The BEST RX 6900 XT Graphics Cards [Performance & Budget]

AMD has been making graphics cards for a long time, with the target to compete with the Nvidia flagship cards. Nvidia announced their RTX 3000 series GPUs in September 2020, which AMD’s RX 6000 series responded to with its GPU lineups flowing into the market around November 2020. AMD released the Radeon RX 6900 XT in December 2020, their flagship GPU. If you’re here to check out the Best RX 6900 XT in the market, let’s look at the GPU’s basic specs to build some basis for its ground capabilities. 

Last update on 2023-12-14

Radeon RX 6900 XT comprises AMD’s brand new RDNA 2.0 architecture. The brains of this GPU are also brand new, and AMD has named it Navi 21 GPU running a 7nm process capable of running 5120 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, 80 ray accelerators, and 128 ROPs. AMD has decided to release DirectX 12 Ultimate software to support the hardware accelerated Ray Tracing for future 6900 XT models, but until now, it has 80 Ray Tracing acceleration cores. In terms of memory, AMD has included 16GB GDDR6 VRAM linked with a 256-bit interface running at 2000 MHz. The stock Radeon RX 6900 XT has a Base Clock speed of 1825 MHz, boosting it up to 2250 MHz, and has a VRM of 11+2 Power Phases. The power is limited to 300W from the AMD.

Different manufacturers then make their version of the card specializing in thermal efficiency, PCB design, RGB, additional overclocking capabilities, and aesthetics. The GPU architecture of each model released from third-party manufacturers like Sapphire, GIGABYTE, and XFX will remain the same. Therefore, buying GPU with better frequencies, superior cooling features like AIO or water cooling, and finer overclocking support is wise because these points give you the most performance out of the Navi 21 chipset.

In most cases, Radeon RX 6900 XT can compete with and match the performance of Nvidia RTX 3080. One of the weak points of the Radeon RX 6900 XT is the Ray Tracing, and that is where the Nvidia GPU pulls ahead because of their Tensor Cores. Secondly, Radeon RX 6900 XT uses GDDR6 VRAM, whereas Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 uses GDDR6X, the latest VRAM type providing faster speeds. However, Radeon RX 6900 XT has good availability in the market as they are not very famous among many people. In terms of price, 6900 XT MSRP is approximately $1200. If you have decided to buy Radeon RX 6900 XT, let us help you find the RX 6900 XT Best Brand on the market.

Best RX 6900 XT 

We have looked at all the GPUs from the best Radeon RX 6900 XT manufacturers and chose the best in each class according to performance, cooling, overclocking, and budget. Ultimately, we highlighted their Pros and Cons alongside what we liked and disliked about each GPU.

Here are our chosen contender GPUs for the Best RX 6900 XT Graphics Cards.

1. ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D
2. Sapphire Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Extreme Edition
3. ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Edition
4. PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate
5. GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Master 16G

ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D

Best Overall RX 6900 XT

Specifications: Dimensions: 330 x 140 x 56 mm | Frequencies: 1925 MHz (Base), 2340 MHz (Boost Clock), 2105 MHz (Game Clock) | Power Connectors: 3 x 8 pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x DisplayPort 1.4a | Recommended PSU: 900W

Be it high-end motherboards or enthusiast-grade graphic cards, ASRock has always managed to deliver on an extensive range of hardware. Their formidable arsenal of hardware components, in combination with great attention to detail, has helped them achieve astounding levels of success. They have consistently managed to fascinate us with each new product release, and the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D is no different. 

While its name might be a bit of a mouthful, it certainly does deliver when it comes to raw performance as well as aesthetics. The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is undoubtedly one of the most unique-looking cards on our list. Its front shroud comes covered in a silver and black finish with multiple red stripes near the center, accentuating its already vibrant design.

On the contrary, RGB elements have not been completely disregarded either, with all three of the fans featuring a polished surface that allows RGB to seep through them. While not everyone might like its over-the-top visual elements, they make for great additions, allowing its design to stand out in an overcrowded market.

Of course, there is a lot more to the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D than just a solid design. ASRock has equipped the card with their Phantom Gaming 3X Cooling System, which incorporates three ARGB fans, a Nickel-plated copper base plate, along with a high-density metal heatsink. All of that is then reinforced by a metal frame and held into place thanks to the rigid backplate, which also comes with a vent for better airflow.

Its cooling features don’t add just there; the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D also uses a 2 oz copper PCB for effective heat dissipation and added durability. Further adding to its incredible host of cooling features is the V-shaped aluminum heatsink, which creates a path for air to channel through. Internal components, on the other hand, have been backed up with premium thermal pads, allowing them to maintain lower temperatures.

As far as its performance is concerned, the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D features a boost clock speed of 2340 MHz, a 90 MHz increase over the reference edition card. Although the negligible increase in boost clock speeds is not going to have a significant impact on the card’s performance, it still makes for a welcome addition, especially considering the price hike of the card over the reference model.

