RX 7900 XTX Vs Radeon RX 6950 XT

The comparisons between AMD and its formidable rival NVIDIA are pretty common. However, things can get a bit tricky for GPU buyers when they see something like Radeon RX 7900 XTX Vs. Radeon RX 6950 XT. Both are among the latest graphics cards from AMD and definitely not the most pocket-friendly ones out there. Which one should you get and why? Hopefully, our comparison will answer that question in detail. 

Key Takeaways

• Radeon RX 7900 XTX offered 40% better FPS performance than Radeon RX 6950 XT in 4K gaming performance with an average of 194 FPS compared to 139 FPS.
• Radeon RX 6950 XT is the more power-efficient option with an average power consumption of 286 Watts compared to 323 Watts on Radeon RX 7900 XTX in our tests.
• AMD has priced Radeon RX 6950 XT at $799 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX at $999, which means the latter is 20% more expensive than the former. 
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX is based on RDNA 3 with 24 GB GDDR6 memory, 6144 shading units, and 96 RT cores, whereas Radeon RX 6950 XT is based on RDNA 2 with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, 5120 shading units and 80 RT cores.

RX 7900 XTX Vs RX 6950 XT Comparison Table

Before diving into the detailed review, let’s take a look at what these GPUs look like on paper. 

Technical Specs	Radeon RX 7900 XTX	Radeon RX 6950 XT
GPU	Navi 31	Navi 21
Architecture	RDNA 3.0	RDNA 2.0
Shading Units	6144	5120
Thermal Design Power	355 W	335 W
Manufacturing Process	5 nm	7 nm
Base Clock Speed	1855 MHz	1860 MHz
Boost Clock Speed	2499 MHz	2310 MHz
Memory Size	24 GB	16 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Bandwidth	960.0 GB/s	576.0 GB/s
RT Cores	96	80
Launch Date	Q3 2022	Q2 2022

Aside from the fact that they both have GDDR6 memory, there are quite a few things that make them different, starting from the architecture. Since Radeon RX 7900 XTX was launched almost 6 months after Radeon RX 6950 XT, it has a clear competitive advantage on paper with more RT cores and shading units. Furthermore, it has 8GB  more memory and RAM speed, which is almost two times as fast as that of the Radeon RX 6950 XT. 

Radeon RX 7900 XTX is also built on RDNA 3 architecture and thus contains a lot of 2nd-gen elements that are absent on RX 6950 XT due to it having RDNA 2 architecture. Since RDNA is supposed to be energy-efficient, you don’t see a huge difference between the two in terms of TDP, which is 355W on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX and 335W on the Radeon RX 6950 XT.

Not really interested in AMD graphics cards? Take a look at our RTX 3060 Vs. GTX 1600 Ti comparison to try a different graphics card. 

Similarities 

It can’t be ignored here that the two graphics cards come from the same manufacturer and fall into the same category of cards in terms of their prices. As a result, the technologies on both graphics chips are more or less the same, but the specifications are different. In terms of similarities, they both come with GDDR6 memory even though the memory speeds on Radeon RX 7900 XTX are much higher.

They also support the same graphics features i.e. OpenCL 2.1, Open GL 4.6, and DirectX 12 Ultimate. The base clock speed is also pretty similar on both, as Radeon RX 7900 XTX offers you a speed of 1855MHz compared to Radeon RX 6950 XT’s 1860MHz. 

All the other technologies are the same on both GPUs, such as FSR, AMD Link, Super Resolution, Smart Access Memory, Anti Lag, Boost, etc. 

Differences

This is where things get interesting because these two cards belong to two different generations, so you will notice many differences. They boast the same technologies but a big jump or upgrade in the specifications when you pick Radeon RX 7900 XTX as your choice. 

Architecture

In short, Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the newer card with RDNA 3 architecture and thus sports quite a few upgrades over the RX 6950 XT graphics card. The process size has reduced significantly from 7 nm on RX 6950 XT to 5 nm on RX 7900 XTX. This has resulted in more than twice the number of transistors on the latter i.e. 57,700 million. Compared to that, Radeon RX 6950 XT has only 26,800 million transistors. 

Clock And Memory

The two cards are completely different regarding their clock speeds, memory speeds, and configurations. The boost clock on Radeon RX 7900 XTX is quite impressive at 2500 MHz compared to 2310 MHz on its rival. More importantly, the boost ability is also much more impressive on RX 7900 XTX than on RX 6950 XT. 

