AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT Price Cut Further, Now Starts at $669

[NinjaQuick]

Also, SC is proof you don't need RT to make a gorgeous game. RT is really nice, sure, but it is nice on the dev-end, way less time doing lighting work to have it baked perfectly and have good effects, just put the lights in and enjoy the show real time.

 

[dragontamer5788]

I've been building and maintaining both CPU and GPU render farms at work for nearly two decades (well, one decade in the case of GPU rendering) and support for OpenCL is hot garbage. The API may be okay but most software wants CUDA so it doesn't matter how much RAM your Radeon has when the application only offers CUDA or CPU compute options. I'm coming from a 3D rendering/animation/modelling side, so perhaps financial/physics simulation software does actually have decent OpenCL support. I can only comment on the stuff my company does.

The big thing I do is my own code. But there's plenty of other GPU-code being used.

https://www.reddit.com/r/StableDiffusion/comments/ww436j

Stable diffusion is the popular thing these days. As is LeelaZero / KataGo (I am a go-player, so I actually use this one a lot for self-analysis of my own games), etc. etc. Blender does work with AMD, though suppoort is way worse than NVidia.

CUDA is popular because its a hella-good API. I don't want to ignore that fact. But at the same time, something needs to be said about raw vRAM capabilities of GPUs. Extra hardware is worth a bunch in a number of these applications.

--------

AMD support is likely better than Intel's (Intel is going all in with SYCL, which is nominally OpenCL based). I'd say AMD is more compatible with CUDA in my experience, its hippify script converts CUDA into HIP (and HIP itself is mostly a CUDA api layer). CUDA's newest stuff isn't implemented of course, but if you got 3 or 4 year old CUDA code, it ports over pretty decently.

Intel is probably a better software company than AMD but IMO is making a bit of a mistake with SYCL focus. No one else is going SYCL (even if it is OpenCL based). I'm not sure if OpenCL is really "alive" anymore... even AMD ROCm is kinda-sorta based on CUDA.

 

[Chrispy_]

meh easy to counter all of that.

i've owned almost every radeon since the first one radeon 64DDR and ive had minimal issues over the last 20 years

anecdotal yes indeed.

Anecodally I've bought thousands of Radeons and Geforces over the last 17 years as an enterprise system-integrator and have troubleshot hardware faults and driver problems with both lines of card across (quick math) 6,100,000 end-user hours of use.

I can say with confidence that both AMD and Nvidia drivers have been periodically fine and also terrible, and that if there's any real difference between them, it's that Nvidia cards have fewer issues but they tend to be more severe and remain unfixed for much longer. Quite often I will be able to disable a workaround on AMD cards within a few months as it's been patched. With Nvidia you basically get a patch from the software developer instead and if you don't get that the workaround you have to use for that application is permanent.

Realistically, I dislike the dated/redundant Nvidia control panel with a lack of fan/clock tuning and monitoring, no controls whatsoever for the encoder, and no GPU-level screen-capture utility. I know third-party solutions exist because I have to install them on Nvidia systems, but it's just irritating that noisy people on the internet always harps on about AMD drivers being crap when Nvidia drivers barely even do anything that Windows display settings can't also control. There are also minor, reproducible bugs in the Nvidia control panel that haven't been fixed after 15 years, which is just pathetic....

 

[TheEndIsNear]

It's a pain to find good deals on Amazon. Their filtering and sorting is terrible...

Their search feature is a crime against humanity lol

 

[Daven]

Let's not forget these Nvidia blunders:

Nvidia Pulls Graphics Card-frying 196.75 Driver

Nvidia has pulled its 196.75 driver amid complaints that it's malfunctioning and frying graphics cards.

www.tomshardware.com

Don't install the newest Nvidia driver, it's breaking PCs

www.destructoid.com

Wait....what's this? AMD did it at least once, too?!?!

Warning: New AMD Crimson Driver Is Heating and Killing GPUs, Users Report - Update

A temporary fix is available, but it doesn't survive reboot

news.softpedia.com

Oh man! Is it true? Neither company is perfect?

I lol’d after reading your post. Spot on!

Anecodally I've bought thousands of Radeons and Geforces over the last 17 years as an enterprise system-integrator and have troubleshot hardware faults and driver problems with both lines of card across (quick math) 6,100,000 end-user hours of use.

