AMD Punches Back at Nvidia with RX 6000 Graphics Card Refresh

AMD refreshed its Radeon RX 6000-series graphics playing cards at the moment, and the chipmaker isn’t holding any punches in opposition to Nvidia’s RTX line. The firm outright claims the three new desktop playing cards launched at the moment, the RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6950 XT, outperform their equal GeForce RTX playing cards. Is that true? It is determined by the way you take a look at the numbers (I’ll get to that later).

Based on AMD’s RDNA 2 structure, these refreshes are primarily supercharged variations of the RX 6000 playing cards AMD revealed on the finish of 2020. While this trio of playing cards shares specs with its predecessors, three primary updates allow quicker efficiency: larger sport clocks, quicker GDDR6 reminiscence, and enhanced software program.

Radeon RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, RX 6950 XT worth and launch date

The Radeon RX 6950 XT, RX 6750 XT, and RX 6650 XT can be found beginning at the moment. AMD says the RX 6650 XT will likely be priced at $399, whereas the RX 6750 XT will price $549 and the RX 6950 XT will go for $1,099. These will likely be obtainable on AMD’s web site and bought by means of its companions.

As everyone knows, these playing cards may in a short time promote out and be relisted for larger than MSRP instantly afterward, so be fast in case you’re out there for a high-performance GPU.

The Radeon RX 6650 is the one card changing its predecessor, the RX 6600 XT, whereas the 2 higher-end fashions will likely be bought alongside their older counterparts. The RX 6800, by the best way, isn’t going anyplace.

Radeon RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, RX 6950 specs

The three refreshed playing cards have acquainted specs to the RX 6000-series chips launched greater than a yr in the past, which isn’t any shock provided that they’re 7-nanometer chips primarily based on RDNA 2.

The RX 6950 XT retains 80 compute models, 80 ray accelerators, 5,210 stream processors, 26.8 billion transistors, and 16GB of GDDR6 reminiscence. The primary distinction is that the bottom GPU clock is up from 2,015 MHz to 2,100 MHz and the increase frequency can be getting a bump from 2250 MHz to 2310 MHz.

Similarly, the RX 6750 XT (12GB vRAM) jumps from a sport clock velocity of two,424 to 2,495 MHz and boosts to 2600 MHz from 2,581 MHz. Lastly, the RX 6650 XT (8GB vRAM) jumps from a sport clock of two,359 MHz to 2,410 MHz and a lift of two,589 MHz to 2,635 MHz. These chips additionally use quicker GDDR6 reminiscence.

Radeon RX 6650 XT, RX 6750 XT, RX 6950 energy necessities

The RX 6950 XT operates at 335W, up from 300W, and AMD nonetheless recommends an 850W energy provide for it. The RX 6750 XT operates at 250W (up from 230W), whereas the RX 6650 XT chews up 180W (up from 160W). The former wants a 650W provide whereas the latter requires a 500W provide.

AMD Radeon RX 6950 efficiency

AMD says the RX 6950 XT with 16GB of VRAM is competing with the Nvidia RTX 3090 GPU and might put up a battle in opposition to the RTX 3090 Ti. Where AMD claims a transparent victory is in performance-to-wattage ratio; the RX 6950 XT operates at 335W, whereas the RTX 3090 runs at 350W and the 3090 Ti at 450W.

Based on AMD’s inside efficiency benchmarks, the RX 6950 XT topped the RTX 3090 in Doom Eternal, Far Cry 6, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Watch Dogs Legion, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

In most instances, the margins are skinny. Set to 4K decision at Ultra settings, the RX 6950 XT supposedly outpaces the RTX 3090 by a single body (77 fps vs. 76 fps) in Deathloop, whereas the RX 6900 XT reached 74 fps. Similarly, in Forza Horizon 5, the brand new AMD GPU hits 69 fps, up three frames over the earlier mannequin and solely 4 frames forward of the RTX 3090. The margin is wider on some video games; for instance, the RTX 6950 XT hits 152 fps in F1 2021 whereas the RTX 3090 coasts at 120 fps.

