Expert level help with best performance GPU in $400-700 range at 2k res paired with my i5 12600K

[EnSabahNur]

Hi there, 

I am looing for some expert advice/info about getting the very best graphics card I can get in the $400-600 ($700 if it makes a huge difference) range to pair with my 12th gen Intel i5-12600K, 32gb of OC'd G.Skill DDR4 3600 Hrz, and my MSI MAG Z690 DDR4 WiFi Tomahawk.

 

I will be gaming on an ultrawide @ 1440p at 120hrz refresh rate and would like the very best performance card in my price range and paired with my CPU for all titles at 2k-4k. Currently, it looks like there's an argument between getting a GeForce 4070, and the RX 6600, 6800, and the RX 6950, but I'd be open to other suggestions. 

 

I am really interested in hearing from the experts in the community and would appreciate any help you can provide. Please provide direct links to the exact card you'd recommend with an argument for which you think is best. 

Thank you all in advance.

[filpo]

1 minute ago, EnSabahNur said:

I will be gaming on an ultrawide @ 1440p at 120hrz refresh rate and would like the very best performance card in my price range and paired with my CPU for all titles at 2k-4k. Currently, it looks like there's an argument between getting a GeForce 4070, and the RX 6600, 6800, and the RX 6950, but I'd be open to other suggestions. 

 

I am really interested in hearing from the experts in the community and would appreciate any help you can provide. Please provide direct links to the exact card you'd recommend with an argument for which you think is best. 

Thank you all in advance.

I would get the 6950 xt as it basically matches the 4070 ti in some cases XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Video Card (RX-695XATBD9) - PCPartPicker

Are you streaming or just gaming? Cuz if its just gaming I think its a no brainer

[GuiltySpark_]

6950xt is definitely the answer for gaming. 

[Deadpool2onBlu-Ray]

6 minutes ago, EnSabahNur said:

Hi there, 

I am looing for some expert advice/info about getting the very best graphics card I can get in the $400-600 ($700 if it makes a huge difference) range to pair with my 12th gen Intel i5-12600K, 32gb of OC'd G.Skill DDR4 3600 Hrz, and my MSI MAG Z690 DDR4 WiFi Tomahawk.

 

I will be gaming on an ultrawide @ 1440p at 120hrz refresh rate and would like the very best performance card in my price range and paired with my CPU for all titles at 2k-4k. Currently, it looks like there's an argument between getting a GeForce 4070, and the RX 6600, 6800, and the RX 6950, but I'd be open to other suggestions. 

 

I am really interested in hearing from the experts in the community and would appreciate any help you can provide. Please provide direct links to the exact card you'd recommend with an argument for which you think is best. 

Thank you all in advance.

6950xt. And this is coming from someone with a 4070ti. If I wasn't able to get it for ~ $620 from Microcenter, I definitely would have gone for a 6950xt or 7900xt

[Ottoman420]

 

 

 

[filpo]

2 minutes ago, Ottoman420 said:

 

 

 

better believe it

[191x7]

6950XT. Eventually, the 6800XT if you want to save on power.

[EnSabahNur]

1 hour ago, filpo said:

I would get the 6950 xt as it basically matches the 4070 ti in some cases XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Video Card (RX-695XATBD9) - PCPartPicker

Are you streaming or just gaming? Cuz if its just gaming I think its a no brainer

I'm just gaming and doing some very basic video editing, but I'm very very interested in running everything on maxed out graphics settings. 

 

And I've heard some suggest that the 6800 might be the very best performance bang for the buck. Any thoughts about this?

[EnSabahNur]

1 hour ago, Deadpool2onBlu-Ray said:

6950xt. And this is coming from someone with a 4070ti. If I wasn't able to get it for ~ $620 from Microcenter, I definitely would have gone for a 6950xt or 7900xt

Thx so much. Could you provide a direct link to the exact card that you'd get? Also, any thoughts on the 6800 in comparison?

[EnSabahNur]

1 hour ago, GuiltySpark_ said:

6950xt is definitely the answer for gaming. 

Could you provide a direct link for the card that you'd get, plzzz? Ty so much.

[filpo]

3 minutes ago, EnSabahNur said:

And I've heard some suggest that the 6800 might be the very best performance bang for the buck. Any thoughts about this?