I can say with confidence that both AMD and Nvidia drivers have been periodically fine and also terrible, and that if there's any real difference between them, it's that Nvidia cards have fewer issues but they tend to be more severe and remain unfixed for much longer. Quite often I will be able to disable a workaround on AMD cards within a few months as it's been patched. With Nvidia you basically get a patch from the software developer instead and if you don't get that the workaround you have to use for that application is permanent.

Realistically, I dislike the dated/redundant Nvidia control panel with a lack of fan/clock tuning and monitoring, no controls whatsoever for the encoder, and no GPU-level screen-capture utility. I know third-party solutions exist because I have to install them on Nvidia systems, but it's just irritating that noisy people on the internet always harps on about AMD drivers being crap when Nvidia drivers barely even do anything that Windows display settings can't also control. There are also minor, reproducible bugs in the Nvidia control panel that haven't been fixed after 15 years, which is just pathetic....

Wow, actual relevant driver comparison. One of the best posts I’ve seen debunking the AMD driver myth. As the other commentor said as well, BOTH companies have problems with drivers.

 

[AusWolf]

Comparing performance/$ to a 4090 seems disingenuous; If AMD want to compare performance/$ against Nvidia, they should use a card at the same performance/capability level.

At best it competes with the $800 3080Ti in raster performance. In DXR titles it's barely keeping up with a $530 3070.

Additionally, it can't do DLAA, DLSS has better game support at the moment than FSR, and then there's NVENC which is vastly superior. If you do anything other than gaming you'll also appreciate CUDA support as so many applications support CUDA but not OpenCL.

The 6900XT is a good card, but it's not a 4090. Comparing it to the true competition shows that it's still awful value for money, like any flagship always is. Just buy a 3070/3070Ti/3080/3080Ti instead for better API support, equivalent performance, and much better features.

As someone who is generally favourable towards AMD and hates Nvidia for anti-consumer bullshit, it pains me to make the above post, but it's the cold hard truth.

This isn't the first time I've heard or read "NVENC is superior". But how? I recorded a couple of gameplay videos with my 5700 XT back in the days and both the recording experience and the videos turned out to be great.

Anecodally I've bought thousands of Radeons and Geforces over the last 17 years as an enterprise system-integrator and have troubleshot hardware faults and driver problems with both lines of card across (quick math) 6,100,000 end-user hours of use.

I can say with confidence that both AMD and Nvidia drivers have been periodically fine and also terrible, and that if there's any real difference between them, it's that Nvidia cards have fewer issues but they tend to be more severe and remain unfixed for much longer. Quite often I will be able to disable a workaround on AMD cards within a few months as it's been patched. With Nvidia you basically get a patch from the software developer instead and if you don't get that the workaround you have to use for that application is permanent.

Realistically, I dislike the dated/redundant Nvidia control panel with a lack of fan/clock tuning and monitoring, no controls whatsoever for the encoder, and no GPU-level screen-capture utility. I know third-party solutions exist because I have to install them on Nvidia systems, but it's just irritating that noisy people on the internet always harps on about AMD drivers being crap when Nvidia drivers barely even do anything that Windows display settings can't also control. There are also minor, reproducible bugs in the Nvidia control panel that haven't been fixed after 15 years, which is just pathetic....

This!

 

[mama]

Good option for any gaming at that price, IMO.

 

[InVasMani]

It is a 2-year-old graphics card with around half the performance of the newly released RTX 4090.

Its real value is not higher than $400 and even then you must think a lot if there wouldn't be better offers starting with a new generation RX 7700 XT.

Meh! Don't buy it.

So at half the performance AMD should charge 1/4 the price of a RTX 4090!!? This is the way AMD please understand and be forgiving, but I agree fully sell us a $400 RX 6900XT I'll take two.

 

[jesdals]

Here in Portugal we can barely get a RX 6800 (non XT) for that price.

Screenshots took this morning from a price comparison website, and it's ordered from cheapest.
View attachment 265952

Cheapest 6900XTs just for reference.
View attachment 265953

Even more expencive in Denmark

 

[Chrispy_]

This isn't the first time I've heard or read "NVENC is superior". But how? I recorded a couple of gameplay videos with my 5700 XT back in the days and both the recording experience and the videos turned out to be great.

