"The RDP protocol just seems more efficient."
So, after some tests I'm going to contradict myself. RDP is actually a resource hog compared to VNC (at least, in my case). Here are a series of tests I performed, comparing the performance of both protocols (RDP vs. VNC). Note that this was just my specific scenario, and your mileage may vary.
TEST SETUP:
MacPro (VNC/RDP client) connected via 1Gbps Ethernet to Windows 10 (VNC/RDP server).
VNC:
CPU usage max at 10% and Ethernet traffic spikes to about 25 Mbps.
RDP:
CPU usage max at 15% and Ethernet traffic spikes to 160 Mbps.
So, given all of this it would make sense that RDP has a more responsive feel, because it is basically rendering a higher frame rate. I know the protocols work in quite different ways. Perhaps RDP is built to utilize max bandwidth? Given the much higher overhead of RDP on the NIC card is probably reason enough to stay away from it. Going to keep looking at some other options and I will report back.
Regards,
Jason Todd Shannon