Radeon RX 6800 is one the best high-end cards that delivers excellent performance for the price it sells. I think it is probably the best value high-end card that you can get for 1440p and 4K gaming. It is the third card in the Radeon RX 6000 series and is positioned below the RX 6900 XT and RX 6800 XT. RX 6800 is truly a great card for 1440p gaming and is also very capable for 4K gaming. The direct competitor of this card is the GeForce RTX 3070 from Nvidia but it does lose out to RX 6800 in almost all games. The main advantages of RTX 3070 over the RX 6800 are that it is slightly cheaper, has slightly lower power consumption, and supports DLSS. In other areas, RX 6800 completely overpowers the RTX 3070 when it comes to raw horsepower. Moreover, RX 6800 offers double video memory over the RTX 3070 which can come very useful in upcoming AAA games.
AMD Radeon RX 6800 is built on the RDNA 2 architecture on a 7nm manufacturing process and uses the Navi 21 XL GPU. The card comes with 3840 Stream Processors, 60 Ray Accelerators, and 16GB GDDR6 memory running at 16Gbps and having a 256-bit interface. RX 6800 comes with a 128 MB Infinity Cache on the GPU die and can deliver peak memory bandwidth as high as 1664 GB/s using this Infinity Cache technology, which is a unique feature of the RX 6000 series graphics cards. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, FreeSync, PCI-Express 4.0, Real-Time Ray Tracing, HDMI 2.1 (supports 4K@120Hz), AV1 decode, USB Type-C connector (with DisplayPort passthrough), and Microsoft DirectStorage API. The power consumption figure for the reference model is 250W which is quite reasonable for the power it possesses. The PSU recommendation for the reference model specs is 650W only. Other than the reference model, there are various custom models available from different AIB manufacturers. So, here I am listing the best Radeon RX 6800 cards based on different parameters that include overclocking, thermal performance, noise, etc.
Best Overclocked RX 6800
ASUS ROG STRIX Radeon RX 6800 OC
[Runs Very Cool, Dual BIOS, Feature Rich, Highly Overclocked, RGB LEDs]
The best highly overclocked RX 6800 card has to be the ASUS ROG STRIX Radeon RX 6800 OC. The card comes with a ton of features, offers great performance, has a great cooler, and it also looks very stylish & beautiful. The card has got GPU Boost clock speed of 2190 MHz which is 85MHz more than the reference specs. For cooling, the card uses a large aluminum heatsink with seven copper heatpipes and a large polished metal base for making better contact with the GPU and GDDR6 memory chips. The heatsink is cooled down by three Axial-tech fans where the middle fan is bigger and spins in the opposite direction of the two to reduce air turbulence, improving the airflow. The fans are very quiet in operation even at full GPU load during gaming. Also, the card employs 0dB technology where the fans do not spin when the GPU temperature is below 55 degrees Celsius for completely silent operation. The fans start spinning automatically to cool down the GPU when the GPU temperature hits 60 degrees Celsius. The Dual BIOS physical switch on the card lets you select between Performance (P) and Quiet (Q), depending on your requirements. The card runs very cool even in the quiet mode because of its excellent cooler.
It is a big and heavy card with 2.9 slot design. A metal backplate and metal reinforcement frame on the card provide structural rigidity to the card and prevents it from sagging under its own weight. The metal backplate is quite thick and has vents for allowing hot air to pass through to enhance cooling performance. The backplate also helps cool down some of the VRM components on the backside as they are in contact with the backplate via thermal pads. A Stainless Steel I/O Port Bracket and Metal GPU Bracket further add to the card’s robustness factor. Even though the shroud is made of plastic, the metal accents on it give it a very stylish look. The RGB lighting shines all around the card whether on the sides, front, or at the backside. You can sync and customize the RGB lighting and tweak critical parameters of the card like GPU core clock, memory frequency, and voltage settings and monitor everything in real-time using the ASUS GPU Tweak II utility. The card also includes two FanConnect PWM headers that let you connect two chassis fans to them and you can sync the fan speed with the GPU temperature. For power, it requires two 8-pin PCIe connectors and a 650W power supply is recommended for it. Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort and one HDMI port. Overall, the best RX 6800 card in terms of performance and features but it will cost you way more than any other custom RX 6800 model.
