Radeon RX 6950 XT vs RX 7900 XT
Aggregated performance score
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 2% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
General info
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in performance ranking | 13 | 14 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Value for money | 22.26 | 19.61 |
| Architecture | RDNA 3 | Navi / RDNA2 (2020−2022) |
| GPU code name | Navi 31 XT | Navi |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release date | 3 November 2022 (1 year old) | 10 May 2022 (1 year old) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $899 | $1,099 |
| Current price | $884 (1x MSRP) | $961 (0.9x MSRP) |
Value for money
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
RX 7900 XT has 14% better value for money than RX 6950 XT.
Technical specs
General performance parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. These parameters indirectly speak of performance, but for precise assessment you have to consider their benchmark and gaming test results. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.
| Pipelines / CUDA cores | 5376 | 5120 |
| Core clock speed | no data | 1925 MHz |
| Boost clock speed | 2000 MHz | 2324 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 57,700 million | 26,800 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 5 nm | 7 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 315 Watt | 335 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 804.4 | 743.7 |
Size and 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 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Length | 276 mm | 267 mm |
| Width | 2-slot | 3-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | 2x 8-pin | 2x 8-pin |
Memory
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 | 20 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory bus width | 320 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 20000 MHz | 18000 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 800.0 GB/s | 576.0 GB/s |
| Shared memory | - | - |
Video outputs and ports
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 2.1a, 2x DisplayPort 2.1, 1x USB Type-C | 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a |
| HDMI | + | + |
API support
List of supported graphics and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 Ultimate (12_2) |
| Shader Model | 6.7 | 6.5 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| OpenCL | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.3 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Non-gaming benchmark performance comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 2% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Passmark
This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark, part of Passmark PerformanceTest suite. 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.
Benchmark coverage: 25%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 2% in Passmark.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 19% in 3DMark Vantage Performance.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 17%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 5% in 3DMark 11 Performance GPU.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 14%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 6% in 3DMark Fire Strike Graphics.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 14%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 13% in 3DMark Cloud Gate GPU.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 8%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 48% in 3DMark Ice Storm GPU.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 maya-04
Benchmark coverage: 3%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 143% in SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 maya-04.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 sw-03
Benchmark coverage: 3%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 82% in SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 sw-03.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 snx-02
Benchmark coverage: 3%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 605% in SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 snx-02.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 catia-04
Benchmark coverage: 3%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 70% in SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 catia-04.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 creo-01
Benchmark coverage: 3%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 27% in SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 creo-01.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 mediacal-01
Benchmark coverage: 3%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 275% in SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 mediacal-01.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 showcase-01
Benchmark coverage: 3%
RX 6950 XT outperforms RX 7900 XT by 3% in SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 showcase-01.
SPECviewperf 12 - specvp12 3dsmax-05
Benchmark coverage: 2%
RX 7900 XT outperforms RX 6950 XT by 11% in 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 | 212
−3.8%
| 220
+3.8%
|
| 1440p | 145
+4.3%
| 139
−4.3%
|
| 4K | 93
+5.7%
| 88
−5.7%
|
FPS performance in popular games
Full HD
Low Preset
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 237
+47.2%
|
161
−47.2%
|
Full HD
Medium Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 110−120
+1.8%
|
110−120
−1.8%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 130−140
+2.3%
|
120−130
−2.3%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 160−170
+1.2%
|
160−170
−1.2%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 170−180
+0.6%
|
170−180
