The BEST RX 6800 XT Graphics Cards In 2023

The Radeon RX 6800 XT sits right between the high-end 6900 XT and the mid-range 6700 XT. Since numerous variants of the Radeon RX 6800 XT are currently available, looking for the 6800 XT variant that meets all your requirements can get challenging, which is why we are here to help you pick the Best RX 6800 XT graphics card.

Here are our picks, summarized, and compared to each other:

Last update on 2023-12-13

The Radeon RX 6800 XT, part of AMD’s RX 6000 series GPUs, indeed marked a significant competitive entry into the high-performance graphics card market. These GPUs challenged Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series with competitive pricing and performance.

Here are some key features and specifications of the Radeon RX 6800 XT:

1. RDNA 2.0 Architecture: The RX 6800 XT is based on AMD’s RDNA 2.0 architecture, which is also used in next-generation gaming consoles. This architecture brings several improvements over the previous generation, including better performance and real-time ray tracing support.
2. Real-Time Ray Tracing: While AMD’s ray tracing performance may not match Nvidia’s highest-end offerings, it still brings ray tracing capabilities to the table, enhancing the visual quality of games that support this technology.
3. 16 GB GDDR6 Memory: The RX 6800 XT boasts 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, which provides ample memory for gaming and content creation tasks. The 256-bit memory bus and 512 GB/s memory bandwidth contribute to excellent memory performance.
4. GPU Cores and Ray Accelerators: It features 4608 GPU cores and 72 ray accelerators, which are responsible for ray tracing calculations. These cores contribute to the card’s gaming and rendering performance.
5. Boost Clock Speed: The reference edition of the RX 6800 XT has a boost clock speed of 2250 MHz, which can offer excellent in-game performance.
6. Power Connectors: The reference edition uses two eight-pin power connectors and has a TDP of 300W. Different custom models from various manufacturers may vary in terms of power connectors and cooling solutions.
7. Infinity Cache: AMD’s Infinity Cache technology, combined with compatible Ryzen processors, can provide a performance boost by reducing memory latency.
8. Competitive Pricing: With an MSRP of $650, the Radeon RX 6800 XT offers a price advantage over Nvidia’s RTX 3080 while still delivering impressive performance.

Keep in mind that actual pricing and availability can fluctuate due to market demand and supply constraints, which can affect the value proposition of GPUs over time. Nonetheless, the Radeon RX 6800 XT remains a compelling option for gamers and content creators looking for high-performance graphics cards.

You can also read our articles on the Best RTX 3090 and the Best RTX 3080 Ti if you are interested in checking out the GeForce RTX 3000 series of graphic cards.

Best RX 6800 XT Graphics Cards

Our Picks For Best RX 6800 XT Include:

• XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6800 XT Core Gaming
• ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD RX 6800 XT OC
• Gigabyte AORUS RX 6800 XT Master
• MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming Trio
• ASUS TUF Gaming RX 6800 XT OC Edition

XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6800 XT Core Gaming

Best Overall RX 6800 XT

Specifications: Dimensions: 340 x 138 x 54 mm | Boost Clock: 2340 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: No | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 Recommended PSU: 750W

XFX’s new “Speedster” series of GPUs bring the best of what the company has to offer; that is also the case with the Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6800 XT. It is a high-end air-cooled variant of the RX 6800 XT, which comes with all of the features you would expect from a premium product.

Starting with its design, the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6800 XT features a plastic shroud at the front with aluminum wrapping. Three fans of varying dimensions can also be found at the front of the card, which all spin in the same direction.

Speaking of the fans, XFX has equipped the MERC 319 Radeon RX 6800 XT with two 100mm fans on each side, with the middle fan being 90mm in size. Radeon RX 6800 XT branding can be seen on top of the card with a white LED backlight.

Along with that, an XFX logo is also present besides the Radeon RX 6800 XT branding. Unfortunately, there is no RGB included with these logos; however, the white LED backlight was a nice addition.

