Looking for something on the low end with more affordable pricing, there may be a few options to choose from. One of which is deciding if to choose from the 6600 XT vs 3060 Ti. Choosing between AMD and Nvidia can be a difficult choice so we go through the options to make it a bit easier. With a performance aimed at 1080p and 1440p, we look at which will take your best graphics card spot.
There are some key differences between the two as you might expect. Being from two different manufacturers they will vary from the core up. The 3060 Ti was the first to be released in December of 2020. Whilst the 6600 XT is newer becoming available in August 2021.
ASUS ROG STRIX RX 6600 XT GAMING OC
ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 TI ROG Strix Gaming OC
Pros
Excellent aesthetic design
Cons
On the higher end of the price spectrum
Architecture
The fundamental difference between the two will come from the architecture and how they are built. With a different build and optimizations, they will work differently but there are other areas that will be similar.
Comparing the 6600 XT vs 3060 Ti, we first look at how they work and what they are based on. For the RX 6600 XT, it is based on the Navi 23 XT, RDNA 2 architecture made with TSMCs 7nm process. Creating a die 237mm² in size with 11.06 billion transistors. Whereas the 3060 Ti is a GA104-200 Ampere GPU. Made from Samsungs 8nm process with 17.4 billion transistors creating a 392mm² die size.
Specifications
| RX 6600 XT | RTX 3060 Ti | |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | Navi 23 XT | GA104-200 |
| Shaders | 2,048 | 4,864 |
| RT cores | 32 | 38 |
| TMUs | 128 | 152 |
| Memory | 8GB GDDR6 | 8GB GDDR6 |
| Base clock | 1,968 MHz | 1,410 MHz |
| Boost clock | 2,589 MHz | 1,665 MHz |
| Memory clock | 16 Gbps | 14 Gbps |
| Card bus | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Memory bandwidth | 256 GB/s | 448 GB/s |
| TDP/TBP | 160 W | 200 W |
Although it may be hard to compare the core make up of the dies the rest of the specs have something to offer. With an easier time comparing them and seeing where each of the variances comes from.
GPU die cores
First, we look at what the die cores are made of and how they function. The different areas work together to create the final product you get to see. Like the shaders that create shadows and shading for scenes. Whilst RT cores work on the real-time ray-tracing for a more realistic scene, and TMUs make the 3D objects from bitmaps.
Between the 6600 XT vs 3060 Ti, we compare what they have to offer even if they work differently. We see there the Nvidia card leads by over double AMDs. Down to how they work with CUDA versus compared to stream processors. Whilst in RT cores and TMUs the difference is smaller with only a few cores difference up to 10s in TMUs.
VRAM
Video memory of a graphics card is used for buffering frames and storing pixels. It allows for the seamless operation of the card to create everything you get to see. It also is important for higher resolutions that produce higher amounts of pixels. Along with a faster clock and bigger bus allows for improved performance.
They both utilize the same amount and type of VRAM, it has 8GB of GDDR6. Where they vary is the speed, as the 6600 XT is clocked at 16 Gbps. Across a 128-bit bus, it has a bandwidth of 256 GB/s. Whereas the 3060 Ti is clocked at 14 Gbps but across a 256-bit bus it has a bandwidth of 448 GB/s.
Clock speeds
Also known as the frequency, it is how often the silicon crystals flip in the silicon. In turn that is what determines how quickly the graphics get put out into the display. Although not the only factor for performance it is a popular choice for overclocking. Pushing the most out of your GPU to get the most out of it.
Between the 6600 XT and 3060 Ti, we see the same trend as before. The 6600 XT reaches higher speeds, with a base clock of 1,968MHz and a boost clock of up to 2,580MHz. Whilst the 3060 Ti only has a base clock of 1,410MHz and a boost clock of 1,665MHz.
Thermal design power
TDP is the thermal design power of a card. It is a measure of how much energy the card will use up whilst running at full capacity. Which also transforms into the heat given off. Meaning it can give you an idea of extra costs and how hot your system will get. Comparing the two we see the 6600 XT has a 40 W lower TDP of 160 W. Saving you running costs and heat that may be important when your room gets warmer.
Card bus
Another variance that can be seen between cards is what PCIe bus they use. This is the interface between the card and the motherboard. There are different generations that allow different speeds between them. They both use PCIe 4.0, however, the Ampere uses an x16 instead of an x8 slot of the RDNA 2 card. That means it has double the available bandwidth at 31.508 GB/s instead of 15.754 GB/s. Although at their performance level you may not utilize the whole of the available size.
RX 6600 XT vs RTX 3060 Ti performance
Comparing the 6600 XT vs 3060 Ti on performance we first look at 3DMark benchmarks. It gives us a graphics comparison between the two. There we see the 6600 XT achieve a score of 9,727 with a price-to-performance ratio of 25. Whereas the 3060 Ti has a score of 11,700 with a ratio of 29.
Whilst looking at Tom’s Hardware review we see the difference between the two in-game performance. There at 1080p, the 3060 Ti averages 120.6 FPS across 10 games, whilst the 6600 XT gets 115.6 FPS on average. Then that continues across the higher resolutions too. With the Nvidia card achieving 99.6 and 58.7 FPS at 1440p and 4k. Whilst the AMD card gets 83.7 and 33.2 FPS.
RX 6600 XT vs RTX 3060 Ti price
For the price, we look at the MSRP of the two. This will probably vary but shows their value when released. And there we see the RX 6600 XT ask for a price of $379USD/£329. Compared to the RTX 3060 Ti has an MSRP of $399USD/£369. Only a $20/£40 difference but that may not be worth it for the performance.
ASRock Radeon RX 6600 XT Phantom Gaming OC
MSI GEFORCE RTX 3060 TI VENTUS 3X OC graphics card
Pros
Stylish, gaming aesthetics
Strong materials and build design
High-end cooling solution
Which is better 3060 Ti vs 6600 XT?
Overall comparing the 6600 XT vs 3060 Ti, it is the Nvidia card that does take the lead in terms of performance but for a bigger cost. It gets 20% higher in benchmarks. But at 1080p gaming that difference is down to 4%. But for 1440p it is up to 19% and up to 79% at 4k. While in terms of pricing the 3060 Ti is only 5% more for overall better performance, especially in ray tracing. So it is the better option for the correct pricing.
RX 6600 XT vs RTX 3060 Ti FAQs
Is RX 6600 XT the same as 3060 Ti?
Although the cards are similar they do differ in performance and price. With the 3060 Ti is capable of higher framerates, especially on ray tracing. But it does come at a 5% higher price point.
