Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 vs. AMD Radeon 6950 XT: Which GPU must you obtain?

The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT has been an attention-grabbing GPU this technology. It’s equally more cost-effective than the competing Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090—and in some cases faster, also. It is now been refreshed with the RX 6950 XT, a late entrant into the tumultuous GPU industry. Nvidia has also performed its section with the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which delivers amazing overall performance, albeit with a higher charge and energy draw at 450W TDP.  

With the authentic RTX 3090 cost lately reducing a bit, it helps make for an intriguing comparison towards the newer AMD RX 6950 XT. The RTX 3090 Ti provides additional general performance, but is significantly outside the house of the rate bracket of the RX 6950 XT. Is this AMD refresh enough to push performance for AMD ahead of Nvidia, even in the murky waters of ray tracing? Much more importantly, does it go the needle for large-finish avid gamers more than enough for them to change their allegiance from Nvidia to AMD? Let us locate out!

Brad Chacos

Nvidia RTX 3090 vs. AMD 6950XT: Price tag

Relax. You can easily obtain both of those GPUs in inventory now at most suppliers, and commonly at near to MSRP. The GPU marketplace has seasoned a substantial downturn during the past many months, with selling prices immediately dropping from their stratospheric amounts. 

The AMD RX 6950XT will come in at a $1,099 MSRP for the reference design, and some 3rd-occasion versions assortment from $1,199 to $1,299. A modest bump from the $999 6900XT pricing—but it does not mean they are a wonderful offer. With the declining GPU industry and murmurs of the upcoming-technology GPUs coming out this yr, it has considerably dampened need and enthusiasm for this amount of GPU. 

The Nvidia RTX 3090 has also seasoned substantially lessen demand from customers, ensuing in quickly falling pricing. Even though you’re nevertheless not likely to uncover a $1,499 Founders Edition at MSRP, most models these kinds of as those from the EVGA RTX 3090 lineup have professional a considerable rate fall, coming in as small as $1,609 for the Black sequence. (The 3090 Ti debuted at $1,999, a huge improve around the RTX 3090—and it’s previously getting discounted at many merchants, way too) 

The pricing on the made use of marketplace is even decreased, nevertheless, with RTX 3090s dipping near to the $1,200 mark in numerous instances. 

Neither design is a terrific price-to-general performance selection this late into the release cycle, even so. Most significant-close players who really don't have a best-tier GPU will likely be very best served by ready for the next technology this yr.

Thiago Trevisan

Nvidia RTX 3090 vs. AMD 6950XT: Effectiveness

AMD definitely threw in a shocking general performance with the primary 6900 XT—it was able to match or conquer the RTX 3090 in particular video games and eventualities. Has the RX 6950 XT lastly crossed the Rubicon in all overall performance areas? Not rather. When it will come to ray tracing overall performance, the RTX 3090 is still out in advance. (Check out Brad Chacos’ overview for a deeper dive on the new AMD refreshes.)

Thiago Trevisan

In game titles such as Enjoy Canine Legion with regular rasterization, we can see the AMD RX 6950 XT executing as properly or superior than the RTX 3090 (in particular at reduced resolutions). This pattern carries on in other game titles these as Horizon Zero Dawn, the place it is ready to preserve up with the RTX 3090. Video game right after activity, both equally GPUs trade blows and are very aggressive with each and every other. 

The two GPUs have party tricks up their sleeves for general performance, too. AMD has Intelligent Access Memory that can increase efficiency when coupled with a Ryzen CPU, together with Radeon Tremendous Resolution. This will give it important boosts in numerous video games, besting the RTX 3090 in some instances, as demonstrated underneath in Horizon Zero Dawn. Nvidia also has DLSS technologies that does wonders for maintaining graphical fidelity and significant frames simultaneously—which is a gamer changer when paired with ray tracing.

Thiago Trevisan

What comes about when we introduce ray tracing? That’s wherever Nvidia’s RTX 3090 nonetheless retains an gain above AMD. The 6950 XT does not have upgraded ray tracing hardware when compared to the 6900 XT, keeping it powering the Nvidia RTX GPUs in this scenario. 

