Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti vs. AMD RX 6900 XT: which is best?
AMD's RX 6900 XT and Nvidia's RTX 3080 Ti are excellent graphics cards and some of the most popular on the market. They both are great for 4K gaming, but which one to choose? In this article, we compare these top graphics cards to find the optimal one.
Gaming performance
There is a slight difference in 4K performance between RTX 3080 Ti and RX 6900 XT graphics cards: around 1.8% lead of the latter. AMD RX 6900 XT card was 8.7% faster at 1440p and 13.7% faster at 1080p. However, even if it looks like RX 6900 XT is best in 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, there are still some details that are important to consider:
- RX 6900 XT shows a 19% in Assassin's Creed Valhalla and 28.9% lead in Forza Horizon 5, since these games often favor AMD graphics cards.
- At the same time, RTX 3080 Ti shows better performance in other games, such as Rainbow Six Siege, Red Dead Redemption 2, Gears Tactics. Although, the difference is also slight.
So, if you play at 4K, both cards offer great and nearly equal experience. However, if you play many different games and use an Intel processor, then Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti is a more suitable option.
Ray tracing performance
To achieve ray tracing, you need a supersampling solution.
- The RTX 3080 Ti comes with Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) that utilizes the Tensor cores on the GPU to enhance the image quality by upscaling it from a lower resolution. It is great, but it only works with RTX graphics cards.
- AMD has FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), a supersampling solution that is compatible with any graphics card. However, it doesn't deliver the same level of visual performance as DLSS, and you won't find it in many games.
So, in this "battle", RTX 3080 Ti is a winner since it offers a better graphic experience and is more widespread in games.
Availability and price
The RTX 3080 Ti was launched in 2021 and was selling for $1,200, and the RX 6900 XT was launched in 2020 and was selling for a price of around $1000. Today, you can buy the RTX 3080 ti for about $850-1000 and RX 6900 XT for about $750-1200. You can find lower prices on those graphics cards when buying second-hand. Also, there are many alternative options nowadays.
Specs
| RTX 3080 Ti | RX 6900 XT | |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | GA102-225 | Navi 21 XTX |
| Interface | PCle 4.0 x 16 | PCle 4.0 x 16 |
| CUDA cores/shading units | 10,240 | 5,120 |
| Tensor cores | 320 | N/A |
| RT cores/accelerators | 80 | 80 |
| Base clock | 1,365MHz | 1,825MHz |
| Boost clock | 1,665MHz | 2,2250MHz |
| Memory | 12GB GDDR6X | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Memory speed | 19Gbps | 16Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 912GBps | 512GBps |
| Memory bus | 384-bit | 256-bit |
| TDP | 320W | 300W |
| Price | $850 | $750 |
Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti vs. AMD RX 6900 XT: which graphics card is the best?
In general, RX 6900 XT seems a more convenient choice since it is cheaper, comparable to RTX 3080 Ti in performance matter and it is great when paired with the top AMD processors. The RTX 3080 Ti is more expensive, but it offers DLSS and ray tracing and can better handle the latest games that demand more complex video performance.