AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT | Review
In terms of architecture, Navi 23 offers the same features as other RDNA2-based GPUs: we find support for ray tracing (DXR), Variable Rate Shading (VRS), mesh shaders, sampler feedback and all other DirectX 12 Ultimate features. AMD stated that the amount of Infinity Cache was specifically chosen for high refresh rate Full HD gaming, but in the past we have seen that more cache is beneficial at higher resolutions; that means the card will likely do very well in 1080p, but it may struggle harder than expected in Quad HD and 4K.
The presence of "only" 8GB of video memory is surprising, especially after AMD itself has put 12GB of VRAM (or more) on the other cards in the RX 6000 range, claiming that 8GB is simply not enough for gaming modern (or at least, for games reviewed by AMD). In fact, considering the target of the card and keeping in mind that users will be playing in Full HD, 8GB of memory is enough for almost every popular game. Here, however, another problem comes into play, that of price: although in a situation like the current one, talking about it makes little sense, given that the price lists are ignored and prices are decided by the market (and by the scalpers), the decision of AMD to position the $ 379 Radeon RX 6600 XT places the card more in the upper mid-range than in the mainstream. We also remind you that the new proposal from the Sunnyvale house should clash with the RTX 3060 which, while offering lower rasterization performance (we will see how much later), has a price list about 15% lower and offers 50% more memory. .
Unlike what happened with the other Radeon RX 6000, the new RX 6600 XT does not offer a Reference model, but only those customized by the various partners. This also means that, most likely, you will not be able to buy it directly from AMD's website and you will hardly be able to find models at the company's recommended price.
For this review, AMD sent us an Asus version RX 6600 XT ROG Strix, characterized by a two-fan heatsink and a thickness of about 2.25 slots. The card cover features the now classic design of the new ROG Strix range, a metal backplate and RGB LEDs at the top, also in this case we find the double BIOS, which allows you to select between Performance Mode and Quiet Mode. The customization of Asus is powered by a single 8-pin connector, provides three DisplayPort 1.4 and an HDMI 2.1 and operates at a higher clock than the reference one: during the tests the card reached 2726MHz, about 5% in more.
Radeon RX 6700 XT Radeon RX 6600 XT Radeon RX 5700 XT Architecture RDNA 2 RDNA 2 RDNA Production process 7 nm 7 nm 7 nm Transistor 17.2 billion 11.1 billion 10.3 billion Die size 336 mm² 237 mm² 251 mm² Compute Unit (CU) 40 32 40 Ray Accelerator 40 32 - Stream Processor 2560 2048 2560 Frequency (game / boost) 2424/2581 MHz 2359/2589 MHz 1755/1905 MHz ROPS 64 64 64 AMD Infinity Cache 96 MB 32 MB - Memory 12 GB GDDR6 8 GB GDDR6 8 GB GDDR6 Memory bandwidth 384 GB / s 256 GB / s 448 GB / s Memory interface 192-bit 128-bit 256-bit TBP 230 W 160 W 225 W
Performance
To evaluate the performance of the Radeon RX 6600 XT we used our classic benchmark suite, consisting of DX11, DX12 and V games ulkan, comparing the card with other proposals from both Nvidia and AMD and carrying out both classic rasterization and active ray tracing tests.To run our benchmarks we used a test platform with an AMD Ryzen 9 processor 5900X, matched with G.Skill DDR4-3200 CL14 RAM, EK-XLC 240mm heatsink and X570 chipset motherboard. The version of Windows 10 used is 21H1, while for the drivers we used 471.41 WHQL for Nvidia GPUs and 21.8.1 for AMD GPUs.
Metro Exodus
To run the Metro Exodus benchmark we use the built-in tool, setting the Ultra preset and disabling Nvidia PhysX and Hairworks. In both Quad HD and Full HD the Radeon RX 6600 XT delivers convincing performance, outperforming the RTX 3060 by approximately 12% and 15% respectively. As expected, the situation is reversed in the tests with active ray tracing, where the performance of the Radeon is 17% lower in 1440p and 11% in 1080p.Control
Control doesn't have a built-in benchmark, so we follow a predetermined path within the game to measure performance. At Quad HD resolution, the Radeon RX 6600 XT is 8% worse than the RTX 3060, while in Full HD the two cards are equivalent. By activating ray tracing, the scale hangs heavily in Nvidia's favor, with the AMD GPU reaching a framerate sufficient to play in 1080p only (31.6 FPS average) and recording performance far below that of the RTX 3060.Shadow of the Tomb Raider
For the Shadow of the Tomb Raider test we use the tool built into the game, setting the maximum graphics quality. Again, in rasterization the difference between the two GPUs is limited: the RX 6600 XT achieves the same result as the RTX 3060 in 1440p and is only about 4% higher in 1080p. As before, activating ray tracing changes the scenario in Nvidia's favor and the Radeon remains about 20% behind the RTX 3060 in both QHD and FHD.Watch Dogs Legion
Also for Watch Dogs Legion we use the built-in benchmark and set the graphics quality to the “Ultra” preset. In this test, the Radeon RX 6600 XT outperforms the RTX 3060 by 9% in 1440p and 13% in 1080p, far exceeding 60 FPS at this resolution.F1 2020
In F1 2020 we use the integrated benchmark, selecting the “very high” preset for graphics quality, TAA antialiasing, circuit of Monaco and heavy rain weather conditions. F1 2020 is one of the games where the RX 6600 XT expresses itself best, surpassing the RTX 3060 in rasterization by 15% in Quad HD and 12% in Full HD.Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal doesn't have a built-in performance testing tool, so like Control we follow a predetermined path, full of demons to fight. In tests the RX 6600 XT performs well, but falls slightly behind the RTX 3060 in Quad HD reaching an average framerate 5% lower. In Full HD, however, the two cards are practically equivalent, the performance difference is 1%.Assassin's Creed Valhalla
