AMD launched this week a refreshed Radeon RX 6650 XT, which is just an overclocked 6600 XT with quicker reminiscence. The cores are clocked ~2% increased and the GDDR6 reminiscence is 9% quicker, each of which have elevated the board energy ranking by 13% to 180 watts.
Now you would possibly assume, a barely quicker 6600 XT is not a nasty factor, even when it is solely ~5% quicker. However, the 6600 XT is sort of a 12 months previous and it was a late launch within the cycle. The first RDNA2 GPUs arrived in November 2020 and we’re anticipating RDNA3-based merchandise to land earlier than the top of this 12 months. That means an efficient 6600 XT substitute is about 12 months away.
Even on this state of affairs, an additional 5-10% efficiency may very well be welcomed if free, however that is not the case. Despite the sharp downturn in graphics card pricing (again to normalcy), in a baffling transfer AMD determined to refresh a lot of their present RDNA2 lineup whereas jacking up pricing within the course of.
Admittedly, going from $380 to $400 just isn’t an enormous improve for the RX 6650 XT. Then the 6750 XT and 6950 XT value hikes are even worse, however we’ll cowl these merchandise in one other evaluation in a while.
You would assume that an organization struggling to win over players to the Radeon model would like to retain some credibility by honoring the unique MSRP — and do not inform me they can not — as they’re basically doing it already with the 6600 XT now obtainable for simply above the $380 MSRP.
We’ll focus on pricing some extra in the direction of the closing of the evaluation. For now let’s try efficiency to see if the Radeon RX 6650 XT has any surprises for us. On hand for testing we’ve the PowerColor Hellhound Spectral White and Sapphire Nitro+ fashions and we have used the Spectral White to signify 6650 XT efficiency.
All AMD and Nvidia GPUs have been examined on the official clock specs, so no manufacturing facility overclocking. All the information on this evaluation is contemporary and was gathered prior to now week utilizing the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with 32GB of dual-rank, dual-channel DDR4-3200 CL14 reminiscence on the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme utilizing the most recent BIOS supporting the AGESA 1207 microcode. We’ve examined 10 video games at 1080p and 1440p, so let’s get into the information.
Benchmarks
Starting with Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction, we see a 6% efficiency soar from the 6600 XT to the 6650 XT, about what we had been anticipating to see. This allowed the 6650 XT to match the RTX 3060, not precisely an thrilling improve and if it had been free we would take it.
The RTX 3060 nonetheless maintained its small lead at 1440p and this time we’re a 7% improve for the 6650 XT over the unique 6600 XT.
The enchancment to the common body charge in Horizon Zero Dawn at 1080p is underwhelmight, right here we’re a 4% enhance for the 6650 XT over the 6600 XT, although that did make it 13% quicker than the RTX 3060, so I suppose there’s that.
The 1440p positive aspects are a lot the identical, 5% right here making it 8% quicker than the RTX 3060.
Moving on to Watch Dogs: Legion, the 6600 XT already owned the RTX 3060, providing an enormous 22% efficiency improve, so the 6650 XT simply blows that out additional to a 34% margin. This can also be the most important achieve we’re seen over the 6600 XT because the 6650 XT was 10% quicker.
That margin was barely decreased at 1440p to 7%, however that meant it was nonetheless 22% quicker than the RTX 3060, win for AMD.
Next we’ve Shadow of the Tomb Raider with an 8% improve for the 6650 XT at 1080p over the unique mannequin, making it 10% quicker than the RTX 3060.
The 1440p margin between the 6600 XT and 6650 XT was a lot the identical, a 7% improve right here permitting the refreshed model to beat the RTX 3060 by 6%.
Hitman 3 sees an 8% improve for the 6650 XT over the 6600 XT and that meant it was an enormous 21% quicker than the RTX 3060. Another good win for AMD, even when the 6650 XT is underwhelming relative to the unique mannequin.
Then at 1440p we’re an 8% improve, leaping up from 83 fps on common to 90 fps and that meant the 6650 XT was now 22% quicker than the RTX 3060 and simply 8% slower than the RTX 3060 Ti.
