Perhaps the most impressive of AMD’s new RDNA 2 Radeon RX 6000 Series GPUs, is the Radeon RX 6800 XT. When the pricing of the Nvidia RTX 3080 was announced, many were surprised that Nvidia would choose not to increase the launch price from its previous generation counterpart, the GeForce RTX 2080. It turns out that those who correlated this competitive launch price with a strong offering from AMD were correct.
The Radeon RX 6800 XT, which “released” on November the 18th, has proven its worth in benchmarks; outperforming both the GeForce RTX 3080 and the GeForce RTX 3090 in an 18-game average at 1080p, while also leading the former GPU in 1440p, and only slightly trailing to it at 4K – as proven by TechSpot’s recently released tests. Given the fact that both new-generation consoles – the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 – incorporate RDNA 2 GPUs, chances are that the performance of the Radeon RX 6000 Series GPUs will continue to grow as developers optimize their games for this ar6chitecture.
The Radeon RX 6800 XT will include a Navi 21 XT GPU; with a 7 nm TSMC FinFET processing node, 26.8 million transistors, and a die size of 520 mm². Its 4,608 Stream Processors, 288 TMUs, 128 ROPs, 72 CUs, 72 RT Cores, and 128 MB Infinity (L3) Cache give it a theoretical performance of 288 GPixels per second, and 648 GTexels per second. The GPU will have a Base Clock speed of 1,825 MHz, a Game Clock speed of 2,015 MHz, and a Boost Clock speed of 2,250 MHz. In terms of memory, it will have 16 GB of GDDR6; with a 256-bit memory bus and a 512 GB/s bandwidth. The reference card also seems to be a prime choice for full-sized-GPU SFF cases, as it has a length of 267 mm, a width of 120 mm, and a height of 39 mm. Also, the heatsink will have a width of 2.5 slots, and the display connectivity will include one HDMI 2.1 (VRR and FRL), two DisplayPort 1.4 (with DSC), and one USB Type-C slots. The Radeon RX 6800 XT has a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 300 watts, having launched with a $649 MSRP, that is $50 cheaper than that of the GeForce RTX 3080 ($699).
Of course, these specifications will vary for the aftermarket models, as GPU manufacturers will boost the clock speeds and add their own style to the Radeon RX 6800 XT – both in terms of looks, with accompanying RGB displays, as well as the overall cooling solution. Because the aftermarket manufacturers have not yet released their RDNA 2 graphics cards, the available information for their models is limited. Still, enough data has been released to provide us with a decent understanding of what each variant will feature. To assist you in choosing the right AIB GPU for your next build or upgrade, we have compiled a list of all announced Radeon RX 6800 XT models, together with any available info each manufacturer has provided.
AMD RX 6800 XT Aftermarket Card Comparison
| RX 6800 XT Card | Max Clock | Length | RGB | Dual BIOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD RX 6800 XT | 2250 MHz | 267 mm | No | No |
| Gigabyte RX 6800 XT Gaming OC | 2285 MHz | 286 mm | Yes | Yes |
| MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio | 2285 MHz | 324 mm | Yes | No |
| ASRock RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming D OC | 2310 MHz | 330 mm | Yes | No |
| Saphhire RX 6800 XT Pulse | 2310 MHz | 313 mm | No | Yes |
| Asus RX 6800 XT TUF Gaming OC | 2340 MHz | 310 mm | Yes | No |
| PowerColor RX 6800 XT Red Devil | 2340 MHz | 320 mm | Yes | Yes |
| XFX RX 6800 XT Speedster Merc 319 | 2340 MHz | 340 mm | No | Yes |
| Asus RX 6800 XT ROG Strix LC | 2360 MHz | 277 mm | Yes | TBC |
| Saphhire RX 6800 XT Nitro+ | 2360 MHz | 310 mm | Yes | Yes |
| Saphhire RX 6800 XT Nitro+ SE | 2360 MHz | 310 mm | Yes | Yes |
| ASRock RX 6800 XT Taichi X OC | 2360 MHz | 330 mm | Yes | Yes |
All specs available from our RX 6800 XT card database
Gigabyte RX 6800 XT Gaming (OC)
The Taiwanese hardware manufacturer, Gigabyte, will be releasing three new Radeon RX 6800 XT models – two of which are the Gaming and the Gaming OC. The latter will, most likely, cost slightly more than the reference card, due to its faster over clocking speeds; though, how much faster these speeds will be is still unknown. In fact, Gigabyte has released little to no information about these models, but we can still predict how they will be built, based on their other Gaming and Gaming OC GPU variants.