ASRock has gone with a fairly standard selection of ports for the rear I/O, including a single HDMI 2.1 port along with three DisplayPorts in total. Power delivery is managed through the three 8-pin connectors present. Unsurprisingly, ASRock recommends a power supply of 900W for this absolute beast of a GPU.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the RGB lightings are fully compatible with ASRock’s Polychrome Sync software. Speaking of RGB, ASRock has also included an LED switch, allowing you to manually turn off all RGB on the card. An additional A-RGB header has also been added to the PCB, giving users the ability to add another RGB component into the mix.

What We Liked

It goes without saying that the ASRock Raden RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D is an absolute powerhouse of a GPU. With 900W of power jolting down this monstrous GPU, overwhelming performance is almost a given. Having said that, ASRock’s Phantom Gaming D variant, in particular, masterfully tackles some of the discrepancies found in power-hungry graphic cards such as this one. 

Starting with the cooling solution used, ASRock seems to have gone all out, nailing it to an impressive degree. The triple-fan design, in conjunction with the high-density heatsink, helps reduce temperatures. Not only that, but it does that while also maintaining low-noise levels. Its visual appearance, while purely subjective, seems to have been fairly well-received, amassing positive reviews across the board.

The matte black PCB works hand in hand with the vibrant front shroud, making its design a standout feature. Furthermore, the slightly increased clock speeds, additional A-RGB header, and the included LED switch all combine to make the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D a well-rounded GPU.

What We Disliked

Considering its absurd performance and fantastic features, there is not a lot to dislike about the ASRock Raden RX 6900 XT  Phantom Gaming D apart from its massive size. While it’s 2.8 slot design might strike some people as standard, it still takes up a huge amount of space, especially when taking its dimensions into account. The large surface area limits PC case compatibility, making it completely out of place for small form factor builds.

Verdict

In conclusion, the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT  Phantom Gaming D is a feature-complete card that successfully delivers on all aspects. It boasts multiple standout features, allowing it to cater to everyone’s needs. From its performance to its extravagant host of additional features, the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT is simply well-manufactured, making it worthy of holding the title of the Best Overall Radeon RX 6900 XT.

Sapphire Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Extreme Edition

Best Water-Cooled RX 6900 XT

Specifications: Dimensions: ‎18.75 x 14 x 6.75 inches | Frequencies: 2365 MHz (Base), 2660 MHz (Toxic Boost) | 2135 MHz (Gaming) | Bandwidth: 512GB/s | Recommended PSU: 850W | Power Connectors: 2x 8-pin + 1x 6-pin | RGB: 16.8 million ARGB

Sapphire is among the biggest AMD GPU-making company based in Hong Kong. After the success of their GPUs, they are also manufacturing GPU Compute servers made for cryptocurrency mining businesses. They are famous for manufacturing budget gaming GPU, named the NITRO gaming series.

Every Graphic Card has its perks and benefits in each department, but most high-end Graphic cards do not get used to their full potential because of the thermal throttle limitations. That is where Sapphire Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Extreme Edition excels; it’s state-of-the-art Toxic AIO Cooling features an additional 360mm radiator with three 120mm fans to cool GPU and an onboard fan to cool down the Memory and VRM.

The heat is transferred through diecast heatsinks and then through the pipes to the AIO radiator with three additional fans to cool. All this new technology features pretty goods thermal cooling, and Sapphire claims that GPU will remain below 70°C. Now all of you might think these bulky fans and AIO cooling setup must be noisy. No, it isn’t, and Sapphire claims that the whole cooling system will make noise levels below 36 dBA, making this card one of the quietest Best Water-Cooled RX 6900 XT Graphics Card.

Sapphire Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Extreme Edition features are not limited to thermal performance. Sapphire Toxic offers good GPU clock speeds, delivering 2135 MHz for the Game Clock speed and 2365 MHz for the Boost Clock speed. These clock speed numbers are no different than the other Radeon RX 6900 XT manufacturers. That is where Sapphire Toxic Boost comes into the picture, delivering a TOXIC BOOST clock speed to 2600 MHz.

Sapphire Toxic mode not only boosts the GPU clock speed but also boosts the card’s memory to 16.8Gbps from 16Gbps. We have discussed all the fancy features of the Sapphire Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Extreme Edition. Let’s discuss the features that do not make it to the top of the paper, starting with the VRM. The GPU comprises a VRM with 13+1 Power Phases which is a little below average compared to the Best Radeon RX 6900 XT from Speedster, having 14+2 VRM Power Phases.

Sapphire Toxic also offers Dual Bios that you can use in any emergency to revive your card in minutes; the only disadvantage is that it is controlled by Toxic software, not by a switch button that other manufacturers offer. Sapphire has also increased the total power drawn from the board to 400W compared to 300W in stock Radeon RX 6900 XT card. 

Design-wise, Sapphire Toxic contains 16.8 million ARGB lighting on the fans and shroud. The backplate has Toxic branding on the back and is made of Aluminium, and the front of the GPU also has RGB glowing company branding. Lastly, the overall color theme used on the GPU is a hybrid of grey and metallic gun color.

