AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is AMD's first graphics card in years that actually challenges Nvidia at the high-end. However, the performance here doesn't knock Nvidia off its throne, especially in modern DX12 games.

Both NVIDIA and AMD have a lot going for them in this generation – and that’s perhaps the most important point of all. Competition in the high-end GPU market is fiercer than it has been for years, and gamers and enthusiasts have many excellent options to choose from. At their respective $579 and $649 price point, the Radeon RX 6800 and Radeon RX 6800 XT are compelling options that offer strong overall performance and should serve gamers well for years to come.

The Radeon RX 6800 XT trades blows with the RTX 3080 at 4K and meets or beats it at lower resolutions. It also packs 6GB more memory than Nvidia's card, all for $50 less. GeForce GPUs hold a ray tracing advantage however.

We feel Nvidia's RTX 30 Series remains the most complete solution right now, but let's make no bones about it, AMD is certainly back in the high-end PC graphics game with Radeon RX 6000 Series. Roll on RDNA 3.

AMD now has the performance to compete directly with NVIDIA, and any small disparity in performance with the RX 6800 XT vs. the RTX 3080 was clearly accounted for with the Radeon’s $50 lower MSRP. For its part the RX 6800 seems priced fairly at $579. Beyond raw performance, features (ray tracing, Smart Access Memory, etc.) play a role in the overall story, and we need to wait for mature drivers (and a Ryzen 5000 CPU) to explore all aspects of these new GPUs.

The Radeon RX 6800 XT is a great graphics card for ray traced gaming at 1080p and 1440p and comes within spitting distance of the RTX 3080 for rasterization at 4K. If you’re gaming at 4K and interested in ray tracing, it may be best to wait until FidelityFX Super Resolution releases and provides an alternative to DLSS, but in pure value for dollar, this card is a winner.

AMD has delivered a highly competitive high-end gaming GPU in the form of the RX 6800 XT, offering both better value and better performance per Watt when compared to the RTX 3080. Who knows what Nvidia will do next, but this is surely the start of a hugely exciting time for gaming GPUs.

All of which means that we finally, finally, have AMD graphics cards which match their competitor, just as the Ryzen CPUs easily match - and sometimes best - the Intel ones. The Ryzen comparison is pretty apt, as these RDNA 2 cards are like the first-gen Ryzen CPUs. Suddenly, AMD has been put back where they belong as real contenders for your hard-earned cash. Which one would we buy? Probably the plain RX 6800, but it's a tight run thing, and your 4K needs will guide you. Welcome back Radeon, we've missed you.

AMD seems to be at Peak Radeon right now, with the Radeon RX 6800 XT a total home run. The new RDNA 2 architecture is stellar, overclocking is great, everything is great -- pair this with a Zen 3 CPU and you have the ultimate gaming PC.