The 6800 xt is better performance bang for the buck. But the 6950 xt performs better for 100 bucks more. Your decision 

[EnSabahNur]

Sounds like the 6950 might be the consensus best card. Can anyone give a detailed explanation as to why the 6950 is a no brainer over the 6800 or the 4070 or the 4070ti? Any direct card links to recommendations would be hugely appreciated, as I'm not sure which brand/cooler design would be best and I don't want to mess up the purchase, lol.

 

Ty so much, just trying to learn and make the most informed decision possible.

[WallacEngineering]

3 hours ago, EnSabahNur said:

Hi there...

 

As others have said, the 6950-XT is pretty much the answer here.

 

Im with @GuiltySpark_ on this one.

 

While the RTX 4070 is plenty capable, a big problem is the 12GB of VRAM, especially if you want to head into that 4K territory or 3440x1440 like I myself play at.

 

12GB of VRAM is only barely enough for 1440p Ultra on MOST games literally right now, like as we currently speak.

 

The sad truth of the matter is that very soon those Ultra settings will have to be turned down to high, even at 1440p. Its not like High settings are bad but still, it means 4K at good settings is basically impossible.

 

At 1440p Ultra and above, only 16GB+ can really be recommended.

 

And whatever you do, forget the RX 6600 as an option. The RX 7600 just dropped for $269.99 MSRP, matches the faster RX 6650-XT, and NONE of them would be good for 1440p at high settings with high FPS. They don't have enough processing power OR VRAM to be considered in the class of performance that you are looking for. For sure its gonna have to be RX 6800 or higher.

 

IF you think you could hold off just a bit and save up, the newer RX 7900-XT (Actually the 7800-XT but nevermind the stupid naming scheme) has been dropping in price pretty significantly and would certainly be a better option.

 

AMD made MASSIVE strides this gen in terms of features as well as RT performance and Raster performance as well.

 

With the original MSRP of $900, I wouldn't blame you whatsoever for not being interested whatsoever. I wasn't either, and neither was anyone else.

 

But I literally saw a good AIB Sapphire Pulse RX 7900-XT for $779.99 yesterday that also includes a free game. Pretty soon, they will be $749.99 and then Im sure the price will stabilize for a while.

 

That puts its price to performance ratio quite close to the 6950-XT, with more features and more VRAM as well (20GB).

 

But this does vastly exceed your budget range, so its only something to think about. Its not like the 6950-XT is a bad card, its a fantastic card.

 

As for your i5-12600K, don't worry about it .

 

ITs still a modern and very fast Gaming CPU, the only way ull see a bottleneck is if you end up with a super powerful card like the 6950-XT or the 7900-XT and then try to run it at like 1080p Medium or High settings and push hundreds and hundreds of FPS.

[filpo]

9 hours ago, EnSabahNur said:

Sounds like the 6950 might be the consensus best card. Can anyone give a detailed explanation as to why the 6950 is a no brainer over the 6800 or the 4070 or the 4070ti? Any direct card links to recommendations would be hugely appreciated, as I'm not sure which brand/cooler design would be best and I don't want to mess up the purchase, lol.

 

Ty so much, just trying to learn and make the most informed decision possible.

@WallacEngineering just explained it

[EnSabahNur]

18 hours ago, WallacEngineering said:

 

As others have said, the 6950-XT is pretty much the answer here.

 

Im with @GuiltySpark_ on this one.

 

While the RTX 4070 is plenty capable, a big problem is the 12GB of VRAM, especially if you want to head into that 4K territory or 3440x1440 like I myself play at.

 

12GB of VRAM is only barely enough for 1440p Ultra on MOST games literally right now, like as we currently speak.

 

The sad truth of the matter is that very soon those Ultra settings will have to be turned down to high, even at 1440p. Its not like High settings are bad but still, it means 4K at good settings is basically impossible.

 

At 1440p Ultra and above, only 16GB+ can really be recommended.

 

And whatever you do, forget the RX 6600 as an option. The RX 7600 just dropped for $269.99 MSRP, matches the faster RX 6650-XT, and NONE of them would be good for 1440p at high settings with high FPS. They don't have enough processing power OR VRAM to be considered in the class of performance that you are looking for. For sure its gonna have to be RX 6800 or higher.

