AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Review

The RX 6900 XT is AMD'south almost expensive Radeon product ever to characteristic a single GPU at $1,000. We had seen improvident Radeon GPUs that broke that thousand dollar barrier in previous generations, but those always carried dual GPUs such equally the $1,000 Radeon HD 7990 or the insane $ane,500 Radeon R9 295X2, though neither of those were neat every bit they relied heavily on Crossfire driver and game back up.

The Radeon RX 6900 XT doesn't endure from those issues, packing a single GPU with 5120 cores. However, that doesn't mean it's whatever improve in terms of value. When compared to the 6800 XT we're getting merely 11% more cores and TMUs with the aforementioned 128 ROPs. The cores clock upward to the same 2250 MHz and because the memory subsystem goes unchanged, nosotros're all the same looking at 16GB of GDDR6 16Gbps memory on a 256-bit broad memory bus for a superlative bandwidth of 512GB/south.

On paper, the RX 6900 XT is set to exist no more than xi% faster than the 6800 XT while costing over 50% more, at least co-ordinate to the suggested retail price. That'south all yous demand to know most the 6900 XT, simply of form, we'll put information technology to the test, because that'south kind of what we do hither.

For the sake of practicality, nosotros won't make this an overly long review. Just similar we did when reviewing the GeForce RTX 3090, we'll wait at a number of games and jump into 18 game average graphs, followed by cost per frame and all that good stuff.

	GeForce RTX 3090	GeForce RTX 3080	Radeon RX 6900 XT	Radeon RX 6800 XT	Radeon RX 6800
Cost (MSRP)	$1500	$700	$1000	$650	$580
Release Date	Sept. 2022		December. 2022	Nov. 2022
Procedure	Samsung 8N		TSMC N7
Transistors (billion)	28.three		26.viii
Die Size (mm2)	628.4		519
Cadre Config	10496 / 328 / 112	8704 / 272 / 96	5120 / 320 / 128	4608 / 288 / 128	3840 / 240 / 96
Core Clock Frequency	1400 / 1700 MHz	1440 / 1710 MHz	2015 / 2250 MHz	2015 / 2250 MHz	1815 / 2105 MHz
Retentivity Chapters	24 GB	ten GB	16GB
Memory Speed	19.5 Gbps	19 Gbps	sixteen Gbps
Memory Type	GDDR6X		GDDR6
Passenger vehicle Type / Bandwidth	384-bit / 935.8 GB/s	320-chip / 760 GB/s	256-chip / 512 GB/south
TGP	320 watt		300 watt		250 watt

It'south worth mentioning the RTX 3090 equally the 6900 XT wouldn't exist without it. We're certain you've noticed over the years how mainstream video gaming has get, if you're under the historic period of xxx and don't play video games, you're now considered an outlier. As gaming grew in popularity, PC hardware need surged, and while some people assume that increased demand ways mass product and therefore lower prices, that isn't e'er the case.

With limited competition and increased difficulty to achieve performance gains, pricing of graphics cards has just continued to climb. Products like the RTX 3080 and 6800 XT are likely quite reasonably priced, merely why limit yourself to reasonably priced graphics cards when there's a market for more exotic, over the meridian products, like the $one,500 RTX 3090?

Nvidia has been testing the waters with flagship GPUs priced well over $1,000 for years now and have discovered in that location are those willing to spend large dollars just to take the all-time, fifty-fifty if it's best by a very small margin. In the case of the RTX 3090, they decided to offer a gaming graphics card that's less than twenty% faster than their side by side best offering, while charging over twice as much.

AMD has followed arrange and created the RX 6900 XT, assuasive them to cash in on gamers with more money than sense. The premium may be less drastic, only you lot're also getting less gains with no added perks. At to the lowest degree the RTX 3090 offers over twice the VRAM capacity at 24 GB vs. 10GB for the 3080. As we mentioned a moment ago, the 6900 XT shares the same 16GB configuration as the 6800 XT, which makes it less special.

That too ways the RX 6900 XT packs 33% less VRAM than the RTX 3090. The fact that information technology'south 33% cheaper might non convince gamers with deep pockets to give AMD a go, but with availability the way information technology is, we guess near will simply go with whatever they tin can find available.

The test organisation for this review is powered by the Ryzen 9 3950X with 32GB of DDR4-3200 CL14 retentivity in a dual-rank, dual-channel configuration on the MSI X570 Unify motherboard. Let's get into the results...

Benchmarks

Starting with Death Stranding at 1440p, we find that the 6900 XT is only four% faster than the 6800 XT and 3090. We're likely running into a CPU limitation with average frame rates over 160.

Moving to 4K does confirm we were CPU limited with pinnacle-finish GPUs at 1440p as the 6900 XT at present scores 14% faster than the 6800 XT, which is beyond what we were expecting to encounter. With this, the 6900 XT is able to edge alee of the RTX 3090 by a mere 3%.

