RX 6700 XT Vs. RX 6800: AMD's $479 & $579 Radeon Cards Compared
AMD just launched its all-new RX 6700 XT graphics card, and compared to the RX 6800, it makes for a really interesting alternative. AMD is marketing the RX 6700 XT as the GPU that's going to redefine 1440p PC gaming for those on a budget, and while it certainly packs a mighty punch for the price, the RX 6800 delivers a few upgraded specs across the board for not that much more cash. As such, deciding which to buy becomes a pretty tough decision.
The AMD RX 6800 was released in late 2020 while the RX 6700 XT was unveiled in March 2021. Both cards are designed to deliver ample graphics performance at reasonable price tags, which is something everyone can get behind in a world where budgets are still tight for a lot of people. The RX 6800 and RX 6700 XT offer a lot of the same features that most gamers are looking for, and with both sharing a few spec advantages over the other, deciding which is the best overall buy could look different for everyone.
Diving right into the specs, the RX 6800 features a game frequency of 1.8GHz and a boost frequency of 2.1GHz. This is one area where the RX 6700 XT actually comes out ahead, offering 2.4GHz and 2.6GHz, respectively. It also offers generous compute units and render output units (ROPs), coming in at 40 and 64. By comparison, though, the RX 6800 has 60 compute units and 96 ROPs. Gamers looking for the best memory will also be better-suited by the RX 6800, which has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM, memory bandwidth up to 512GB/s, and an infinity cache of 128MB. The RX 6700 XT is no memory slouch by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not quite as impressive. Here, users get 12GB of GDDR6 RAM, memory bandwidth up to 384GB/s, and a 96MB infinity cache.
In regards to popular rendering formats, the RX 6800 and RX 6700 XT are basically identical. Both cards feature 4K via HDMI 2.1, 4K H264 decoding and encoding, and AV1 decoding (just to name a few). If power usage is a concern, the RX 6700 XT is the more efficient choice with 230W of typical board power compared to 250W on the RX 6800.
And, of course, there's the matter of price. The RX 6700 XT is the more affordable option at just $479, where the RX 6800 will set shoppers back $579. For someone that's targeting 1440p gaming and doesn't need the absolute most powerful specs in this price range, the RX 6700 XT is a fantastic purchase. It offers ample performance, high-end features, and won't break the bank. The RX 6800 is just as good of a deal for shoppers that want or need its added horsepower, but that's ultimately going to depend on what games/applications it's going to be used for. Either way, it's hard to go wrong with either one.