With the Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics cards, AMD is putting pressure on Nvidia’s high-end models RTX 3070 and RTX 3080. The particularly efficient graphics cards with AMD Navi-21-XT graphics chip are a convincing alternative on the market thanks to 7 nm production.
Since the start, custom designs have also been on the market, which shine above all with a better cooling concept compared to the reference design. AMD is aggressive in terms of price, undercutting the RRP of Nvidia’s RTX 3080 and thus bringing movement to the upper-class graphics card market. The Radeon RX 6800 XT is currently cheaper than the slightly faster Geforce RTX 3080 from nVidia and is therefore an absolute price breaker.
The HardwareSchotte editors will help you with the purchase and tell you which Radeon RX 6800 XT models are recommended.
The best AMD Radeon RX 6800XT graphics cards
- SAPPHIRE NITRO+ AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT SE Gaming 16GB
- ASUS TUF GAMING Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB
- PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB
- SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB
- XFX Speedster SWFT 319 Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE Gaming 16GB
- XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6800 XT CORE Gaming
How fast is the AMD Radeon RX 6800XT in comparison?
The middle Navi 21 model from AMD is just below the performance level of an RTX 3080 in most benchmarks and games, i.e. much faster than an RTX 3070 but significantly slower than the RTX 3090 from nVidia. So if you play games in WQHD resolution, you will be well served with this card. But it shouldn’t have any problems with many games in 4K either.
You can find a more precise classification in the performance ranking in our graphics card purchase advice.
Which power supply do I need for a Radeon RX 6800XT?
A good 700W power supply is sufficient to operate an RX 6800 XT. It is important that it is relatively up-to-date and has at least two 8-pin PCIe connectors (depending on the model). The consumption under load is a maximum of 340 watts (only the card itself) for models overclocked ex works. If you also overclock your CPU, you should use at least 750 watts to be on the safe side.
How much faster is an RX 6800XT compared to an RX 5700XT?
An AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is on average around 80 percent faster than an RX 5700XT, AMD’s previous gaming flagship. Depending on the resolution, game, and quality settings, it can also be a little more or less. A direct comparison is not fair, because the RX 6800 XT is in a completely different performance class – and of course also price class.
Do you prefer an AMD Radeon RX 6800XT or Nvidia RTX 3080/3070?
The performance of the AMD RX 6800 XT is significantly better than that of an Nvidia RTX 3070. 16GB instead of 8GB is also available for memory. So if you want almost the performance of an RTX 3080 at a slightly lower price, you should go for the RX 6800 XT.
What do the different RX 6800XT models offer?
The biggest difference between the respective models lies in the cooling solution. Simple RX 6800XT graphics cards are equipped with coolers with two fans. The high-end models all have three fans and a very large heat sink for quiet but powerful cooling.
Which CPU fits an RX 6800 XT?
It also depends on the respective game, the resolution, and the details set in it. There is no general answer possible here. However, you should already have at least a reasonably current Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 installed so that the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT can also be fed with sufficient data.
What about the availability of the AMD Radeon 6800 XT?
After the lack of chips, mainly caused by mining, was very large, the situation calmed down and more graphics cards for end customers are coming onto the market again. As a result, the prices of all models are finally falling.