 

IF you think you could hold off just a bit and save up, the newer RX 7900-XT (Actually the 7800-XT but nevermind the stupid naming scheme) has been dropping in price pretty significantly and would certainly be a better option.

 

AMD made MASSIVE strides this gen in terms of features as well as RT performance and Raster performance as well.

 

With the original MSRP of $900, I wouldn't blame you whatsoever for not being interested whatsoever. I wasn't either, and neither was anyone else.

 

But I literally saw a good AIB Sapphire Pulse RX 7900-XT for $779.99 yesterday that also includes a free game. Pretty soon, they will be $749.99 and then Im sure the price will stabilize for a while.

 

That puts its price to performance ratio quite close to the 6950-XT, with more features and more VRAM as well (20GB).

 

But this does vastly exceed your budget range, so its only something to think about. Its not like the 6950-XT is a bad card, its a fantastic card.

 

As for your i5-12600K, don't worry about it .

 

ITs still a modern and very fast Gaming CPU, the only way ull see a bottleneck is if you end up with a super powerful card like the 6950-XT or the 7900-XT and then try to run it at like 1080p Medium or High settings and push hundreds and hundreds of FPS.

Thank you for the thorough explanation. It looks like ill be deciding between the 6950-XT and the 6800XT as has been recommended. When you get a spare sec, could you provide a direct link to the exact card you'd get? There are some different cooler designs and brands and I want to be sure that I go with the best option. 

 

Thx again for all the help. 

[EnSabahNur]

I also notice that between the 7900XT vs the 6950XT is RDNA 2 vs RDNA 3. Given that there only appears to be ~$100 difference between these two cards, I am considering bumping even to the 7900XT if there's a significant difference--especially between RDNA 2 vs 3. In independent review however, a lot of people tend to recommend the 6800xt as the very best bang for your buck. Some suggest that the price difference between the 6800XT and the 6950XT aren't worth, but not too sure. 

 

Can anyone shed some light on the comparison?

[WallacEngineering]

8 hours ago, EnSabahNur said:

Thank you for the thorough explanation. It looks like ill be deciding between the 6950-XT and the 6800XT as has been recommended. When you get a spare sec, could you provide a direct link to the exact card you'd get? There are some different cooler designs and brands and I want to be sure that I go with the best option. 

 

Thx again for all the help. 

 

I would specifically get this one:

 

This is a Power Color Red Devil AIB version of the RX 6950-XT.

 

When it comes to AMD cards, Power Color creates some of the best AIB options available. The Red Devil is their Top-Tier Air-Cooled card. It features WAY better cooling than a reference card, an upgraded PCB with upgraded Power Stages and VRMs feeding thr core, and great overclocking potential.

 

I used to run a Red Devil 5700-XT and now both myself and Linus Sebastian himself both run a Red Devil 7900-XTX.

 

Normally Red Devil Card command a hefty premium over a factory stock card. However, the Red Devil 6950-XT is on sale on Amazon. It is now just $10 more than the very cheapest 6950-XT, which is an incredible deal.

 

To put it in perspective, this Red Devil 6950-XT is $629.99 while my Red Devil 7900-XTX is $1099.99.

 

https://a.co/d/7qEiGwL

[EnSabahNur]

36 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

 

I would specifically get this one:

 

This is a Power Color Red Devil AIB version of the RX 6950-XT.

 

When it comes to AMD cards, Power Color creates some of the best AIB options available. The Red Devil is their Top-Tier Air-Cooled card. It features WAY better cooling than a reference card, an upgraded PCB with upgraded Power Stages and VRMs feeding thr core, and great overclocking potential.

 

I used to run a Red Devil 5700-XT and now both myself and Linus Sebastian himself both run a Red Devil 7900-XTX.

 

Normally Red Devil Card command a hefty premium over a factory stock card. However, the Red Devil 6950-XT is on sale on Amazon. It is now just $10 more than the very cheapest 6950-XT, which is an incredible deal.

 

To put it in perspective, this Red Devil 6950-XT is $629.99 while my Red Devil 7900-XTX is $1099.99.