Also Read: RTX 4080 Vs RX 6900 XT

If you look at the base clock and boost clock speeds, there is room for a boost of 645 MHz on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX compared to a room of only 450 MHz on the Radeon RX 6950 XT. The same difference is present in the memory section as well, wherein Radeon RX 7900 XTX has 24GB of memory compared to 16GB on Radeon RX 6950 XT.

They both support GDDR6 memory, but the memory bandwidth on Radeon RX 6950 XT is 576 GB/s compared to 960 GB/s on Radeon RX 7900 XTX. The 384-bit BUS on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX is also better than the 256-bit BUS on RX 6950 XT. 

Have you ever overlocked your GPU, but is it still hotter than a heater? Read this guide to know how you can lower your GPU temperature. 

Shading Units And RT Cores 

The performance of your graphics card is hugely dependent on the number of main cores or shading units it has. The more shading units, the better. So, when you look at RX 6950 XT, you have a total of 5120 shading units, whereas RX 7900 XTX has 6144 shading units. It’s clear that RX 7900 XTX has 20% more shading units than its opponent. 

Another crucial element that comes included with modern graphics cards is the RT cores. Ray tracing is the technology directly responsible for the realism of lighting in the game. More RT cores could translate to lighting looking more real in the games. With that in mind, RX 6950 XT has 80 RT cores, whereas RX 7900 XTX has 96 RT cores. 

Many of the new features these graphics cards come with rely on these technological components. FSR, Super Resolution, Anti-lag, etc., are some features that rely on shading units and RT cores. 

FSR, RSR, And Infinity Cache

FSR, or FidelityFX Super Resolution, is AMD’s way of helping you get a better framerate while playing games. Does AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT support FSR? Yes, it does. AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX also supports FSR, but it goes the extra step and offers you FSR 2. However, the downside to this tech is that certain games only support it. 

Enter the new and improved framerate booster, called Radeon Super Resolution or RSR. This technology relies on certain drives, and while some games only support FSR, RSR isn’t confined by that rule. It will work on all your games for as long as you have Adrenalin Edition 22.3.1 on your computer.

When it comes to AI acceleration, you get it only on Radeon RX 7900 XTX. In addition, Radeon RX 7900 XTX offers you a 2nd-gen infinity cache, so you might have a smaller L3 cache than Radeon RX 6950 XT, but due to a much-improved bandwidth, it delivers elevated gaming performance. Also, remember that Radeon RX 7900 XTX has better L1 and L2 caches. 

RX 7900 XTX Vs RX 6950 XT 4K Gaming Benchmarks

The Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics card is definitely dominating Radeon RX 6950 XT in terms of specifications, but will it continue to lead in real-world performance? We’ll have to test the two against each other in 10 games at 4K resolution to find that out. Helping us with these benchmarks is Dracarys Gaming, who uses the following rig to perform this test.  

Testing Setup

• Processor: Intel Core i9-13900K
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero
• RAM: TridentZ5 RGB DDR5-6000 [32GB]
• PSU: Titanium Modular 1000W
• GPU 1: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
• GPU 2: AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT
• SSD 1: WD Blue SN550 1TB
• SSD 2: WD Blue 1TB 3D NAND SATA
• HDD: WD Red 2TB 7200 RPM
• OS: Windows 10 Pro

Combining AMD GPUs with an AMD processor may give you slightly different results but the benchmarks here are also fair and square because both GPUs are being tested in the same conditions and environment. Let’s dive right in.

Think you are more about productivity than gaming? If that’s the case, you’ll definitely love our AMD Vs. Intel for Video Editing guide. 

Forza Horizon 5

• AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the better card in this test by offering an average FPS of 198 compared to 105 from Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• The average frame rate production per second performance improvement on Radeon RX 7900 XTX is more than 88% compared to Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• The Low 1% and Low 0.1% readings on Radeon RX 7900 XTX were above the average 105 FPS from Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• Radeon RX 6950 XT barely went over 100 FPS, whereas Radeon RX 7900 XTX went over 200 FPS several times. 

Red Dead Redemption 2

• The difference in performance while playing Red Dead Redemption 2 wasn’t huge, with Radeon RX 7900 XTX offering an average of 94 FPS compared to Radeon RX 6950 XT’s 75 FPS.
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX was better in Low 0.1% and Low 1% performance by offering 61 FPS and 94 FPS, respectively.
• Both cards had a hard time going over the 100 FPS mark.
• The overall improvement in FPS performance was a little over 25% in favor of the Radeon RX 7900 XTX.

