GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3090

2020Core: 1395 MHzBoost: 1695 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 6800 XT

2020Core: 1825 MHzBoost: 2250 MHz
RX family
·······

GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce RTX 3090

2020

Why buy it

  • 19.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).
  • 50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (24 GB vs 16 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • 131% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$649 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 38.5 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
  • 16.7% higher power demand at 350W vs 300W.
  • 16.9% longer card at 312mm vs 267mm.

Radeon RX 6800 XT

2020

Why buy it

  • Costs $850 less on MSRP ($649 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 117.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 38.5 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($649 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
  • Draws 300W instead of 350W, a 50W reduction.
  • Measures 267mm instead of 312mm, a 45mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3090 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 16 GB vs 24 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR 3 (2023) instead.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 3090 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 19.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6.4% in PassMark G3D (26,594 vs 24,995), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3090 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 24 GB vs 16 GB of VRAM and 82 vs 72 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 6800 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $850 cheaper on MSRP at $649 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 117.1% (38.5 vs 17.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and strong 1440p, Radeon RX 6800 XT is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and strong 1440p headroom, GeForce RTX 3090 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6800 XT Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3090

The GeForce RTX 3090 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1395 MHz to 1695 MHz. It has 10496 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 350W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 82 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 26,594 points. Launch price was $1,499.

AMD

Radeon RX 6800 XT

The Radeon RX 6800 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 28 2020. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1825 MHz to 2250 MHz. It has 4608 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 72 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 24,995 points. Launch price was $649.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3090 scores 26,594 versus the Radeon RX 6800 XT's 24,995 — the GeForce RTX 3090 leads by 6.4%. The GeForce RTX 3090 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6800 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 4,608 (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Raw compute: 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 20.74 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Boost clocks: 1695 MHz vs 2250 MHz. Ray tracing: 82 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 72 (Radeon RX 6800 XT) with 328 Tensor cores.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6800 XT
G3D Mark Score
26,594+6%
24,995
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
10496+128%
4608
Compute (TFLOPS)
35.58 TFLOPS+72%
20.74 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1695 MHz
2250 MHz+33%
ROPs
112
128+14%
TMUs
328+14%
288
L1 Cache
10.3 MB+930%
1 MB
L2 Cache
6 MB+50%
4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
82+14%
72

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6800 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation + AFMF. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce RTX 3090 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 3090 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 6800 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6800 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR 3
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 3090 has 24 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6800 XT carries 16 GB. GeForce RTX 3090 gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 936 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 512 GB/s (Radeon RX 6800 XT) — a 82.8% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3090 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 6800 XT. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 6800 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6800 XT
VRAM Capacity
24 GB+50%
16 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
936 GB/s+83%
512 GB/s
Bus Width
384-bit+50%
256-bit
L2 Cache
6 MB+50%
4 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 12 Ultimate (12_2) (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6800 XT
DirectX
12 Ultimate
12 Ultimate (12_2)
Vulkan
1.4+8%
1.3
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 7th gen (GeForce RTX 3090) vs VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 6800 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6800 XT
Encoder
NVENC 7th gen
VCN 3.0
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
VCN 3.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3090 draws 350W versus the Radeon RX 6800 XT's 300W — a 15.4% difference. The Radeon RX 6800 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 750W (Radeon RX 6800 XT). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 312mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6800 XT
TDP
350W
300W-14%
Recommended PSU
750W
750W
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
2x 8-pin
Length
312mm
267mm
Height
140mm
120mm
Slots
3
2-33%
Temp (Load)
85°C
75-12%
Perf/Watt
76.0
83.3+10%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3090 came in at $1499, while the Radeon RX 6800 XT launched at $649. On MSRP, Radeon RX 6800 XT was 56.7% cheaper ($850 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 38.5 (Radeon RX 6800 XT) — the Radeon RX 6800 XT offers 117.5% better value.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3090Radeon RX 6800 XT
MSRP
$1499
$649-57%
Performance per Dollar
17.7
38.5+118%
Codename
GA102
Navi 21
Release
September 1 2020
October 28 2020
Ranking
#37
#42

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.