited to RX 6000 and newer. FSR 4, AMD’s machine-learning upscaler, is officially targeted at RX 9000 hardware, so neither card gets it.
Display and media
The RX 6700’s HDMI 2.1 output supports higher refresh rates at 4K on TVs and newer monitors, and RDNA 2 adds AV1 hardware decoding for streaming video. Some RX 6700 boards also include a USB Type-C display output.
VRAM: The Biggest Practical Change
- 6 GB (RX 5600 XT): increasingly forces low or medium textures at 1080p in new games, and 1440p is often unplayable in VRAM-heavy titles.
- 10 GB (RX 6700): comfortable for high textures at 1080p and generally workable at 1440p, with occasional texture adjustments in the newest releases.
Running out of VRAM causes stutter, missing textures and sudden frame drops rather than a gentle slowdown, so this 4 GB jump often feels larger than the average FPS gain suggests.
Power, PSU and Fit
The RX 6700’s listed TDP is 175 W versus 150 W for the RX 5600 XT, though partner boards vary; Sapphire’s spec sheet listed a higher 220 W board power for its model. A quick sizing check, using GPU power + CPU + about 150 W headroom with a 105 W CPU:
- RX 6700 at 175 W: 175 + 105 + 150 = 430 W.
- RX 6700 partner card at 220 W: 220 + 105 + 150 = 475 W.
A quality 550 W PSU covers both cases. If your RX 5600 XT runs on a decent 500 W unit, check its age and 12 V rating before upgrading. Both cards use a single 8-pin connector and share the same 267 mm reference length, so the swap usually needs no case or cable changes, though some partner RX 6700 cards are longer.
Is the Upgrade Worth the Money?
A practical way to judge it is net cost per performance gained. As a broad example, a used RX 5600 XT often resells for around $70-$110, while a used RX 6700 commonly goes for around $160-$220. That puts the net upgrade cost in a rough $60-$150 band for about 35-45% more performance at 1080p and more at 1440p.
Using the midpoints: about $105 net for a roughly 40% gain works out to around $2.60 per percentage point of extra performance. Compare that with jumping to a new current-generation card, such as an Arc B580 or a Radeon RX 9060 XT, which costs more but delivers a larger gain, a warranty and newer upscaling. If the net cost of a new card per percentage point is similar, the new card is the stronger long-term choice.
Who Benefits Most
| Your use case | Upgrade to RX 6700? |
|---|---|
| 1080p esports (CS2, Valorant, Fortnite performance mode) | Optional; RX 5600 XT still copes |
| 1080p new AAA games at high settings | Yes, clear improvement |
| 1440p monitor | Yes, the biggest payoff |
| Games that require ray tracing hardware | Yes, necessary to run them |
| Older PCIe 3.0 platform with a mid-range CPU | Yes, works fine at x16 |
| Want ray tracing as a visual feature | Consider a newer card instead |
Bottom Line
The RX 6700 is a meaningful step up from the RX 5600 XT, not a sidegrade: same shader count, but much higher clocks, Infinity Cache, 10 GB of VRAM and ray tracing support that some games now demand. It pays off most at 1440p and in new AAA releases. For esports-only players the RX 5600 XT is still usable, and buyers with a larger budget should weigh a current-generation card before settling on a used RX 6700.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much faster is the RX 6700 than the RX 5600 XT?
Based on chained review data from Tom’s Hardware and TechSpot, the RX 6700 is roughly 35-45% faster at 1080p and about 50% or more at 1440p. In games that exceed 6 GB of VRAM, the gap can be much larger. Exact results depend on the game and settings.
Can the RX 5600 XT run games that require ray tracing?
No. The RX 5600 XT lacks ray tracing hardware and DirectX 12 Ultimate support, so games that list RT-capable GPUs as a minimum requirement will not run properly on it. The RX 6700 supports hardware ray tracing and can launch those titles.
Do I need a new power supply for the RX 6700?
Usually not. Both cards use one 8-pin connector, and a quality 550 W unit covers the RX 6700 with a typical gaming CPU. Partner models with higher board power still fit within that budget.
Is the RX 6700 the same as the RX 6700 XT?
No. The RX 6700 has 10 GB of VRAM on a 160-bit bus and fewer active compute units, while the RX 6700 XT has 12 GB on a 192-bit bus. Tom’s Hardware measured the RX 6700 about 12% slower than the RX 6700 XT at 1080p ultra.
Should I buy an RX 6700 or a new budget card?
If the used RX 6700 is significantly cheaper, it is a solid 1080p and entry 1440p card. If the price gap to a new Arc B580 or Radeon RX 9060 XT is small, the new card brings a warranty, newer upscaling and better long-term driver support.
