Radeon RX 6800 vs RX 5500 XT
Aggregate performance score
We've compared Radeon RX 5500 XT and Radeon RX 6800, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
RX 6800 outperforms RX 5500 XT by a whopping 143% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Contents
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 254 | 51 |
| Place by popularity | 79 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 42.95 | 49.78 |
| Power efficiency | 12.41 | 15.69 |
| Architecture | RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) | RDNA 2.0 (2020−2024) |
| GPU code name | Navi 14 | Navi 21 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release date | 12 December 2019 (5 years ago) | 28 October 2020 (4 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $169 | $579 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
The higher the performance-to-price ratio, the better. We use the manufacturer's recommended prices for comparison.
RX 6800 has 16% better value for money than RX 5500 XT.
Detailed specifications
General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 1408 | 3840 |
| Core clock speed | 1607 MHz | 1700 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 1845 MHz | 2105 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 6,400 million | 26,800 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 7 nm | 7 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 250 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 162.4 | 505.2 |
| Floating-point processing power | 5.196 TFLOPS | 16.17 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32 | 96 |
| TMUs | 88 | 240 |
| Ray Tracing Cores | no data | 60 |
Form factor & compatibility
Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Length | 180 mm | 267 mm |
| Width | 2-slot | 2-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
VRAM capacity and type
Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.
| Memory type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory bus width | 128 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 14000 MHz | 2000 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 512.0 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
| Resizable BAR | + | + |
Connectivity and outputs
Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.
| Display Connectors | 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort | 1x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort, 1x USB Type-C |
| HDMI | + | + |
API and SDK compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 12 (12_1) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |
| Shader Model | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.2.131 | 1.2 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark score.
- Other tests
- Passmark
- 3DMark 11 Performance GPU
- 3DMark Vantage Performance
- 3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
- 3DMark Cloud Gate GPU
- 3DMark Ice Storm GPU
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 maya-04
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 sw-03
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 snx-02
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 catia-04
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 creo-01
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 mediacal-01
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 showcase-01
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 energy-01
- SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 3dsmax-05
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.
3DMark 11 Performance GPU
3DMark 11 is an obsolete DirectX 11 benchmark by Futuremark. It used four tests based on two scenes, one being few submarines exploring the submerged wreck of a sunken ship, the other is an abandoned temple deep in the jungle. All the tests are heavy with volumetric lighting and tessellation, and despite being done in 1280x720 resolution, are relatively taxing. Discontinued in January 2020, 3DMark 11 is now superseded by Time Spy.
3DMark Vantage Performance
3DMark Vantage is an outdated DirectX 10 benchmark using 1280x1024 screen resolution. It taxes the graphics card with two scenes, one depicting a girl escaping some militarized base located within a sea cave, the other displaying a space fleet attack on a defenseless planet. It was discontinued in April 2017, and Time Spy benchmark is now recommended to be used instead.
3DMark Fire Strike Graphics
Fire Strike is a DirectX 11 benchmark for gaming PCs. It features two separate tests displaying a fight between a humanoid and a fiery creature made of lava. Using 1920x1080 resolution, Fire Strike shows off some realistic graphics and is quite taxing on hardware.
3DMark Cloud Gate GPU
Cloud Gate is an outdated DirectX 11 feature level 10 benchmark that was used for home PCs and basic notebooks. It displays a few scenes of some weird space teleportation device launching spaceships into unknown, using fixed resolution of 1280x720. Just like Ice Storm benchmark, it has been discontinued in January 2020 and replaced by 3DMark Night Raid.
3DMark Ice Storm GPU
Ice Storm Graphics is an obsolete benchmark, part of 3DMark suite. Ice Storm was used to measure entry level laptops and Windows-based tablets performance. It utilizes DirectX 11 feature level 9 to display a battle between two space fleets near a frozen planet in 1280x720 resolution. Discontinued in January 2020, it is now superseded by 3DMark Night Raid.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 maya-04
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 sw-03
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 snx-02
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 catia-04
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 creo-01
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 mediacal-01
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 showcase-01
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 energy-01
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 3dsmax-05
Gaming performance
Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.