−0.6%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 212
+48.3%
|
143
−48.3%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 196
+8.3%
|
181
−8.3%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 163
+7.2%
|
152
−7.2%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 200−210
+2%
|
200−210
−2%
|
| Hitman 3 | 210−220
+0.9%
|
210−220
−0.9%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 160−170
+1.2%
|
160−170
−1.2%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 120−130
+2.4%
|
120−130
−2.4%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 311
+12.7%
|
276
−12.7%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 120−130
−5.7%
|
130
+5.7%
|
Full HD
High Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 110−120
+1.8%
|
110−120
−1.8%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 130−140
+2.3%
|
120−130
−2.3%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 160−170
+1.2%
|
160−170
−1.2%
|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 170−180
+0.6%
|
170−180
−0.6%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 190
+48.4%
|
128
−48.4%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 187
+8.1%
|
173
−8.1%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 157
+6.8%
|
147
−6.8%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 200−210
+2%
|
200−210
−2%
|
| Hitman 3 | 210−220
+0.9%
|
210−220
−0.9%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 160−170
+1.2%
|
160−170
−1.2%
|
| Metro Exodus | 146
−29.5%
|
189
+29.5%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 120−130
+2.4%
|
120−130
−2.4%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 295
+14.8%
|
257
−14.8%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 483
+28.5%
|
376
−28.5%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 120−130
+7%
|
115
−7%
|
Full HD
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 110−120
+1.8%
|
110−120
−1.8%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 130−140
+2.3%
|
120−130
−2.3%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 160−170
+1.2%
|
160−170
−1.2%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 179
+46.7%
|
122
−46.7%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 173
+5.5%
|
164
−5.5%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 142
+7.6%
|
132
−7.6%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 200−210
+2%
|
200−210
−2%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 265
+22.7%
|
216
−22.7%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 120−130
+15%
|
107
−15%
|
1440p
High Preset
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 130−140
+1.5%
|
130−140
−1.5%
|
| Hitman 3 | 160−170
+1.8%
|
160−170
−1.8%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 120−130
+2.4%
|
120−130
−2.4%
|
| Metro Exodus | 135
+12.5%
|
120
−12.5%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 70−75
+2.8%
|
70−75
−2.8%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 203
+8.6%
|
187
−8.6%
|
1440p
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 80−85
+2.4%
|
80−85
−2.4%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 95−100
+2.2%
|
90−95
−2.2%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 140−150
+2.2%
|
130−140
−2.2%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 122
+31.2%
|
93
−31.2%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 173
+6.1%
|
163
−6.1%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 141
+6.8%
|
132
−6.8%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 170−180
+2.9%
|
170−180
−2.9%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 140−150
+2.2%
|
130−140
−2.2%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 80−85
−25.6%
|
103
+25.6%
|
4K
High Preset
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 85−90
+2.4%
|
80−85
−2.4%
|
| Hitman 3 | 95−100
+3.1%
|
95−100
−3.1%
|
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 85−90
+2.4%
|
80−85
−2.4%
|
| Metro Exodus | 87
+13%
|
77
−13%
|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 45−50
+2.1%
|
45−50
−2.1%
|
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 110
+11.1%
|
99
−11.1%
|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 159
+10.4%
|
144
−10.4%
|
4K
Ultra Preset
| Assassin's Creed Odyssey | 60−65
+3.4%
|
55−60
−3.4%
|
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla | 60−65
+1.7%
|
55−60
−1.7%
|
| Battlefield 5 | 95−100
+2.1%
|
95−100
−2.1%
|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 60
+30.4%
|
46
−30.4%
|
| Far Cry 5 | 132
+6.5%
|
124
−6.5%
|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 129
+9.3%
|
118
−9.3%
|
| Forza Horizon 4 | 130−140
+3.1%
|
120−130
−3.1%
|
| Watch Dogs: Legion | 45−50
−35.4%
|
65
+35.4%
|
This is how RX 7900 XT and RX 6950 XT compete in popular games:
- RX 6950 XT is 3.8% faster than RX 7900 XT in 1080p
- RX 7900 XT is 4.3% faster than RX 6950 XT in 1440p
- RX 7900 XT is 5.7% faster than RX 6950 XT in 4K
Here's the range of performance differences observed across popular games:
- in Cyberpunk 2077, with 1080p resolution and the High Preset, the RX 7900 XT is 48.4% faster than the RX 6950 XT.
- in Watch Dogs: Legion, with 4K resolution and the Ultra Preset, the RX 6950 XT is 35.4% faster than the RX 7900 XT.
All in all, in popular games:
- RX 7900 XT is ahead in 64 tests (94%)
- RX 6950 XT is ahead in 4 tests (6%)
Advantages and disadvantages
| Performance score | 74.44 | 73.12 |
| Recency | 3 November 2022 | 10 May 2022 |
| Cost | $899 | $1099 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 20 GB | 16 GB |
| Chip lithography | 5 nm | 7 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 315 Watt | 335 Watt |
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Radeon RX 7900 XT and Radeon RX 6950 XT.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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