AMD Radeon RX 6600 GPU Review: Plenty Powerful For 1080p Gaming

Test Bench Hardware

We tested the Radeon RX 6600 with our latest build powered by the Intel Core i5-12600K, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and Windows 11 OS. When we reviewed the Radeon RX 6600 XT we used the Intel Core i5-11600K with 16GB DDR4 RAM. Hence, we expect to see similar performance on the Radeon RX 6600 due to the performance improvements on the CPU and RAM.

• Operating System: Windows 11 64-bit
• CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600
• RAM: 32GB Kingston Fury Beast DDR5
• Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD 250GB
• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Pro (WiFi)
• Power Supply: Corsair VS650
• Thermal Solution: Gigabyte AORUS Waterforce X 360

 

AMD Radeon RX 6600 Specifications

• Compute Units -- 28
• Boost Clock (MHz) -- 2491
• Game Clock Speed (MHz) -- 2400
• Standard Memory Config -- 8 GB GDDR6 14Gbps
• Memory Interface Width -- 128-bit
• Ray Accelerators -- 28
• Stream Processors -- 1792
• AMD Architecture -- RDNA2
• HDMI 2.1 with VRR and FRL -- Yes
• DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC -- Yes
• Standard Display Connectors -- HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4
• Slot -- 2-Slot
• Graphics Card Power (W) -- 132
• Required System Power (W)-- 450

AMD Radeon RX 6600 Design: Compact And Light Weight

When I received the PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6600 I didn't realize that it was a graphics card, as the package itself was small and lightweight, especially when compared to the Radeon RX 6600 XT. Despite its small form-factor, it still has a dual-fan design and can be used with mini ITX PC builds with ease.

According to the package, the PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6600 uses a heat pipe direct touch technology, which improves the heat dissipation efficiency. On top of that, it also has mute fan technology, where the fans only start spinning if the GPU temperature goes over 60-degree centigrade.

Mute fan technology has dual benefits. When you are not gaming on the PC, the device will not only stay silent but also reduce the power consumption. In terms of overall build quality, the plastic outer casing did feel a bit flimsy, however, it is not going to affect the gaming experience in any way.

What's New On The AMD Radeon RX 6600?

If we look at the specs sheet, it becomes pretty evident that the Radeon RX 6600 is a toned-down version of the Radeon RX 6600 XT with slightly fewer stream cores, lower GPU clock speed, slightly lower memory clock speed. However, it does offer all the latest technologies like real-time ray-tracing, HDMI 2.1 connectivity, and DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC technology.

Just like all the other RDNA 2 graphics cards, the Radeon RX 6600 also supports AMD Smart Access Memory technology, which allows games to fully utilize the 8GB video memory at all times. However, to do the same, you have to pair the GPU with AMD Ryzen 3000 or 5000 series of CPUs.

AMD Radeon RX 6600 Performance

AMD has clearly targeted the Radeon RX 6600 as a 1080p class gaming graphics card. However, this does not mean you cannot use this GPU for 1440p or 2160p gaming. At 1080p you should easily get over 80fps on most modern AAA titles, and you could also expect around 60fps on most titles at 1440p resolution.

We ran multiple benchmarks and tested a few games to judge the real-world performance of the AMD Radeon RX 6600. In this review, we will be comparing the AMD Radeon RX 6600 with the Radeon RX 6600 XT and will also be testing some of the recently launched games such as Far Cry 6 to judge the performance of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 GPU.

AMD Radeon RX 6600 3DMark 10 Performance

On 3DMark 10 benchmarks, the Radeon RX 6600 has posted 8542 points, which is around 10 percent less than the score we obtained on the Radeon RX 6600 XT. The GPU has obtained a graphics score of 8094 with an average FPS of 70 on graphics test one and graphics test two.

These numbers are as per the company's claims, and the Radeon RX 6600 is more than capable of offering an average FPS of around 70 even on the most demanding titles at 1080p resolution.

AMD Radeon RX 6600 Superposition Benchmark

On Superposition benchmark, the Radeon RX 6600 posted an average FPS of 77 at 1080p high graphics settings and 109fps at 1080 medium graphics settings. Similarly, at 4K resolution and optimized graphics settings, the GPU posted an average FPS of 41.

The above numbers clearly indicate that you could get good performance from the Radeon RX 6600 on 1080p and 1440p settings. Even though you can play games at 4K resolution using the Radeon RX 6600, the average FPS will be around 30 to 40.

AMD Radeon RX 6600 Bright Memory Infinite RTX Performance

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is currently the most affordable graphics card from AMD with support for real-time ray-tracing. Just like the other RDNA2 graphics cards, ray-tracing is not the strongest forte of the Radeon RX 6600, as we obtained an average FPS of 17 on the Bright Memory Infinite RTX Performance benchmark.

So, if you are keen on playing games with ray-tracing enabled, then it is best to get an RTX 3000 series of graphics cards over the Radeon RX 6600 or the RX 6600 XT. However, the non-ray-traced graphics performance of the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is on point with the competition and does offer better value for money.

AMD Radeon RX 6600 Gaming Performance

We played several games with the AMD Radeon RX 6600, where, we got an average fps of 98 on The Shadow Of The Tomb Raider. Similarly, we also got over 95fps on GTA: 5. On Far Cry 6, we got an average FPS of around 86 at 1080p resolution and high graphics settings.

These numbers clearly indicate that the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is more than capable of handling even the most demanding games at 1080p resolution and easily offer over 80fps with medium to high graphics settings. Hence, if you planning on building a 1080p-class gaming RIG, the Radeon RX 6600 is a great pick.

Verdict: Solid Offering

AMD's RX 6600 is a great offering, especially considering the fact that the graphics card is not only powerful, but it is also energy efficient. We noticed that the GPU temperature did not cross 70 degrees centigrade while playing games for hours.

For an asking price of around Rs. 30,000, the Radeon RX 6600 is an easy recommendation for those, who want to build an affordable gaming PC with all the modern capabilities. Again, if you have money, we would recommend you to pick the Radeon RX 6600 XT over the Radeon RX 6600.