Overall, XFX has done an excellent job with the card’s design; a full-sized backplate is also included with “MERC” branding, giving the card a premium look. Additionally, a cut-out is present on the backplate to improve airflow.

XFX has gone with dual eight-pin power connectors for power delivery. Power consumption is about the same as the reference edition Radeon RX 6800 XT.

The rear I/O consists of a single HDMI 2.1 port, two display ports, and a Type-C port; this configuration is identical to the reference card.

As far as the clock speeds are concerned, the XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6800 XT has a boost clock speed of 2250 MHz which is the same as the reference edition Radeon RX 6800 XT.

It features a total of five 6mm heat pipes running through the card. Furthermore, 20 heat pads can be found on the PCB. It also comes equipped with a dual BIOS switch, allowing you to switch between two separate modes.

In terms of the VRMs, XFX has gone with a 16+3 configuration for the Speedster MERC319 Radeon RX 6800 XT, which is a significant improvement over the 12+3 configuration on the reference card.

What We Liked

While the name itself might be a bit of a stretch, its performance is what makes it stand out from the rest of the variants. Its performance and build quality make it clear that XFX has cut no corners with the Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT.

It performs incredibly well while also maintaining low temperatures and low noise levels, providing a nice balance between its performance and noise levels. 

Overclocking also seems possible with the XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, providing decent performance gains when overclocked.

What We Disliked

The XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is undoubtedly one of the largest air-cooled RX 6800 XT cards one can purchase right now. Its enormous size means installing it inside small form factor builds is completely out of the question.

If you are considering purchasing the XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, then checking your PC case’s maximum supported GPU length is definitely recommended.

Since the XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is a top-of-the-line variant of the RX 6800 XT, XFX does charge a premium for that. With a $150 increase over the baseline variant of the RX 6800 XT, its value proposition becomes rather confusing..

What Sets The XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Core Gaming Apart From Its Competitors?

It is clear that XFX has gone all out with the new Speedster series of GPUs, providing top-tier performance in every aspect. The XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is no exception to this.

Its efficient but silent cooler also keeps the temperatures at a safe level, which further increases its overclocking potential. In addition to that, the dual-bios switch is always a great addition, giving us the ability to manually switch between modes.

Verdict

To sum up, the XFX Speedster MERC319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is an excellent card for 4k gaming, providing excellent performance right out of the box. Moreover, it’s premium build quality, and low noise levels make it a card worth considering.

The XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT features one of the best coolers you can get with a Radeon RX 6800 XT. It provides a nice balance between its price, quality, and performance, making it the Best Overall RX 6800 XT Graphics Card.

ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD RX 6800 XT OC

Best Water Cooled RX 6800 XT

Specifications: Dimensions: 277 x 130 x 43 mm | Boost Clock: 2360 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: Yes| Display Outputs: 2 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x USB Type-C | Recommended PSU: 750W

If you are in the market for a 6800 XT with the best thermal performance, ASUS has just the graphics card for you. Introducing the ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC. As the name suggests, it is a liquid cool variant of the Radeon RX 6800 XT that comes with a pre-installed 360mm radiator.

It is no surprise that water-cooled GPUs provide far better thermal performance than traditional air-cooled GPUs, which is why, this time around, ASUS has introduced a Liquid Cooled variant of the Radeon RX 6800 XT for their flagship ROG Strix variant of the card.

Since it is a Water-Cooled card, it comes with a 240mm radiator in a closed loop design which adds a lot of heft to the overall weight. Moreover, it features a rather unique shroud, even for a liquid-cooled GPU.

Aesthetically, the ROG Strix LC variant of the Radeon RX 6800 XT is a treat to look at; with its sleek and elegant design, ASUS has done a brilliant job with its design.  The small blower-style fan on the shroud takes care of cooling the VRM, whereas the 240mm radiator cools the entirety of the GPU itself.