These benchmarks, it must be mentioned, have been hand-selected by AMD, so there could possibly be instances the place the Radeon RX 6950 XT falls in need of the RTX 3090. The similar goes for all different benchmarks on this article, whatever the card. To its credit score, AMD included a number of of those situations: the Radeon is one body off RTX tempo in Cyberpunk 2077, and 4% beneath in Grand Theft Auto V. It additionally struggled in Deathloop at 1440p, reaching 93 fps in contrast with the RTX 3090’s 106 fps. Zooming out, the RTX 6950 XT provides round 5 to 10 frames in contrast with the RX 6900 XT in most video games.

AMD can be claiming the RX 6950 XT delivers a significantly better price-to-performance ratio, however as we’ve realized over the previous few years that costs on any GPU are transferring targets. That mentioned, in case you can get the RX 6950 XT at its $1,299 retail worth, you’ll spend lots of lower than on an RTX 3090 and RTX 3090 Ti, that are going for greater than $1,799 and $1,999, respectively, primarily based on the present market.

AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT efficiency

Moving down the stack, AMD is evaluating the Radeon RX 6750 XT to the GeForce RTX 3070. The firm admits the RX 6700 couldn’t preserve tempo with it, however claims this refresh pushes forward of Nvidia’s possibility.

Benchmarks supplied by AMD present the RX 6750 XT tops the RTX 3070 in lots of video games by as much as 21%, although most benefits are marginal and Nvidia’s card took the lead in a handful of video games. Starting with the biggest margin, the RX topped the RTX by 21% in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and 17% in Death Stranding however struggled in Overwatch (-11%) and in Control (-7%).

These numbers are fairly intently matched, and Nvidia really wins with regards to energy consumption, working at a decrease 220W than the 250W RX 6750 XT. The RTX 3070, nevertheless, is promoting for greater than the brand new AMD card, although evaluating market charges versus retail isn’t precisely honest. It’s additionally price mentioning that Nvidia has launched an RTX 3070 Ti that will get even higher efficiency and doesn’t price way more than the RTX 3070.

AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT efficiency

AMD pits the RX 6650 XT in opposition to the RTX 3060, and on this one, the Radeon is the clear winner in AMD’s benchmarks. It topped the RTX 3060 in every of the supplied benchmarks, beating the RTX by as much as 43% (in F1 2021 at 1080p). It outpaced the RTX 3060 in Borderlands 3 by 40%, Cyberpunk 2077 by 15%, and Far Cry 6 by 26%.

To offer you an concept of real-world efficiency, the RX 6650 XT can supposedly play Deathloop at 100 fps on 1080p graphics settings when set to Ultra. Metro Exodus, Red Dead Redemption 2, and God of War, will run within the low-to-mid 60 fps vary, whereas Battlefield 5, Hitman 3, and Apex Legends will simply attain past 150 fps at 1080p on Ultra.

We didn’t get any comparisons in opposition to the RTX 3060 Ti, which retails (however doesn’t at present promote) on the similar worth because the RX 6650 XT.

AMD software program enhancements

Also arriving with these playing cards are updates to AMD’s software program suite that are supposed to enhance gaming efficiency. The chipmaker says its 21.50 driver permits as much as 13% quicker efficiency, or 5% on common, over the 22.10 model (on the RX 6950 XT).

When it involves the consumer expertise, AMD is including a sharpness slider to Super Resolution 1.1. The firm additionally teased FSR 2.0, claiming Deathloop performs at 121 frames per second, up from 73 fps, when upscaled. Additional video games planning so as to add future assist for FSR 2.0 “in the coming months” embody Asterigos, Delysium, EVE Online, Farming Simulator 22, Forspoken, Grounded, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NiShuiHan, Perfect World Remake, Swordsman Remake, and Unknown 9: Awakening.

Overall, these refreshed playing cards supply marginal updates to the earlier variations and can maintain over players who’re in determined want of a GPU. If you could find them at their retail worth, these 6X50 playing cards could possibly be good alternate options to Nvidia’s RTX 30-series merchandise. However, in case you can wait, AMD’s RDNA 3 (And Nvidia’s RTX 4000) graphics playing cards are on the horizon.