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GeForce RTX 3060 8GB vs Radeon RX 6800 XT

Quick Verdict

The Radeon RX 6800 XT pulls ahead here β€” in a different league, about 131% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. But the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is the better value, undercutting it by $250 USD for the performance you get.

Maximum Capacity Reached. Remove a model to add another. (2/2)

VS
NVIDIA GeForce
RTX 3060 8GB
Price
$400 USDβœ“
Performance
16/100
VRAM
8 GB GDDR6
Key Specs Advantage

Comparable or lower specs

AMD Radeon
RX 6800 XT
Price
$440 USD
Performance
37/100βœ“
VRAM
16 GB GDDR6βœ“
Key Specs Advantage
+157% Ray Accelerators (72 vs 28)
+113% Bandwidth (512 GB/s vs 240 GB/s)
+100% Memory Bus (256-bit vs 128-bit)

Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB: In-Depth Breakdown

Performance: Radeon RX 6800 XT vs GeForce RTX 3060 8GB

The Radeon RX 6800 XT is dramatically faster, around 131% ahead of the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. That gap is enough to move it up a tier: the Radeon RX 6800 XT is comfortable at 1440p, while the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is better matched to 1080p.

Price & Value

Pricing has the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB at $190 USD, $250 USD under the Radeon RX 6800 XT's $440 USD. Despite being slower, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB offers the better performance-per-dollar, so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is trading below its $329 USD MSRP β€” a genuine deal. The Radeon RX 6800 XT is trading below its $649 USD MSRP β€” a genuine deal.

Power & Efficiency

At 170W vs 300W, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is the gentler load on your system. The Radeon RX 6800 XT's extra power draw buys more performance per watt, not just more heat β€” worth it if your PSU has the headroom.

VRAM & Future-Proofing

The Radeon RX 6800 XT carries 16GB versus 8GB on the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. The extra 8GB helps at 4K, with high-resolution texture packs, and for content-creation or local-AI workloads that exhaust smaller buffers.

Features & Ecosystem

Beyond raw numbers, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB brings NVIDIA DLSS upscaling/frame generation and stronger ray tracing, while the Radeon RX 6800 XT offers AMD FSR upscaling and strong rasterization value. If you lean on upscaling or ray tracing, that ecosystem difference can matter as much as the frame-rate gap.

Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 8GB or Radeon RX 6800 XT?

Choose the Radeon RX 6800 XT if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Radeon RX 6800 XT better than the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB?

The Radeon RX 6800 XT is dramatically faster, roughly 131% ahead. The GeForce RTX 3060 8GB is still worth it if value matters more than top-end frames.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB or the Radeon RX 6800 XT?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at 1440p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the Radeon RX 6800 XT worth the extra $250 USD over the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB?

Only if you need the extra performance or features; on pure value the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB comes out ahead.

Does the Radeon RX 6800 XT have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 16GB (vs 8GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Which should you buy: GeForce RTX 3060 8GB or Radeon RX 6800 XT?

Choose the Radeon RX 6800 XT if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

Architecture & Cores specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 3060 8GB and Radeon RX 6800 XT
SpecificationGeForce RTX 3060 8GBRadeon RX 6800 XT
ArchitectureAmpereRDNA 2
Process NodeSamsung 8nmTSMC N7
CUDA Cores (CUDA Cores / Stream Processors)3,5844,608βœ“
Ray Tracing Cores2872βœ“
Tensor / AI Cores112β€”

Clock Speeds

Clock Speeds specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 3060 8GB and Radeon RX 6800 XT
SpecificationGeForce RTX 3060 8GBRadeon RX 6800 XT
Base Clock1,320 MHz1,825 MHzβœ“
Boost Clock1,777 MHz2,250 MHzβœ“

Memory

Memory specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 3060 8GB and Radeon RX 6800 XT
SpecificationGeForce RTX 3060 8GBRadeon RX 6800 XT
VRAM Capacity8 GB16 GBβœ“
Memory TypeGDDR6GDDR6
Memory Bus128-bit256-bitβœ“
Memory Speed15 Gbps16 Gbpsβœ“
Bandwidth240 GB/s512 GB/sβœ“

Connectivity & Power

Connectivity & Power specifications comparison between GeForce RTX 3060 8GB and Radeon RX 6800 XT
SpecificationGeForce RTX 3060 8GBRadeon RX 6800 XT
InterfacePCIe 4.0 x16PCIe 4.0 x16
TDP170 Wβœ“300 W
Power Connectors1x 8-pin2x 8-pin
ReleasedFeb 2021Oct 2020