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AMD Instinct MI250 vs AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT: Comparison
What is the difference between Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX 6700 XT?
On tdp the spread is 117%, Instinct MI250 500 W against Radeon RX 6700 XT 230 W, so Radeon RX 6700 XT takes it. Add memory bandwidth to that, 3200 GB/s on the Instinct MI250 versus 384 GB/s on the Radeon RX 6700 XT, and the pattern holds. Memory bus width runs the same way, 8192 bit on the Instinct MI250 versus 192 bit on the Radeon RX 6700 XT, another win for Instinct MI250. Radeon RX 6700 XT also leads on boost clock, 1700 MHz on the Instinct MI250 versus 2581 MHz on the Radeon RX 6700 XT. Shader units is not the same on both, 13312 on the Instinct MI250 versus 2560 on the Radeon RX 6700 XT. They differ on compute blocks too, 208 on the Instinct MI250 versus 40 on the Radeon RX 6700 XT.
Instinct MI250 vs Radeon RX 6700 XT: which one fits your build
Buy the Instinct MI250 for buyers comparing AMD's official reference specifications and researching a chip before choosing a board-partner card, though it is the wrong buy for overclocking-focused enthusiasts (reference clocks only). It is the wrong buy for buyers wanting a specific retail card with cooler and warranty details. The Radeon RX 6700 XT is the one to take for 1440p gaming builds that prioritize rasterization performance and VRAM capacity, though it is not built for buyers who want strong ray tracing or DLSS-equivalent upscaling. Our rating of the Radeon RX 6700 XT (8/10): strong 1440p rasterization with 12GB of VRAM, weaker in ray tracing and upscaling.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX 6700 XT differ on product type?
Yes. Product Type reads Datacenter Accelerator on the Instinct MI250 versus Desktop Add-In Card on the Radeon RX 6700 XT.
Is the PCIe Generation the same on the Instinct MI250 and Radeon RX 6700 XT?
It is. Both are listed at PCIe 4.0, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Product Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- Datacenter Accelerator
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- Desktop Add-In Card
Memory Type
- AMD Instinct MI250
- HBM2E
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- GDDR6Best
Boost Clock
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 1700 MHz-34%
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- 2581 MHzBest
TDP
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 500 W-117%
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- 230 WBest
Architecture
- AMD Instinct MI250
- CDNA2
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- RDNA 2 (Navi 22)
Process Node
- AMD Instinct MI250
- TSMC 6nm FinFET
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- TSMC N7
Shader Units
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 13312
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- 2560
Compute Blocks
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 208
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- 40
Memory Bus Width
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 8192 bitBest
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- 192 bit-98%
Memory Bandwidth
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 3200 GB/sBest
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- 384 GB/s-88%
PCIe Generation
- AMD Instinct MI250
- PCIe 4.0
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- PCIe 4.0
Launch Date
- AMD Instinct MI250
- 11/08/2021
- AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- March 2021
Which one should you pick?
Choose AMD Instinct MI250 if you want the higher memory bus width (8192 bit vs 192 bit) and the higher memory bandwidth (3200 GB/s vs 384 GB/s).
Choose AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT if you want the higher boost clock (2581 MHz vs 1700 MHz) and the lower TDP (230 W vs 500 W).
Price comparison
| Retailer | AMD Instinct MI250 | AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $479.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
8 / 10 Expert Rating
Strong 1440p rasterization with 12GB of VRAM, weaker in ray tracing and upscaling.