GPU Comparison: AMD 6950 XT vs. Nvidia 3090 Ti
If you want maximum graphics power on your PC, you have two options—the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT or the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti. You may think AMD users should get the AMD GPU, while Intel users must pick Nvidia. However, it’s not that simple.
Manufacturers go out of their way to ensure that their chips are compatible with the widest possible market. So, to get the best possible graphics performance out of your PC, you have to look at the GPU itself.
To help you with that, let’s compare the 6950 XT and 3090 Ti today.
RX 6950 XT vs. RTX 3090 Ti: Compare the Hardware
As with any comparison, you should start with the basics: look at the spec sheet. These are what the respective cards are packing on their printed circuit boards.
AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti
Architecture
Process Size
Base Clock (GHz)
Boost Clock (GHz)
5120 Stream Processors
10752 CUDA Cores
16GB GDDR6
24GB GDDR6X
Memory Bus
1,008 GB/s
Ray Tracing Cores
Tensor Cores
L3 Cache (MB)
Pixel Rate (GP/s)
297.5 GPixel/s
208.3 GPixel/s
Texture Rate (GT/s)
743.7 GTexel/s
625.0 GTexel/s
FP32 (Float) Performance (TFLOPS)
Bus Interface
PCIe 4.0 x16
Graphics Card Power Requirement (Watts)
1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a
1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
Launch Date
30 June 2025
17 June 2025
US$ 1,099.00
US$ 1,999.00
On paper, the two cards are neck and neck. AMD has a marginally better GPU processor, with a smaller process node and higher clock speeds, thus resulting in better pixel and texture rates. But Nvidia’s 3090 Ti has more than 100% more shaders, 50% more VRAM, and double the memory bandwidth. This lets ithandle more TFLOPs, allowing it to catch up with AMD’s superior processor.
But if you look at their prices, you’ll find that the 3090 Ti is almost double the price of the 6950 XT. So, will the performance difference justify the former’s price premium?
RX 6950 XT vs. RTX 3090 Ti: Real-World Performance
Of course, all the numbers mean nothing if the GPU can’t translate that into FPS. So, let’s compare their actual gaming benchmarks.TechSpotran both the RX 6950 XT and RTX 3090 Ti with a Ryzen 7 5800X3D and 32GB Dual-Channel DDR4-3200 CL14 on an Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme motherboard.
When looking at the numbers, you’ll see the RX 6950 XT’s faster processor marginally beats Nvidia when working with 1080p Full HD resolutions, with a 4% performance gain over the latter. But since 1440p has 78% more pixels than 1080p, while 4K uses 400% more data, you’ll see the RTX 3090 Ti’s larger and better memory overtake the former.
Game Title
Average Frame Rate (FPS)
Performance Difference
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction
1080p, Very High
1440p, Very High
4K, Very High
Watch Dogs: Legion
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
1080p, Highest
1440p, Highest
4K, Highest
The Outer Worlds
1080p, Ultra
1440p, Ultra
1080p, Ultra High
1440p, Ultra High
4K, Ultra High
Average Performance
Overall Average
RX 6950 XT vs. RTX 3090 Ti: Power Consumption
Nvidia’s top-end offering uses 115 more watts than AMD’s competitor. This difference is substantial, with the 6950 XT requiring an average of 2.17 watts per frame, compared to the 3090 Ti’s 2.83. The AMD GPU is far more efficient, allowing you to use a PSU with a lower rating.
Nevertheless, if you’re upgrading from the last generation top-end cards, namely the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, you still might have toupgrade your PSU. That’s because both these cards only require around 250 watts, which is far less than AMD’s 335- and Nvidia’s 450-watt requirement.
RX 6950 XT vs. RTX 3090 Ti: Recommended and Retail Price
When you look at each card’s price, you’ll see that Nvidia charges a thousand-dollar premium over the RX 6950 XT. It’s 80% more expensive than the AMD GPU and requires 25% more electricity, making it more expensive to run. But, it only delivers a paltry 5% average performance gain.
Nevertheless, actual prices usually differ from what the manufacturer suggests. Even thoughcryptocurrency crashes have made GPUs far more accessibleand affordable than in the previous two years,they’re still mighty expensive.
If you look at Newegg, you’ll find theAsus TUF Gaming AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT OC Editionpriced at $1,645.41, which is nearly 50% higher than suggested. However, theAsus TUF Gaming Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti OC Editionis now available at $1,949.99—$50 less than SRP. The crypto crashes probably brought this price drop, so let’s hope the RX 6950 XT’s price follows soon.
Nevertheless, looking at current prices, the 3090 Ti is still 18% more expensive than the 6950 XT, which is still a disappointment considering it only gives 5% more FPS.
Is 5% Worth $900?
The massive price difference between AMD and Nvidia makes the 6950 XT the sensible choice. But if you have an unlimited budget and only want the best, you should go for the 3090 Ti. Its massive memory advantage will give the best possible performance, especially as we getscreens with 8K resolution and more.
Nevertheless, when you’re only working with a specific budget and want to get other expensive parts and peripherals, the 6950 XT is definitely more than enough for most gamers' needs.
All that separates them is two letters, right? It’s a little more nuanced than that, so check out our comparison before you splash the cash.
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