AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT

AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT in 2025: Complete Analysis of the Flagship RDNA 2

An updated look at the legendary graphics card: what's relevant and what has become outdated?

1. Architecture and Key Features: RDNA 2 in Detail

The RX 6900 XT graphics card is built on the RDNA 2 architecture, which remains relevant in 2025 due to optimizations from AMD. The chip is manufactured using the 7nm TSMC process and contains 26.8 billion transistors. Key innovations include:

- Ray Accelerators — hardware blocks for ray tracing. There are 80 of them (one for each Compute Unit). Compared to NVIDIA's RTX 30 series, ray tracing performance is lower, but drivers from 2024-2025 have significantly improved the situation.

- Infinity Cache — 128 MB of cache memory that reduces latency and enhances efficiency when working with GDDR6.

- Smart Access Memory (SAM) — a technology that gives the CPU access to the entire video memory. An AMD Ryzen 5000/7000 processor and a motherboard with PCIe 4.0 are required to activate it.

FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 3.0 — AMD's main advantage in the battle for FPS. Unlike NVIDIA’s DLSS 3.0, FSR works on any GPU, including competitors, and employs upscaling + frame generation. In 2025, FSR 3.0 support is available in 90% of new AAA games.

2. Memory: GDDR6 and Its Potential

The RX 6900 XT is equipped with 16 GB GDDR6 with a 256-bit bus and a bandwidth of 512 GB/s (memory frequency — 16 Gbps). This is sufficient for:

- 4K gaming with high texture settings.

- Working with 8K video and demanding 3D scenes.

However, in 2025, competitors like the NVIDIA RTX 4080 offer GDDR6X or even HBM3, which provides an advantage in memory-intensive tasks (for example, neural network rendering).

3. Gaming Performance: Is 4K Still Comfortable?

In 2025, the RX 6900 XT remains a solid choice for 1440p and 4K, but ray tracing requires compromises:

- Cyberpunk 2077 (4K, Ultra, RT Ultra): 34–42 FPS without FSR, 55–60 FPS with FSR 3.0.

- Starfield (4K, Ultra): 68–75 FPS.

- Alan Wake 2 (1440p, Medium RT): 48–55 FPS with FSR 3.0.

For 1080p, the card is overkill—it hits CPU bottlenecks here. In 1440p, the average FPS in new games is 90–120 (without RT); in 4K, it’s 50–70. Ray tracing reduces performance by 30-50%, but FSR 3.0 partially mitigates the losses.

4. Professional Tasks: Not Just Gaming

- Video Editing: Support for AV1 (decoding) and HEVC (encoding) codecs in DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro. Rendering a 4K project takes 15-20% longer than on the RTX 3090.

- 3D Modeling: In Blender and Maya, the RX 6900 XT shows results close to the RTX 3080 Ti thanks to optimizations in the Cycles engine for RDNA 2.

- Scientific Calculations: Support for OpenCL and ROCm (an alternative to CUDA). For machine learning, the card is less preferred due to its limited ecosystem.

5. Power Consumption and Cooling: Is an Upgrade Needed?

- TDP: 300W (peak consumption — up to 350W).

- Recommendations:

- A power supply of at least 850W (for systems with Ryzen 9 7900X or Intel i7-14700K).

- A case with good ventilation (minimum of 3 fans).

- An optimal solution is hybrid cooling (for example, Sapphire Nitro+ Hybrid) or custom liquid cooling for overclocking.

The card heats up to 75-80°C under load, but modern models (from 2024-2025) have received updated cooling systems with solder instead of thermal paste.

6. Comparison with Competitors: Who Does It Compete Against?

- NVIDIA RTX 4080 (16 GB GDDR6X, $1000): 25-30% faster in ray tracing, supports DLSS 3.5, but is more expensive.

- AMD RX 7900 XT (20 GB GDDR6, $750): A younger sibling with a newer RDNA 3 architecture. Performance on par with 6900 XT, but better energy efficiency.

- Intel Arc A770 (16 GB GDDR6, $350): Cheaper but weaker in 4K and lacks an equivalent to FSR 3.0.

Conclusion: The RX 6900 XT in 2025 is a choice for those seeking a balance between price ($650-750) and performance without a fanatic emphasis on ray tracing.

7. Practical Tips: How to Avoid Problems

- Power Supply: 850W with an 80+ Gold certification. The best models include Corsair RM850x, Be Quiet! Straight Power 11.

- Compatibility:

- Motherboards with PCIe 4.0 and support for Resizable BAR (for SAM).

- AMD Ryzen 5000/7000 processors or Intel 12th-14th generation processors.

- Drivers: Adrenalin Edition 2025 is stable, but check the lists of known bugs before installing updates.

8. Pros and Cons

Pros:

- 16 GB of memory for future games and professional tasks.

- Excellent 4K performance without RT.

- Support for FSR 3.0 and open standard.

Cons:

- Ray tracing is weaker than NVIDIA's.

- No hardware support for frame generation like in DLSS 3.5.

- High power consumption.

9. Overall Conclusion: Who is the RX 6900 XT Suitable For?

This graphics card is an ideal choice for:

- Gamers playing in 4K without ultra RT settings.

- Enthusiasts upgrading their PC on a budget (price lower than RTX 4080 by 30%).

- Professionals using OpenCL and looking to save money.

However, if you are a fan of cyberpunk games with ultra RT settings or work within the CUDA ecosystem, consider NVIDIA.

Prices are current as of April 2025. Retail prices for new devices in the U.S. are listed.