Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 vs AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT: GPU Comparison in 2023

Most discrete graphics cards purchased by consumers utilize graphics processing chips created by either AMD or Nvidia, with the two companies dominating the market for such components. Being the only two major brands in the market, they give each other stiff competition.

Considering the various GPU options, choosing the right product can be challenging. Thus, this article explores two mid-range GPUs, comparing their specifications, features, and prices to determine which is a better choice.

---

Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 vs AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT comparison, features, and more

Specifications

Even after the launch of the 40-series GPUs from Nvidia, the RTX 3060 and Radeon RX 6600 XT haven't lost their relevance for high-end gaming in 2023. Both GPUs were launched in 2021 as competitors, offering powerful performance and great features, making them the preferred choice for many gamers in the mid-range segment.

Before moving on to the details, let's look at their technical specs.

Specification	Nvidia RTX 3060	AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
GPU	GA106	Navi 23
CUDA Cores / Stream Processors	3584	2048
Tensor Cores	112	-
Stream Multiprocessors / Compute Units	28	32
RT Cores / Ray Accelerators	28	32
Memory	12GB GDDR6	8GB GDDR6
Memory bandwidth	360GB/s	256GB/s
Memory speed	15GT/s	16GT/s
Clock speed (base/boost)	1.32GHz / 1.78GHz	1.97GHz / 2.59GHz
TDP	170W	160W

---

Features

Since both graphic cards are built by different manufacturers, each offers distinctly unique features. Although the differences aren't majorly significant, they are enough to give them distinct pros and cons.

The two GPUs offer different VRR (variable refresh rate) technology. AMD uses FreeSync, whereas Team Blue uses GSync to reduce screen tearing by adjusting the monitor's refresh rate to sync with the rendered frame.

Nvidia uses DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), whereas AMD uses FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) technology to enable the rendering of games at a lower resolution, and then uses machine learning techniques to enhance it to the native resolution of the display.

The idea is that this approach should provide near-identical visual quality compared to the traditional rendering method, but with a significant reduction in performance demands.

Additionally, both Nvidia and AMD have implemented features such as Nvidia Reflex, Ultra-Low Latency, and AMD Anti-Lag, with the goal of minimizing input lag, resulting in faster in-game response time.

---

Gaming performance

Both the graphic cards are considered 1080p gaming GPUs, however, it's surprising that they perform pretty well even in 1440p gaming. If you go by numbers, it's noted that the 6600 XT outperforms the RTX 3060 by 10% in 1080p gaming. This difference narrows as you move towards higher-resolution gaming.

However, Nvidia's powerful technology beats AMD, as by turning on DLSS, you can experience a considerable increase in frame rates while only experiencing a small reduction in visual quality.

AMD's FSR offers similar functionality but is not as widely supported across games. In most games that do support it, DLSS produces slightly better visuals than FSR.

---

Final verdict

With the launch of the AMD 6600 XT, it received a lukewarm reception as it was priced $50 higher than the Nvidia RTX 3060. Although it had slightly better FPS performance at a lower resolution, the extra cost did not justify the lack of features like DLSS and RT Cores, as well as a lower favorable memory configuration.

However, now that prices have dropped, the 6600 XT is a more compelling choice, especially for those looking for high refresh rate competitive gaming at 1080p or 1440p. It offers better performance for a similar or lower price than the RTX 3060.

However, if you are looking for a GPU that can handle high or maximum settings for AAA games, the RTX 3060's better memory configuration, ray tracing performance, and DLSS technology might make it worth the extra cost.