The Witcher 3

• An average FPS of 104 was recorded on RX 6950 XT against 152 FPS of RX 7900 XTX.
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX was able to boost FPS performance by more than 46% against Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• Low 0.1% and Low 1% remained at 68 FPS and 82 FPS vs. 99 FPS and 122 FPS for Radeon RX 6950 XT vs. RX 7900 XTX, respectively.
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX was also the power-hungry of the two, consuming 322 W compared to 281 W from Radeon RX 6950 XT.

God of War

• While playing God of War, Radeon RX 7900 XTX produced 102 frames per second, whereas Radeon RX 6950 XT produced 79 FPS on average.
• Based on the test, Radeon RX 7900 XTX was 29% better than Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX continued to consume more power, chewing up 326 W against Radeon RX 6950 XT’s 294 W.
• Temperatures on both GPUs were ideal, and the difference was too negligible to mention.

Spiderman Remastered

• Spiderman Remastered benchmarks gave us a glaring victory for Radeon RX 7900 XTX with an average FPS of 118 compared to an average FPS of 53 from Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• The performance gap was huge as Radeon RX 7900 XTX was able to offer close to 127% better frame production than Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• Power consumption was huge on Radeon RX 7900 XTX at 329 W compared to only 281 W on Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• Surprisingly, despite using more power, Radeon RX 7900 XTX was 4 degrees Celsius cooler than Radeon RX 6950 XT at 65 degrees compared to 69 degrees, respectively.

Also Check: RTX 4090 Vs RTX 3080 Ti

F1 22

• Both cards were able to perform well, but Radeon RX 7900 XTX had a huge lead over RX 6950 XT by offering 161 FPS on average compared to an average of 98 FPS.
• This was a power show from Radeon RX 7900 XTX as it could offer 64% improved FPS production than Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX remained the power-hungry card by consuming 314 W on average compared to a usage of 289W by the Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• A temperature of only 68 degrees on the Radeon RX 7900 XTX compared to 69 degrees on the Radeon RX 6950 XT shows how efficient the former is. 

Cyberpunk 2077

• Both graphics cards struggled to even cross the 100 FPS mark, with Radeon RX 7900 XTX mustering up a score of only 86 FPS on average.
• The average FPS on Radeon RX 6950 XT was 52, making its rival more than 65% better in terms of frame production.
• By using 321 Watts, Radeon RX 7900 XTX consumes 11% more power than Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• The temperature difference is negligible between the two, proving Radeon RX 7900 XTX to be the more efficient card.

GTA V

• GTA V performance was phenomenal from both cards as they were both able to produce, on average, 188 FPS.
• You could give it to Radeon RX 6950 XT here since it produced the same number of frames by consuming less power i.e. 285 W, compared to its rival’s 325 W.
• The temperature difference wasn’t too big, but Radeon RX 7900 XTX was the better performer at 65 degrees Celsius, which was 4 degrees cooler than Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• The overall 0.1% and 1% Lows were slightly better on Radeon RX 7900 XTX, but the difference was too small to be mentioned.

Apex Legends

• Apex Legends was a huge win for Radeon RX 7900 XTX as it offered us 259 FPS on average compared to 143 FPS from Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• This performance gap showed us that Radeon RX 7900 XTX was 81% better than its counterparty in this benchmark.
• Radeon RX 6950 XT used less power at 285 W compared to 320 W by Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
• Radeon RX 7900 XTX maintained a temperature of 68 degrees Celsius, whereas Radeon RX 6950 XT remained at 69 degrees Celsius.

Valorant

• Valorant wasn’t a problem for these cards, and their FPS was through the roof at 586 FPS and 492 FPS on Radeon RX 7900 XTX vs. Radeon RX 6950 XT, respectively.
• Based on frame production Radeon Rx 7900 XTX was 19% better at producing more frames per second than Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• The power draw was huge on Radeon RX 7900 XTX’s side at 329 W compared to only 280 W on Radeon RX 6950 XT.
• Both GPUs were at 65 degrees Celsius, which is a pretty optimal temperature for any graphics card.

Overall Gaming Performance

Other than GTA V, there wasn’t any game in which Radeon RX 7900 XTX wasn’t significantly better than Radeon RX 6950 XT. The difference was huge in just about every game, with Spiderman Remastered being on the extreme side of the spectrum, wherein the Radeon RX 7900 XTX was able to offer a performance boost of 127% over the Radeon RX 6950 XT.

Some other games in which the difference in frame production was huge, with Radeon RX 7900 XTX being on the winning side, include Forza Horizon 5, F1 22, and Apex Legends. 

There were some games in which Radeon RX 6950 XT could redeem itself, and GTA V was the highlight of that. Valorant was more like a light game for both cards, and Radeon RX 6950 XT was also able to perform quite well in it. 

