Question GTX 3060 vs rx 6650 xt?

[buster108]

Hi,

Recently upgraded my pc (i5-12400f, 32gb ddr4 3200, 750w psu)

Looking to a graphics card. Im on 1080p, fine with it and only thing id potentially upgrade to is maybe 1440p later down the line. Not expecting to play the latest and greatest at max settings on 4k basically. Just want a machine that can potentially run new titles i might like but am happy on 60fps 1080p and sacrificing some textures if needs be. Dont really have any games in mind. Maybe deathloop. God of war ragnarok when it comes out in years but thats impossible to guess the specs for that I know. Halo Infinite multiplayer. Just some potentials. Kind of want it to be able to do all this for next 5 years maybe.

trying to find something between £220-£260.

Ive somewhat boiled it down to the RTX 3060 second hand off ebay, usually between £220-260

Or brand new rx 6650xt for like £260.

My question is which is the 'better' (loaded term I know) card? Performance seems to mostly go to the rx 6650xt. however it only has 8gbvram whilst the 3060 has 12gb. I know VRAM is a huge debate rn but genuinely cant decide which is the better option from performance or vram for longevity ?

Thanks!

 

[Lutfij]

If it's 1080p, both cards will get the job done. I'd avoid the second hand market option, if I were you. The brand new card and warranty scheme behind it always a plus to have.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Looking at the TechPowerUp GPU database, the RX 6650 XT is 14% faster but that 12GB of VRAM on the RTX 3060 is awfully attractive. The problem with the RTX 3060 12GB is that they were made for miners (which is why they have 12GB) and for this reason, I wouldn't recommend a used RTX 3060 any more than I'd recommend a used RX 580.

If you can extend your budget by just £22, this card would be a better buy than either of the cards that you're looking at:
Sapphire Radeon RX 6700 Pulse 10GB - £282

The RX 6700 is an often overlooked card that is 19% faster than the RTX 3060. Its 10GB of VRAM would be more than enough for a card at this performance level and it would allow you to avoid the 8GB VRAM wall that has popped up in some games. I would say that it's an amazing value. Sure, it's only 4% faster than the RX 6650 XT (which is almost nothing) and it's £22 more than the RX 6650 XT but you'd be basically paying £2 for the 4% performance increase and £10 for each extra GB of VRAM. That's something that you'd be glad to have in the long run.

At £300, you could get a new RTX 3060 12GB but I think that might be stretching it a bit too far and honestly, I don't think that 10GB would be a limiting factor on a card in that performance category. On the other hand, 12GB might be a bit overkill for the RTX 3060 because it's a good deal slower than the RX 6700. If you're staying mostly at 1080p, I think that 10GB will be fine for you. After all, that's how much VRAM that the RTX 3080 has and it hasn't suffered like the RTX 3070 Ti has.

 

[buster108]

Looking at the TechPowerUp GPU database, the RX 6650 XT is 14% faster but that 12GB of VRAM on the RTX 3060 is awfully attractive. The problem with the RTX 3060 12GB is that they were made for miners (which is why they have 12GB) and for this reason, I wouldn't recommend a used RTX 3060 any more than I'd recommend a used RX 580.

If you can extend your budget by just £22, this card would be a better buy than either of the cards that you're looking at:
Sapphire Radeon RX 6700 Pulse 10GB - £282

The RX 6700 is an often overlooked card that is 19% faster than the RTX 3060. Its 10GB of VRAM would be more than enough for a card at this performance level and it would allow you to avoid the 8GB VRAM wall that has popped up in some games. I would say that it's an amazing value. Sure, it's only 4% faster than the RX 6650 XT (which is almost nothing) and it's £22 more than the RX 6650 XT but you'd be basically paying £2 for the 4% performance increase and £10 for each extra GB of VRAM. That's something that you'd be glad to have in the long run.

At £300, you could get a new RTX 3060 12GB but I think that might be stretching it a bit too far and honestly, I don't think that 10GB would be a limiting factor on a card in that performance category. On the other hand, 12GB might be a bit overkill for the RTX 3060 because it's a good deal slower than the RX 6700. If you're staying mostly at 1080p, I think that 10GB will be fine for you. After all, that's how much VRAM that the RTX 3080 has and it hasn't suffered like the RTX 3070 Ti has.

Thanks for all that info!

ive also found a rx 6700 xt 12gb for £290 from a reputable seller on ebay. Might stretch my budget and go for that seems a really good card?

 

[Moonstick2]

I've that processor/RAM combo and an RX 6700XT, and at 1080p I put everything up to Ultra and don't think twice about it. Certainly if you're considering 1440p in future (I'm not, especially) it'll stand you in good stead there as well. If you're sure that you can trust the retailer then go for it.

