Radeon RX 6800 XT Vs. Nvidia RTX 3070: Best GPU To Buy Under $650?
AMD and Nvidia recently launched their newest graphics cards to power the next-generation of PC gaming. Both companies are rolling out three new graphics cards apiece for this holiday season. With each offering at least one card priced below $650, there are two great cards to consider for those on a budget, but how does AMD's Radeon RX 6800 XT and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3070 compare?
Nvidia's 3070 is the low-cost pick of the RTX 3000 series and is available for purchase now, if you can get it. In contrast, consumers will have to wait until November 18 to pick up AMD's Radeon RX 6800 XT. When it is available, it will be priced at $649, making it the mid-priced option of the new AMD graphic cards. The base RX 6800 costs $50 less at $599, with specs just slightly less favorable than those found in the XT model.
The specs between the two graphics cards are interesting. The GeForce RTX 3070 has 8GB 6DDR6 RAM, a clock-speed ranging from 1,500 to 1,730 mHz, a thermal design power (TDP) of 220W, and a memory speed of 14Gbps. Also featured is Nvidia's trademark "Deep Learning Super Sampling" (DLSS) which upscales visuals in real-time. The Radeon RX 6800 XT features 16GB 6DDR6 RAM, a clock-speed ranging from 2,105 to 2,250 mHz, a TDP of 300W, and a memory speed of 16Gbps. This card can also allocate processing power with the new "Rage Mode" feature. On paper, it would seem as if the Radeon graphics card is the more capable of the two, but things are not always so simple.
When it comes to power and speed, the Radeon RX 6800 XT has the edge, especially if gaming in 4K at 60 frames per second. What might be the Achilles heel of the new Radeon cards is ray tracing. While games will be able to display some incredible detail and sharpness, the picture itself might suffer with lower contrast. While "Rage Mode" can improve visuals and performance in games, the changes might not be that noticeable to the human eye. The GeForce RTX 3070 is inferior in specs to the RX 6800 XT, but gamers might still find visuals to be better, due to DLSS and its ability to render lighting for more picturesque gameplay. As far as details go, the RTX 3070 can display games in 4K, albeit with more limits. However, at just $499, the RTX 3070 sounds like a steal for gamers who don't need the absolute best.
Both graphics cards look like great buys, and the choice should come down to what shoppers are looking for in terms of visuals and value. The Radeon 6800 XT might bring out greater detail in modern games and can probably last through the next generation before another upgrade is needed. The GeForce RTX 3070 excels in ray tracing and arguably, offers better looking visuals, while still sporting some decent upgrades. Not to mention, Nvidia's card comes with a $150 savings compared to AMD's.
Source: AMD