AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT

AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT: A Guide to the Graphics Card for Gamers and Enthusiasts

Current as of April 2025

Architecture and Key Features

RDNA 2: The Foundation of Power

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT graphics card is built on the RDNA 2 architecture, which debuted in 2020 but remains relevant due to optimizations. The chips are manufactured using TSMC's 7nm process, providing a balance between energy efficiency and performance.

Key features:

- Ray Accelerators — hardware blocks for ray tracing (up to 32 rays per clock cycle).

- FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 3.0 — an upscaling technology that supports frame generation, boosting FPS in games with minimal quality loss.

- Smart Access Memory (SAM) — a feature that increases CPU access speed to video memory when using compatible AMD processors.

Unlike NVIDIA's DLSS, FSR works on any GPU, including competitors, but for maximum quality, a resolution of 1440p is recommended.

Memory: Speed and Volume

GDDR6 and Its Potential

The RX 6650 XT is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The bandwidth reaches 288 GB/s (memory clock speed — 18 Gbps). This is sufficient for most games at 1080p and 1440p, but in 4K or when ray tracing is activated, there may be a shortage of memory.

Memory is a weak point for the card in 2025: modern AAA titles, such as Starfield 2 or GTA VI, already require 10–12 GB for ultra settings. However, for esports titles (CS2, Valorant) or optimized games (Horizon Forbidden West), 8 GB is ample.

Gaming Performance

FPS, Resolutions, and RTX

At 1080p, the RX 6650 XT shows excellent results:

- Cyberpunk 2077 (ultra, no RT) — 75–85 FPS;

- The Last of Us Part II (high settings) — 90–100 FPS;

- Apex Legends — 144+ FPS.

At 1440p with FSR 3.0 Quality:

- Assassin’s Creed Mirage — 60–70 FPS;

- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 — 80–90 FPS.

Ray tracing reduces FPS by 30–40%, but the FSR Performance mode can restore smoothness. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 with RT on medium settings delivers 45–55 FPS at 1080p. For 4K, the card is not recommended — only older titles or minimal settings.

Professional Tasks

Not Just Gaming

The RX 6650 XT supports OpenCL and Vulkan, making it suitable for video editing in DaVinci Resolve or Blender. However, compared to the NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti (with CUDA cores), it falls short in rendering:

- Blender BMW Render: RX 6650 XT — 4 min 20 sec vs. RTX 3060 Ti — 3 min 50 sec.

For scientific calculations (machine learning, simulations), AMD offers ROCm, but NVIDIA's ecosystem with TensorFlow/PyTorch libraries remains preferable.

Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation

Efficiency and Cooling

The card has a TDP of 180 W, requiring a quality power supply of at least 500 W (550 W recommended for headroom).

Cooling systems:

- Reference models (e.g., AMD MBA) — compact but noisy under load.

- Custom solutions (ASUS Dual, Sapphire Pulse) — quieter and cooler (60–70°C in games).

Adequate case ventilation is important: at least 2 intake fans and 1 exhaust fan. Avoid compact cases without airflow gaps.

Comparison with Competitors

The Battle for Mid-Range

The RX 6650 XT competes with:

- NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti ($350): Better at ray tracing (+15% FPS with DLSS 3.5), but more expensive.

- AMD RX 7600 XT ($320): Newer, with 12 GB of memory, but only 10–12% more performant in DX12 games.

- Intel Arc A770 ($280): Cheaper, comparable in Vulkan but weaker in older titles.

Conclusion: The RX 6650 XT offers the best price/performance ratio for 1080p if maximum RT is not required.

Practical Tips

Build and Optimization

1. Power Supply: 550 W 80+ Bronze (Corsair CX550, EVGA 550 B5).

2. Platform: Best paired with AMD processors (Ryzen 5 7600 for SAM) and motherboards with PCIe 4.0.

3. Drivers: Use Adrenalin Edition 2025 with “Auto-Overclock” setting and monitor performance through Radeon Metrics.

4. Game Optimization: Enable FSR 3.0 in Quality/Balanced mode and turn off anti-aliasing to save memory.

Pros and Cons

Advantages:

- Ideal for 1080p/1440p gaming.

- FSR 3.0 gives “a second life” to older games.

- Low price ($270–300 in 2025).

Disadvantages:

- 8 GB of memory limits future upgrades.

- Ray tracing performance is weaker than NVIDIA's.

- Noisy reference coolers.

Final Recommendation: Who is the RX 6650 XT For?

This graphics card is an excellent choice for:

1. Gamers with 1080p/144 Hz monitors looking to play at high settings without overspending.

2. Budget builds: Pairs well with Ryzen 5 or Core i5, not requiring top cooling solutions.

3. AMD enthusiasts: For experimenting with FSR 3.0 and open-source software.

If you are not willing to compromise on RT or plan to upgrade to 4K, consider the RX 7700 XT or RTX 4070. However, for its price range, the RX 6650 XT remains a “workhorse” for 2025.

Prices are current as of April 2025 for new devices in retail stores in the USA.