The pictures of these graphic cards, released by Gigabyte, display a simplistic exterior, with only the Gigabyte logo being RGB-lit on the side, that can be customized via RGB Fusion 2.0. The tri-fan cooling design will feature the WindForce 3X Cooling System: which means two fans will have a 90 mm diameter, while the third will be 80 mm. Each fan will be spinning in an alternate, to its adjacent, direction, and they will have PWM controls that Gigabyte names “3D Active Fan”. These fans will have sleeve bearings that use a graphene nano lubricant, stated to have twice the lifespan of standard double ball bearings. The heatsink receives heat from the GPU via seven composite copper heatpipes that are in contact with a large, direct touch, copper plate.
Price is yet to be determined.
NOTE: The Radeon RX 6800 XT AORUS Master is another model that Gigabyte has announced, though no further details (or pictures) have been given.
ASUS RX 6800 XT ROG Strix LC
A GPU manufacturer that has proven to not skimp out on hardware components for their graphics cards, thus avoiding the whole Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 POSCAP ordeal, is ASUS; who will be launching two different Radeon RX 6800 XT variants: The ROG Strix LC and the TUF Gaming.
The former GPU is, so far, the only AIO liquid cooling option available for the Radeon RX 6800 XT. It makes use of a custom pump module that transfers liquid to a 240 mm radiator, itself cooled by two ASUS custom-designed 120 mm RGB-lit fans. Another, quite unique, option that the ROG Strix LC will feature, are its two FanConnect II headers, which allow you to pair case fans with the GPU, so that they are automatically controlled based on the fluctuations of the GPU’s temperatures.
Other than the radiator fans, RGB lighting will also illuminate the front-plate of the graphics card, through slanted accents that collectively display the ROG Strix logo.
No word from ASUS about the clock speeds and price of this AIO liquid cooled GPU, but chances are that it will feature an increased Gaming and Boost Clock speeds, and it will come with a hefty price tag.
ASUS RX 6800 XT TUF Gaming
The other, more simplistic, variant that ASUS will release for the Radeon RX 6800 XT, is the TUF Gaming. With only a very small RGB-lit accent on the side of the GPU, the TUF Gaming makes use of a conventional triple-fan setup. These fans use ASUS’s Axial-Tech design, with the center fan spinning in an alternate, to the other two, direction – and these fans will most likely use double ball bearings and PWM controls. Additional components of this overall cooling system, include an enlarged 2.9-slot heatsink and a full-length aluminum backplate with two large ventilation holes; which are used to optimize airflow. If this Radeon RX 6800 XT model is similar to other recently released TUF Gaming variants, it will also have a separate VRAM heatsink.
To justify the TUF in its name, ASUS uses an “Auto-Extreme” assembly, meaning that the soldering of the components is machine-automated, without the need of human intervention. Also, a 144-hour testing regime is carried out, to prove the reliability of their capacitors.
Price and clock speeds are TBC.
MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio
So far, MSI has only announced one Radeon RX 6800 XT card: The Gaming X Trio. As denoted by its name, the Gaming X Trio will have three fans, each equipped with double ball bearings and TORX Fan 4.0 design fan-blades. This means that the blades will be linked in pairs of two, in their outer ring, which is done to optimize their static pressure output. The TRI FROZR 2 cooling system also includes PWM controls, which MSI named Zero Frozr. The heatsink will have a 2.7-slot width, and a Wave Curved 2.0 fin design: angled edges on the fins so that when the air flows through them, no unwanted noise will be produced. To further enhance the airflow throughout, the backplate also has ventilation holes.
In terms of looks, the Gaming X Trio has RGB-lit slanted accents running across the shroud surrounding the middle fan, as well as an illuminated MSI logo, and RGB strip running lengthwise of the side of the GPU.
The differences the Gaming X Trio will have with the reference card, according to VideoCardz, is that it will have a 2.5-slot design, and dimensions of 324 mm (L), 141 mm (W), and 55 mm (H). It will also not include a USB Type-C slot, and chances are it will have slightly faster clock speeds than AMD’s model.
More information about the Gaming X Trio will most likely be released around November the 25th, where AMD will lift the aftermarket GPU embargo.
