Hey everyone! I'm in the process of putting together my first PC and I've got a budget of around $830 (or £620). I decided on a Ryzen 5 3600 for the CPU and a new 256GB NVMe SSD, along with a 500GB HDD. Now I'm at a crossroads trying to pick between the RTX 3080 and the RX 6900 XT, as they're both about the same price at $430 (£320) right now. My main use will be playing AAA games, some casual indies, and Minecraft with shaders on a 1440p 120Hz monitor. Should I choose one of these GPUs, and if so, which one? Or would it make more sense to downgrade the GPU and invest in a better CPU or SSD instead? Thanks for your help!
3 Answers
For me, it's the 3080 all the way. The RX 6900 XT is good, but the overall software support just doesn't compare. The 3080 outperforms the 6900 XT when it comes to ray tracing, which is going to be essential for future games. Plus, it's a bit cooler and uses less power, making it a more attractive option for long-term use.
Honestly, I'd say the RX 6900 XT is the way to go. The 3080 is awesome for esports and high refresh rates, but if you're looking for balanced performance across a variety of games, the 6900 XT has you covered. It’s great for both raster performance and ray tracing, plus it has more versatility. Check it out if you're not heavily into ray tracing.
I'd go with the 3080, no doubt. It does have 10GB of VRAM, but you're likely to benefit from DLSS, which is a huge plus with the 3080. The performance is solid across the board, especially with ray tracing, which starts to become more common in newer titles.
Yeah, but if you're not focusing on ray tracing, the 6900 XT really delivers. Just don't forget to consider what games you plan on playing mainly.