In Assassin's Creed Valhalla we return to using the integrated benchmark, also setting in this case the maximum graphic preset. AMD cards have always done very well in this title and the RX 6600 XT is no exception, beating the RTX 3060 by 20% in QHD and 30% in Full HD.Forza Horizon 4
Also in Forza Horizon 4 we set the “Ultra” quality profile and use the built-in test to measure performance. The Radeon RX 6600 XT outperforms the RTX 3060 by around 12% in both Quad HD and Full HD and allows you to play 1080p at 144 FPS without any difficulty. By slightly reducing the level of detail, in this specific title it is possible to play at 144 FPS even at 1440p resolution.Horizon Zero Dawn
In Horizon Zero Dawn we set the maximum graphic quality and use the integrated benchmark, which consists of a fly-by through one of the main cities of the game. In this test the RX 6600 XT and the RTX 3060 are equivalent, with identical performance in 1440p and slightly in favor of the Radeon (2%) in Full HD.Power consumption, temperature and noise
To measure the temperature, noise and power consumption at full load of the video cards we decided to run a benchmark loop of Metro Exodus at 4K resolution, in order to simulate a gaming session and have real data on which to base our evaluations. To detect the temperature values we relied on GPU-Z, while for consumption we used Nvidia PCAT, an instrument made up of a PCIe card and a board to which to connect the 8-pin cables that allows you to accurately measure the power absorbed by the Video Card. Using Nvidia PCAT allows us to record the real consumption even of the AMD Radeon cards, which through GPU-Z provide only the watts absorbed by the chip.Consumption
Taking a look at the data recorded by Nvidia PCAT we see that the Radeon RX 6600 XT comes to absorb 173.6 watts, a value slightly higher than the declared TBP of 160W, but still very good and in line with that of the RTX 3060. The new AMD card is not only the least energy-consuming than those shown in the graph, but consumes like the RTX 3060 while offering superior rasterization performance.Temperature
To detect the temperature of the video cards we rely on the OCCT software. At idle, the Radeon RX 6600 XT records 42 ° C, a fairly high value but still not worrying, even considering the fact that below 50 ° C the card fans are stopped. During our stress test the card did not go beyond 58 ° C, resulting the coolest of all those tested and reaching a maximum temperature of 4 ° C lower than that of the RTX 3060.Noise level
To measure the noise we placed the sound level meter 15cm from the center of the board, in a perfectly perpendicular position. The values obtained are not absolute, as we have not carried out our measurements inside an anechoic chamber, but they help us to understand how noisy the card is compared to the others we have tested.Nothing particular to report as regards the noise. As mentioned in idle, the board stops the fans and the noise recorded is that of the platform, under load the sound level meter does not go beyond 41.1dB, measurement is normal and in line with that of the other boards tested.
Verdict
The Radeon RX 6600 XT has a very clear goal, to be the best mainstream GPU for high-refresh rate Full HD gaming. The results depend on the game, but in general we can say that it achieves its purpose: on average in 1080p it is more performing than the RTX 3060, with a gap that, in certain titles, we have seen to be very close to the 15% declared by AMD in the phase of presentation.If you play in Full HD, but also want to try some games that are not particularly heavy in Quad HD, or you only play eSports titles and want to make the most of your 240Hz monitor, the Radeon RX 6600 XT offers good performance and is an option to consider. On the contrary, if you want to play with active ray tracing and take advantage of DLSS to improve the framerate in all the games that implement it, you should go to an RTX 3060. In both cases, you will have to deal with the real problem of the moment: the price of the cards.
The Radeon RX 6600 XT debuts on the market with a base price higher than expected, of $ 379 (at the moment we do not know the exact price list in euros). Not only is this a higher figure than the RTX 3060, but taking into account the fact that there will not be a reference model, it is likely that we will see a handful of customizations at this price, while the best ones will easily go beyond 400 euros. We do not yet have precise information regarding the ROG Strix model we tested, but it is likely that it will be around 500 euros.
Beyond that, the current market situation must be considered: at the Radeon RX 6600 XT will touch the fate of all the other cards. It doesn't matter if you decide to buy this GPU, an RTX 3060 or any other solution, you will still have to be lucky enough to find it available somewhere and be willing to pay two, perhaps three times the expected price. As if that were not enough, we are talking about video cards belonging to a market segment where users want (or can) spend 300 euros or a little more, certainly not what retailers demand today. One might expect the price to drop, but the risk is that when the RX 6600 XT costs 250-300 euros, there will already be RTX 40 and RX 7000 on the market.
So what? Our advice is to wait as long as possible, waiting for the situation to slowly return to normal in 2022 (if things do not worsen further). If you can't find a video card at the right price (or what you're willing to pay), wait patiently: in the meantime, try to get the most out of your current GPU, lowering the resolution and detail level of the games to reach framerates. acceptable. Of course it is not the best solution, but it is all that can be done in these cases. Prices would fall faster if all users avoided paying insane amounts for a new video card, but among miners, professionals who are forced to buy even at these prices and gamers who don't mind spending, boycott does not seem like a destined strategy. to work.