For anyone interested in RGB, ASUS has added a ton of it to their top-of-the-line ROG Strix LC Radeon RX 6800 XT, with an RGB logo at the front along with diagonal RGB stripes covering half of the shroud. In addition to that, the fans on the radiator also come with ARGB. Being a factory overclocked Radeon RX 6800 XT, it comes with a higher boost clock speed of 2360 MHz, which is a 110 MHz increase over the reference edition Radeon RX 6800 XT.

ASUS has kept things simple with the selection of display ports, featuring the same ports as the reference edition Radeon RX 6800 XT. Similarly, it also uses the same dual eight-pin connectors as the reference edition. For the VRMs, it has a 17-phase design in a 14+3 configuration. Installation is quite straightforward as long as you have enough space for the radiator. Moving on to the water block, which has a copper baseplate for cooling.

Our article on the Best Water Cooling Cases is also worth a read, especially if you are interested in building a complete water-cooled PC

What We Liked

The ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC comes with every feature you would expect from a high-end Radeon RX 6800 XT variant, including a dual BIOS switch, high boost clock speeds, and an idle fan mode.

On top of that, it comes with RGB, which can be controlled using the AURA Sync software as well. Additionally, overclocking is not an issue with the Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, thanks to the fantastic cooler.

Another thing worth mentioning is its smaller length compared to other high-end variants of the Radeon RX 6800 XT. Since it is a water-cooled card, there is no need for multiple fans on the shroud itself, reducing its overall size.

What We Disliked

Its price is the main drawback; with an MSRP of $900, it not only exceeds the price of the reference edition Radeon RX 6800 XT but also exceeds the price of some of the higher-end variants of the Radeon RX 6800 XT.

However, extraordinary pricing like this is quite common for liquid-cooled cards, and you will have to pay a premium to obtain a liquid-cooled card.

What Sets The ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Apart From Its Competitors?

Much like the rest of the ROG Strix lineup of graphic cards, ASUS has done an incredibly good job at designing the card. Since it is their top-of-the-line Radeon RX 6800 XT, ASUS has packed every feature you would expect from a liquid-cooled card.

The main highlight of the ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC is obviously the hybrid design. The water-cooled Radeon RX 6800 XT provides lower temperatures than most aftermarket cards.

Two additional fan headers can also be found on the back of the GPU, which can be used to connect PC fans to the GPU, syncing the PC case fans with the radiator fans; this is always a neat addition in high-end graphic cards.

Verdict

Its high out-of-the-box clock speeds, compact design, and excellent cooling performance make the ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD RX 6800 XT OC one of the best aftermarket cards in the market.

The ASUS ROG Strix LC AMD RX 6800 XT OC is undoubtedly one of the best water-cooled variants of the RX 6800 XT one can purchase, which is why we have crowned it as the Best Water Cooled RX 6800 XT.

Gigabyte AORUS RX 6800 XT Master

Best RX 6800 XT For Overclocking

Specifications: Dimensions: 324 x 140 x 60mm | Boost Clock: 2310 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: No | Display Outputs: 2 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x USB Type-C | Recommended PSU: 750W

Looking at its features, Gigabyte has equipped the AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master with their “Max Covered Cooling” solution, which consists of two 115mm fans along with a single 100mm fan.

Gigabyte has implemented their wind claw design with these fans, which drives cool air across the entire GPU in order to cover the heatsink as well. Their Wind Claw design makes full use of these 115mm fans, which means a fan speed can be achieved without the need to sacrifice thermal performance.

In addition to that, the center fan has a slightly lower elevation than the other two fans, improving the airflow of the card. It also comes with an alternate spinning centre fan to reduce turbulence and improve the overall airflow. 

A full-length metal back-plate can also be found at the back with a large cut-out for ventilation. Much like the rest of the Radeon Rx 6800 XT variants we have seen, the AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master also uses a 3-slot design.