PowerColor RX 6800 XT Red Devil
Another aftermarket AMD GPU manufacturer, based in Taiwan, is PowerColor, who intends to release their Radeon RX 6800 XT model named the Red Devil.
The Red Devil has a unique RGB display, with six fins that connect the faceplate shroud with the backplate – on the side opposite of the I/O ports. These fins run all the way across the first two fans, illuminating the front face of the GPU. It will also have an RGB-lit Red Devil logo on the backplate.
This PowerColor GPU appears to be optimized for overclocking, as it has a 14 + 2 phase VRM, with a Dr.MOS power stage. It will also feature a physical Dual BIOS switch between OC and Silent modes. Because of the above specifications, chances are this graphics card will have faster clock frequencies than the AMD reference card.
In terms of a cooling solution, the Red Devil has a three-fan design and a ventilated backplate. No further information has been released for this model; though it does appear that the heatsink will have a 3-slot width.
The display connectivity will be limited to one HDMI and two DP ports, as the USB Type-C slot will only be available for the Red Devil Limited Edition GPU.
Sapphire Radeon RX 6800 XT Nitro+ (SE)
The Hong-Kong based, graphics card manufacturer, Sapphire will also be releasing two of their own aftermarket Radeon RX 6800 XT models: The XT Nitro+ and the XT Nitro+ SE.
Though details have not been released for these GPUs, we do know they will feature a triple-fan design, a 2.7-slot heatsink, and slightly larger dimensions than those of the reference card. Both Nitro+ GPUs will have a length of 310 mm, a width of 134.3 mm, and a height of 55.3 mm (therefore, chances are they won’t fit in most SFF builds). The backplate, for both variants, will include ventilation holes and an ARGB-lit Sapphire Nitro logo. More ARGB displays are also found on the side of the graphics card, with a lit accent running lengthwise, and an illuminated Sapphire logo on the side of the shroud.
The differences between the Nitro+ and the Nitro+ SE, is that the SE will have a USB Type-C slot, and the fans will have translucent blades, which are illuminated with ARGB displays.
As is the case for most Radeon RX 6800 XT models, price and memory clock speeds have not been announced for these Sapphire AIB cards.
ASRock RX 6800 XT Phantom Gaming D OC & Taichi X OC
Two are the aftermarket models that ASRock will be releasing for the Radeon RX 6800 XT – and both very similar in style and in specifications.
The Phantom Gaming D OC and the Taichi X OC will both have a tri-fan design, with the center unit having translucent blades and an RGB lighting. These fans will all have a Striped Axial design, which includes a striped texturing atop, and a polished surface on the bottom. The fans will have PWM controls, named 0 dB Silent Cooling. Oddly enough, neither of the two graphics cards have a ventilated backplate.
What makes these GPUs unique, is that ASRock has placed emphasis on using materials of the highest quality for both graphics cards, featuring Nichicon 12K black caps, which last up to 12,000 hours, a 2 oz copper PCB, for better heat dispersion, and a high-density glass fabric, to reduce gaps between the PCB layers. Additionally, a 70 A Dr.MOS integrated power stage and 90-amp power chokes have been integrated to optimize their overclocking capabilities. Though we don’t have the specifics about the clock speeds of these two GPUs, they will surely be faster than the reference card.
The difference between the two models, other than their overall external appearance, is that the Taichi X OC will have an illuminated logo (Taichi) on the backplate, as well as a USB Type-C slot – both absent in the Gaming D OC.
Price and release dates should be announced by ASRock soon enough.
XFX RX 6800 XT Speedster Merc 319
Hailing from California, the subsidiary of PINE Technology named XFX is planning to release the Radeon RX 6800 XT AIB model named: Speedster Merc 319.
This GPU will have a three-fan design and a large 3-slot heatsink, similar to the reference card. Of the three fans, the middle fan will be slightly smaller than the other two, but specifics on dimensions and bearings have still not been released. The backplate does not extend to the full length of the heatsink, leaving about 20% of it to be fully ventilated. Connectivity wise, it will have the standard two DP 1.4, single HDMI 2.1, and single USB Type-C slots. The side of the GPU will feature illuminated XFX and Radeon 6800 XT logos – but that’s about it in terms of RGB displays.
Clock speeds and price have not yet been announced for the Speedster Merc 319 by XFX.