The mining capabilities of the AMD Extreme Edition are not any better than the stock Radeon RX 6900 XT because both can reach a hash rate of 64 MH/s with 146W of power draw. Sapphire Toxic features the same 14-layer PCB design, the same as stock. The GPU features a 2x 8-pin and 1x 6-pin Power Connector; the PSU requirement of Sapphire Toxic is 430W; therefore, it is best to pair at least 850W power supply, which Sapphire recommends. As far as the pricing goes, the Sapphire Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Extreme Edition will cost you approximately $1000.

What We Liked:

The feature that makes this Graphic Card unique from the rest is Sapphire’s state-of-the-art Toxic AIO Cooling system; one of the top things to like about Sapphire Toxic AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Extreme Edition. The GPU comprises Sapphire Toxic Boost that provides clock speeds up to 2600 MHz combined with the Dual Bios. Considering the above factors, we can safely say that Sapphire Toxic is the Best Water-Cooled RX 6900 XT Graphics Card.

What We Disliked:

VRM is not the strength of the Sapphire Extreme Edition GPU as it features a 13+1 Power Phase VRM design. It is higher than the stock Radeon RX 6900 XT with 11+1 VRM Power Phases but is weak compared to XFX Speedster. Sapphire Toxic is a little demanding about power, pulling close to 500W when running the Toxic Boost Mode making it one of the most power-hungry graphic cards. The Sapphire Extreme Edition is also on the pricey side compared to the XFX MERC 213, which costs $200 cheaper than this one and performs better too.

Verdict:

Sapphire Extreme Edition delivers excellent high-end gaming performance thanks to their perfect AIO Cooling Technology extracting the maximum performance from the big Navi Chipset. To boost the performance more, Sapphire has added Toxic Boost to pair with their AIO Cooling, making the perfect combination to deliver the maximum performance from GPU. Considering all the above factors and the aesthetic factor delivered by RGB, we can safely say that Sapphire Toxic Extreme Edition is the Best Water-Cooled RX 6900 XT.

ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Edition

Best RX 6900 XT for Overclocking

Specifications: Dimensions: ‎10.9 x 5.16 x 1.72 inches | Frequencies: 1825 MHz (Base), 2365 MHz (Boost) | 2135 MHz (Gaming) | Bandwidth: 512GB/s | Recommended PSU: 850W | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-pin | RGB: Yes

ROG, also known as Republic of Gamers, is ASUS’s GPU brand built for high-end consumers providing peak performance with multiple sub-brands: Matrix, Poseidon, and Strix. They have built a good reputation for manufacturing the best GPUs. We will discuss ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Edition, one of the ROG Strix GPUs.

AMD has released Radeon RX 6900 XT with an overclocking limit of 3GHz, but the closest any Graphic card clock has reached is at 2600 MHz by Sapphire Toxic in its TOXIC BOOST mode. However, ASUS ROG has made the GPU with their best Navi 21 XTX that has abilities to reach overclocking speed of nearly 2700 MHz, making it the Best Radeon RX 6900 XT for Overclocking. The process of modifying clock speed and voltages is made very easy with the help of ROG GPU Tweak II software.

Overclocking aside, ASUS Strix can crank the Boost Clock speed of 2365 MHz and the game clock speed of 2135 MHz which are 10% more than the stock Radeon RX 6900 XT due to the ASUS Navi 21 chipset. ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Edition has the stock 11+2 VRM Power phase design. They have worked tremendously on their Ray Tracing, lacking in stock Radeon RX 6900 XT cards, and introduced DirectX Ray Tracing (DXR) driven by AMD RDNA 2 architecture to provide hardware support in Ray Tracing.

Let’s not get fooled by the clock numbers on paper, as this card gets outperformed by Sapphire Toxic. Still, ASUS ROG has liquid cooling technology with the biggest radiator making this GPU the Best Radeon RX 6900 XT right now in terms of thermal efficiency, measuring at 360mm, 33% bigger than the competitors, and three 120mm fans with the long 600mm tubing to accommodate the bigger PC cases. You also can connect an additional fan with the help of ASUS FanConnect II.

ASUS has included its premium PCB parts in ROG Strix, including premium alloy chokes, solid polymer capacitors, and an array of high-current power stages in line with ASUS’s other premium range products. ROG Strix LC RX 6900 XT features a 7-layer PCB design, the same as the stock Radeon RX 6900 XT; they have limited the power draw from the board to 330W, higher than the stock, and recommended PSU is 830W.

What We Liked:

Pushing the Graphic Cards to their limits relies on various factors, including Software and thermal restrictions. ASUS had both factors in mind and went above and beyond to help users explore the full limits of ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Edition. With the help of GPU Tweak II software and ASUS liquid cooling technology with the biggest radiator in Radeon RX 6900 XT, this GPU managed to surprise us with its performance. AMD cards were also behind Ray Tracing compared to Nvidia, and ASUS ROG filled this gap with the help of DirectX Ray Tracing.