Two eight-pin PCIe Express power connectors are being used for the power delivery. Much like other cards in the AORUS lineup, the AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master also comes with LED indicators for the power connectors, which light up in case of a power supply malfunction.

You can also use a BIOS switch to manually switch between the performance mode or the silent mode for lower noise levels.

What stands about the Aorus Master variant of the Radeon RX 6800 XT, in particular, is the LCD screen on the side of the card, which Gigabyte refers to as the “LCD Edge View”. The display itself comes with four separate modes as well.

One thing that is apparent right off the bat is the sheer amount of RGB that comes with AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master. With two long stripes on each side of the shroud, if you are interested in RGB, then the AORUS Master variant is definitely the way to go.

The AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master comes with a boost clock speed of 2310 MHz, a 60 MHz increase over the reference edition card. Gigabyte has not added any additional ports in the rear I/O as well, with a single HDMI 2.1 port, two display ports, and a type-c port.

Gigabyte has equipped the AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master with a 15-phase VRM setup, 13 phases for the GPU voltage, and the other two for the memory voltage. All phases make use of 70 Amp power stages as well. 

What We Liked

Overclocking is where the Gigabyte AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master truly shines, it comes with a total of 15 voltage phases which is exactly what you need for a Radeon RX 6800 XT.

Moreover, the LCD screen on the edge of the card can be used to monitor temperatures, fan speeds, GPU usage, GPU clock speeds, and VRAM usage. You can choose what you want to display using the RGB Fusion 2.0 software.

Its higher out-of-the-box clock speed is also a plus; however, that is expected from a higher-end card like this one.

What We Disliked

There is not much to dislike about the AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT master; however, one thing worth mentioning is the amount of RGB might not be for people looking for a more minimalistic GPU for their setup.

What Sets The AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master Apart From Its Competitors?

What makes the AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master stand out from the rest of its variants is its well-designed cooling solution. Gigabyte has done an excellent job in designing the Max-Covered Cooling system.

The previously discussed wind claw design, along with the angular fin design, all help in keeping the temperatures as low as possible while also maintaining low noise levels.

Apart from that, the LCD Edge View is a great addition for a high-end graphics card like this one. It can be used to monitor GPU statistics and display GIFs and custom texts or images as well.

Verdict

Gigabyte’s cooling solution for the AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master is a feat of engineering, providing better results than most aftermarket cards available.

The low temperatures, LCD screen, and beefy VRM setup all increase its overclocking potential, making the Gigabyte AORUS Radeon RX 6800 XT Master the Best RX 6800 XT For Overclocking.

MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming Trio

Best Budget RX 6800 XT 

Specifications: Dimensions: 324 x 141 x 55mm | Boost Clock: 2285 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 Recommended PSU: 750W

The Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming Trio from MSI provides excellent value for your money given its relatively low pricing compared to the other high-end variants. While it is by no means cheap, it still offers an overall better price-to-performance ratio.

Visually, the card shares a similar look to the GeForce RTX 3000 series variants of the Gaming X Trio, which is quite uncommon. It features a triple-fan design which MSI refers to as the TRI FROZR 2 triple-fan cooler.

As far as the RGB is concerned, MSI has not gone too overboard with the lighting this time, with subtle RGB strips on the shroud and a long RGB strip on top of the card; all of these lights can be controlled using MSI’s mystic light software.

As expected from a high-end product like this one, a full-length back-plate with a few cutouts is also there with a white MSI logo. The rear I/O is also pretty simple, with 3Display ports and a single HDMI 2.1 port.

MSI has equipped the Gaming X Trio with a massive heatsink and six heat pipes to dissipate the heat efficiently. For the VRMs, it uses 13 phases for the GPU voltage and three phases for the memory voltage.

The card itself takes up a total of 3 slots; however, that is expected from most variants of the Radeon RX 6800 XTs. Two eight-pin power connectors are being used for the power delivery. It also has a max boost frequency of 2285 MHz; while that is not a massive improvement over the reference edition, 

Additionally, it comes with an anti-sag bracket in the box, which is a nice addition given the massive and bulky size of the card.