When we look at the overall FPS average from both cards in 10 games at 4K settings, the average for Radeon RX 7900 XTX comes to 194 FPS. On the other hand, the average for RX 6950 XT comes down to 139 FPS. Overall, that’s nearly 40% better performance delivered by Radeon RX 7900 XTX than Radeon RX 6950 XT.

Power Consumption And Thermal Efficiency

Now, let’s take a look at the power consumption and thermal efficiency of Radeon RX 7900 XTX vs. Radeon RX 6950 XT. Not all went bad for Radeon RX 6950 XT, as it was able to outperform Radeon RX 7900 XTX entirely in the power consumption domain. It is also clear from the spec sheet that the Radeon RX 7900 XTX has a TDP of 355 W compared to the Radeon RX 6950 XT’s TDP of 335 W. However, the gap only widened in our gaming benchmarks. 

Radeon RX 6950 XT never went beyond the 300 Watts mark in any game, whereas Radeon RX 7900 XTX never came below 310 Watts. On average, Radeon RX 6950 XT consumed 286 Watts from the motherboard, whereas Radeon RX 7900 XTX consumed 323 Watts on average. 

Comparing the two averages, we come to the conclusion that Radeon RX 7900 XTX uses almost 13% more power than Radeon RX 6950 XT. That could definitely mean added energy costs at the end of every month.

Is the CPU case too hot even though you don’t have a graphics card installed? Worry not, as many people come across this problem every day. Our guide on how to lower CPU temperature will definitely be a great help to you. 

While the power consumption round went completely in favor of the Radeon RX 6950 XT, it was quite shocking that Radeon RX 7900 XTX was the cooler GPU for the most part. Yes, it consumed more power but remained cooler than Radeon RX 6950 XT.

Also Read: RTX 4090 vs RX 6900

Forza Horizon 5, God of War, F1 22, Apex Legends, and Valorant were the games where the difference between the temperatures of these two graphics cards was negligible, but Radeon RX 6950 XT was always the one hotter by 1 degree Celsius.

Red Dead Redemption 2, The Witcher 3, Spiderman Remastered, and GTA V were the games where this difference was noticeable, with Radeon RX 7900 XTX always being up to 4 degrees cooler than Radeon RX 6950 XT.

On average, Radeon RX 6950 XT was at 69 degrees Celsius, whereas Radeon RX 7900 XTX maintained a temperature of 67 degrees Celsius.

Pricing And Availability

Looking at AMD’s own website, it is clear that the company’s stock of Radeon RX 7900 XTX is out. However, it does list the graphics card at $999. On the other hand, you have Radeon RX 6950 XT available on its website at $799. The good news is that you can find Radeon RX 6950 XT bundled with AMD’s CPUs too.

That’s not the case for Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which is not available alone or with a CPU. You might find a third-party variant here and there, but the card is hardly available on any website. Amazon has its Sapphire variant listed at $1,194. 

Now, when it comes to Radeon RX 6950 XT, you will find plenty of variants on Amazon too. However, while AMD offers the card at $799, some variants, such as XFX Speedster and Powercolor Red Devil, are available for a much better price. 

All in all, it can be easily said that Radeon RX 6950 XT is much more easily available to buy than Radeon RX 7900 XTX.

Which One’s For You?

Before you decide which one to buy, it always makes sense to look at things from all possible angles. There is no doubt that Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the better card on paper and in the real world. It offers you more RT cores and shading units. Its memory speed is much higher, and you can overlock it to 2500 MHz, whereas RX 6950 XT is limited to 2310 MHz. 

Most importantly, Radeon RX 7900 XTX is based on AMD’s latest RDNA 3 architecture compared to RDNA 2 you get on Radeon RX 6950 XT. In every single aspect, Radeon RX 7900 XTX is the better graphics card except for power consumption. 

It might add a bit to your energy bills because our tests showed that it consumed 13% more power than Radeon RX 6950 XT. Also, according to the prices listed on AMD’s own website, Radeon RX 6950 XT is $200 cheaper than Radeon RX 7900 XTX.

To put into perspective, Radeon RX 7900 XTX is 25% more expensive than Radeon RX 6950 XT. However, based on the overall FPS performance, Radeon RX 7900 XTX is 40% better than Radeon RX 6950 XT. Which one you pick depends on you and what you value more. Hopefully, our Radeon RX 7900 XTX vs. Radeon RX 6950 XT guide will help you make the right decision. 

Wondering how RX 6950 XT fairs against an NVIDIA graphics card? Look at this amazing RTX 4080 Vs RX 6950 XT comparison and find out which one’s better. 

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