Better quality video at the same bitrate, or lower bitrate needed for similar quality. You can find detailed youtube video comparisons easily enough but the real benefits are twofold:

1. Streaming platforms like Twitch charge more for higher-bitrate subscriptions so streamers want the best quality they can get for their limited bitrate.
2. File sizes are smaller at any given quality, meaning easier editing, faster uploads to Youtube/Vimeo/Whatever - and lower storage overheads.

I find the AMD ReLive encoder great to use but 1080p60 recordings at 10Mbps look worse than 6Mbps recordings on NVENC. The last time I had both AMD and Nvidia in the same room at home it was a 5700XT vs a 2070S. I don't really know how much either encoder has improved since then but it sounds from the usual sources and reviewers that nothing's really changed since then on either side.

 

[mechtech]

Dropped in price in the USA only................since the rest of the world's currency is dropping against the green back, making all pricedrops unrealized outside the US. I guess the good thing is the prices are remaining sort of stable/same with the price drops offsetting currency exchange rates.

 

[NinjaQuick]

Dropped in price in the USA only................since the rest of the world's currency is dropping against the green back, making all pricedrops unrealized outside the US. I guess the good thing is the prices are remaining sort of stable/same with the price drops offsetting currency exchange rates.

Another important point to note is VAT. The US listing will always be pre-tax. Additionally, the Eurozone has a wide range of customs standards INTO the EU, so tariffs and duties are also going to be in there. Lastly, I don't think these prices are AMD setting a bar lower, they're the retailers moving NOS to make room for Ada and RDNA3

I find the AMD ReLive encoder great to use but 1080p60 recordings at 10Mbps look worse than 6Mbps recordings on NVENC. The last time I had both AMD and Nvidia in the same room at home it was a 5700XT vs a 2070S. I don't really know how much either encoder has improved since then but it sounds from the usual sources and reviewers that nothing's really changed since then on either side.

Agreed, I am what some might call an AMD fanboy, I've owned exactly zero Nvidia cards since my first GPU, the 9800pro.
Less because I am actually a fanboy and more because when it has come time to buy, Nvidia hasn't delivered on what I need. I moved to linux as primary last year and yeh - Nvidia is garbage there.

However, NVENC is objectively better in quality than anything AMD has come up with - though that doesn't justify the rest of their ecosystem being cruel to users and developers.

 

[Icon Charlie]

Another important point to note is VAT. The US listing will always be pre-tax. Additionally, the Eurozone has a wide range of customs standards INTO the EU, so tariffs and duties are also going to be in there. Lastly, I don't think these prices are AMD setting a bar lower, they're the retailers moving NOS to make room for Ada and RDNA3

Agreed, I am what some might call an AMD fanboy, I've owned exactly zero Nvidia cards since my first GPU, the 9800pro.
Less because I am actually a fanboy and more because when it has come time to buy, Nvidia hasn't delivered on what I need. I moved to linux as primary last year and yeh - Nvidia is garbage there.

However, NVENC is objectively better in quality than anything AMD has come up with - though that doesn't justify the rest of their ecosystem being cruel to users and developers.

I'm neither a fanboi of any company. I just want things to work and work well in their performance range.

The most recent Nvidia card I owned is a EVGA 1050ti and a 1070. I was so impressed by the 1050ti for what it did that I had it in my back up computer until last year and gave that computer, a 2016 rig that I did not need, to a friend. The EVGA 1070 I was Impressed as well.

But when I got the Standard AMD 5700 and undervolted it, man the wattage usage was fantastic. And as stated before I have NO problems with the Drivers.

 

[phill]

I wish I needed another GPU and I could find the PowerColour Liquid Devil 6900XT... or even the 6950XT.. Would be very nice to have

 

[N3M3515]

Just buy a 3070/3070Ti/3080/3080Ti

A 6800 XT @$550 is a far better buy than any of those

 

[GreiverBlade]

A 6800 XT @$550 is a far better buy than any of those

it actually is .... and versus a 3060Ti/3070 a 6700 XT would be just right, given, for me, that it is ~200chf/$ cheaper than the 3070 and quite close to it, and about the price of a 3060Ti (535chf/$ )

a 6800 XT at 550 is a wet dream for me ...only 100 more than my 6700 XT damn ... where?