What We Liked

Firstly, the TOXR FAN 4.0 design for the fans provides impressive airflow for the entire card while also remaining fairly silent. It also features a decent VRM with a total of 16 phases in a 13+3 configuration.

Moreover, the MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio features a phenomenal design which will look good with most builds. The RGB stripes on the logo and the shroud further add to its visual appeal.

What We Disliked

There is not much to complain about the MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio apart from its massive size; however, that is also the case with the rest of the variants we have seen so far. Another thing worth mentioning is the lack of a USB type-C port which was included in other variants, including the reference edition.

What Sets The MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio Apart From Its Competitors?

What stands out about the MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Master X Trio is its incredible value for money. It provides all the features you would expect from a high-end variant of the RX 6800 XT at a much more reasonable price range.

On top of maintaining low temperatures, the MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio manages to remain quiet during operation. The inclusion of a support bracket was a nice move from MSI to avoid any sort of GPU sagging.

Verdict

All in all, the MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio is a GPU worth considering because of its triple-fan TRI FROZR 2 thermal design, 16-phase VRM setup, and a lower price than its competitors, which is why we have crowned it as the Best RX 6800 XT In Budget.

ASUS TUF Gaming RX 6800 XT OC Edition

AMD RX 6800 XT With Best Air Cooling

Specifications: Dimensions: 320 x 140.2 x 57.8 mm | Boost Clock: 2340 MHz | Power Connectors: 2 x 8-Pin | RGB: Yes | Display Outputs: 3 x Display Port 1.4a, 1 x HDMI 2.1 Recommended PSU: 750W

Asus doesn’t spare the opportunity to produce their line of graphic cards, especially for the higher-end ones. This also happens to be the case for the Radeon RX 6800 XT, where Asus launched its TUF gaming variant.

As for the design, Asus retains its TUF gaming style appearance for the Radeon RX 6800 XT as it does with other Asus TUF cards, using the same monochrome charcoal gray theme, same heatsink with thorough ventilation, and overall limited RGB lighting. 

The graphics card is very minimalistic and sleek in design, with the ‘Radeon’ branding present at the front-facing edge below the heat sink. There is also an RGB TUF logo with an RGB light bar that illuminates ever so subtly, providing a neat outlook. 

The card dons a metallic outlook throughout the entire piece apart from the fans that aren’t made from plastic but are constructed from aluminum, giving them a premium appearance and feel.

Furthermore, the angular design is also retained along with the integrated pattern and the TUF Gaming logo present on the back side of the graphics card. The card weighs 1720 grams, which is quite heavy for a high-end graphics card. Speaking of the back side, we can find a full-length aluminum back plate with features of a few indentations behind the memory module or at least where they are located on the front side of the PCB. 

This is mainly done in order to reduce the thickness of the pillow pads, which improves efficiency. There is also a cutout made towards the end of the backplate, which helps to provide a better airflow regulation.  Moving onto the side of the card, we get a single HDMI 2.1 port and three display port 1.48 outputs, where all four display ports are supported simultaneously. Like other Ampere cards, Asus went with a stainless steel I/O bracket which prevents rust and provides a durable mount.

As for the fans, Asus is using their Axial tech, and since there are three of the fans used in the ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition, the rotation of the outer fans have been reversed in order to reduce the turbulence. 

In addition, this graphics card includes a stop feature activated when the GPU temperatures from 55°C. The fans themselves measure 90 mm in diameter and have no RGB present in them. 

What We Liked

The ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition is a package on its own. It offers more of what’s inside than it does from the outside. The heavy weight and size of the graphic card seems justified after we take a peek at what’s inside.

Dismantling the card, we get a rather large and heavy heatsink weighing 1220 grams, which is heavier for an Asus TUF gaming card. The reason for this is that Asus wanted to utilize the maximum area for the heatsink to cram as many aluminum fins as possible.