| ASUS ROG STRIX Radeon RX 6800 OC Specifications | |
| Stream Processors | 3840 |
| GPU Clock | 2190 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 16 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 16 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 2 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
Buy ASUS ROG STRIX Radeon RX 6800 OC
Best Silent RX 6800
PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6800
[Dual BIOS, Illuminated Output Ports, RGB, 10+2 phase VRM, High Factory OC, Runs Cool]
Well, there are many silent RX 6800 cards available but I think the best silent RX 6800 card is the PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6800 because it is packed with features and it also runs quite cool. It is a highly factory overclocked card that has a GPU Boost Clock speed of 2190 MHz, an 85 MHz more than the reference. The card comes with a massive cooler that comprises a massive aluminum heatsink and triple fans. The heatsink comes with seven copper heapipes (3x8mm and 4x6mm) and a large copper base that makes contact with the GPU and VRAM. The heatsink is cooled by three fans where the middle one is a 90mm fan and the side fans are 100mm in dimension. The fans come with dual ball bearings for a longer lifespan and the blades of the fan feature a new design that claims to increase airflow and air pressure by up to 60%, providing better thermal performance. The fans on this card are very silent and they spin at a lower speed too. Moreover, the Mute Fan Technology stops the fans from spinning whenever the GPU temperature falls below 60°C and ensures a totally silent operation (0dB noise). The card also features Dual BIOS and you can switch between the Silent and OC BIOS depending on your needs.
It is a massive card with a 2.7 slot design and is 320mm long. The sturdy metal backplate provides the card rigidity and prevents it from sagging. Also, the backplate is vented and it helps in achieving better airflow. The RGB LED Lighting on the card is very tastefully done and you can sync with the motherboard’s RGB software by plugging the ARGB LED cable into the motherboard’s ARGB header. You can also customize the RGB lighting and effects using the Devil Zone RGB software. The card uses 10+2 phase VRM with DrMOS that ensures high stability under high GPU load and overclocking. The card requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors for power and a 750W PSU is recommended for the card by the manufacturer. The card has got LED illuminated ports that can be easily spotted in low light or in general. The display connectivity options include three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1 port.
| PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6800 Specifications | |
| Stream Processors | 3840 |
| GPU Clock | 2190 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 16 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 16 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 2 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
Buy PowerColor Red Devil AMD Radeon RX 6800
Best Looking RX 6800
XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 BLACK
[Esthetically Pleasing, Dual BIOS, Runs Silent]
Looks can be subjective but I think XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 BLACK is the best-looking RX 6800 card in the market. The card looks really beautiful and elegant at the same time. It comes in black color with silver borders on the shroud and the fans. The metal backplate is a very stylish one and gives the card a distinctive look. There are no RGB LEDs on the card but rather simple white LEDs that give it a neat and classy look. It is not only a great-looking RX 6800 card but also a high-performance one. The card is highly factory overclocked and has got GPU Boost speed of 2190 MHz, which is 85 MHz more than the reference specs. XFX’s all-new Ghost Thermal design cooling solution consists of a thick aluminum heatsink with six copper heatpipes and a large copper base for GPU and GDDR6 memory chips. The triple fans on the card cool the heatsink and they come with dual ball bearings for longevity. The fans are quite silent even at full GPU load. The Zero DB fan system provides semi-passive cooling where the fans get turned off during low GPU load and temperature and they kick back in action when the GPU temperature increases beyond a certain threshold. Moreover, the card also features Dual BIOS and you can choose between the Primary Balanced BIOS or Stealth BIOS depending on your liking or requirement.
