GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6950 XT

CPU

GPU

GeForce RTX 3090

2020Core: 1395 MHzBoost: 1695 MHz

RTX family

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Radeon RX 6950 XT

2022Core: 1925 MHzBoost: 2324 MHz

RX family

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GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6950 XT Performance Spectrum

GeForce RTX 3090

24 GB 350

26,594

0.0%

GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

GeForce GTX 1070 SLI

GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile

RTX 5000 Ada Generation Mobile

GeForce RTX 5070

RTX 5000 Ada Generation

GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

Radeon RX 6950 XT

16 GB 335

28,076

+5.6%

Radeon RX 6750 GRE 10GB

Radeon RX 6750 XT

Radeon RX 9070 GRE

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

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 6950 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 6950 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

✅15.8% 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).
❌Radeon RX 6950 XT is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
❌
36.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$1,099 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 17.7 vs 25.5 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $1,099 MSRP).
❌16.9% longer card at 312mm vs 267mm.

Radeon RX 6950 XT

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $400 less on MSRP ($1,099 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 25.5 vs 17.7 G3D/$ ($1,099 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅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 15.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 6950 XT instead at 28,076 vs 26,594, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 6950 XT is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), while GeForce RTX 3090 is limited to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020) and no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 8nm, and a newer 2022 generation instead of 2020. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 6950 XT makes the most sense to buy today. It is $400 cheaper on MSRP at $1,099 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 44% (25.5 vs 17.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GeForce RTX 3090 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce RTX 3090 vs Radeon RX 6950 XT Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon RX 6950 XT

The Radeon RX 6950 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 10 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1925 MHz to 2324 MHz. It has 5120 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 335W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 80 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 28,076 points. Launch price was $1,099.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3090 scores 26,594 versus the Radeon RX 6950 XT's 28,076 — the Radeon RX 6950 XT leads by 5.6%. The GeForce RTX 3090 is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 6950 XT uses RDNA 2.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 10,496 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 5,120 (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Raw compute: 35.58 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 23.8 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Boost clocks: 1695 MHz vs 2324 MHz. Ray tracing: 82 RT cores (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 80 (Radeon RX 6950 XT) with 328 Tensor cores.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6950 XT
G3D Mark Score	26,594	28,076+6%
Architecture	Ampere	RDNA 2.0
Process Node	8 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	10496+105%	5120
Compute (TFLOPS)	35.58 TFLOPS+49%	23.8 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1695 MHz	2324 MHz+37%
ROPs	112	128+14%
TMUs	328+3%	320
L1 Cache	10.3 MB+930%	1 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB
Ray Tracing Cores	82+3%	80

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 6950 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 6950 XT leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6950 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 6950 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 576 GB/s (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — a 62.5% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3090. Memory bus width is 384-bit on the GeForce RTX 3090 and 256-bit on the Radeon RX 6950 XT. L2 Cache: 6 MB (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3090 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6950 XT
VRAM Capacity	24 GB+50%	16 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6X	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	936 GB/s+63%	576 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 (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6950 XT
DirectX	12 Ultimate	12 Ultimate
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 RDNA 2 (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs RDNA 2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 decode (Radeon RX 6950 XT).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6950 XT
Encoder	NVENC 7th gen	RDNA 2
Decoder	NVDEC 5th gen	RDNA 2
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1	H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 decode

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3090 draws 350W versus the Radeon RX 6950 XT's 335W — a 4.4% difference. The Radeon RX 6950 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 850W (Radeon RX 6950 XT). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 312mm vs 267mm, occupying 3 vs 3 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 83°C.

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6950 XT
TDP	350W	335W-4%
Recommended PSU	750W-12%	850W
Power Connector	2x 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	312mm	267mm
Height	140mm	120mm
Slots	3	3
Temp (Load)	85°C	83°C-2%
Perf/Watt	76.0	83.8+10%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 3090 came in at $1499, while the Radeon RX 6950 XT launched at $1099. On MSRP, Radeon RX 6950 XT was 26.7% cheaper ($400 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 17.7 (GeForce RTX 3090) vs 25.5 (Radeon RX 6950 XT) — the Radeon RX 6950 XT offers 44.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 6950 XT (2022 vs 2020).

Feature	GeForce RTX 3090	Radeon RX 6950 XT
MSRP	$1499	$1099-27%
Performance per Dollar	17.7	25.5+44%
Codename	GA102	Navi 21
Release	September 1 2020	May 10 2022
Ranking	#37	#25

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