 

https://a.co/d/7qEiGwL

Thank you very much for the recommendation and the explanation, especially as I haven't really heard of this brand before. 

 

I have gotten a lot of recommendation to get the ASRock Phantom 6950XT seen here: https://rb.gy/j3jyk but this is the first time I've seen the card you've recommended. Given your experience and understanding of VRMs, PCBs, and cooling solutions, how does the red devil power color card you recommended compare to the ASRock (https://rb.gy/j3jyk)--how would you compare them personally if you were going to decide on a purchase between them? 

 

Ty again. 

[WallacEngineering]

24 minutes ago, EnSabahNur said:

Thank you very much for the recommendation and the explanation, especially as I haven't really heard of this brand before. 

 

I have gotten a lot of recommendation to get the ASRock Phantom 6950XT seen here: https://rb.gy/j3jyk but this is the first time I've seen the card you've recommended. Given your experience and understanding of VRMs, PCBs, and cooling solutions, how does the red devil power color card you recommended compare to the ASRock (https://rb.gy/j3jyk)--how would you compare them personally if you were going to decide on a purchase between them? 

 

Ty again. 

 

AsRock is definitely a solid card, its pretty good, certainly not a bad card.

 

But the Red Devil is equivalent to an ASUS ROG Strix RTX Card. Its the Top-Tier, the best of the best in terms of design.

 

Now this review was done when AMD was playing dirty just after the RX 6800-XT launched, so his review has an overall negative conclusion one because of the GPU shortage at the time, so don't pay attention to that, especially as the RX 6950-XT I linked you is now even a fair bit less expensive than this 6800-XT was during this review.

 

Instead, pay attention to the teardown section, just look at the massive overkill VRMs and power stages on this card, and this isn't even a 6900, its a 6800.

 

 

[EnSabahNur]

10 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

 

AsRock is definitely a solid card, its pretty good, certainly not a bad card.

 

But the Red Devil is equivalent to an ASUS ROG Strix RTX Card. Its the Top-Tier, the best of the best in terms of design.

 

Now this review was done when AMD was playing dirty just after the RX 6800-XT launched, so his review has an overall negative conclusion one because of the GPU shortage at the time, so don't pay attention to that, especially as the RX 6950-XT I linked you is now even a fair bit less expensive than this 6800-XT was during this review.

 

Instead, pay attention to the teardown section, just look at the massive overkill VRMs and power stages on this card, and this isn't even a 6900, its a 6800.

 

 

Ah, thanks so much. I had no idea the difference in build quality or that the Red Devil was Strix level and this appears to be a pretty good price for the Red Devil 6950XT (https://shorturl.at/eqsJN). It's pretty expensive but I saw you mentioned earlier the RX 7900XT if I could hold off or save up a bit more. I just found this one (https://shorturl.at/vGS14) which, according to your previous post, is a really good price for a card like this--correct? 

 

The price is pretty high but given your recommendation on the build quality of the PowerColor's I'm not sure if it would be worth. I'm not too familiar with the naming schemes for this company but its seems that the Hellhound might be the Red Devil equivalent tier of build quality, just for the 7900XT line of cards? If you had to recommend a top tier 7900XT, which would you recommend?

[WallacEngineering]

1 hour ago, EnSabahNur said:

Ah, thanks so much. I had no idea the difference in build quality or that the Red Devil was Strix level and this appears to be a pretty good price for the Red Devil 6950XT (https://shorturl.at/eqsJN). It's pretty expensive but I saw you mentioned earlier the RX 7900XT if I could hold off or save up a bit more. I just found this one (https://shorturl.at/vGS14) which, according to your previous post, is a really good price for a card like this--correct? 

 

The price is pretty high but given your recommendation on the build quality of the PowerColor's I'm not sure if it would be worth. I'm not too familiar with the naming schemes for this company but its seems that the Hellhound might be the Red Devil equivalent tier of build quality, just for the 7900XT line of cards? If you had to recommend a top tier 7900XT, which would you recommend?

 

So that second card you linked is not really recommended. Its sold by Power Color but that is actually the AMD Reference Factory Design. Im not sure why, but AsRock and PowerColor and all the AIB brands also sell a reference/ stock model.

