I'm working on putting together a budget gaming setup for around $1000 CAD. I'm considering a used RX 6800 with 16 GB for about $350. Is this a better option compared to an RTX 3070 with 8 GB, which is priced similarly? I feel like the additional VRAM on the 6800 might help make my build a bit more future-proof. I'd love to hear any thoughts or advice you all might have!
2 Answers
The RX 6800 is definitely a solid choice, but keep in mind that AMD may not optimize drivers for it in the future since it's considered legacy hardware. You'll still get bug fixes, but that might not be enough for peak performance in future games.
They've reassured us that they will still deliver game optimizations, so it might not be as dire as it sounds.
Between the RX 6800 and the RTX 3070, I'd definitely recommend the RX 6800. It outperforms the RTX 3070 and has more VRAM, which could be a big advantage down the line. That said, are you looking into any other graphics cards? How much does the 9060 XT with 16 GB cost?
I'm focused on second-hand options, so choices are a bit tighter. The 9060 XT goes for around $550, and the RX 7800 would be in that same price range.
Actually, AMD has said they will continue to provide game drivers for RDNA1 and RDNA2. The 6800 is a strong card compared to the 3070, especially in 2025, where the 8GB of VRAM on the 3070 might struggle at high settings. The only downside is the lack of a solid upscaling option.