What We Disliked:

ASUS ROG Strix is one the most expensive GPUs in the market, with an approximate price of $1400; the price is only justified if you push the clock speed to the limit. On top of that, ASUS Strix has a base level VRM Power Phase of 11+2, which considering this is an ASUS top-of-line Graphic Card, does not seem right and is not worthy of the premium price tag.

Verdict

In terms of the biggest bottleneck in the video performance of AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, Ray Tracing’s improvement in the ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Edition is worthy of applause and puts this card in line with the Nvidia cards. The GPU is a good combination of perfect water cooling and very little software restriction in overclocking, making it the Best Radeon RX 6900 XT for Overclocking.

PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate

Best Budget RX 6900 XT

Specifications: Dimensions: ‎12.6 x 5.31 x 2.44 inches | Frequencies: 2050 MHz (Base), 2525 MHz (Boost) | 2135 MHz (Gaming) | Bandwidth: 512GB/s | Recommended PSU: 900W | Power Connectors: 3 x 8-pin | RGB: Yes

PowerColor is a Taiwan-based company that has been producing GPUs for 25 years, and they have around ten awards for their product’s reliability. They also make enclosures and gaming gear, including RGB mechanical keyboards. PowerColor has been making low-end as well as high-end GPU. One of their flagship GPU brands is Red Devil.  

Unlike PowerColor Red Devil, you won’t see a decent price-to-performance ratio in all budget brands. In terms of clock speeds, PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate features a Base Clock of up to 2050 MHz which you can boost up to 2425 MHz; these clock numbers are close to decent than some of the Best Radeon 6900 XT card.

The GPU offered by the PowerColor is 7nm Navi21 which you can see in most of the 6900 XT best models giving an output of 5120 shader units, 80 compute units and 80 ray accelerators. PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate has poor Ray Tracing performance that you will see in most of the Radeon RX 6900 XT GPUs making it one generation behind the Nvidia in terms of Ray Tracing.

PowerColor Red Devil is limited to 270W in terms of maximum power draw from the board, and the recommended PSU by PowerColor to pair is 900W. Regarding VRM, which will control the voltage needed in operations like overclocking, the GPU contains 14+2 VRM Power Phases with DrMOS rigid capacitors to assist the VRM by using the PWM technology.

Regarding build quality and design, the GPU has a Black theme with the Devil branding printed in the middle of the fan. The back plate is made of aluminum and has a cut-out devil design that glows with the RGB. The RGB lighting on the side of the GPU always glows to give you a devilish look.

The thermal efficiency is not off the charts; instead, it is satisfactory in terms of the price that PowerColor offers. It gives you triple fans with double ball bearings and an increased airflow design. Not only the fans but also there is a big copper base plate with seven big copper pipes in the heatsink to dissipate all the heat out of the card.

The visual aesthetics of Red Devil is also pretty good because of the RGB effect through the Devil Zone RGB software that has an option to sync with the motherboard and will provide visual effect according to the PC load. PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate has good structural rigidity due to the metal back plate that also provides cooling functionality.

What we Liked:

One of the Best 6900 XT card, PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate, is giving a decent performance in terms of price. Starting with the clock speed, Red Devil has a decent clock speed that is not high enough to rank among other RX 6900 XT best brands, but it’s quite decent.

The VRM performance that PowerColor provides in this card is only visible in high-end expensive Radeon RX 6900 XT graphic cards; therefore, it is also one of the things to like in this GPU. On top of all that, the thermal performance of Red Devil AMD is not too bad, considering it is one of the budget brands, and manufacturers cut costs in some corners. However, considering all the above factors, Red Devil is still the Best Radeon RX 6900 XT in Budget.

What we Disliked:

There is a lot to dislike about the budget graphic cards, but PowerColor has tried its best to minimize where they cut corners to put it into a budget category. A power limit of 270W could be problematic because when you are overclocking, you will need high power input to facilitate overclocking fully. Compared to other GPUs, they take more power for overclocking, which introduces stability. In terms of Ray Tracing, PowerColor did try to improve to make it close to the market standards set by Nvidia. Rest is pretty good considering the price tag of the PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate.

Verdict

The budget manufacturers will cut corners on every part of the graphic card to save money; PowerColor is unlike other manufacturers and has provided decent performance and quality in every department like clock speeds and thermal performance.

Besides the hardware, PowerColor has provided decent software support to help push PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Ultimate to its limits. The GPU includes DirectX 12 Ultimate API support, FidelityFX, Smart Access Memory, and AMD Smart cache to make it wholesome. Conclusively, PowerColor Red Devil RX 6900 XT Ultimate is the best card in the budget category.

GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Master 16G

RX 6900 XT with Best Air Cooling

Specifications: Dimensions: ‎12.6 x 5.5 x 2.3 inches | Frequencies: 1950 MHz (Base), 2365 MHz (Boost) | 2135 MHz (Gaming) | Bandwidth: 512GB/s | Recommended PSU: 850W | Power Connectors: 3 x 8-pin | RGB: Yes

GIGABYTE is a Taiwanese-based GPU manufacturer making PC hardware for over three decades; recently, they released their premium gaming brand, AORUS, in the market, featuring their signature high-performance GPU and motherboards.

GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Master 16G, like any other Best Radeon RX 6900 XT GPU, has a 7nm Navi21 chipset fitted inside and provides a Base Clock speed of 1950 MHz and a Boost Clock speed of 2365 MHz which are decent baseline speeds. 

The company’s manufacturing target was to extract the maximum out of the Navi21 chipset, which GIGABYTE achieved with their WindForce 3X cooling and Max-Covered Cooling design. AORUS’s cooling system consists of three 80mm fans spinning in opposite directions to minimize the turbulence and maximize airflow out of the graphic card, complemented with six copper heat pipes, making this the Radeon RX 6900 XT with Best Air Cooling. You can check the real-time efficiency of the GPU with the help of the AORUS Engine, which provides information on clock speed, fan excellence, and power target. 

The GPU comprises a charcoal-colored body with diamond-shaped curves on the front of the card with AORUS branding in the middle of the fan. The back plate has similar AORUS branding on top of it. The GIGABYTE logo on the back does light up with the RGB lightning. By using RGB Fusion 2.0 software, you can show your custom text, image, and time on the LCD, which is on the side of the GPU.

In terms of power, the recommended PSU requirement is 850W and has a power limit of 300 W from the board. AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT has power indicators on the side to show any abnormality concerning the power supply, telling you with the help of a flashing light. You can easily use this GPU and not worry about dust, moisture, and corrosion because GIGABYTE’s special PCB coating protects all the special components.

To help with the power efficiency and noise, GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Master 16G has an idle fan stopping mechanism that will stop the fan when the graphic card is not in use.

The VRM in the AORUS is 11+2 Power Phases which is also what the stock Radeon RX 6900 has. MOSFETs are transistors that control how much power the GPU gets, but they work best at high temperatures. Therefore GIGABYTE has developed a power phase design to allow MOSFETs to provide full efficiency at even low temperatures, which is ideal for overclocking.

What we Liked:

The thermal efficiency of GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Master 16G is perfect thanks to WindForce 3X cooling, and the Max-Covered Cooling design has all the kick to support overclocking without any other modifications. It can also support excellent 4K gaming performance.

Energy-wise, AORUS is pretty efficient, thanks to GIGABYTE’s idle fan stopping mechanism that stops the fan to conserve energy. It also has Ray Tracing features enhanced by hardware. AORUS has a nice aesthetic due to the RGB lightning and the small LCD on the side, making this GPU unique due to its looks. The 4-year warranty is the cherry on top.

What we Disliked:

GIGABYTE AORUS costs almost $1550, which is pretty expensive considering that the only feature that stands out is GIGABYTE’s WindForce cooling. The GPU comprises poor VRM performance with a noisy fan setup when overclocking.

Verdict

If you are looking for a graphic card with the best air-cooled performance, GIGABYTE AORUS Radeon RX 6900 XT Master 16G is the right choice for you, but all this performance comes at an expensive price tag. It also has an onboard screen on the graphic card to display text, images, or GIFs which makes it one of the unique features of this graphic card.

GIGABYTE has provided us with their Taylor-made software like AUROS Engine to make the gaming experience smoother. The overclocking of the AORUS is the best among all the competitors considering strong hardware support; the rest of the specifications do not stand out from the stock Radeon RX 6900 XT. We can confidently name this GPU the Radeon RX 6900 XT with Best Air Cooling.

Competition

XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Black

Runner-Up For Best Overall RX 6900 XT

Specifications: Dimensions: 13.39 x 5.47 x 2.24 inches | Frequencies: 1950 MHz (Base), 2365 MHz (Turbo Boost) | 2135 MHz (Gaming) | Bandwidth: 512GB/s | Recommended PSU: 850W | Power Connectors: 2x 8-pin | RGB: No

XFX is an American-based company with roots in Hong Kong, specializing in making GPU, Power Supplies, and Motherboards for almost 20 years. In the early days, XFX made some GPUs for Nvidia but then switched to making AMD in 2009.

After the release of the Radeon RX 6900 XT, AMD has directly put itself in front of the market flagships like GeForce RTX 3080, offered by Nvidia. Previously AMD cards were missing Ray Accelerators, and they have now equipped the XFX Speedster with an RA of 80 that can compete with the competitors.

Are you looking for what the AMD and Radeon can offer on a Graphic Card? Say no more as we are about to present the XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Black, our choice for the Runner-Up For The Best Overall RX 6900 XT in the market. XFX Speedster is equipped with Radeon’s new HBM Memory and fits Navi21 7nm GPU, which delivers excellent gaming performance.

Moving on to the stuff that matters to most people, the clock numbers, XFX Speedster can crank out a Base Clock of 1950 MHz, a Gaming Clock speed of the 2135 MHz, and a whopping Boost clock speed of 2365 MHz. XFX has equipped the Radeon RX 6900 XT with the Rage Mode that extracts your card’s maximum clock speed. XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Black is equipped with AMD’s new infinity cache that boosts the card’s bandwidth by up to 1664 GB/s compared to the base speed of 512 GB/s.