Moving on to Far Cry 6, we discover very sturdy efficiency at 1080p utilizing the prime quality preset. The 6650 XT was solely 4% quicker than the unique mannequin, however that noticed it common 157 fps and that is a 30% improve over the RTX 3060.
The margin remained the identical at 1440p, the place the 6650 XT was 27% quicker than the RTX 3060, although the hole to the 6600 XT did improve, now 9% which is kind of a big improve in comparison with what was seen at 1080p.
The F1 2021 outcomes are fascinating as we discovered no distinction in efficiency between the 6650 XT and 6600 XT. We’re unsure if that is all the way down to the usage of ray tracing which creates a bottleneck that the additional reminiscence bandwidth of the 6650 XT cannot overcome, unsure, however we did double test these outcomes.
The similar state of affairs is seen at 1440p, once more the 6650 XT is absolutely no quicker than the 6600 XT.
Next we’ve Cyberpunk 2077 and we’re again to extraordinarily gentle positive aspects, 6% at 1080p, making the 6650 XT 18% quicker than the RTX 3060.
Much the identical is seen at 1440p, a 7% uplift right here for the 6650 XT over the 6600 XT making it 14% quicker than the RTX 3060.
Next is Dying Light 2 — and fortunately we’re close to the top of this boring benchmark session — we discover a 7% enhance for the 6650 XT over the 6600 XT and which means it is 17% quicker than the RTX 3060.
The margins had been the identical at 1440p, an 8% enhance over the 6600 XT and a 20% improve over the RTX 3060.
Finally, we’ve Halo Infinite the place we see a 6% improve for the 6650 XT over the 6600 XT and that meant it was simply 9% quicker than the RTX 3060 at 1080p.
Then at 1440p, the 6650 XT was 8% quicker than the unique mannequin and 10% quicker than the RTX 3060.
When it involves energy consumption, the 6650 XT is kind of environment friendly, solely rising complete system utilization by 2% from the 6600 XT, and that meant energy utilization was 5% lower than that of the RTX 3060. So not a big distinction when in comparison with the GeForce competitors, however the 6650 XT was quicker whereas utilizing much less energy.
Performance Summary
In phrases of efficiency, the Radeon RX 6650 XT seemed good in comparison with the RTX 3060 throughout the ten video games examined, however wasn’t precisely thrilling sitting subsequent to the 6600 XT. Anyway, to get a good suggestion of how they stack up let’s check out the ten recreation common earlier than transferring into our value per body evaluation…
At 1080p the 6650 XT was on common 6% quicker than the 6600 XT, precisely what we anticipated to see based mostly on the specs. Given the MSRP has elevated by 5%, getting 6% extra efficiency on common makes this considerably of a pointless launch in our opinion.
It’s value noting that in our latest 50 recreation head-to-head comparability between the 6600 XT and RTX 3060, the Radeon GPU was 3% quicker at 1080p, but right here it’s 10% quicker which is kind of an enormous distinction. There are just a few causes for this discrepancy.
First, Nvidia does a greater job of optimizing efficiency throughout a variety of video games, due to a a lot bigger working finances. The 50 recreation take a look at additionally included just a few ray tracing enabled exams, most notably Metro Exodus Enhanced and Resident Evil Village, the place the 6600 XT was over 20% slower. Additionally, there have been additionally 17 video games the place the margin was 3% or much less and this reduces the importance of huge wins in titles similar to Watch Dogs Legion, for instance.
Ideally, we would have gathered the 50 recreation information earlier than we up to date all our testing with the 5800X3D, so we may have chosen the ten titles extra neutrally. This is one thing we’ll look to optimize over the approaching weeks, however for now simply needless to say the ten recreation pattern is a little more favorable in the direction of AMD in comparison with the massive 50 recreation benchmarks.
