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The newer GPU
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
- Brand
- AMD
- GPU Speed
- 2GHz
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0
- Memory
- 20GB GDDR6
- Power
- 315W
- Boost Speed
- 2.4GHz
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is one of the best GPUs released by AMD this year. It's well suited for 1440p and 4K gaming with ample performance at a more reasonable price.
Pros & Cons- Newer GPU architecture
- Better performance
- More power hungry
- Not a huge upgrade
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Classic performance
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
- Brand
- AMD
- GPU Speed
- 2.02 GHz
- Interface
- PCIe 3.0
- Memory
- 16 GB GDDR6
- Power
- 300 W
- Boost Speed
- 2.25 GHz
AMD's RDNA 2 technology powers its RX 6000 series of graphics cards. The RX 6900 XT was one of two flagship GPUs before AMD launched the RDNA 3-based RX 7900 series.
Pros & Cons- Can be found for cheaper
- Less power hungry
- Weaker performance
- May struggle to locate stock
Today, we're looking at two generations of cards: the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and Radeon RX 7900 XT. We're going to compare the two GPUs in terms of specs, performance, pricing, as well as the underlying architecture. If you're on the hunt for a new GPU or are wondering whether you should upgrade between the two, this guide will help you make the right decision.
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AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT Brand AMD AMD GPU Speed 2.02 GHz 2GHz Interface PCIe 3.0 PCIe 4.0 Memory 16 GB GDDR6 20GB GDDR6 Power 300 W 315W Boost Speed 2.25 GHz 2.4GHz
Looking at the prices of both graphics cards, there's really no reason why you should purchase the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. It's an older card using an older AMD architecture, yet costs about the same if not more for AIB cards. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is much faster, newer, and won't cost you more. If you're choosing between the two for a new GPU, go with the RX 7900 XT.
However, if we were to include the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, the RX 7900 XT itself looks like a bad deal. For an additional $100 more, you get better performance overall, as well as better performance per dollar. We've looked at the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT vs. Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which you should check for more details on how these two cards compare.
|
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT |
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Architecture |
RDNA 3 |
RDNA 2 |
|
Process |
5nm, 6nm |
7nm |
|
Transistors |
57.7 billion |
26.8 billion |
|
Compute Units |
84 |
80 |
|
Ray Accelerators |
84 |
80 |
|
AI Accelerators |
168 |
- |
|
Stream Processors |
5,376 |
5,120 |
|
Base Clock Speed |
2,000 MHz |
1,825 MHz |
|
Boost Clock Speed |
2,400 MHz |
2,250 MHz |
|
Memory Capacity |
20 GB GDDR6 |
16 GB GDDR6 |
|
Memory Bus |
320-bit |
256-bit |
|
AMD Infinity Cache |
80 MB |
128 MB |
|
Memory Bandwidth (w/ Infinity Cache) |
800 GB/s (2,900 GB/s) |
512 GB/s ( GB/s) |
|
Power Draw |
315W |
300W |
|
Price |
$899 |
$999 |
Price and availability
The AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT launched in 2020 for $999. At the time, it was the flagship GPU from AMD until the Radeon RX 6950 XT was released in May 2022. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT was launched alongside the RX 7900 XTX at the end of 2022 for $899 and $999, respectively. Between the RX 6900 XT and RX 7900 XT, AMD was working on its new architecture RDNA 3.
The RX 6900 XT can still be found at countless retailers, though AIB cards are usually priced higher than MSRP, meaning you can expect to pay out more than $1,000 on the older card. The two new GPUs are listed at MSRP for reference design cards and similar pricing to the RX 6900 XT for aftermarket options.
Architecture
There are considerable differences between RDNA 2 and RDNA 3. Instead of focusing solely on performance, AMD spent much of its effort on improving efficiency across the board to extract as much performance as possible per watt. AMD managed this by making use of TSMC's 5nm manufacturing process technology, a considerable step up from RDNA 2 and 7nm.
To take full advantage of the 5nm process, AMD brought across its chiplet design from CPUs to the RDNA 3 GPUs, effectively splitting up the graphics and memory dies. Because RDNA 2 used the traditional monolithic die configuration, AMD promised up to 50% performance-per-watt gains over RDNA 2, and we saw positive results in our reviews.
Infinity Cache was another area where AMD made some notable gains compared to RDNA 2. New AI processors and next-gen ray tracing cores are also present on RDNA 3 cards. Looking at the specifications, there's not a huge difference in core count and most of the changes can be seen in clock speeds, memory, and transistor count.
Performance
With the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT being the more recent GPU out of the two, one would expect it to offer superior performance and that's precisely what AMD has delivered. We're going to compare the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT and Radeon RX 6900 XT in a number of games, showcasing notable performance gains across the board.
|
Game |
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT |
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT |
|---|---|---|
|
Cyberpunk 2077 |
|
|
|
DOOM Eternal |
|
|
|
Fay Cry 6 |
|
|
|
Metro Exodus |
|
|
|
Red Dead Redemption 2 |
|
|
Even at 4K, the newer RDNA 3 architecture is able to help the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT offer more stable frame rates. Ray tracing at 4K isn't the best experience (as shown by our Metro Exodus findings) and this will hopefully be improved through future driver updates. After all, AMD is known to considerably improve a GPU over the course of its lifetime.
Should you upgrade?
If you're already using the RX 6900 XT and are happy with the performance at 1080p or 1440p, there's likely no reason to upgrade. The performance boost from the RX 7900 XT is considerable compared to its predecessor, but the RX 6900 XT is already capable of delivering solid frame rates at decent graphical settings.
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
- Brand
- AMD
- GPU Speed
- 2.02 GHz
- Interface
- PCIe 3.0
- Memory
- 16 GB GDDR6
- Power
- 300 W
- Boost Speed
- 2.25 GHz
AMD's RDNA 2 technology powers its RX 6000 series of graphics cards. The RX 6900 XT was one of two flagship GPUs before AMD launched the RDNA 3-based RX 7900 series.
If you think you'll move to a 4K monitor at some point, the RX 7900 XT would make for a solid upgrade. But then we'd recommend the RX 7900 XTX if you have an additional $100 to spare. Being one of the best graphics cards, everything is enabled on the chip, allowing you to push visual settings higher or enjoy smoother frame rates.
-
Stronger GPU
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
- Brand
- AMD
- GPU Speed
- 2GHz
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0
- Memory
- 20GB GDDR6
- Power
- 315W
- Boost Speed
- 2.4GHz
The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT is one of the best GPUs released by AMD this year. It's well suited for 1440p and 4K gaming with ample performance at a more reasonable price.
-
Best Value
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- Brand
- AMD
- Cooling Method
- 3x 92mm fans
- GPU Speed
- 2.30GHz
- Interface
- PCI 4.0
- Memory
- 24GB GDDR6
- Power
- 355W
The RX 7900 XTX is Radeon's latest flagship graphics card, offering considerable gains across multiple resolutions over the older RX 6000 generation of GPUs.