The GPU has XFX’s new Ghost Thermal Design Cooling technology, making this card the best in terms of cooling. The airflow around the thermal vents is also improved from previous XFX models. To top it all off, XFX Speedster has a quieter 13 blades triple fan to make the gaming experience more surreal and smoother.

The thermal performance of this graphic card is not limited to thermal vents and fans; XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Black has increased thermal padding on the integral components like VRM, Memory, and GPU to dissipate the heat as efficiently as possible.

The VRM on the XFX Speedster has also got some updates in the total power phase compared to some of the Best Radeon RX 6900 XT available on the market. XFX Speedster features 14+2 VRM Power Phases to distribute the power load more evenly through the whole card compared to the stock Radeon RX 6900 XT, which has 11+2 VRM Power Phases.

The XFX Speedster’s TDP is 300W, with a minimum power requirement being 850W for the whole setup, whereas the perfect PSU to pair with XFX Speedster is XFX 850W PSU, according to XFX. It seems that XFX has not limited this graphic card in terms of power. The GPU utilizes 2x PCI-E 8-pin connections as a power inlet. XFX Speedster has no improvement on the PCB layer and has 14-layer PCB, which is the same as stock.

XFX packs an amazing feature not offered by any graphic card in the market right now; it offers dual BIOS on the Speedster, which can help you change the BIOS if one fails. The process of changing is also simple; a flicker on the side of the XFX Speedster will act as the BIOS switch.

The design of MERC319 is rather simple, consisting of a MERC XFS branded backplate with thermal padding inside to dissipate heat. The GPU features black GPU color aesthetic with silver color on the outside rim of the fans. The body of MERC319 is composed of ABS plastic, and the back plate is made of Aluminium.

The mining capabilities of the MERC319 are not any better than the stock Radeon RX 6900 XT because both can reach a hash rate of 64 MH/s with 146W of power draw.

To finish off, XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Black costs around $800. Considering the GPU prices going sky high these days, this price is very reasonable with all the latest AMD and XFX technology integrated into one piece of tech. On top of that, XFX Speedster comes with a 3 Year Warranty, which is a plus point in case the card gets damaged.

What We Liked:

There are many reasons to like XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Black. One of these is 14+2 VRM Power Phases, one of the best VRM in the market. The price of the XFX Speedster is also reasonable compared to the technology integrated into this graphic card. Thermal performance is perfect thanks to XFX Speedster 13 blades triple fan and the updated Ghost Thermal Design Cooling technology. MERC319 has enhanced GPU clock performance having a Boost Clock at 2365 MHz which is 115 MHz higher than stock Radeon RX 6900 XT. You can also overclock this GPU which maintained an average frequency of 2450 MHz while drawing 400W of power. A 3-year warranty is also an appreciable step taken by XFX.

What We Disliked:

XFX has made sure to fill all the gaps when designing XFX Speedster MERC319, and there is very little to dislike about this card. However, everything isn’t perfect, so it is the case that XFX Speedster isn’t perfect in Ray Tracing. AMD’s Ray Tracing technology was lacking in past years, but AMD has improved greatly after the release of the Radeon RX 6900 XT. Ray Tracing of XFX Speedster is good at low resolutions like 1080p and 2k; it worsens when you reach 4K. So, we can safely say that Ray Tracing of XFX Speedster is not up to what competitors offer.

Verdict

XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6900 XT Black is the Runner-Up For The Best Overall RX 6900 XT Graphics Card because it has solid thermal performance alongside decent clock speeds, which are the best in the class. Thanks to AMD infinity Cache, the bandwidth speed of the XFX Speedster is also the best in the market. To top it all off, XFX Speedster has robust VRM providing 14+2 VRM Power Phases. All this performance does not come at the expense of the pocket, and XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Black costs around $799.

RTX 3080 Vs RX 6900 XT

RX 6900 XT belongs to AMD’s RTX 6000 series GPU, their latest lineup competing with Nvidia’s 3000 series of GPUs from which GeForce RTX 3080 belongs.

Radeon RX 6900 XT has the highest Base Clock speed of 1825 MHz compared to the GeForce RTX 3080, which has a 1440 MHz of Base Clock speed. But GeForce RTX 3080 takes the charts in cores with 8704 cores compared to 5120 of Radeon RX 6900 XT.

The benchmark tests of both Graphic Cards showed the better performance of Radeon RX 6900 XT in the 1080p resolution, but the GeForce RTX 3080 performs similarly to Radeon RX 6900 XT in 4K performance. In conclusion, the RX 6900 XT is the overall winner in terms of performance.

In terms of Ray Tracing, GeForce RTX 3080 takes the lead when performing the test with two of the popular games. Compared to RX 6900 XT, GeForce RTX 3080 showed 21.6% and 46% better Ray Tracing with Metro Exodus and Cyberpunk 2077.  