Average FPS across all PC games
Here are the average frames per second in a large set of popular games across different resolutions:
| Full HD | 76
−129%
| 174
+129%
|
| 1440p | 42
−143%
| 102
+143%
|
| 4K | 24
−158%
| 62
+158%
|
Cost per frame, $
| 1080p | 2.22
+49.6%
| 3.33
−49.6%
|
| 1440p | 4.02
+41.1%
| 5.68
−41.1%
|
| 4K | 7.04
+32.6%
| 9.34
−32.6%
|
- RX 5500 XT has 50% lower cost per frame in 1080p
- RX 5500 XT has 41% lower cost per frame in 1440p
- RX 5500 XT has 33% lower cost per frame in 4K
FPS performance in popular games
- Full HD
Low Preset - Full HD
Medium Preset - Full HD
High Preset - Full HD
Ultra Preset - Full HD
Epic Preset - 1440p
High Preset - 1440p
Ultra Preset - 1440p
Epic Preset - 4K
High Preset - 4K
Ultra Preset - 4K
Epic Preset
| Counter-Strike 2 | 254
−37.8%
|
350
+37.8%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 78
−73.1%
|
135
+73.1%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 72
−189%
|
208
+189%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 74
−112%
|
150−160
+112%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 196
−78.1%
|
349
+78.1%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 61
−88.5%
|
115
+88.5%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 105
−87.6%
|
197
+87.6%
|
| Fortnite | 110−120
−109%
|
230−240
+109%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 78
−163%
|
200−210
+163%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 109
−113%
|
232
+113%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 56
−198%
|
167
+198%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 85−90
−106%
|
170−180
+106%
|
| Valorant | 150−160
−86%
|
290−300
+86%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 71
−121%
|
150−160
+121%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 98
−164%
|
259
+164%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 240−250
−12.1%
|
270−280
+12.1%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 45
−131%
|
104
+131%
|
| Dota 2 | 149
+2.8%
|
145
−2.8%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 96
−93.8%
|
186
+93.8%
|
| Fortnite | 110−120
−109%
|
230−240
+109%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 66
−211%
|
200−210
+211%
|
| Forza Horizon 5 | 94
−123%
|
210
+123%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 94
−69.1%
|
159
+69.1%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 42
−210%
|
130
+210%
|
| Metro Exodus | 52
−183%
|
147
+183%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 85−90
−106%
|
170−180
+106%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 95
−183%
|
269
+183%
|
| Valorant | 150−160
−86%
|
290−300
+86%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 68
−131%
|
150−160
+131%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 40
−148%
|
99
+148%
|
| Dota 2 | 143
+11.7%
|
128
−11.7%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 89
−95.5%
|
174
+95.5%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 56
−266%
|
200−210
+266%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 31
−210%
|
96
+210%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 85−90
−106%
|
170−180
+106%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 58
−162%
|
152
+162%
|
| Valorant | 114
−156%
|
290−300
+156%
|
| Fortnite | 110−120
−109%
|
230−240
+109%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 55
−218%
|
175
+218%
|
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | 150−160
−142%
|
350−400
+142%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 44
−184%
|
125
+184%
|
| Metro Exodus | 31
−187%
|
89
+187%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 170−180
−0.6%
|
170−180
+0.6%
|
| Valorant | 190−200
−67.9%
|
300−350
+67.9%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 55
−136%
|
130−140
+136%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 20
−270%
|
74
+270%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 60
−172%
|
163
+172%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 41
−310%
|
160−170
+310%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 23
−217%
|
73
+217%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 35−40
−228%
|
110−120
+228%
|
| Fortnite | 50−55
−185%
|
140−150
+185%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 13
−262%
|
47
+262%
|
| Grand Theft Auto V | 42
−214%
|
132
+214%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 14−16
−157%
|
35−40
+157%
|
| Metro Exodus | 19
−189%
|
55
+189%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 31
−219%
|
99
+219%
|
| Valorant | 120−130
−139%
|
300−350
+139%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 35
−157%
|
90−95
+157%
|
| Counter-Strike 2 | 21−24
−229%
|
65−70
+229%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 8
−325%
|
34
+325%
|
| Dota 2 | 78
−30.8%
|
102
+30.8%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 30
−203%
|
91
+203%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 21
−467%
|
110−120
+467%
|
| Hogwarts Legacy | 12
−192%
|
35
+192%
|
| PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS | 21−24
−300%
|
90−95
+300%
|
| Fortnite | 24−27
−225%
|
75−80
+225%
|
This is how RX 5500 XT and RX 6800 compete in popular games:
- RX 6800 is 129% faster in 1080p
- RX 6800 is 143% faster in 1440p
- RX 6800 is 158% faster in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in Dota 2, with 1080p resolution and the Ultra Preset, the RX 5500 XT is 12% faster.
- in Forza Horizon 4, with 4K resolution and the Ultra Preset, the RX 6800 is 467% faster.
All in all, in popular games:
- RX 5500 XT is ahead in 2 tests (3%)
- RX 6800 is ahead in 64 tests (97%)
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 20.38 | 49.55 |
| Recency | 12 December 2019 | 28 October 2020 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 130 Watt | 250 Watt |
RX 5500 XT has 92.3% lower power consumption.
RX 6800, on the other hand, has a 143.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 10 months, and a 100% higher maximum VRAM amount.
The Radeon RX 6800 is our recommended choice as it beats the Radeon RX 5500 XT in performance tests.
Other comparisons
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