 

[dragontamer5788]

A 6800 XT @$550 is a far better buy than any of those

The 6800 xt is pretty rare in my experience. 6900 or 6950 is much much more common.

 

[N3M3515]

6800 XT at 550 is a wet dream for me ...only 100 more than my 6700 XT damn ... where?

ASRock Radeon RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA 2 (RX6800XT PGD 16GO) - Newegg.com

Buy ASRock Radeon RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6, AMD RDNA 2 (RX6800XT PGD 16GO) with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

GIGABYTE Radeon RX 6800 XT GAMING OC 16G Graphics Card, WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System, 16GB 256-bit GDDR6, GV-R68XTGAMING OC-16GD Video Card, Powered by AMD RDNA 2, HDMI 2.1 - Newegg.com

Buy GIGABYTE Radeon RX 6800 XT GAMING OC 16G Graphics Card, WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System, 16GB 256-bit GDDR6, GV-R68XTGAMING OC-16GD Video Card, Powered by AMD RDNA 2, HDMI 2.1 with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[Scrizz]

I'd like an ATi 6950XT......

I miss ATi lol
sign me up for 6950XTX

 

[Legacy-ZA]

Let's not get full-on retarded here. AMD drivers have been good for quite a while.

Indeed and they also don't have a UI that irritates the living crap out of me, eh nVidia, with all that $$$, you can do better.

135 games out 240 DX12 games support some type of Raytracing So how is that Very few when it's like 56% of games on that API ?

Well, you see, just because a game has RT, doesn't mean people want to play them.

 

[Chrispy_]

A 6800 XT @$550 is a far better buy than any of those

Yes, but this news article is making performance/$ against Nvidia. Last time I checked Nvidia didn't make the 6800XT

No flagship is ever good value, an RX 6700 10GB blows even the 6800XT out of the water in terms of value for money.

 

[pavle]

...Last time I checked Nvidia didn't make the 6800XT...

They used to though, a long long time ago, but then it was named GeForce 6800 XT with only 4 vertex, 8 pixel shaders, 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs.
How very repetitive names used for many products of many different companies are...

 

[tvshacker]

ASUS Tarjeta gráfica (alternate.es)

OK pricing on this 6800 vanilla from Asus. Probably not a lot of shipping cost for you if this is coming from Spain.

I find it a bit high still, since we (theoretically) should be able to get 6900XT for 100€ more than that. But thanks for the website, I wasn't aware alternate had a spanish version now!

 

[Chrispy_]

They used to though, a long long time ago, but then it was named GeForce 6800 XT with only 4 vertex, 8 pixel shaders, 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs.
How very repetitive names used for many products of many different companies are...

I never knew of that cards existence - I jumped from a 6800GT to an 8800GTS

Wikipedia seems to indicate it was a "use up old silicon inventory however you can" with basically any leftover die and memory chips qualifying for the label

"The 6800 XT varies greatly depending on manufacturer. It is produced using three cores (NV40/NV41/NV42), four memory configurations (128 MiB DDR, 256 MiB DDR, 128 MiB GDDR3, 256 MiB GDDR3, and 512 MiB GDDR2), and has clock speeds ranging from 300 to 425 MHz (core) and 600-1000 MHz (memory)."

Is it a 435MHz NV40 with 1GHz GDDR3, or is it a 300MHz NV42 with 600MHz DDR1? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[AusWolf]

I never knew of that cards existence - I jumped from a 6800GT to an 8800GTS

Wikipedia seems to indicate it was a "use up old silicon inventory however you can" with basically any leftover die and memory chips qualifying for the label

"The 6800 XT varies greatly depending on manufacturer. It is produced using three cores (NV40/NV41/NV42), four memory configurations (128 MiB DDR, 256 MiB DDR, 128 MiB GDDR3, 256 MiB GDDR3, and 512 MiB GDDR2), and has clock speeds ranging from 300 to 425 MHz (core) and 600-1000 MHz (memory)."

Is it a 435MHz NV40 with 1GHz GDDR3, or is it a 300MHz NV42 with 600MHz DDR1? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Oh yes, the golden days when Nvidia's partners enjoyed a lot more freedom... And they weren't scared to use it.

It's just like the Radeon X1800 series that came in XT, XTX, XL, Pro, GT, GTO and maybe 5 more flavours. You really new your stuff if you could make any sense of it.