AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT vs. RX 6650 XT: Which is the better graphics card for gaming?

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and RX 6650 XT are two mid-range 1080p gaming cards built to take on the RTX 3060 and 3060 Ti from Nvidia. These graphics cards have seen a surge in popularity following the launch of the budget and mid-range RTX 40 series cards and the RX 7600. At a cheaper rate, these 1080p gaming cards from the last gen deliver slightly better performance.

However, choosing between the 6600 XT and the 6650 XT can be a bit difficult, given how close they are performance-wise. There are some other factors to consider too while shopping for these cards. This article will compare the two GPUs in multiple aspects and try to determine the better deal.

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The AMD RX 6600 XT and RX 6650 XT are very close to each other

Specs

The RX 6600 XT and 6650 XT are identical in terms of specs. Both GPUs are based on the cut-down Navi 23 graphics processor. Each features 2,048 shading units, 32 RT cores, and 32 Compute Units. Both GPUs even have a similar VRAM spec: 8 GB of GDDR6 memory based on a 128-bit memory bus.

However, the difference lies in the operating clock speeds. AMD is trying to get the maximum out of the underlying silicon of the RDNA 2 GPUs with the 50 series refresh. Thus, the 6650 XT relies on a higher power draw (176W vs. the 160W on the 6600 XT) and boosts to 2635 MHz to deliver higher framerates in video games.

A detailed on-paper specs comparison between the RX 6600 XT and the RX 6650 XT is as follows:

	AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT	AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
Graphics processor	Navi 23	Navi 23
Shading cores	2048	2048
RT cores	32	32
Compute units	32	32
Max. Boost clock	2589 MHz	2635 MHz
VRAM	8 GB 128-bit GDDR6	8 GB 128-bit GDDR6
TDP	160W	176W
Price	$289	$235

According to TechPowerUp's hardware rendering power aggregates, the newer 6650 XT is about 8% faster than the 6600 XT. However, the older and weaker card will cost about $55 more.

This is primarily because multiple retail stores have stopped stocking this card and are only selling the RX 6650 XT. Thus, the 6600 XT is priced much worse than the slightly higher-end 1080p gaming card.

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Performance diferences

The performance difference between the RX 6600 XT and the 6650 XT is pretty noticeable, unlike what we saw with the RX 6700 XT and the RX 6750 XT.

In almost every modern and demanding AAA video game, the newer, refreshed card delivers about 5-7% more frames per second. In some titles, the performance differences are northwards of 10%.

A detailed performance comparison between these graphics cards is as follows:

	AMD Radeon RX 6600	AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT	AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
The Last of Us	53	65	71
Hogwarts Legacy	61	66	72
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2	102	123	125
Resident Evil 4 Remake	83	96	102
Elden Ring	86	98	106
Atomic Heart	65	77	81

The 6650 XT currently delivers more performance than the RX 6600 XT while costing about $55 less than the older 1080p gaming card from AMD. Thus, it is a much better choice for players looking for a budget system to play the latest titles.