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RX 9070 XT vs RX 6800 XT: Gaming Performance & Bottleneck (2026)

This is not a close contest. The RX 9070 XT is 41% faster than the RX 6800 XT at 4K and 40% faster at 1440p: 122 vs 87 FPS in AAA games at High settings with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D. For a card 5 years newer, that is a big generational step. The order holds at 1080p (36% apart), so the RX 9070 XT is the quicker card at every resolution. Ray tracing widens the gap to 118% (60 vs 28 FPS at 1440p), as the RX 6800 XT's RT hardware is less efficient. In esports games like CS2 or Valorant at 1080p they reach 492 and 392 FPS, so either can feed a 360 Hz monitor. At 4K the RX 6800 XT manages 53 FPS native, and FSR Quality lifts that to about 74. Both carry 16 GB of VRAM, enough for 4K High. To stay under a 10% CPU bottleneck at 1440p, the RX 9070 XT needs a Core i5-12400F and the RX 6800 XT a Ryzen 5 3600-class chip.

Relative performance

Faster card = 100%. Average FPS at High settings with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

1440p, AAA games

RX 9070 XT100%
RX 6800 XT71%

122 vs 87 FPS · RX 9070 XT +40%

4K, AAA games

RX 9070 XT100%
RX 6800 XT71%

74 vs 53 FPS · RX 9070 XT +41%

1440p, ray tracing

RX 9070 XT100%
RX 6800 XT46%

60 vs 28 FPS · RX 9070 XT +118%

FPS with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Average FPS in AAA games, no upscaling. A fast CPU, so the graphics card sets the pace.

SettingRX 9070 XTRX 6800 XTLead
1080p High1691249070 XT +36%
1440p High122879070 XT +40%
4K High74539070 XT +41%
1440p ray tracing60289070 XT +118%

Specifications

Raster index: RTX 4090 = 100.

SpecRX 9070 XTRX 6800 XT
VRAM16 GB16 GB
Ray tracingYes, 85% efficiencyYes, 55% efficiency
Released20252020
Raster index7654

Which CPU do you need?

Slowest common CPU that keeps each card under a 10% bottleneck at 1440p High.

Graphics cardSlowest CPUFPS
RX 9070 XTCore i5-12400F111
RX 6800 XTRyzen 5 3600 or faster76

Which should you buy?

Buy the RX 9070 XT if you want the faster card: it's 41% ahead at 4K. The RX 6800 XT is the better buy only if it costs at least 40% less, the gap at 1440p, because then it delivers more frames per dollar. Already own the RX 6800 XT? Going to the RX 9070 XT gains 40% at 1440p, which is a worthwhile upgrade.

Buy the RX 9070 XT if…

  • you want the most FPS: it's 41% faster at 4K and 40% at 1440p.
  • you play with ray tracing: 60 vs 28 FPS at 1440p.
  • you want the newer card (2025) with the longer driver and feature support ahead of it.

Buy the RX 6800 XT if…

  • your CPU is older: a Ryzen 5 3600-class chip is enough to keep it fed at 1440p.
  • it costs at least 40% less than the RX 9070 XT, which makes it the better value per frame.

Check your build

These numbers use a Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate the graphics card. Your own CPU, resolution and settings change the result, so run your exact parts through the calculator.

Check Core i5-12400F + RX 9070 XT Check Ryzen 5 3600 + RX 6800 XT

Popular builds with these cards

Ryzen 7 9800X3D + RX 9070 XT1440p · GPU-limited 39% · ≈122 FPSRyzen 7 7800X3D + RX 9070 XT1440p · GPU-limited 31% · ≈121 FPSRyzen 5 7600 + RX 9070 XT1440p · GPU-limited 10% · ≈117 FPSRyzen 7 9800X3D + RX 6800 XT1440p · GPU-limited 57% · ≈87 FPSRyzen 7 7800X3D + RX 6800 XT1440p · GPU-limited 51% · ≈87 FPSRyzen 5 7600 + RX 6800 XT1440p · GPU-limited 36% · ≈86 FPS

RX 9070 XT vs RX 6800 XT: quick answers

Is the RX 9070 XT faster than the RX 6800 XT?

Yes. The RX 9070 XT is about 41% faster at 4K and 40% faster at 1440p in AAA games at High settings. With ray tracing on at 1440p the RX 9070 XT gets about 60 FPS and the RX 6800 XT 28 FPS.

How many FPS do the RX 9070 XT and RX 6800 XT get?

With a Ryzen 7 9800X3D at High settings in AAA games, the RX 9070 XT averages about 169 FPS at 1080p, 122 at 1440p and 74 at 4K. The RX 6800 XT averages 124, 87 and 53 FPS. DLSS, FSR or XeSS upscaling adds roughly 40% where the graphics card is the limit.

What CPU do I need for the RX 9070 XT or RX 6800 XT?

To keep the CPU bottleneck under 10% at 1440p, the RX 9070 XT needs at least a Core i5-12400F and the RX 6800 XT needs a Ryzen 5 3600 or faster. At 1080p you need a faster CPU for the same result, and at 4K a slower one is fine. A slower CPU narrows the gap between the RX 9070 XT and the RX 6800 XT.