Everything you need to know about AMD Radeon RX 6000 GPUs
AMD took the cap off its next-generation Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards (GPU) using RDNA 2 architecture just weeks after unveiling new desktop-class Ryzen 5000 processors (CPU). And just like the CPUs and their huge boost to performance, the new RX 6000 GPUs bring a ton of power compared to the last generation. Enough that they rank high in our list of the overall best graphics card options out there. Here’s what you need to know.
AMD announces the RX 6600 XT for high-end 1080p gaming
Source: AMD
Compared to the NVIDIA RTX 3060, its main competition, you’re looking at about a 15% performance premium for AMD’s card. However, the RX 6600 XT has a list price about $50 higher than the 3060.
AMD announces the RX 6700 XT for 1440p gaming
Both AMD’s reference cards and third-party cards from popular manufacturers were released the same day to hopefully alleviate the stock shortages, though you’ll still be hard-pressed to find stock. AMD stressed that the RX 6700 XT is the card you want for 1440p gaming, beating out the RTX 2080 Super, RTX 3060 Ti, and RTX 3070 in numerous popular AAA games. With 12GB of VRAM, it’s well equipped to handle 1440p at max settings in particularly demanding games.
What about the other Radeon RX 6000 GPUs?
Category | Radeon RX 6900 XT | Radeon RX 6800 XT | Radeon RX 6800 | Radeon RX 6700 XT | Radeon RX 6600 XT |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stream processors | 5,120 | 4,608 | 3,840 | 2,560 | 2,048 |
Compute units | 80 | 72 | 60 | 40 | 32 |
Texture units | 320 | 288 | 240 | 160 | 128 |
Ray accelerators | 80 | 72 | 60 | 40 | 32 |
Game clock | 2,015MHz | 2,015MHz | 1,815MHz | 2,424MHz | 2,359MHz |
Boost clock | 2,250MHz | 2,250MHz | 2,105MHz | 2,581MHz | 2,589MHz |
Memory | 16GB GDDR6 | 16GB GDDR6 | 16GB GDDR6 | 12GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6 |
Infinity Cache | 128MB | 128MB | 128MB | 96MB | 32MB |
TDP | 300W | 300W | 250W | 230W | 160W |
Recommended PSU | 850W | 750W | 650W | 650W | 500W |
Slot size | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Price | $999 | $649 | $579 | $479 | $379 |
Source: AMD
AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution, also known as FSR, has also officially arrived. It is essentially AMD’s answer to NVIDIA’s DLSS, with both technologies essentially taking a low-res frame, upscales it, and sharpens it to look as close to the original. This alleviates some pressure on the GPU, boosting framerates in compatible games. My guide on AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution vs. NVIDIA DLSS has more information.
Comparing AMD Radeon RX 6000 and NVIDIA RTX 3000 performance
Source: AMD
Even dropping down to 1440p, the RX 6800 XT beats the RTX 3080 in almost all games tested. Keep in mind the RX 6800 XT is doing this at a lower 300W TDP compared to the RTX 3080’s 320W. And now with the RX 6700 XT on the table, coming in at a lower price than the RTX 3070 and beating it out in raw performance in many scenarios, NVIDIA has some close competition.
Source: AMD
Source: AMD
With the RX 6900 XT hitting the 300W TDP mark (compared to 350W) and costing $500 less than the RTX 3090, this seems like a big win for AMD.
More gaming features shown off
Source: AMD
AMD stressed in its “Where Gaming Begins: Ep. 2” presentation that FPS is ultra important, but so is latency between your actions and what you see on screen. That’s why its second-gen latency reduction tech is here, combining Radeon Anti-Lag and FreeSync monitors across DX9 and DX11 games. Radeon Boost also works in select games for controller and mouse input, giving you further latency reduction. Altogether, AMD showed off 37% less latency in Fortnite at a 4K resolution with these features enabled through Radeon software.
The RX 6000-series GPUs fully support DirectX 12 Ultimate, but AMD has also improved its FidelityFX collection of features to work better with new ray-tracing implementation. AMD FidelityFX is so far supported in 35 games, with more on the way.
When can you buy an AMD Radeon RX 6000 GPU?
The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, RX 6800 XT, and RX 6800 have been available for months, but good luck finding anything in stock. The RX 6700 XT is expected to launch March 18 at a $479 price tag.
For way more information about how to get your hands on the new GPUs, be sure to have a look at our guide on where to buy AMD Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards.
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