Moving on to Rainbow Six Siege, nosotros see that at 1440p the 6900 XT is 7% faster than the 6800 XT, and that's about what we're expecting to come across more of. The margin opens upwardly to 10% at 4K and that puts the 6900 XT ahead of the RTX 3080 but nonetheless 8% backside the 3090.

Next we have Lookout Dogs Legion and at 1440p the 6900 XT was 11% faster than the 6800 XT, jumping up to 85 fps to 94 fps, nudging information technology ahead of the RTX 3090.

Then at 4K we're looking at a 12% operation increase for the 6900 XT over the 6800 XT, but that meant information technology was notwithstanding 10% lower than the 3090.

The 6900 XT looks mighty in Assassin'south Creed Valhalla, offering a 12% performance increase from the 6800 XT at 1440p to make it 28% faster than the RTX 3090. Go along in heed this is an AMD sponsored championship, but still impressive performance.

At 4K, the RTX 3090 comes dorsum quite heavily, though the 6900 XT was able to crush it past an viii% margin with 64 fps on boilerplate. That meant information technology was 12% faster than the 6800 XT.

Doom Eternal saw the 6900 XT delivering a 7% performance boost from the 6800 XT at 1440p, though that meant it was still 4% slower than the 3090. The margin to the 3090 grew at 4K every bit here the 6900 XT was 9% slower, though information technology was also now nine% faster than the 6800 XT.

The terminal game we're going to evidence individually is Godfall, where the 6900 XT was 6% faster than the 6800 XT and just 2% faster than the 3090 at 1440p.

Then at 4K, the 6900 XT was eight% faster than the 6800 XT which meant it trailed the RTX 3090 by a 7% margin.

Performance Summary

The Radeon RX 6900 XT is upward to 12% faster than the 6800 XT and although it merely has eleven% more than cores, we suspect our graphics menu sample was maintaining higher clock speeds in those titles when compared to the 6800 XT. Needless to say, 12% is uninspiring for paying over fifty% more than.

Here's a wait at the xviii game average data at 1080p, 1440p and 4K earlier moving into the power, temps, overclocking and price per frame graphs. Nosotros likewise plan to wait at ray tracing performance...

For those targeting low resolution, high refresh charge per unit gaming the Radeon RX 6900 XT is a better choice than the GeForce RTX 3090, though it's typically not that much better. It's likewise not much improve than the 6800 XT... we're talking well-nigh a five% boost on boilerplate.

The 1440p gains are ever so slightly improved. The 6900 XT is on average eight% faster than the 6800 XT and just two% faster than the 3090.

The 6900 XT is on boilerplate ten% faster than the 6800 XT at 4K, just too vi% slower than the RTX 3090. Given the performance you're getting from the RTX 3080 and 6800 XT, it's quite clear neither the 6900 XT or RTX 3090 brand an ounce of sense.

Ray Tracing Performance

Here'due south a expect at ray tracing operation in Command at 1440p using the medium and loftier quality setting. We've besides tested the RTX 3090 with and without DLSS enabled. We're looking at a 43% reduction in functioning for the 6900 XT with medium quality RT enabled while the 3090 sees merely a 23% reduction and remains very playable.

Moreover, if we enable DLSS we see no decrease in performance using high quality ray tracing.

Plainly this game was developed and optimized to take advantage of Nvidia's hardware, so it should come up as piddling surprise that it works much ameliorate and this is something we're going to encounter with all the RTX titles tested.

Another case would be Fortnite which is basically broken with RT enabled on the 6900 XT in terms of performance. The operation hitting is pretty disgusting on the RTX 3090 besides, and even DLSS struggles to get usa anywhere near native performance. This championship becomes visually impressive with RT enabled, only it's not a game you'd necessarily play with this characteristic turned on given its fast paced activeness and need for high fps.

Like Control, Metro Exodus was optimized for Turing, and then it plays well with Ampere and not and then well with RDNA2'southward RT back up. Hither we're looking at a 66% reduction in performance when using ultra quality ray tracing with the 6900 XT, but but a 31% reduction with the RTX 3090.

In my stance ray tracing in Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a complete bosom and we struggle to tell when it's enabled. So the 71% hit to frame rates when using ultra ray traced shadows on the 6900 XT is unacceptable and then is the 36% hitting seen with the RTX 3090.

Finally we take Sentinel Dogs Legion, which is one of ii games that actually uses ray traced effects well -- the other being Control. The RX 6900 XT faces a 56% performance reduction with ultra ray tracing enabled, whereas the RTX 3090 saw a 35% reduction and then simply 12% with DLSS enabled.

Ability

Hither's a look at total arrangement power consumption and surprisingly the 6900 XT only uses slightly more power than the 6800 XT, presumably we're looking at improve quality silicon hither.

