It won’t be a miss-shot to say that Graphics Cards are the superpowers of a computer. And it becomes tough for a layman to pick the right superpower for your machine.
One thing that no one can deny is that there is always going to be competition, and at the time of writing, Nvidia happens to be the biggest threat, considering how the entirety of the RTX 3000 series is one of the finest launches we have seen in a long time and even though the shortage issue is there, a lot of people are still okay with waiting.
However, at the same time, we have a lot of people who are not really looking forward to waiting, and therefore, they would rather prefer going for the other option. This is where the AMD Radeon 6800 XT comes into place as one of the best cards available in the market from the red team.
That is what we are going to do in this roundup as we are going to mention the best 6800 XT graphic cards and see just how good they are.
List of 6 Best 6800 XT Graphics Cards
I’ll be honest with you, when I was making this list, I realized that not adding a GPU from Asus is going to be criminal, to say the least. The reason is simply that it happens to give decent competition to the finest graphics cards in the market…
This time, our team had to filter out graphics cards based on minor faults. That is why our list is only limited to 6…
We kept in mind the major factors that significantly impact the machine and hand-picked the below ones.
| BRAND | MODEL | PRICE |
|---|---|---|
| ASUS | Buy on Amazon | |
| SAPPHIRE | Buy on Amazon | |
| XFX | Buy on Amazon | |
| MSI | Buy on Amazon | |
| ASUS | Buy on Amazon | |
| ASROCK | Buy on Amazon |
The ASUS ROG Strix RX 6800 XT is their top-of-the-line offering at the moment, and honestly, this card has me falling in love to a point that I wish my RTX 3080 was available in a similar offering but sadly, that is not the case. So, what is so good about this card? Well, let’s find out.
To start with the things that our team loved the most, this GPU offers excellent overclocking potential right out of the box, and the performance gains over the last generation of AMD cards are insane here. Not just that, you are also getting a GPU that blasts through 4K gaming performances and delivers 60 frames with ease.
The hefty factory overclock from Asus is also an excellent thing, and you are getting top-of-the-line power efficiency as well. Asus has included an AIO liquid cooler to keep this card cool. Despite that, the acoustics are amazing as this card is whisper quiet.
Not to forget, you are getting 16 gigs of VRAM, which is more than enough to get your tough work going with ease.
Along the way, the fan is another thing that I love in this GPU as it helps keep things on the quieter side. This 6800 XT is also great when it comes to memory overclocking.
Asus is not letting anything behind with dual BIOs feature, and ample RGB headers. Not to forget, the hardware-accelerated raytracing, along with support for HDMI 2.1 makes this card a great option. In addition to that, you are also getting access to PCI-Express 4.0, and the 7-nanometer production process which is one of the most efficient offerings.
As far as the downsides are concerned, you will have to understand that AMD is still not big on raytracing, therefore, the performance impact is massive. In addition to that, the cables that go to the AIO are messy and require proper routing and handling.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix RX 6800 XT is one of my favorite 6800 XT cards that I got the chance to test out and it delivers on a great performance as well. So, you are getting an offering that is not going to let you down.
- The overclocking potential is amazing.
- Great performance gains over the last generation.
- 4K/60 frames per second are easily possible here.
- A hefty overclock from the factory.
- Great efficiency.
- The all-in-one liquid cooler is great to have.
- Runs whisper quiet.
- The cables going to AIO are a bit messy.
- Raytracing is still not easily handled.
The thing about AMD Radeon cards is that the one company that knows how to handle these GPUs in the best possible way — happens to be Sapphire. As the company has a history of creating some of the finest Radeon GPUs in the market as well, and this is not something that is going to change.
With that said, the card that we have on our table is the legendary Sapphire Nitro+ RX 6800 XT, and while it might look like something that is not going to be enough. I have been testing it for some time now and I can tell you that if you are looking for good performance, this card is going to deliver faster performance than you might think.
What’s so good about this card? Well, if you are looking for a card that delivers great power. This means that if you are looking to upgrade, you should never overlook this GPU. The card easily pushes up to 60 frames or even more at 4K — a resolution that was previously a fantasy on single GPUs.
The card brings decent factory settings to overclock and still has good headroom for overclocking, so if you want to go ahead and do some manual tuning, you have the option. The dual BIOS is great because if you wish to update the BIOS, at least, you will not have any issues that may come your way.
You are getting all the good things such as great RGB lighting, as well as PCI-Express 4.0. Needless to say, the card is powerful in almost all the scenarios so you do not have to stress over buying something that might not be as good.
Moving onto the things that our team didn’t like our only concerns here are with regards to the raytracing performance and the memory overclocking being limited.