 

They aren't terrible but they run hot and they are loud and not really worth it.

 

This version of the 7900-XT is actually better for LESS money ($20 off coupon) AND includes a free game, effectively making the card cost about $750:

 

https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-radeon-rx-7900-xt-11323-02-20g/p/N82E16814202431?Item=N82E16814202431&Source=socialshare&cm_mmc=snc-social-_-sr-_-14-202-431-_-05262023

 

Come to think of it, I forgot to check NewEgg for the 6950-XT. It would seem they have free games included with those cards as well.

 

This is the AsRock Phantom Gaming Model which isn't quite as good as a Red Devil but the cheapest Red Devil on NewEgg is $800 right now which is terrible for a last-generation card. This one at $629.99 includes a free game. So its the Same Price as the Red Devil is on Amazon but includes a Free Game, so I guess you decide what is more important to you - Free game or a better AIB design (Remember this AsRock card is quite good).

 

https://www.newegg.com/asrock-radeon-rx-6950-xt-rx6950xt-pg-16go/p/N82E16814930088?Item=N82E16814930088&Source=socialshare&cm_mmc=snc-social-_-sr-_-14-930-088-_-05262023

[EnSabahNur]

21 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

 

So that second card you linked is not really recommended. Its sold by Power Color but that is actually the AMD Reference Factory Design. Im not sure what but AsRock ans PowerColor and all the AIB brands also sell a reference/ stock model.

 

They aren't terrible but the run hot and they are loud and not really worth it.

 

This version of the 7900-XT is actually better for LESS money ($20 off coupon) AND includes a free game, effectively making the card cost about $750:

 

https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-radeon-rx-7900-xt-11323-02-20g/p/N82E16814202431?Item=N82E16814202431&Source=socialshare&cm_mmc=snc-social-_-sr-_-14-202-431-_-05262023

 

Come to think of it, I forgot to check NewEgg for the 6950-XT. It would seem they have free games included with those cards as well.

 

This is the AsRock Phantom Gaming Model which isn't quite as good as a Red Devil but the cheapest Red Devil on NewEgg is $800 right now which is terrible for a last-generation card. This one at $629.99 includes a free game. So its the Same Price as the Red Devil is on Amazon but includes a Free Game, so I guess you decide what is more important to you - Free game or a better AIB design (Remember this AsRock card is quite good).

 

https://www.newegg.com/asrock-radeon-rx-6950-xt-rx6950xt-pg-16go/p/N82E16814930088?Item=N82E16814930088&Source=socialshare&cm_mmc=snc-social-_-sr-_-14-930-088-_-05262023

 

Damn, then it really does seem like the Red Devil RX 6950XT for $629 for 10% off on Amazon right now (https://shorturl.at/lrFKM) is a quite the deal (also comes with a free game) and may be the sweet spot. Top tier build quality and performance but not too expensive. 

 

Now just need to decide if the price diff between the 6800XT and the 6950XT Red Devils is worth based on performance diff between them. Ty for all your help, especially in comparing the ASRock vs the Red Devil. I had no idea that the build quality of the RD was even better than the ASrock. 

[WallacEngineering]

3 minutes ago, EnSabahNur said:

 

Damn, then it really does seem like the Red Devil RX 6950XT for $629 for 10% off on Amazon right now (https://shorturl.at/lrFKM) is a quite the deal (also comes with a free game) and may be the sweet spot. Top tier build quality and performance but not too expensive. 

 

Now just need to decide if the price diff between the 6800XT and the 6950XT Red Devils is worth based on performance diff between them. Ty for all your help, especially in comparing the ASRock vs the Red Devil. I had no idea that the build quality of the RD was even better than the ASrock. 

 

No problem. Remember the AsRock is a pretty great design. If the Red Devil is more expensive by much, its not really worth it with the AsRock being so good already.

 

As far as 6800-XT VS 6950-XT, it depends on what kind of performance you want.

 

See, I didn't need the $1100 7900-XTX, I happened to find a crazy good deal (I paid $900 AFTER tax) and took it. I actually wanted that $800 7900-XT with the $20 coupon and a free game.

