I'm currently using a Sapphire RX 6600 XT with a Ryzen 5 5600X, 32GB of DDR4 memory, a Super Flower 750W power supply, and an Aorus B450 motherboard. I'm considering upgrading my GPU. A used RX 7800 XT costs about the same as a new RX 9060 XT 16GB, while a used RX 6900 XT is slightly cheaper than the new 9060 XT. Which option would be the best upgrade from my RX 6600 XT? I'm also wondering whether my older B450 motherboard and its PCIe slot would noticeably limit any of these cards.
3 Answers
I would generally avoid paying much for a used RX 6000-series card now unless the price is especially good. The RX 9060 XT offers newer architecture, native FSR 4 support, and improved ray-tracing features. However, the RX 7800 XT is roughly 18% faster than the 9060 XT in regular rendering, while ray tracing brings them much closer together. If the prices are nearly identical, the 7800 XT is the stronger performance choice; choose the 9060 XT if you value newer features, warranty coverage, and lower power use.
The RX 7800 XT and RX 6900 XT are both a little faster than the RX 9060 XT 16GB in traditional rasterized games. Of those two older cards, I’d favor the 7800 XT because it is more power-efficient and has better support for newer features such as FSR 4. Your 750W PSU should be suitable, assuming it is in good condition.
Your Ryzen 5 5600X may become the limiting factor in some CPU-heavy games, especially at 1080p, but it should still pair reasonably well with any of these GPUs at 1440p. The B450 PCIe slot should not cause a significant performance loss for the RX 7800 XT or RX 6900 XT. Just make sure your case has enough space and airflow, since both used 6000-series cards can run hotter and draw more power than the 9060 XT.
Power efficiency is one of my concerns too. Do you think the PCIe slot on my older B450 motherboard would noticeably reduce performance with the 7800 XT?