This allows it also to have seven 6 mm nickel-plated heat pipes that aid in the transference of heat from the base and into the multiple fins. All these nickel-plated heat pipes are connected to a large nickel-plated base, which ultimately cools the GPU and the GDDR6 memory. 

On the backside of the dismantled card, we get a 164 grams aluminum backplate that strengthens the card and reduces or eliminates the PCB sag. Asus has also implemented a series of thermal pads to remove built-up heat from the rear side of the PCB.

Regarding the PCB, we find a 277 mm long by 140 mm tall board, which appears to be a slim board. However, this board is highly populated by components. Among these components, the massive, gigantic 6800 XT die is present that is surrounded by 17 power stages.

Additionally, we get a 14 + 3 power phase design using Infineon’s tda2147270 ampere power stages. We also get two 8-pin power connectors that feed power into the card. We also get a dual-bar switch, which allows you to switch from default performance bios to a quiet bios. 

As for the clock specifications, the ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition gives you a core clock frequency of 2340 MHz, which is a 90 MHz increase over the 2250 MHz default specification. 

What We Disliked

The ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition is truly an exceptional card. For a card like this, we only get one disappointing news which happens to be its availability. Thankfully, GPU prices and availability seem to be recovering quickly.

Apart from that, there is also one minor inconvenience of downloading the GPU Tweak II software to make use of the higher clock speeds.

What Sets The ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition Apart From Its Competitors?

Asus has taken the elite route for the ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition, which is bulkier and more durable than other Asus TUF variants. This sole purpose is to provide better airflow, avoid heat issues, and provide a durable mount. Asus has also used an aluminum plate to cool the VRM components. Furthermore, Asus has gone with an aluminum brace that Asus calls the “reinforced metal frame,” which serves two purposes. 

It acts as strong and durable support for the PCB, helping it to avoid any unnecessary bending under the weight of the gigantic cooler. More importantly, it is used to extract the heat from the VRM components. 

Verdict:

The ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition is an impressive graphics card that is designed to have an effective transfer of heat and function outstandingly with top-of-the-line features. 

With its extra features, clean design, and incredible cooling solution, it is reasonable to say that the ASUS TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT OC Edition easily stands as Radeon RX 6800 XT With Best Air Cooling.

6800 XT vs 6900 XT

The Radeon RX 6800 XT and the Radeon RX 6900 XT are both high-end offerings forms AMD based on the same RDNA 2.0 architecture; however, the Radeon RX 6900 XT is the superior card that comes at a higher price as well.

Going over their similarities, both of these cards come with 16 GB of GDDR6 using a 256-bit memory interface, and both of them also have the same memory bandwidth of 16Gbps. Surprisingly, their reference edition card also shares the same boost frequency.

Since both the Radeon RX 6800 XT and the 6900 XT are part of the 6000 series, they make use of a lot of the same features such as Rage mode and Smart Access Memory. They also have the same TGP of 300W.

However, that is where the similarities end; the Radeon RX 6900 XT comes with 8 more compute units, 8 more ray accelerators, and a total of 5120 Cuda cores compared to the 4608 Cuda cores on the Radeon RX 6800 XT. Both of these cards target 4k Gaming at 60fps; however, the Radeon RX 6900 XT is bound to perform better in most cases, providing a boost in framerates in most games compared to the Radeon RX 6800 XT.

That is not to say that the Radeon RX 6800 XT’s performance is not up to the mark, it is perfectly capable of running games at Native 4k; however, it might struggle with some newer triple-A titles, which is not the case with the Radeon RX 6900 XT.

In conclusion, if you don’t mind sacrificing a few frames in order to save some money, then the 6800 XT is definitely worth considering.; however, if your budget allows you to go for the 6900 XT, then it should constantly provide better performance than the Radeon RX 6800 XT.