Using Nvidia'south PCAT nosotros also run across that the 6900 XT uses slightly more than power than the 6800 XT -- almost a 1% increase in power usage -- which may be down to the 6900 XT using college quality silicon. When compared to the RTX 3090, the 6900 XT consumed 14% less power, though it's also slower in Doom which nosotros utilise for this test.

When looking at performance per watt we run across that the 6900 XT is only slightly better than the RTX 3090.

Our AMD 6900 XT reference carte ran 5C hotter than the 6800 XT despite using but a few watts more power. Withal, there is a large difference in fan speed, whereas the 6800 XT carte du jour spun its fans at 1500 RPM, the 6900 XT ran at but 1100 RPM which makes the 80C top temperature quite impressive.

After thirty minutes in Shadow of the Tomb Raider nosotros saw an average clock frequency of 2260 MHz which is around 50 MHz higher than the 6800 XT.

Overclocking

Merely similar our AMD reference 6800 XT, the 6900 XT graphics bill of fare isn't a great overclocker. Pushing it upward to 2.vii GHz saw a typical clock frequency in games of around 2550 MHz, and while that'south a 13% increase, it only additional operation in Assassin'southward Creed Valhalla by 5%, 3% in Shadow of the Tomb Raider and 5% in Watch Dogs Legion.

We don't know why the gains are then weak, but this is similar overclocking behavior to what was seen with the reference spec 6800 XT.

Cost Per Frame

The showtime toll per frame graph focuses on 1080p. Hither we're seeing that the 6900 XT comes in 47% more plush per frame when compared to the 6800 XT, and then that's kind of terrible. Information technology represents the same kind of value as something like an RTX 2080 Super. It does look great in terms of value when compared to the RTX 3090, just that's just how bad the 3090 is.

Things don't amend much for the 6900 XT at 1440p, where it's 43% more costly per frame when compared to the 6800 XT, despite being 35% better value per frame than the RTX 3090.

Then at 4K, the 6900 XT is twoscore% more costly per frame when compared to the 6800 XT, though it'due south almost xxx% amend value per frame than the RTX 3090. Still, with the RTX 3080 and 6800 XT offering a similar level of value, it'due south off-white to say the 6900 XT is terrible and the RTX 3090 is horrendous.

Bottom Line

The Radeon RX 6900 XT was never going to brand sense, not unlike the GeForce RTX 3090, even though Nvidia'southward card does get you a lot more VRAM. Essentially, the Radeon RX 6900 XT is the same as a 6800 XT with a few actress cores enabled for a ~v-ten% functioning heave.

For the 6900 XT to make sense from a value perspective, it shouldn't exceed the $750 price signal, assuming you could buy a 6800 XT for $650 which you really tin't right now, but we're hoping for that come up early 2022. In a world where GPU availability wasn't an issue, at that place is literally zilch reason to buy the 6900 XT. The same is also true for the RTX 3090 over the 3080, unless you required the extra VRAM for some reason. Short of that, at that place's no reason to spend much more money for the basically the same product.

Now, allow's for a moment pretend that both products were reasonably priced, which ane should you buy? If you're gaming at 4K or intendance virtually ray tracing functioning, then we think the RTX 3090 is the meliorate product. Information technology's too early on to phone call the ray tracing battle, but if you're just interested in the games we accept available today, so the GeForce GPU is the style to go.

For those gaming at 1440p or lower, the 6900 XT is typically the puncher carte, though for the near role it's too shut to call. So if they were available at the same price, and it was a reasonable price, we feel the RTX 3090 would be the superior product. However, at $1,500 for the 3090 and $1,000 for the 6900 XT, the Radeon GPU is the meliorate option, assuming yous're non heavily focused on ray tracing and nosotros think that might be an issue for AMD with these extreme high-end GPUs.

Typically those with super deep pockets who don't care that they're spending 50% or more for ten% or less performance, probably won't intendance if it costs $1,000 or $ane,500, they'll merely become with the outright all-time product, and as we've said we call up that product is the RTX 3090. It offers 50% more VRAM, more than mature ray tracing support that'due south currently yielding far better results, DLSS 2.0 back up, and for the most part superior 4K performance.

The Radeon RX 6900 XT is kind of stuck in this foreign place where it'southward really bad value compared to the 6800 XT, adept value compared to the RTX 3090, but people looking to invest in this course of GPU won't care near value, they just desire the best of the best and in our opinion that isn't the 6900 XT. Who is going to buy the 6900 XT? Dice-hard AMD fans and people who badly want a 6800 XT but tin can't notice one and aren't willing to look. We're looking at you.

That'southward going to do it for our Radeon RX 6900 XT review. In brusk, don't buy information technology, doing then will but ensure that the next GPU generation is fifty-fifty more than expensive. Then once again, we said that about the RTX 3090 and they've been selling like hotcakes, and then we judge budget gaming is doomed.