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.

Radeon RX 6850M XT vs Radeon RX 9060 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.

Radeon RX 6850M XT vs Radeon RX 9060: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Radeon RX 6850M XT

2022

Why buy it

✅24.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅50% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (12 GB vs 8 GB).

Trade-offs

❌Radeon RX 9060 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
❌
221.3% HIGHER MSRP
$800 MSRPvs$249 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 21.7 vs 68.8 G3D/$ ($800 MSRP vs $249 MSRP).
❌25% higher power demand at 165W vs 132W.

Radeon RX 9060

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $551 less on MSRP ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Delivers 217% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 68.8 vs 21.7 G3D/$ ($249 MSRP vs $800 MSRP).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 4.0 on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 132W instead of 165W, a 33W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 6850M XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 8 GB vs 12 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 6850M XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 24.7% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.3% in PassMark G3D (17,350 vs 17,121), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 9060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: the newer feature stack, with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1 (2025) instead of FSR 3 (2023) and FSR Frame Generation + AFMF (2023), a 4nm process instead of 7nm, and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2022. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 9060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $551 cheaper on MSRP at $249 vs $800, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 217% (68.8 vs 21.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon RX 6850M XT still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon RX 6850M XT vs Radeon RX 9060 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon RX 6850M XT

The Radeon RX 6850M XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2022. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 2321 MHz to 2581 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 165W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,350 points.

Radeon RX 9060

The Radeon RX 9060 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 5 2025. It features the RDNA 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1700 MHz to 2990 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 132W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 17,121 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 17,350 and the Radeon RX 9060 reaches 17,121 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 6850M XT is built on RDNA 2.0 while the Radeon RX 9060 uses RDNA 4.0, both on 7 nm vs 4 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 1,792 (Radeon RX 9060). Raw compute: 13.21 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 21.43 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 9060). Boost clocks: 2581 MHz vs 2990 MHz. Ray tracing: 40 RT cores (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 28 (Radeon RX 9060).

Feature	Radeon RX 6850M XT	Radeon RX 9060
G3D Mark Score	17,350+1%	17,121
Architecture	RDNA 2.0	RDNA 4.0
Process Node	7 nm	4 nm
Shading Units	2560+43%	1792
Compute (TFLOPS)	13.21 TFLOPS	21.43 TFLOPS+62%
Boost Clock	2581 MHz	2990 MHz+16%
ROPs	64	64
TMUs	160+43%	112
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%
Frame Generation	FSR 3 + AFMF	FSR Upscaling + Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1
Ray Tracing Cores	40+43%	28

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation, but the Radeon RX 9060 is on the newer stack with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1, while the Radeon RX 6850M XT stays on FSR Frame Generation + AFMF.

Feature	Radeon RX 6850M XT	Radeon RX 9060
Upscaling Tech	FSR 3	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF 2.1
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 6850M XT has 12 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 9060 carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 6850M XT gives you 50% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 432 GB/s (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 288 GB/s (Radeon RX 9060) — a 50% advantage for the Radeon RX 6850M XT. Memory bus width is 192-bit on the Radeon RX 6850M XT and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 9060. L2 Cache: 3 MB (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 4 MB (Radeon RX 9060) — the Radeon RX 9060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon RX 6850M XT	Radeon RX 9060
VRAM Capacity	12 GB+50%	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	432 GB/s+50%	288 GB/s
Bus Width	192-bit+50%	128-bit
L2 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.2 (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 9060). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.4. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

Feature	Radeon RX 6850M XT	Radeon RX 9060
DirectX	12.2	12.2
Vulkan	1.4	1.4
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	3

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 3.0 (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs VCN 5.0 (Radeon RX 9060). Decoder: VCN 3.0 vs VCN 5.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1 (Radeon RX 9060).

Feature	Radeon RX 6850M XT	Radeon RX 9060
Encoder	VCN 3.0	VCN 5.0
Decoder	VCN 3.0	VCN 5.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9,AV1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 6850M XT draws 165W versus the Radeon RX 9060's 132W — a 22.2% difference. The Radeon RX 9060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 650W (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 450W (Radeon RX 9060). Power connectors: Mobile vs 8-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 240mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 6850M XT	Radeon RX 9060
TDP	165W	132W-20%
Recommended PSU	650W	450W-31%
Power Connector	Mobile	8-pin
Length	0mm	240mm
Height	0mm	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	80°C	70°C-13%
Perf/Watt	105.2	129.7+23%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon RX 6850M XT came in at $800, while the Radeon RX 9060 launched at $249. On MSRP, Radeon RX 9060 was 68.9% cheaper ($551 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.7 (Radeon RX 6850M XT) vs 68.8 (Radeon RX 9060) — the Radeon RX 9060 offers 217.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 9060 (2025 vs 2022).

Feature	Radeon RX 6850M XT	Radeon RX 9060
MSRP	$800	$249-69%
Performance per Dollar	21.7	68.8+217%
Codename	Navi 22	Navi 44
Release	January 4 2022	August 5 2025
Ranking	#103	#111

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