The reviews for the new AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT and RX 6800 reference graphics cards are out. And we can see positive feedback overall from the different media outlets. After the reviews for AMD’s RX 6800 cards went live; we now see AIB partners revealing their custom-designed RX 6800 series cards. MSI recently announced their Radeon RX 6800 Series featuring their custom-designed cooling solution; the MSI Radeon RX 6800 (XT) Gaming X Trio graphics cards. Check out more details below.
MSI Radeon RX 6800 (XT) Gaming X Trio Unleashed
The design of the MSI Radeon RX 6800 XT Gaming X Trio, including the non-XT and Gaming Trio variants, are quite similar to the GeForce RTX 30 series Gaming X Trio cards. You can check out our review of the MSI RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio here to get a closer look.
Both the MSI RX 6800 XT and non-XT Gaming (X) Trio features Tri Frozr 2 cooling solution, Torx Fan 4.0, Core pipes design, and a Graphene composite backplate. However, upon closer inspection of the press photos, I noticed there are some minor differences in the aesthetics.
The first obvious one is the front cooler shroud having a white or silver-colored trim. On the front-side portion, we can see the “RADEON” branding instead of “GeForce RTX”, well obviously. And finally, the backplate has a full cover design with some cut-outs towards the rear end. On the RTX 30 series Gaming X Trio, the capacitors on the other side of the GPU are exposed. There is a cutout on the backplate where you can see the capacitors. Here in the 6800 Gaming X Trio, the capacitors are fully covered.
Aside from the minor aesthetic and branding difference, the rest is pretty much similar. Both the MSI RX 6800 XT and non-XT Gaming X Trio measures 324mm x 141mm x 55mm. Both also require two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. However, the 6800 XT has a recommended PSU of 750W; while MSI only recommends at least a 650W for the 6800 Gaming (X) Trio.
It’s also worth mentioning that there are two variants of the 6800 XT and non-XT available. First is the Gaming X Trio that comes with a factory overclock speeds, and the Gaming Trio comes with reference speeds. Although, when I checked the specifications table, the increase in GPU clock speeds isn’t really that high. You can check it from the specifications table below.
AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series Features
The new AMD Radeon RX 6000 graphics cards are based on the new AMD RDNA2 gaming architecture. It features a breakthrough high-speed design and enhanced power efficiency; designed to deliver higher performance with lower power consumption; and a new cache hierarchy designed to minimize data movement, latency, and power usage.
In addition, support for DirectX 12 Ultimate offers a powerful blend of raytracing, compute, and rasterized effects to elevate games to a new level of realism. Below are additional features that these new RX 6000 cards have to offer:
- AMD Infinity Cache – A high-performance, last-level data cache suitable for 4K and 1440p gaming with the highest level of detail enabled. 128MB of on-die cache dramatically reduces latency and power consumption, delivering higher overall gaming performance compared to traditional architectural designs.
- AMD Smart Access Memory – An exclusive feature of systems with AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processors, AMD B550 and X570 motherboards, and Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics cards. It gives AMD Ryzen processors greater access to the high-speed GDDR6 graphics memory to help accelerate CPU processing and provide an increase in gaming performance.
- DirectX Raytracing (DXR) – Adding a high-performance, fixed-function Ray Accelerator engine to each compute unit, AMD RDNA 2-based graphics cards are optimized to deliver real-time lighting, shadow, and reflection realism with DXR. When paired with AMD FidelityFX, which enables hybrid rendering, developers can combine rasterized and ray-traced effects to ensure an optimal combination of image quality and performance.
Pricing and Availability
MSI has not yet disclosed the MSRP for their Radeon RX 6800 series Gaming X Trio graphics cards. But the base price for the RX 6800 XT is $650 and the base price for the RX 6800 is $580. Expect that MSI’s variant will be priced a bit higher than the reference cards.
As for availability, these MSI RX 6800 Gaming Trio series are expected to be available starting November 25. But I’m pretty sure getting one won’t be easy at this time. The stocks seem to be very limited (or non-existent); just like with the RTX 30 series cards and the new Ryzen 5000 CPUs. Hopefully, stocks will be better by the Holiday season.
You can check out the latest pricing and availability of the 6800 XT and 6800 via the links below:
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT check at Newegg.com here
AMD Radeon RX 6800 check at Newegg.com here
MSI Radeon RX 6800 Series Gaming (X) Trio Specifications
