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RX 7700 XT Vs RX 6650 XT: What’s The Performance Difference?

We will measure the difference in architecture, gaming performance, power consumption, and temperatures between the RX 6650 XT and the RX 7700 XT in this comparison.

The last generation of graphics cards from AMD had a few updates within the same generation, the most notable of which was the xx50 XT cards. These cards brought significantly more performance than their vanilla counterparts. This comparison will evaluate the performance of the RX 7700 XT vs RX 6650 XT to help you make the best purchasing decision,

Key Takeaways

  • In our gaming tests, the RX 6650 XT ran around 18% slower than the RX 7700 XT at 1440p.
  • The RX 6650 XT drew significantly less power than the RX 7700 XT at around 163 watts instead of the 210 watts that the latter consumed.
  • There is a $200 price gap between the RX 6650 XT and the RX 7700 XT.

RX 7700 XT Vs RX 6650 XT

Comparison Table

Technical Specs Radeon RX 6650 XT AMD RX 7700 XT
GPU Navi 23 Navi 32
Architecture RDNA 2 RDNA 3
Process Size 7nm 5nm/6nm
Transistors 11,060 million 28,100 million
Base Clock 2055MHz 1700MHz
Boost Clock 2635MHz 2544MHz
Shading Units 2048 3456
Compute Units 32 54
RT Cores 32 54
TMUs 128 216
ROPs 64 96
Memory Size 8GB 12GB
Memory Type GDDR6 GDDR6
Memory Bus 128-bit 192-bit
Memory Speed 280.3 GB/s 430 GB/s
L2 Cache 2MB 2MB
TDP 176W 245W
Launch MSRP $399 $449
Best Variants Best RX 7700 XT

Architectural Differences

  1. Clock Speed: The RX 6650 XT has a higher base clock speed than its competitor at around 2055MHz, instead of the 1700MHz of the RX 7700 XT. The boost clock is also higher on the RX 6650 XT at 2635MHz, whereas the RX 7700 XT has a boost clock of 2544MHz.
  2. Process Size: The 6650 XT, like all other RDNA 2 cards, is based on the 7nm processing node, whereas the RX 7700 XT uses a newer chiplet design to distribute the workload of on both 5nm and 6nm processing nodes.
  3. VRAM: the RX 7700 XT brings a big upgrade over its competitor with a 12GB VRAM buffer, whereas the RX 6650 XT has a memory size of only 8GB, which is getting on the lower side for playing modern games. This larger VRAM buffer also brings a wider 192-bit bus instead of the 128-bit bus that the RX 6650 XT comes with. These increments also transfer to the RX 7700 XT with a memory speed around 50% higher than the 6650 XT.
  4. TDP: The TDP of the RX 6650 XT is much lower than the newer card at 176 watts, instead of the 245-watt TDP of the RX 6650 XT.
  5. Other Features: The features of the RX 6650 XT and the RX 7700 XT are mostly the same because of AMD’s great track record of updating their old cards. These cards have mild ray tracing capabilities and AI upscaling chops in the form of AMD’s FSR. Still, the RX 7700 XT takes this one step further with the option to enable FSR at the driver level to use the benefits of this software, even if the specific game does not have a toggle for this feature.

Benchmarks

The RX 7700 XT and RX 6650 XT are two different tiers of cards from two different generations, which makes it hard to compare their performance using their specifications. To bring an accurate gauge of performance, we slotted both cards into our test bench with the following specifications:

  • CPURyzen 9 5900X
  • OS – Windows 11
  • RAMDDR4 2×16 G.Skill 3600MHz
  • SSD – Samsung 980 Pro

These tests were performed at the 1440p resolution.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

 Assassin's Creed Valhalla Performance
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • At the Ultra High graphics preset, the difference between the performance of these cards was apparent. The RX 6650 XT was around 27.5% slower than its younger cousin. The newer card had an average framerate of 80 FPS, whereas the older RX 6650 XT had a framerate of 58 FPS on average.
  • The 1% lows also suffered quite a difference between the two cards, with the RX 6650 XT going down to around 47 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT had a minimum framerate of 61 FPS.

Also Read: RX 6650 XT Vs RTX 3060 Ti

Watch Dogs Legion

Watch Dogs Legion Performance
Watch Dogs Legion @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The difference in performance between the RX 7700 XT vs RX 6650 XT shrank to the latter being around 18% slower than the former. The RX 6650 XT had a framerate of 65 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT was noticeably smoother, with a framerate of 79 FPS.
  • The 1% lows did not dip severely below the average framerates in this game, with the RX 6650 XT going down to around 60 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT kept its head well above water with a minimum framerate of 75 FPS.

Cyberpunk 2077

Watch Dogs Legion Performance
Watch Dogs Legion @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • With all settings at high, Cyberpunk 2077 ran surprisingly well on the two cards. The RX 6650 XT had an average framerate of 66 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT brought the average up to a silky smooth 89 FPS. This made the RX 6650 XT around 26% slower than the newer card, greatly affecting the enjoyability and performance headroom in this game.
  • 1% lows also remained fairly smooth with our two cards. The RX 6650 XT had a minimum framerate of 55 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT dropped down to a framerate of 67 FPS.

Similar Comparison: RX 7600 Vs RX 6650 XT

Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal Performance
Doom Eternal @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • This game showed a rather small difference between the two cards at only 8%, but with their framerates so high that they might as well have been running identical. The RX 6650 XT had an average framerate of 164 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT had 177 FPS on average.
  • The difference in the 1% lows of this card was not drastic either, with the RX 6650 XT staying above 120 FPS with lows of 121 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT was even smoother with a minimum framerate of 131 FPS.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 Performance
Red Dead Redemption 2 @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 had a difference of 17% between the two cards, with the victor being the RX 7700 XT. It had an average framerate of 124 FPS, whereas the RX 6650 XT had an average framerate of 103 FPS with the Ultra quality preset.
  • 1% lows were pretty close between the RX 6650 XT and the RX 7700 XT in this game, with the older card getting a minimum framerate of 89 FPS, while the newer card dropped down to 97 FPS in more graphically demanding parts of the game.

