What the internet is wrong about the controversial AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT

Skimming through endless reviews claiming AMD’s $ 199 Radeon RX 6500 XT this week, you might think that the graphics card of tolerance is not something short of disgusting. “Worst GPU!”Hardware Unboxed’s video title screams. “Buru Ju 2016’s GPUs, “Nexus Gamer Announced.”A GPU that you may be able to buy… But should notLinus Tech proposals announced. The list goes on.

Here’s the thing though: While those views are all valid and true – the AMD graphics card is truly amazing, and one that hasn’t worked on previous GPU generations, as I explained in my own Radeon RX 6500 XT review—I feel they have lost some important appearance. Not 2016 anymore and globally lack tolerance of the right card type. If you can stay in stock, Radeon RX 6500 XT removal that is.

[ Further reading: AMD’s $199 Radeon RX 6500 XT tested: 5 key things you need to know ]

Yes, AMD cut features hard to make the Radeon RX 6500 XT a reality, and those choices make the new GPU less attractive than the $ 150 to $ 250 graphics cards of the previous year. It has only four PCIe 4.0 operating systems, which work well in modern PCs but can extend performance in older PCIe 3.0 operating systems. Simple memory configuration — just 4GB, on a 64-bit bus just out there, although it increased by 16MB AMD generated over-GPU Infinity Cache technology– limit the ability to view the card as well. AMD also deleted codec support for H.264 and H.265 / HEVC, on which the streams depend, and a Radeon RX 6500 XT suite with an HDMI 2.1 connection and a DisplayPort. So yes, those damaged inspectors have every reason to regret it. By many metrics reason, Radeon RX 6500 XT in worse than before graphics card budget.

But!

The world is a different world as we enter the third year of this devastating pandemic. Graphics cards are all but impossible to find at vain prices right now, thanks to the mix ongoing component shortage, Logistics woes, rising prices, booming GPU demand by cryptocurrency miners no game, and more. Even go versions of similar older GPUs (e.g. Radeon RX 580 we had 5500 XT, we had Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1650 Super we had GTX 1060) always sells for $ 250 to $ 400 on Ebay, depending on date and details.

AMD

It is bad, all of you. So bad last year, we started launching AMD’s Ryzen 5000 The CPU with decent integrated graphics as the best budget option among us graphics card buying guide. Hell, we even go so far as to crown the legs of species like Best GPU of 2021. We are different GPU elitists here at PCWorld, but I find that I am telling gamers on a budget to mount a console or try GeForce Now streaming instead of these last several months. We haven’t seen the new budget GPU released since 2019!

It could not have happened at the worst possible time. Stuck in their home, a new generation was introduced to the glory of the game in the midst of all this. My Mofi works in an elementary school, and the kids there know what I do for a living. I said more endless space “What is the best way to get a cheap PC to play Fortnite with the brothers? ” questions from the lock session have started than I have at all times Before. My sad answer: No one. Get an iPad. My high school daughter is working on part-time dishes and dabbles in creating OG Destruction mods on the side. His graphics card burned in early 2021 and he spent all summer saving pennies and searching for an affordable replacement. Not available. (Fortunately, when I heard about the dilemma I had an old GTX 900-series card that I could give him.) Plenty of new adult gamers have been left empty handed, too.

We had late which is why I could not be anywhere near as negative as about the Radeon RX 6500 XT as many of my review colleagues have been.

Sure, the card can start to give if you push it across its limits, rotate the eye candy to size or drop its resolution beyond 1080p. But if you like 1080p games, you will be able to play competitive e-sports games at a fast pace or enjoy triple titles — A in Medium to High settings in 60 solid-per-second frames -plus-even on PCIe 3.0 system. Is the Radeon RX 6500 XT a mandatory upgrade on previous budget cards? Never. But it come, and that has not been the case in the budget space for years now. Again: Use Radeon RX 580s from 2017 is going for $ 250 to $ 400 on the streets, and that’s after five years of riding hard.

We talked about the Radeon RX 6500 XT performance and the interest in depth on the latest episode of our Nerd full podcast. Check it out above.

Built for the masses

On paper, AMD actually seems to be trying to make these GPUs available for PC gaming masses. That 4GB of RAM on a 64-bit bus can cause lag spikes if you try to fight graphics settings up to Ultra or resolution up to 1440p, but it also let Radeon RX 6500 XT not be useful for Ethereum mining (one of the main reasons GPUs are so expensive right now), choosing the AMD design says it is intentional. (Despite the fact that the Radeon RX 6500 XT may have Originally intended for mobile computers No doubt also played into your schedule.)

And while we don’t get into the ultra-wonky specs here on PCWorld, the Radeon RX 6500 XT is the first GPU built using the latest 6nm process of TSMC. That pair includes removing those code blocks, memory sizes, and display controllers from scratch, and AMD is able to reduce the size down to very dot levels, as Ryan Smith explains AnandTech. Instead of fixing it, I would say a small part of the best analysis (go read it if you are a consultant, it is dope):

All of which makes the Navi 24 very lightweight, measuring at 107mm². That is less than half the size of Navi 23 (237mm²) or even Navi 14 (158mm²). Which, of course, is not the case here at all.² places. AMD did not make a small GPU in almost half a decade, when they released the RX 550 and other Polaris 12 (101mm) versions²). To put it bluntly, the Navi 24 is meant to be AMD’s ultimate game in terms of entry level, high-end GPU for the PC market, and they are not afraid to make some big feature offerings to get there.

AMD

The smaller the GPU, the more likely it is to squeeze in a mineral wafer. Between that and the weakness of the Radeon RX 6500 XT in mining, it is the first modern GPU to have a real shot at either –whether– There is indeed a semi-sane charge. Them $ 250 GeForce RTX 3050 launches next week It may be fine, but it is built in a more traditional way, with 8GB of memory on a traditional 128-bit bus and the same 276 mm GA106 die as the RTX 3060-series. It will probably be better in the actual game, but will it really be?

If the Radeon RX 6500 XT manages to stay in stock for anywhere near its reasonable $ 200 price point – love idea, I know, but hell, if you manage to stay under $ 300-AMD can add a new, practical affordable closer to the people who need it, people who want to play on PC but don’t have the deep pockets required to get in games over the last two years. The PC game world is now careless for newcomers. Everyone who is able to move the keyboard and mouse instead of having to go to the PlayStation controller is good for the future of the whole ecosystem.

So yes, from a technical and historical point of view, the Radeon RX 6500 XT could be one of the more impressive card features. But that is part of the exciting world we live in these days, and here in the reality of 2022, having a new $ 200 graphics card available that can deliver a really good gaming experience, very valuable and much more, welcome indeed – warts and all.

Now AMD hopes to be able to keep it in stock at reasonable prices. We will see. It sold out fast on its first day on the shelves, and trackers quickly started flipping it on Ebay, but that will always happen. Finding this card in the coming weeks and months will be a true measure of its value.