RX 6650 XT vs RTX 3060 Ti – battle of the budgets

Last Updated: June 7th, 2022

We have yet another comparison for the new AMD RDNA2 refresh. This time we compare the RX 6650 XT vs 3060 Ti. It is aimed at the 3060 but we want to see how it compares to a middle card as well. With both set for the budget end of the market, capable of mostly 1080p gaming. Aiming to be the best graphics card for you.

The AMD selection is the newer of the selection. Released in May of 2022, with the 3060 Ti out since December 2020. Which is a large time difference between the two although unlikely to bring much difference. With not a lot of change expected in the same life cycle of a generation.

ROG Strix Radeon RX 6650 XT OC

Pros

Best out of the box performance

Subtle RGB color customization

ASUS GeForce RTX 3060 TI ROG Strix Gaming OC

Pros

Excellent aesthetic design

Cons

On the higher end of the price spectrum

Architecture

It isn’t the best comparison to make as the architectural differences between the companies are quite large. However, it can still give a basic understanding of how they are made and work. Showing off the core differences in the composition and how they run.

The RX 6650 XT uses the Navi 23 KXT variant from the RDNA 2.0 family. It is built with TSMCs 7nm process, which creates a die 237 mm² in size with 11.06 billion transistors. With the RTX 3060 Ti on the GA104-200 variant of the Ampere architecture. Which is made with Samsungs 8nm process with 17.4 billion transistors and 392 mm² in size.

Specifications

	RX 6650 XT	RTX 3060 Ti
GPU	Navi 23 KXT	GA104-200
Shaders	2,048	4,864
RT cores	32	38
TMUs	128	152
Memory	8 GB GDDR6	8 GB GDDR6
Base clock	2,055 MHz	1,410 MHz
Boost clock	2,635 MHz	1,665 MHz
Memory clock	17.5 Gbps	14 Gbps
Card bus	PCIe 4.0 x8	PCIe 4.0 x16
Memory bandwidth	280.3 GB/s	448.0 GB/s
TDP/TBP	176 W	200 W

There is also the rest of the specifications to look at when comparing the RX 6650 XT vs 3060 Ti. Even though the core die might be harder there are other more standard parts that can be useful to know.

GPU core dies

The parts that make up the GPU die are specialized in what they work on. Although between the two cards there will be differences in how they are reported or how they function. In particular, there are shaders working on shading and shadows. Whilst RT cores are for real-time ray tracing calculations and TMUs on creating 3D objects for the scenes.

From the comparison, we see that Nvidia’s choice has a much higher shader count, with more than double the amount. Although unlikely to be a direct one-to-one comparison. With RT cores and TMUs much closer in values. The 3060 Ti with six more RT cores and 24 more TMUs. But again with differing optimizations and architecture, it can vary the overall performance.

VRAM

Video random access memory is the RAM of the graphics card. Utilized as a frame buffer and pixel storage area. The speeds and quantity aim to improve performance for higher resolutions and higher pixel counts. As well as reducing latency between components.

With the two graphics offering the same memory of 8 GB GDDR6. Although they have different size bus interfaces and memory clocks. And although the 6650 XT is clocked 3.5 Gbps higher it does have a smaller 128-bit interface. This results in the 3060 Ti having nearly double the bandwidth, at 448 GB/s instead of 280.3 GB/s.

Frequency

Clock rate or cyle is how quickly the silicon crystals can flip. It defines how quickly it can process instructions by processing mathematical equations. It is also a popular factor for overclocking, either by the board partner or consumer. This means getting the most out of your card with a faster processing speed.

As previously seen between the two manufacturers, AMD takes the lead in speed. The RX 6650 XT is clocked at a 2,055 MHz base clock. With the boost clock up to 2,635 MHz. Whereas the RTX 3060 Ti has a base clock frequency of 1,410 MHz. With a boost clock of 1,665 MHz a much slower offering over AMD.

TDP/TBP

Thermal designs or board power is the measure of the maximum amount of power the card will consume. It can give you an understanding of the kind of power consumption to expect at maximum utilization. Which does also get converted to heat so you can know what kind of heat it will give off. Between the two options, the AMD card has a lower consumption at 176 W instead of 200 W which can save you some energy.

RX 6650 XT vs 3060 Ti performance

TechSpot’s RX 6650 XT review has produced benchmarks comparing the cards. In 1080p the RX 6650 XT leads against the 6600 XT and 3060 on average. However, it doesn’t quite surpass the 3060 Ti falling short by around nine FPS but with the 1% minimums close to each other.

The same performance can be seen at 1440p. With the averages slightly coming closer together but the order staying the same. The difference will also be seen with the ray-tracing performance. As Nvidia has a much better solution for it in this generation and AMD takes a massive hit with it turned on.

RX 6650 XT vs 3060 Ti price

Comparing the launch MSRP we can see what they are valued at. The 6650 XT was set at $399, just $20 higher than its predecessor the RX 6600 XT. Which does bring the price up to the same price as the RTX 3060 Ti. So in that terms, they are neck and neck with how much they’re worth.

Although it may be harder to find them at that price. Although the GPU market has been returning to normal and close to MSRP. Nvidia has been on the higher side still but at least the stock is there. With the selection of RTX 3060 Tis available for $560. Whilst the RX 6650 XT is close to its MSRP with selections from $399 up to $430.

PowerColor Hellhound Sakura RX 6650 XT

Zotac NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Pros

Excellent cooling for a dual fan

Cons

Build quality could be improved

Conclusion

There we have the comparison for the RX 6650 XT vs RTX 3060 Ti. From the performance we see the 3060 Ti take the lead slightly at a higher energy cost. And even though they have the same MSRP the Nvidia card is more expensive in the market so it might be worth the AMD card instead. Although if you need ray tracing or rendering work you will lack the performance.

Although this late in the product life cycle it may be worth waiting for the next generation of GPUs. The RTX 40 series cards and RX 7000 series cards are expected to be launched in the second half of 2022. Or even the Intel Arc Alchemist selection that will offer something new. With the next-gen cards are expected to offer a massive improvement in performance.