You do want to run a quality power supply with it though. I'm running 650W, so less than yours but it's a quality one. You've got 750W but not all PSUs are created equal so maybe list the model here for confirmation? Current GPUs are known for power spikes which can easily overwhelm more basic PSUs.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Thanks for all that info!

ive also found a rx 6700 xt 12gb for £290 from a reputable seller on ebay. Might stretch my budget and go for that seems a really good card?

I think that, for you, a used RX 6700 XT for £290 is not as good of a deal as a new RX 6700 for £282 for the following reasons:

1. Often, used cards don't have a warranty
2. It's only 15% less expensive than a new RX 6700 XT for £343
3. It's only 7% faster than the RX 6700 (according to TPU)
4. It uses 31% more power than the RX 6700
5. £282 is still cheaper than £290
6. For mostly 1080p, 10GB will be enough for the life of this card

Now, sure, there may be some games that require more than 10GB for their HD texture-packs but I've only ever seen one such game thus far; Far Cry 6. There may be others, but I'm not aware of them. I can say that I played through FC6 without the HD textures with my RX 5700 XT because it only has 8GB. When I got my RX 6800 XT, I did install the HD texture pack and while it did look a bit better, it wasn't anything that would've affected my enjoyment of the game.

 

[buster108]

I've that processor/RAM combo and an RX 6700XT, and at 1080p I put everything up to Ultra and don't think twice about it. Certainly if you're considering 1440p in future (I'm not, especially) it'll stand you in good stead there as well. If you're sure that you can trust the retailer then go for it.

You do want to run a quality power supply with it though. I'm running 650W, so less than yours but it's a quality one. You've got 750W but not all PSUs are created equal so maybe list the model here for confirmation? Current GPUs are known for power spikes which can easily overwhelm more basic PSUs.

Hey, thanks for the info. Bought the rx 6700 xt off ebay. In immaculate condition and has been great.

Hard to find the info for my PSU as its no longer sold. Got it id say 2018. I believe these are the specs here:

https://images10.newegg.com/UploadFilesForNewegg/itemintelligence/Antec/HCG_750M_EN1466059330827.pdf

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/antec-750w-psu-hcg-750m-high-current-gamer-modular-apfc-80-bronze-sli-xf-0-761345-06223-7/version.asp

Should I worry? Antec from what I remember made decent PSUs and this is after my original corsair basic one dying on me due to cheap capacitors. That was with a gtx 770 as well.

Is there potential for the PSU to end up damaging my components? Or is it just my PSU might pack it in

Thanks again

 

[Avro Arrow]

Should I worry? Antec from what I remember made decent PSUs and this is after my original corsair basic one dying on me due to cheap capacitors. That was with a gtx 770 as well.

It looks pretty decent. According to TechPowerUp's GPU Database, the recommended PSU for the RX 6700 XT is 550W. Antec doesn't inflate its wattage numbers and your PSU is 200W more potent than what is recommended. I wouldn't worry if I were you.

Is there potential for the PSU to end up damaging my components? Or is it just my PSU might pack it in

No matter what PSU that you use, there's always potential for it to damage your components but, in your case, the potential is so small that it's not worth even thinking about. Antec has been around a long time and has a great reputation, a reputation that, like anyone else, they had to earn.

I wouldn't give it a second thought, I would just keep using what you have.

 

[buster108]

It looks pretty decent. According to TechPowerUp's GPU Database, the recommended PSU for the RX 6700 XT is 550W. Antec doesn't inflate its wattage numbers and your PSU is 200W more potent than what is recommended. I wouldn't worry if I were you.

No matter what PSU that you use, there's always potential for it to damage your components but, in your case, the potential is so small that it's not worth even thinking about. Antec has been around a long time and has a great reputation, a reputation that, like anyone else, they had to earn.

I wouldn't give it a second thought, I would just keep using what you have.

Ahhh thank you! Yeah I do recall researching it a bit and landing on this one. It is only bronze but from what I understand that doesn't mean much about the actual quality of the PSU per say. On another note, would a better standard like gold or above be better for my electricity bills (for a 750w)?

 

[Avro Arrow]

Ahhh thank you! Yeah I do recall researching it a bit and landing on this one. It is only bronze but from what I understand that doesn't mean much about the actual quality of the PSU per say. On another note, would a better standard like gold or above be better for my electricity bills (for a 750w)?

An 80+Gold would be more efficient but only slightly so and only in certain situations at certain percentages of power draw. It definitely wouldn't be enough to affect your hydro bill, maybe $5 per year or so.

Tom's Hardware did an article about this very thing:
Tom's Explains: What Do 80 PLUS Bronze, Silver, Gold & Titanium Signify?

I personally only buy 1000W 80+Gold PSUs because I don't want to ever have to think about it and because Golds don't usually cost all that much more than Bronzes. Having said that, if I already had a good and working Bronze PSU, I wouldn't spend the money to upgrade it to a Gold PSU unless it was literally on its last legs.