It is a big card having a 2.7 slot design and is 340mm in length. The vented metal backplate strengthens the card’s structure and it also helps in the airflow process. The card uses a 10+1 Phase Power Design that helps in achieving high stability during overclocking and higher GPU loads. Like other RX 6800 cards, it also requires two 8-pin PCIe connectors for power, and a 750W PSU is recommended by XFX. Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1 port.
| XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 BLACK Specifications | |
| Stream Processors | 3840 |
| GPU Clock | 2190 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 16 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 16 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 2 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
Buy XFX Speedster MERC 319 AMD Radeon RX 6800 BLACK
Best Overall RX 6800
PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX 6800
[Relatively Affordable, Clean Design, Dual BIOS, Quiet Operation, Runs Pretty Cool]
If you are looking for an all-rounder RX 6800 card then PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX 6800 is one of the best options available. The card offers good performance, runs cool & silent, and is competitively priced compared to most of the other custom RX 6800 cards from various AIBs. It is a factory overclocked card that comes with a GPU Boost clock speed of 2170 MHz, a 65 MHz more than the reference. For cooling, the card uses a pretty big aluminum heatsink with vertical fins design that increases surface area and provides better heat dissipation. The heatsink comes with seven copper heatpipes (6mm) and a large copper base that makes direct contact with the GPU and the memory chips. For cooling the heatsink, three fans are provided where the middle one is 90mm and the other two are 100mm in size. The fans come with dual ball bearings for a longer lifespan and the fans feature a new blade design (angled downward blade) that claims to increase the airflow and air pressure by up to 60%. The fans are very quiet in operation, even at full GPU load and the Mute Fan Technology ensures totally silent operation (0dB noise) as the fans get turned off whenever the GPU temperature falls below 60°C. Moreover, the Dual BIOS switch on the card allows you to select between OC or Silent mode depending upon your requirements.
It is a decently big card with a 2.5 slot design and is 310mm in length. The metal backplate provides the card strength and prevents the GPU sag. The backplate is vented to allow better airflow and thus helps in improving thermal performance. The card uses Red LED lights on it and you can switch off the Lighting using the physical LED switch present on the side of the card. When it comes to power delivery then the card uses 8+2 phase VRM with DrMOS for ensuring better overclocking and stability. The card requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors and the PSU recommendation is 650W. Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort 1.4a ports and one HDMI 2.1 port. Overall, a very good card with a clean design and offers good performance and features.
| PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX 6800 Specifications | |
| Stream Processors | 3840 |
| GPU Clock | 2170 MHz Boost |
| Memory Clock | 16 Gbps |
| Memory Size | 16 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Interface | 256-bit |
| Bus Interface | PCI Express 4.0 |
| DirectX | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 |
| PCI-E Power Connector | 8-pin x 2 |
| Output Ports | DisplayPort 1.4a x 3, HDMI 2.1 x 1 |
Buy PowerColor Red Dragon AMD Radeon RX 6800
Other RX 6800 Cards
Some other good RX 6800 cards that you can check out.
- SAPPHIRE NITRO+ AMD Radeon RX 6800
- MSI Radeon RX 6800 GAMING X TRIO 16G
- ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 6800
- SAPPHIRE PULSE AMD Radeon RX 6800
- PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6800
Dual Slot RX 6800
If you are looking for a strict dual-slot RX 6800 card then there are no custom RX 6800 cards available. The only proper dual-slot RX 6800 card is the Reference RX 6800.
See also:
Final Words
So, if you are looking to get into high FPS 1440p gaming territory the Radeon RX 6800 is a great product. The card is also quite capable for 4K gaming but you may have to compromise on some in-game graphics settings depending on the AAA game you are running. Moreover, the card is very competitively priced if we consider models that are close to the base MSRP of reference RX 6800. If you have any doubts regarding which RX 6800 card to get then you can ask me your queries in the comment section below.
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