RTX 3080 vs 6800 XT

Their similar pricing and performance make It is clear that the Radeon RX 6800 XT is a direct competitor to the GeForce RTX 3080 from Nvidia; however, which one is actually worth buying?

To answer that, you will have to consider a few factors, which are ray tracing performance, price, and availability, just to name a few.

Starting with gaming performance, with ray tracing turned off, both cards trade blows in modern triple-A titles even with 4K resolution. The same goes for 1440p and 1080p. Ray tracing performance is where the Radeon RX 6800 XT takes a major hit. The 2nd generation RT cores from Nvidia give the GeForce RTX 3080 an edge over the Radeon RX 6800 XT in terms of ray tracing performance.

Going over their specifications, the GeForce RTX 3080 comes equipped with 8704 shading units which is a huge increase over the 4608 Cuda cores in the Radeon RX 6800 XT.

While the GeForce RTX 3080 only comes with 10GB of VRAM, AMD has added 16 GB of GDDR6 memory with the Radeon RX 6800 XT, which can be a huge advantage, especially when gaming at higher resolutions. The Radeon RX 6800 XT also has a slightly lower TGP of 300W compared to the 320W TGP of the GeForce RTX 3080.

Apart from their specifications, the GeForce RTX 3080 also benefits from DLSS; however, FSR seems to be catching up to DLSS with the release of FSR 2.0.

Pricing and availability is where the RX 6800 XT truly shines; with a lower MSRP than the GeForce RTX 3080, it provides better value for your money. The Radeon RX 6800 XT also comes with features such as RAGE mode and Smart Access Memory technology, giving it a slight edge over the GeForce RTX 3080. In conclusion, if you do not care about features such as DLSS or ray tracing, then the Radeon RX 6800 XT is the way to go, it provides a better price-to-performance ratio while also being slightly cheaper.

However, the Radeon RX 6800 XT does provide slightly better performance compared to the GeForce RTX 3080, while the GeForce RTX 3080 provides significantly better ray tracing performance. DLSS can also be seen as a huge plus for team green.

In terms of mining, the Radeon RX 6800 XT mining profitability is around $40 USD per month, with a hash rate of 64 MH/s. On the other hand, the GeForce RTX 3080 offers a much better hash rate of 102 MH/s.

You can also check out our article on Best RTX 3080 cards if you are interested in getting a GeForce RTX 3080.

How We Selected The Best RX 6800 XT Graphics Card

Here are a few factors you need to consider on your hunt for the Best aftermarket RX 6800 XT.

VRM

The Voltage Regulator Module, or the VRM, as the name suggests, regulates the power delivery to any electrical component. Which is why it is important to go for a card with a decent VRM setup. A good VRM setup is especially important if you intend on overclocking your card in the near future.

Power limit

Since modern cards have the potential to boost to incredible clock speeds, the only thing holding them back is the power limit of the card and the cooling performance. This makes going for a card with a higher power limit extremely important.

Another thing worth mentioning is that different variants of the cards might come with different power limits. Higher-end options usually come with a significantly higher limit than the reference edition card, providing much better performance.

Performance

There are a ton of factors that affect the overall performance of your particular graphics card. Different variants of the RX 6800 XT offer different levels of performance depending on their VRM setup, power limit, and cooling solutions. These are factors that directly impact the performance of your card,

This is why going for cards equipped with beefier VRM setups and a higher power limit will always provide better performance.

Temperatures and Cooling

While high power limits enable the GPU to boost up to high clock speeds, it also increases the temperature of your card. It is important to ensure that your card has enough cooling performance to keep up with the card’s speed.

The cooling system used for your GPU becomes particularly important when overclocking. Since overclocking pushes your GPU to its very limits, a great cooling system is required to avoid issues such as thermal throttling.

Size

Most modern graphic cards come with massive heatsinks and cooling solutions, increasing their overall size. Checking if the card fits inside your PC case before finalizing your decision to purchase the card is extremely important.