Radeon RX 5700 XT
RDNA 1 · 8 GB GDDR6 · 225 W
Radeon RX 6500 XT
RDNA 2 · 4 GB GDDR6 · 107 W
Radeon RX 5700 XT takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Radeon RX 5700 XT lands at 68 and Radeon RX 6500 XT at 55. That puts Radeon RX 5700 XT ahead by 13 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Radeon RX 5700 XT if…
- ✓More VRAM at price tier
- ✓FSR support
- ✓Driver open-source on Linux
Pick Radeon RX 6500 XT if…
- ✓More VRAM at price tier
- ✓FSR support
- ✓Driver open-source on Linux
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test4K & rasterization
Radeon RX 5700 XTTraditional rendering throughput at high resolution
Radeon RX 5700 XT leads on raster (68 vs 55).
Ray tracing
Radeon RX 5700 XTRT-heavy titles with path-traced lighting
Radeon RX 5700 XT leads on rt (58 vs 45).
AI workloads
Radeon RX 5700 XTLocal inference, upscaling, generative tools
Radeon RX 5700 XT leads on ai (53 vs 40).
Power efficiency
Radeon RX 6500 XTFrames per watt — heat, noise, and PSU sizing
Radeon RX 6500 XT leads on efficiency (77 vs 75).
Value for money
Radeon RX 6500 XTSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Radeon RX 6500 XT more score per dollar ($199 vs $399).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Radeon RX 5700 XT | Radeon RX 6500 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 1 | RDNA 2 |
| VRAM | ▲ 8 GB GDDR6 | 4 GB GDDR6 |
| TBP | 225 W | 107 W |
| Release year | 2019 | 2022 |
Radeon RX 5700 XT
- +More VRAM at price tier
- +FSR support
- +Driver open-source on Linux
- −RT trails NVIDIA
- −AI ecosystem smaller
- −Driver day-0 bugs
Radeon RX 6500 XT
- +More VRAM at price tier
- +FSR support
- +Driver open-source on Linux
- −RT trails NVIDIA
- −AI ecosystem smaller
- −Driver day-0 bugs
FAQ: Radeon RX 5700 XT vs Radeon RX 6500 XT
Which is better, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Radeon RX 6500 XT? +
Radeon RX 5700 XT scores 68 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 13. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Radeon RX 5700 XT worth the price? +
At $399, Radeon RX 5700 XT delivers a Specdex score of 68 — strongest in efficiency.
Is Radeon RX 6500 XT worth the price? +
At $199, Radeon RX 6500 XT delivers a Specdex score of 55 — strongest in efficiency.
Does Radeon RX 5700 XT or Radeon RX 6500 XT last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.
Which is better for 4K gaming, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Radeon RX 6500 XT? +
Radeon RX 5700 XT — leads on raster (68 vs 55). Traditional rendering throughput at high resolution.
Which is better for ray tracing, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Radeon RX 6500 XT? +
Radeon RX 5700 XT — leads on rt (58 vs 45). RT-heavy titles with path-traced lighting.