AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT: A killer 1080p graphics card with pandemic pricing
AMD promised the Radeon RX 6600 XT would deliver “epic” 1080p gaming, and the company’s latest graphics card delivers that in spades. This RDNA 2-powered GPU doesn’t just blow past the Radeon RX 5600 XT it’s replacing, but also skirts by the Radeon RX 5700 XT—a graphics card not one but two tiers higher than the 5600 XT was. This is impressive stuff. The Radeon RX 6600 XT will absolutely scream when paired with a high refresh-rate monitor.
On the other hand, that lead diminishes more than you might expect when you bump up the resolution to 1440p. That’s due to some key tweaks introduced in the Radeon RX 6600 XT’s memory subsystem and its implementation of AMD’s radical new Infinity Cache. You also can’t ignore the sticker price: The Radeon RX 6600 XT carries a suggested price tag of $379, a full $100 more than the 5600 XT was and just $20 shy of the cost of the Radeon RX 5700 XT (and Nvidia’s fantastic GeForce RTX 3060 Ti). Yes, we’re in the midst of a crippling GPU shortage. This graphics card will no doubt both cost more and sell out instantly when it hits the streets.
Add it all up and the Radeon RX 6600 XT is a good graphics card with some complicated caveats. Let’s dig in, with the help of the Asus ROG Strix Radeon RX 6600 XT, a premium custom model with an incredibly luxe $550 price tag that’s probably more reflective of what you’ll see in the real world.
SPECS, FEATURES, AND PRICE
The Radeon RX 6600 XT is built on AMD’s new RDNA 2 architecture, specifically the Navi 23 GPU that’s considerably smaller in size than the Navi 22 and 21 GPUs found in step-up cards like the Radeon RX 6700 XT and flagship 6900 XT. That matters for several technical reasons, but practically speaking, smaller die sizes mean AMD can squeeze more out from each silicon wafer it manufactures. More GPU dies mean more graphics cards hitting the streets—stellar news during a shortage.
Here’s a quick look at how the $379 Radeon RX 6600 XT’s reference specifications stack up against both the $279 Radeon RX 5600 XT and the $399 Radeon RX 5700 XT from the last generation:
RDNA 2 higher clock speeds than its predecessors did. Just witness the “Game Clock” speeds—the average clock speed expected while gaming—for the 5600 XT and 6600 XT. AMD’s new card is very nearly higher. Sweet holy moly. Despite those sky-high speeds, the addition of 2GB more memory (bringing the total to 8GB), the Radeon RX 6600 XT draws only 10 watts more power than the card it’s replacing, a testament to RDNA 2’s advances.