Also Check: RX 6650 XT Vs RTX 3060

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn Performance
Horizon Zero Dawn @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Horizon Zero Dawn experienced an 18% difference in performance between the RX 6650 XT and the RX 7700 XT, with the latter being the victor. The RDNA 3-powered card had an average framerate of 96 FPS, whereas the RDNA 2 card ran at an average of 79 FPS on the Ultimate Quality preset.
  • 1% lows had a different degree of separation between the RX 7700 XT and the RX 6650 XT. The former had a minimum framerate of 90 FPS, whereas the latter maintained a framerate of 67 FPS.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Performance
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • There was a 29% difference between these cards in the average framerates of this game, with the RX 6650 XT getting an average of 79 FPS while the RX 7700 XT averaged 111 FPS.
  • Finally, the 1% lows in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey differed quite a bit. The RX 6650 XT had a minimum framerate of 68 FPS, whereas the RX 7700 XT had a framerate of around 91 FPS.

Similar Comparison: RTX 2070 Vs RX 6650 XT

Overall Gaming Performance

The difference in performance between the RX 7700 XT vs RX 6650 XT swung quite often from one value to another, translating to pretty unreliable expectations if you judge the cards based on the performance from one game. To eliminate this problem, this part of the comparison will tackle the average performance of these cards according to our testing.

Framerate

Average FPS Performance
Average FPS @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • Our testing suite had games with drastically varying levels of performance, so the average framerate of your use case might vary according to the games you play.
  • The performance of the RX 7700 XT was around 18% higher than the RX 6650 XT, getting an average of 105 FPS and lows of around 86 FPS.
  • The RX 6650 XT’s average framerate matched the lows of its competitor at 86 FPS, whereas the actual lows of this card sat on average at around 73 FPS.
  • The tests we performed today were all rasterized, as we speculated that the performance of these cards was not high enough to play ray-traced games with acceptable quality settings at 1440p.
  • None of the games we tested today utilized FSR, but you can turn it on to substantially boost framerate. The RX 7700 XT can use FSR on a driver level, meaning that even if the game does not incorporate it into its settings, you can still benefit from playing games at a lower render resolution.
  • The next step in FSR’s evolution is frame generation, which can “double or even triple your FPS, according to AMD’s presentation of its Fluid Motion Frames technology. This feature will arrive on all cards at the start of 2024.

Temperatures

Average Temperature Performance
Average Temperature @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • According to our testing, the temperatures were cooler on the RX 7700 XT, in which it averaged a peak of 72°C, whereas the RX 6650 XT had an average temperature of around 77°C
  • Remember that the temperature of a graphics card relies on your room temperature, the airflow in your case, and the card’s cooling solution, so your mileage might vary from ours.

Power Consumption

Average Power Consumption
Average Power Consumption @1440p (Image By Tech4Gamers)
  • The RX 7700 XT had an average power consumption of around 210 watts, whereas the RX 6650 XT had around a 29% lower power consumption of around 163 watts.
  • The power consumption, like the temperature, depends on the cooler that your graphics cards have as well as the power demand of your game, so you might experience higher or lower power consumption in your experience.

Price And Availability

  • The RX 7700 XT recently debuted for $449, whereas the RX 6650 XT has a price of around $249 on Newegg and can be had even lower on the used market.
  • Both cards can be had at any computer store you would set foot in.

RX 6650 XT Vs RX 7700 XT: Which One Should You Go For?

Now that we’ve seen the performance of the RX 7700 XT vs RX 6650 XT in multiple gaming scenarios, this part of the comparison will list the pros and cons of both cards in a way that helps you in making your next purchasing decision.

  • The RX 7700 XT had a significant performance overhead over the RX 6650 XT, but its current price is too steep for us to recommend it over the 6650 XT, which can be had for a steal.
  • The RX 6650 XT is on the brink of obsolescence because of its low VRAM buffer. Still, he holds up great in modern titles. You would be hard-pressed to find a card for a similar price that gives as good of a performance as the RX 6650 XT.
  • Both cards can have their performance uplifted through FSR by quite a significant margin. These cards are also getting the frame generation feature from AMD in a few months, so you might be able to lift the performance of these cards to another tier with these tools.
  • In conclusion, the RX 7700 XT does not make sense to buy at the price range that it is in, whereas the RX 6650 XT has the price of an entry-level card while delivering performance above its weight class.

Pros And Cons

AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
Pros Cons Pros Cons
  • Good performance at 1440p
  • Driver-level support for FSR
  • A bad price-to-performance ratio compared to the RX 6650 XT
  • A higher power draw than the RX 6650 XT
  • Great as an entry-level gaming card
  • Low price
  • Low VRAM buffer
  • Lackluster ray tracing performance

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you find a better deal for the RX 6650 XT if you buy it used?

From the eBay listings up right now, most people are selling the card close to its new price at the moment. You can hunt a deal down for less, but it isn’t readily available.

Which graphics card is better for ray tracing?

Both cards aren’t very good at ray tracing, so much so that the hit in framerate makes games unenjoyable. If you plan on using these cards for ray tracing, the RX 7700 XT’s higher base performance and its more mature RT cores help with a smoother gameplay experience.

Is the VRAM buffer of the RX 6650 XT too small by modern standards?

You can still play many modern games with the VRAM of the RX 6650 XT, but some titles have started listing 8GB as a minimum requirement, which is alarming.

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