The 6600 XT is simply 5% quicker than the RTX 3060 at 1440p and the 6650 XT elevated that margin to 12%, so an honest efficiency benefit, particularly given the Radeon GPUs are cheaper proper now. So let’s transfer on to check out that…
Cost Per Frame
Time to have a look at present pricing and break down the price per body. We’ve included the 6650 XT on the $400 MSRP, however because the 6600 XT is at present promoting for $400 and the 6650 XT is supposed to be $20 extra, it is smart to check the brand new GPU at a $20 premium, so $420…
Assuming the 6650 XT does are available at $420, that may make it nearly an identical to the 6600 XT when it comes to value per body. Considering it is meant to be a 5% value improve, that is smart for a mean 6% extra efficiency, in accordance with our information.
That locations it on par with the price per body of the 6700 XT which is at present at $500 and some % dearer than the RX 6600 per body.
When in comparison with Nvidia’s choices, the 6650 XT seems to be nice and that is largely helped by a latest improve in value for the RTX 3060. When we checked out RTX 3060 pricing final time, there have been just a few fashions down round $400, however these are nowhere to be discovered unexpectedly, making these GPUs dearer on a per body foundation as properly. But in fact, this may undoubtedly fluctuate from nation to nation.
Moving to 1440p paints a prettier image for the 6650 XT as right here it was 9% quicker than the 6600 XT on common, and this decreased the price per body at $420 to $6.66. That’s a 3% saving from the unique 6600 XT… wonderful deal proper?
Basically that brings the 6650 XT inline with the 6700 XT and 6600 and which means it is higher worth than the RTX 3060 at $480, which quantities to a 25% saving when evaluating value per body.
Cooling
We acquired two Radeon 6650 XT fashions and we needed to briefly focus on their thermal efficiency, beginning with the PowerColor Hellhound Spectral White. This mannequin noticed a peak temperature of simply 62C after an hour-long loop of the F1 2021 benchmark and that is significantly spectacular given the followers solely spun at 1150 RPM, leading to a nearly silent graphics card that could not be heard over our case followers.
In phrases of clock specs, the cores clocked at 2715 MHz on common with the reminiscence at 2178 MHz which equates to a switch pace of 17.42 Gbps.
The different mannequin we’ve readily available is the Sapphire Nitro+ which is bodily a a lot bigger card, although it nonetheless solely has two followers. This mannequin additionally peaked at 62C, although remarkably it did so with a fan pace of simply 750 RPM, and that is about as near silent as you may get with an actively cooled graphics card.
As for the clock pace, the cores clocked at 2715 MHz on common with the reminiscence at 2178 MHz, which ends up in the identical 17.42 Gbps switch pace.
What We Learned
The Radeon RX 6650 XT is a non-event. It is a bit quicker, which is sweet, nevertheless it additionally prices a bit extra, so finally who cares? It barely strengthens AMD’s place. In phrases of value per body, it is just a few % higher than what we already had, however realistically what the 6650 XT provides was solely a light overclock away with the 6600 XT.
Even if small, an official value hike for Navi 23 silicon appears a bit daff contemplating what’s been happening with GPUs the previous two years. This is not how AMD wins players over to the Radeon model. If something it is a flip off. Just as a result of Nvidia will get away with crap like this it does not imply AMD can or ought to comply with. Personally, I believe it is one more mishandling of the RDNA2 collection.
The solely optimistic is that the RX 6600 and 6700 collection have continued to drop in value over the previous few weeks and are at present in place relative to the RTX 3060 and 3070 vary. For instance, a month in the past we in contrast the RTX 3070 and 6700 XT, on the time the 6700 XT was priced at $600 and the RTX 3070 at $750, as we speak the GeForce GPU has dropped by simply $20, whereas we have seen a $100 discount for the 6700 XT.
In a matter of a month, the 6700 XT went from 20% cheaper than the RTX 3070 to 32% cheaper, that is large value motion for AMD. Before we had stated “go along with the 6700 XT” as a result of financial savings, however as we speak there isn’t any query we would buy the 6700 XT over the RTX 3070. Likewise, we would buy the brand new 6650 XT over the RTX 3060 if that is the pricing distinction you see in your area.
Ultimately, the Radeon 6650 XT’s launch would not make any distinction and it is simply extra of the identical.
What does make a distinction is that the RX 6600 collection is down close to the MSRP… not wonderful information for a year-old product, nevertheless it’s wonderful given what these final 12 months have seemed like for PC players and potential GPU patrons.