It can be argued that there are diminishing returns for ray tracing visuals and effectiveness, with different outcomes. The technologies puts crazy pressure on effectiveness, lowering frame prices substantially until finally you claw some back again with the help of an upscaling engineering like DLSS or AMD’s FSR. The visible impression does not generally make getting rid of that general performance worthwhile, possibly. But when it comes to the “halo” GPUs like these, ray tracing can be element of the purpose you get a high-end GPU in the to start with position you want to transform all the eye sweet up to Extremely, such as ray tracing. Paired with Nvidia’s DLSS, the general performance penalty can be mitigated, and the visuals loved totally.

This is one massive benefit of the RTX 3090 as opposed to the newer 6950 XT—maximum overall performance and visuals issue when you are spending way above $1,000 for a GPU. AMD’s ray tracing hardware is a technology powering Nvidia’s implementation, whilst its DLSS rival, FSR 2., is good but nonetheless in its infancy, with only a handful of game titles supporting the fledgling technological innovation at this stage. That indicates ray tracing is greatest experienced at 1440p resolution on the 6950 XT, though you can normally crank ray traced video games even at 4K on the 3090. If you’re not interested in ray tracing on the other hand, the 6950 XT is a mighty wonderful decision for substantially a lot less price. 

Let us not fail to remember that the RTX 3090 is surely greater geared in the direction of material development and other workstation use circumstances, as nicely. With a whopping 24GB of GDDR6x VRAM, it will handily conquer the 16GB RX 6950 XT in most content material development duties. The 3080 Ti would be a far more fair competitor to the 6950 XT in this situation as a pure gaming option. 

Nvidia RTX 3090 vs. AMD 6950 XT: Ability and other factors to know

The RTX 3090 packs a TDP of 350W, with many 3rd-bash versions eclipsing 400W. The RX 6950 XT comes in a 335W TDP, which is fair for the overall performance that it puts out. Remember, the 3090 Ti is already up to 450W TDP—so following-era offerings will probable go up appreciably in prerequisites. 

You will want a minimum amount of a 750W electricity offer for both of those, but we’d propose you up that even larger for upcoming proofing—as superior-good quality power supplies have a tendency to very last a extensive time. 

You’ll require a case with excellent airflow for equally these possibilities, and much better clearance than lesser GPUs need. (They are often wrapped in a wonderful, thick, beefy air coolers to hold their temperatures in check out.) 

Which is the improved solution for h2o cooling? We’d argue that the RTX 3090 is, since it most likely will have a broader assortment of drinking water blocks accessible on the market place. Moreover, with its steaming-warm VRAM, it generally gains much more from taking a deep swim vs . the usually cooler RX 6950 XT.

So, is the 6950 XT ample to greatest the RTX 3090?

The 6950 XT is a somewhat much more powerful addition to the large-end AMD lineup, putting up an outstanding efficiency compared to the RTX 3090. It’s simple: If you’re taking part in at greater resolutions and want to use ray tracing, Nvidia still holds an gain here. DLSS and the Nvidia encoders are also good technologies that provide persons nicely. 

If you are just after pure frame level goodness—without as a great deal ray tracing, the 6950 XT can be normally a considerably much better preference than the RTX 3090, in particular in sub-4K resolutions. AMD delivers great technologies these types of as FSR, Smart Obtain Memory to genuinely up the effectiveness way too. 

So, who wins? Regretably, the 6950 XT comes in too late in the launch cycle to be pertinent in the rapidly declining GPU current market, building it an pricey alternative. The growing old RTX 3090 is a identical tale. Its large price was under no circumstances a incredibly excellent solution for purely gaming—making better use for hybrid material creators/gamers instead. The RTX 3090 Ti is an even even worse price proposition this late into the story, making it only relevant for a few large-finish enthusiasts who really don't intellect the cost tag. 

IDG

The verdict: This is a great ole’ fashioned standstill. We’d hold out out the marketplace a few months as both will experience even steeper declines in value with the introduction of the following technology. If not, if you actually will have to have one now, the conclusion will appear down to ray tracing desire and resolution you’re playing at. Both of those GPUs will give you good, all-around efficiency for a long time to come—but neither are a excellent alternative proper now as the GPU market is rapidly transforming this year.