 

I play at 3440x1440p. Its also known as 1440 UltraWide or 2K Ultrawide. I wanted 120 FPS+ at high settings. Even the RX 7900-XT can do a little more than that, which made it the perfect choice.

 

The XTX is overkill, this is a 4K card, so even at absolutely maxed-out Ultra-Everything settings INCLUDING advanced options, I get around 140-150 FPS in most games. No matter how high I turn up the details, I am exceeding my Monitor's Refresh Rate. But this overkill means I am set for many years to come, its not a bad thing.

 

If you want to play 4K at all or if you want completely maxed out settings at 1440p PLUS super high refresh rate over 100 FPS, the 6950-XT is the only real option from the RX 6000 series. The RX 6800-XT doesn't quite have enough graphical horsepower for 4K resolution or combining Ultra Settings at 1440p with super high refresh rate.

 

The 6800-XT is more like the perfect 1440p card, not overkill for it. Its made for either 1440p at Ultra Settings with smooth FPS around 75-90 in most games. It typically won't hit triple digits with Ultra Settings the way the 6950-XT can.

 

However, Ultra settings aren't important or necessary. High settings look fantastic and Ultra Setting hit your performance quite hard with very little benefit. So the 6800-XT is more than enough for super-high refresh rate 1440p because at High settings, it will deliver about 120 FPS.

 

So basically, if you plan on moving up to 3440x1440 or 4K and want excellent performance, then I recommend the RX 7900-XT or RX 6950-XT. For 2560x1440p, the RX 6800-XT is more than enough, no need to spend the extra.

[EnSabahNur]

38 minutes ago, WallacEngineering said:

 

No problem. Remember the AsRock is a pretty great design. If the Red Devil is more expensive by much, its not really worth it with the AsRock being so good already.

 

As far as 6800-XT VS 6950-XT, it depends on what kind of performance you want.

 

See, I didn't need the $1100 7900-XTX, I happened to find a crazy good deal (I paid $900 AFTER tax) and took it. I actually wanted that $800 7900-XT with the $20 coupon and a free game.

 

I play at 3440x1440p. Its also known as 1440 UltraWide or 2K Ultrawide. I wanted 120 FPS+ at high settings. Even the RX 7900-XT can do a little more than that, which made it the perfect choice.

 

The XTX is overkill, this is a 4K card, so even at absolutely maxed-out Ultra-Everything settings INCLUDING advanced options, I get around 140-150 FPS in most games. No matter how high I turn up the details, I am exceeding my Monitor's Refresh Rate. But this overkill means I am set for many years to come, its not a bad thing.

 

If you want to play 4K at all or if you want completely maxed out settings at 1440p PLUS super high refresh rate over 100 FPS, the 6950-XT is the only real option from the RX 6000 series. The RX 6800-XT doesn't quite have enough graphical horsepower for 4K resolution or combining Ultra Settings at 1440p with super high refresh rate.

 

The 6800-XT is more like the perfect 1440p card, not overkill for it. Its made for either 1440p at Ultra Settings with smooth FPS around 75-90 in most games. It typically won't hit triple digits with Ultra Settings the way the 6950-XT can.

 

However, Ultra settings aren't important or necessary. High settings look fantastic and Ultra Setting hit your performance quite hard with very little benefit. So the 6800-XT is more than enough for super-high refresh rate 1440p because at High settings, it will deliver about 120 FPS.

 

So basically, if you plan on moving up to 3440x1440 or 4K and want excellent performance, then I recommend the RX 7900-XT or RX 6950-XT. For 2560x1440p, the RX 6800-XT is more than enough, no need to spend the extra.

Yeah, I actually have a 3440x1440 ultrawide atm so it looks like the Red Devil 6950XT here @ $630 w/ a free game is the best deal (https://shorturl.at/gmIQ9) and I'm pretty sure the one at this link is the right design you recommended and is exactly the best option for price/performance. The red devil is currently the same price as the ASRock Phantom version of the card currently on Newegg, but like you said, the Red Devil appears to have the slight edge. I have read that some like the XFX Speedster Merc version of the card (https://shorturl.at/dhxE1) but it appears that the Red Devil is higher quality build all around, and is the highest quality 6950XT available.  

 

Greatly appreciate all the help!