Overall, the Sapphire Nitro+ RX 6800 XT is the card to get if you are looking for something that is not going to cost you a lot of money. It is going to cost you more than the reference model but that does not mean that the performance is not up to par. It remains one of the best-performing cards in the market, so you do not have to worry.
- The performance gain is massive here.
- You are getting a true 4K performance at 60 frames per second.
- The factory overclock is a welcomed addition.
- One of the best power efficiencies we have experienced in some time.
- Runs quiet with great thermals.
- Raytracing performance is lacking.
- The memory overclock is on the limited side.
Another masterpiece in the AMD Radeon arsenal happens to be the XFX, which has been gracing us with some of the finest options available in the market. I still remember the time when XFX would also offer Nvidia graphic cards, I owned the 9600GT that was made by XFX, but the company is now strictly AMD and that is a great thing for a lot of reasons.
We are looking at the XFX MERC319 RX 6800 XT, yes, the naming scheme has always been strange but don’t worry, there is nothing strange about the card. You might look at it and feel how clean and genuine it looks but that is not the point here. The point here is whether this card delivers on good performance and thermals and that it does.
For starters, if you own a GPU from the last generation of either Nvidia or AMD, you are in for a treat as the performance is significantly higher this time. The card manages to reach 60 frames on 4K resolution, so if you have been waiting for a true 4K gaming experience, now is the time. There’s ample V-RAM as well, which is great for tasks that require more V-RAM.
You are also getting a graphics card that not only runs on the quieter side but the thermals are also great. One thing that I love about this specific variant is that it brings a USB Type-C output as well, which is not something that happens to be a usual thing but I am glad that XFX was kind enough to add here.
Aside from that, you are also getting the usual jazz that the 6800 XT graphic cards are known to bring to the table and I am not complaining here. The performance remains great across the board, and the best part here is that you are still getting a great custom card.
With so many excellent things, there are a few downsides as well. For starters, the card brings a premium over the reference model, and the performance remains very close to what you will find on the reference model.
Everything else is the same, which includes limited memory overclocking, and less than average performance numbers in raytracing.
Overall, I’d say that the XFX MERC319 RX 6800 XT is still a great card, but if you are searching for something groundbreaking, you might not be able to get your hands on that as this card is pretty decent, but it is nothing that will break any grounds.
- The performance gain is great to have.
- Great performance across the board and resolutions.
- Great overclocking potential and large overclock out of the box.
- A USB Type-C port.
- Hardware-accelerated raytracing is good to have.
- The card runs quiet and has great temperatures.
- The card costs more than the reference model but the difference is minimal at best.
- The raytracing performance is not up to the competition’s mark.
- Memory overclocking is limited at best.
Another great offering that we have in the market is the one from MSI. Now, MSI is not a company that requires any introduction. The company has been known for making amazing products for some time now and whether you are looking at their graphic cards or their motherboards, they have got you covered.
The MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT that we have on our hands is based on the reference design rather than a custom design. This means that for those who are not looking to get the reference edition, you can always buy this one and you will get the same performance and a different look altogether.
You have to understand that due to this being a reference design, this is the cheapest 6800 XT available in the market, and while that might be a concern for a lot of people, this should not bother you because you are still getting a good performance out of this GPU, which is what most people would be wanting.
I think it is safe to say that everyone is aware of what our team will be praising first. Yes, the performance on this GPU is just as great as all the options that we have seen so far. But you have to understand that if you are expecting this to be the fastest 6800 XT, that is not the case as the performance still suffers in some cases when compared to different variants.
However, the fact that this GPU is selling for a lower price than the RTX 3080 and still giving a decent performance that almost touches the likes of RTX 3080 is something to keep in mind. You are also getting great performance in thermals and acoustics. This means that you are not losing any money here, which is what everyone loves the most.
However, with so much to love about this graphics card, there are a few issues here, that you might want to know about before opting for this card. For starters, the raytracing performance is not as good and loses when you compared it with Nvidia offerings. Not just that, you will need to increase the power limit if you wish to overclock, and the memory overclocking is not as flexible.
Overall, I would say that in many ways the MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT is a great offering. Especially for those who cannot get their hands on the reference edition. The card does follow the same design as the reference PCB and not just that, even the price tag is the same, so you are not losing anything. This is not the greatest variant but it still is one of the best 6800 XT that you can get your hands on.
- The gaming performance is on par with the best.
- This is the cheapest 6800 XT available.
- Runs quiet.
- Great thermals.
- The overclocking.
- Overclocking will require you to increase the power limit.
- Raytracing performance remains average at best.