 

[buster108]

An 80+Gold would be more efficient but only slightly so and only in certain situations at certain percentages of power draw. It definitely wouldn't be enough to affect your hydro bill, maybe $5 per year or so.

Tom's Hardware did an article about this very thing:
Tom's Explains: What Do 80 PLUS Bronze, Silver, Gold & Titanium Signify?

I personally only buy 1000W 80+Gold PSUs because I don't want to ever have to think about it and because Golds don't usually cost all that much more than Bronzes. Having said that, if I already had a good and working Bronze PSU, I wouldn't spend the money to upgrade it to a Gold PSU unless it was literally on its last legs.

Ahhh I see not much of a saving.

I spose I could save on bills by getting a 650W as seems enough for my system.

Also on the cultists list for PSUs it seems my one is tier C. Which isn't bad but isn't great. Don't think it's necessarily an issue but might look into replacement soon 🤷‍♂️

 

[Moonstick2]

Is there potential for the PSU to end up damaging my components? Or is it just my PSU might pack it in

Really cheap PSUs can come with a concern about causing damage when under any serious load, but the problem with poor power supplies is usually more to do with performance under load, where graphics can start glitching, the screen going blank, the whole PC resetting, that type of thing.

From the specs and the reviews that PSU is high quality and gives no concerns whatsoever. As Avro Arrow says above, don't worry about it. Given the amount you'd have to spend to get a comparable replacement PSU I wouldn't bother thinking about it until if and when the PC starts behaving in a way that gives you concerns. Your PSU is either still in or just out of its five year warranty, so no particular reason it shouldn't be fine for several years yet.

I spose I could save on bills by getting a 650W as seems enough for my system.

I might be misunderstanding what you're saying, but 650W vs 750W rating alone has no bearing on your electricity usage. It's the maximum power the PSU can deliver, usually dubious and fudged on cheap units, accurate and with headroom on quality ones. But it's the maximum the PSU can supply when called upon, not how much it uses whenever the PC is on. Ignoring fine margins related to efficiency, what's drawn at the wall depends only on what you're doing at the time. Somewhere around 100 W when word processing or checking email, or several times that when running AAA games with a high-level GPU and CPU.

The difference between Bronze and Gold efficiency means an equivalent saving roughly equal to turning off an LED light bulb, and then only while gaming hard.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Ahhh I see not much of a saving.

Yes, definitely nothing worth thinking about.

I spose I could save on bills by getting a 650W as seems enough for my system.

I'm afraid that wouldn't do a thing. PSU power ratings only say what kind of draw that the PSU can continuously handle, not what the PSUs themselves draw (which is negligible). If your system components draw 500W (for example), it'll be a 500W draw regardless of whether your PSU is rated for 650W or 1000W.

Also on the cultists list for PSUs it seems my one is tier C. Which isn't bad but isn't great. Don't think it's necessarily an issue but might look into replacement soon 🤷‍♂️

Well, I don't think that you need to worry but if you were to select the RX 6650 XT or the RTX 3060, then you'd be more than fine with this:
Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 80+ Gold 600W - $67
The recommended PSU for the both the RX 6650 XT and the RTX 3060 is only 450W.

You know, I was thinking about the differences between the RTX 3060 and the RX 6650 XT, between the extra VRAM of the RTX 3060 and the extra performance of the RX 6650 XT. I was trying to weigh their advantages because 12GB will certainly live longer than 8GB but the question is, at 1080p, will it even matter? I remember reading that there is one game that will have issues with 8GB even at 1080p (I want to say it's The Last of Us Part 1 but it might be The Callisto Protocol).

Then I started to wonder if there was a way to have your cake and eat it too. Well, there is, if you think that you can pull it off...

The RX 6700 is 19% faster than the RTX 3060 and 4% faster than the RX 6650 XT. What makes it most interesting however, is the fact that it has 10GB of VRAM, an amount that won't cripple the card at 1080p (perhaps forever) and should even be ok at 1440p ultra for at least another year or two. The pricing on it is also insanely-low.

To compare them, I have to use new pricing because I don't know what the used market in the UK is like. At least, in most cases, the asking price for new does have an effect on the used prices so this might not be completely irrelevant:
Zotac GeForce RTX 3060 Gaming Edge OC 12GB - £325
MSi Radeon RX 6650 Mech 2X OC 8GB - £284.39
Sapphire Radeon RX 6700 Pulse 10GB - £284.39

Remember when I said that it was insanely cheap? It's exactly the same price as the RX 6650 XT. As for power use, they're all within 6W of each other. The RTX 3060 has a TDP of 170W, the RX 6650XT has a TDP of 176W and the RX 6700 has a TDP of 175W. So of course the RX 6700's recommended PSU is also 450W.

Therefore, my recommendation would definitely be the RX 6700 over both of them.

 

[Moonstick2]

I think the OP's already bought their card:

Hey, thanks for the info. Bought the rx 6700 xt off ebay. In immaculate condition and has been great.