Both Graphic Cards have market-leading image-enhancing technologies. GeForce RTX 3080 has Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), and RX 6900 XT has FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). Among both the technologies, GeForce RTX 3080 with DLSS takes the lead for the best image-enhancing capabilities.

GeForce RTX 3080 has better mining efficiency compared to Radeon RX 6900 XT. GeForce RTX 3080 can reach a hash rate of 97 MH/s with 224 W of power draw, while Radeon RX 6900 XT can reach a hash rate of 64 MH/s with 146W of power draw. In conclusion, GeForce RTX 3080 can produce better earnings than the Radeon RX 6900 XT.

Radeon RX 6900 XT has a TDP of 300W compared to GeForce RTX 3080, which has a power draw of 320W. Considering the TDP values, the RX 6900 XT is more efficient on paper than the GeForce RTX 3080. The efficiency of PSU isn’t ideally considered in comparing the graphic card; if you frequently have power outages, this factor is a must to consider before buying.

Pricing-wise, Radeon RX 6900 XT will cost you almost $500 more than GeForce RTX 3080 but remember that graphic card prices vary a lot in a short amount of time. GeForce RTX 3080 will cost you around $700, and Radeon RX 6900 XT will cost you around $1200, almost double the price.

Are you interested in GeForce RTX 3080? Have a quick peek at the BEST RTX 3080 Graphics Cards. 

Considering all the above performance and pricing factors, the GeForce RTX 3080 takes the lead with a better overall performance at a lower price as better DLSS and Ray Tracing performance can benefit in multiple ways.

RX 6800 XT vs RX 6900 XT

RX 6900 XT and RX 6800 XT are from AMD’s 6000 series GPUs announced in November 2020. AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT was released on 18 November 2020, whereas the high-end RX 6900 XT came into the market on 8 December 2020.

Radeon RX 6900 XT and Radeon RX 6800 XT have the same performance figures except for computing units; RX 6900 XT takes the lead with 80 cores compared to 72 Radeon RX 6800 XT. They both have the same Base Clock of 2040 MHz, Boost Clock of 2330 MHz, 16GB VRAM, and memory bandwidth. Both the cards use the same 7nm process.

Both the Graphic Cards use the same cooling, which will become an issue when overclocking the Radeon RX 6900 XT on top of their maximum clock speeds. AMD claims that Radeon RX 6900 XT has 54% energy efficiency per Watt, providing better performance at low TDP. All this efficiency will compromise the cooling of the Radeon RX 6900 XT, but further testing is required to conclude this fully.

The gaming performance of Radeon RX 6900 XT is almost 10% better than the Radeon RX 6800 XT. When performing the test on Cyber Punk, Radeon RX 6900 XT gave the maximum fps of 41 fps at 4K compared with 36 fps with Radeon RX 6800 XT. Assassin’s Creed gave almost similar fps for both graphic cards.

Radeon RX 6900 XT also stood out when playing Doom Eternal producing 198 fps at 4K compared to 157 fps with Radeon RX 6900 XT. Remember that AMD manufactures this card, and the performance will vary when using AMD CPU for performance testing.

Radeon RX 6900 XT and Radeon RX 6800 XT have almost the same mining efficiency. Radeon RX 6900 XT can reach a hash rate of 64 MH/s with 146W of power draw, while Radeon RX 6800 XT can reach a hash rate of 62 MH/s with 148W of power draw; Radeon RX 6900 XT shows only 5% more earning efficiency compared to RX 6800 XT.

Pricing-wise, Radeon RX 6900 XT will cost you $150 more than the predecessor Radeon RX 6800 XT. As of today, Radeon RX 6800 XT will cost you around $1000, and Radeon RX 6900 XT will cost you approximately $1200.

To conclude the comparison, the final verdict is that buying the Radeon RX 6800 XT will give you more performance for your money as it is $150 cheaper, and the gaming performance gap is at a maximum of 10%. With all the same performance figures on the paper and no new software upgrade for the Radeon RX 6900 XT, Radeon RX 6800 XT is the best option to buy according to the current market with price and performance in mind.

RTX 3070 vs RX 6900 XT

Nvidia launched their GeForce 30 series in September 2020, whereas the RTX 3070 came into the market around October 2020. AMD launched RX 6900 XT in December 2020 to compete with the RTX 3000 series from Nvidia.

Before going into further details, take a look at our in-depth analysis of GeForce RTX 3070.

Radeon RX 6900 XT features a higher Base Clock speed and Boost Clock speed compared to GeForce RTX 3070; the Base Clock is 1825 MHz vs. 1500 MHz, and the Boost Clock is 2250 MHz vs. 1725 MHz for Radeon RX 6900 XT and GeForce RTX 3070 respectively. GeForce RTX 3070 takes the lead on the number of CUDA cores with a difference of 768.