If you have been having a hard time finding the Strix variant of the Radeon 6800 XT, don’t worry, you are not alone. These cards across the board are selling like hotcakes, which means that there are not many options that are easily accessible to everyone. However, that does not mean that we don’t have anything for you.
The ASUS TUF Gaming RX 6800 XT is a great option for anyone who is looking for a good graphics card. Asus has finally taken a step up and made their TUF series one of the finest. Back in the days, the TUF series was considered to be the cheaper option for anyone who wanted a good experience but this year, Asus has stepped up with the TUF series becoming one of the talks of the mainstream.
I don’t normally think about the build quality of a GPU but this is one of the most solid offerings out there in the market, and the best part here is that the entire shroud is made out of metal rather than the plastic that most of the add-in-board partners use. However, the shroud is not the only thing that we love about this card.
The thermals are excellent, and the card runs stable. And it is slightly expensive than the reference edition, you are still getting something extraordinary.
If you are looking for a device that focuses more on the industrial looks rather than looking like something that should be hanging on the Christmas tree, you should get your hands on this because you will not be disappointed at all. The card barely has any RGB lighting so you are not missing out on that.
Honestly, I don’t have any concerns here aside from the ones that I have already mentioned as this card delivers on all the promises that the 6800 XT is based on. Which goes to show that you are not losing anything here.
Overall, I would say that the ASUS TUF Gaming RX 6800 XT is an offering worth considering. Simply because it costs just a little over the reference model but the improvements that it brings to the table are certainly something to praise. Therefore, this is an absolute banger of a GPU from Asus.
- One of the best build qualities with an all-metal shroud and backplate.
- Top of the line performance with decent overclocking headroom.
- Great thermals and acoustics.
- Does not light up like a Christmas tree.
- Industrial design and feel.
- Suffers from the usual issues common in the RX 6800 XT graphic cards.
- Limited availability at the time of writing.
We are finally done with our list but we have one more GPU to look at and this time we are paying attention to something that comes from ASRock. Now the interesting bit about ASRock is the fact that they are not the famous ones when it comes to the good graphics card, but still, you have the option to get your hands on something good.
The ASRock Taichi RX 6800 XT is the one that we are getting the chance to look at and this might be the fanciest RX 6800 XT that I have seen so far and for all the right reasons. If you genuinely want to get your hands on a graphic card that lights up like anything else, this is a great option. But is it all looks or does it deliver good performance? Let’s find out in the next episode…. Just playing, keep on reading.
Well, the good news is for starters, you are getting a great performance overall. It comes with a heavy overclocking experience out of the box. Additionally, if you want to get a great 4K performance, and not just that if you are looking for a gorgeous looking RX 6800 XT, this one should be your go-to option.
Another thing that I love about this particular option is that ASRock has done some tweaking which has ultimately made the overall efficiency a lot better over the stock option that is available in the market. The USB Type-C output also makes a return, so you are getting that as well.
The overall power efficiency and potential for overclocking are also there, in case you are looking for something good and something that delivers good performance. However, it is important to know that all of this is coming at a premium, so if you are not prepared to pay for that, you may want to look somewhere else.
Well, there is a premium over the reference card but to justify that, you are still getting a great overclocker and aesthetics. However, we have noticed something strange and that was the default BIOS runs louder. Not to mention, the raytracing performance is something that still suffers, and you are getting a limit on the memory overclocking as well.
Overall, I would like to mention that the ASRock Taichi RX 6800 XT is a great graphics card. It could even be one of the best that is available, but there are some limitations.
- One of the best-looking RX 6800 XT.
- Great performance out of the box.
- A good overclock tuned in already.
- Plenty of overclocking potentially available.
- Runs quietly on the quiet BIOS.
- Increased power limit for easier overclocking later down the road.
- Better efficiency than the reference RX 6800 XT.
- There is a premium over the reference variant.
- The performance BIOS is on the louder side.
- Hardware raytracing takes a huge toll on the performance at the time of writing.
Final Word
The one thing that is common between all-new GPUs across the board is that there is a severe lack of availability. This means that if you wish to get your hands on a new GPU, you might have to run into a lot of loopholes and be patient about the whole situation.
Since our team has done in-depth research, we would like to share our recommendations as well — just to make the picking for you a bit more simple.
Recommended:
This means that if you are in the market looking for a good RX 6800 XT, you might have to wait. Thankfully, the list here ensures that you are getting the best of the best that the market has to offer. All the variants listed here are handpicked, so you are not going to run into any problems as far as the performance is concerned.
I have been gaming for almost 24 years with extensive knowledge of all platforms and the gaming industry, in general. With interests in literature, art, gaming, and PC hardware.