Radeon RX 6900 XT also takes the charts on the memory configuration; Radeon RX 6900 XT has a bigger VRAM of 16GB GDDR6 compared to 8GB DDR6 of GeForce RTX 3070. A similar scenario is with the Memory Clock Speed of Radeon RX 6900 XT being higher of 16000 MHz vs. 14000 MHz of the GeForce RTX 3070.

Radeon RX 6900 XT has a higher memory bandwidth of 512 GB/s vs. 448 GB/s for the GeForce RTX 3070. The VRAM of Radeon RX 6900 XT is also double the amount compared to GeForce RTX 3070; the VRAM of the Radeon RX 6900 XT is 16GB, and GeForce RTX 3070 holds 8GB.

The gaming performance of the Radeon RX 6900 XT is almost 30% better than the GeForce RTX 3070. We were able to crank out 98 FPS at 4K in Battlefield V from the Radeon RX 6900 XT versus 62 FPS from the GeForce RTX 3070. The same trend was visible when we played Marvel Avengers at 4K, giving out 86 FPS from Radeon RX 6900 XT versus 58 FPS from the GeForce RTX 3070.

Both Graphic Cards have virtually the same mining efficiency. They both have an estimated earning of $1.38 daily. Radeon RX 6900 XT can reach a hash rate of 64 MH/s with 146 W of power draw, while GeForce RTX 3070 can reach a hash rate of 61 MH/s with 117 W of power draw.

Radeon RX 6900 XT is much more expensive than the GeForce RTX 3070. The current price of GeForce RTX 3070 is around $500, and Radeon RX 6900 XT will cost you around $1200; this makes Radeon RX 6900 XT $700 more expensive than the GeForce RTX 3070.

Check our BEST RTX 3070 Graphics Cards guide for better performance analysis.

Both graphic cards are good at what they do, but if you are demanding low-end performance and do not want to spend extra money, GeForce RTX 3070 is a perfect choice. But if money is not any issue, then you can opt for the latest Radeon RX 6900 XT from AMD.

RX 6900 XT Waterblock

Suppose you are a hardcore gamer with problems with the temperature of the Radeon RX 6900 XT skyrocketing. In that case, waterblock is a unique piece of technology that slaps on top of your Radeon RX 6900 XT and hooks up to your liquid cooling loop to provide additional cooling.

Instead of fans carrying out heat with the help of a heat sink, Waterblocks boost the cooling performance with the help of coolant or water in some cases. One of the market-leading brands in Waterblocks, EK, makes EK-Quantum Vector for around $200 for the RX 6900 XT. It uses the EK proprietary cooling technology named Open Split-Flow cooling.

How We Selected the Best  RX 6900 XT Graphic Card

Choosing the best Radeon RX 6900 XT Graphic Card among all the GPU and at the same time giving an unbiased opinion is hard without setting ground rules. Therefore, we’ve set ground rules that include measuring every GPU with some points to take care of in testing. You can take a peek at each one of the criteria to select Best RX 6900 XT Graphic Card.

VRM

One of the essential parts of the GPU is the VRM (Voltage Regulator Module), as it acts as a gateway that delivers power from PSU to all the components on the board, including the fans. A good VRM has more Power Phases to divide all the power load among different phases to achieve smoother power delivery. The more the power phases in the VRM, the good the VRM is in terms of performance. A poor VRM can introduce degraded performance and limit the GPU’s ability to function under load.

Power Limit

The power limit is the amount of power that can enter your GPU anytime. Normal day-to-day tasks like gaming will not hit your GPU’s power limit, but if you are doing power-hungry tasks like overclocking, you will need more power. You can also increase the power limit of the GPU to a certain limit, but it is useless if your GPU can’t handle all the power and put it to good use. It’s best to look at the manufacturer’s power limit and use them as a reference when buying a new GPU. The more high-end GPU is, the higher the power limit is.

Cooler

Cooler plays a critical role in the longevity of the GPU and consists of heat sinks, fans, and copper pipes. Different GPU have different cooling performances because of different coolers like AIO, Water Cooling, and Air Cooling. The best is the Water Cooler because water is the best medium for heat exchange. Separate cooling for VRM is also a plus point in a GPU. The GPU with the best cooler has a lot of room for overclocking and can attain higher clock speeds.

Performance

When buying any new GPU, performance is one of the biggest factors, as it will determine how smoother your gaming experience will be. You can easily look at the performance of the GPU by looking at the Frames per second you’re getting and look for any issues like screen tearing or frame drops. The performance will also take a hit when we bump up the resolution to the maximum; 4K is the highest Radeon RX 6900 XT can support. Clock speeds also show how fast your GPU can perform.

Temperature

GPU temperature is one of the criteria to assess how good GPU is in terms of performance. Generally, short-term high temperature will not hurt your GPU, but if the high temperature is consistent, it will for sure hurt your GPU and, in some cases, destroy the GPU completely; therefore, you should aim for a temperature between 149°F to 185°F.

The cooler your GPU is, the more performance you can extract from your GPU until it tapers down. The end users like us should also have an eye on temperatures, but it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to provide the best cooling hardware that does not overheat.