AMD and Nvidia regularly compete to make the best PC gaming GPUs — and a prime example of this is the competition between the Radeon RX 6600 and Nvidia RTX 3060. Among all of the components required for a gaming computer, the graphics card is critical. The more powerful and capable a GPU is, the better-looking people can expect their games to be. While high-end cards are necessary for getting the very best graphics performance, more affordable options have also gotten extremely good in recent years.
Nvidia announced its RTX 3060 GPU in February 2021, and AMD debuted the Radeon RX 6660 a few months later in October. Not only do the two cards have very similar specs and performance, but each one also has a retail price of $329 — making the decision of which to buy that much more tricky. For anyone building/upgrading a budget gaming rig and stuck between these cards, here's a closer look at what they bring to the table.
Specs can make or break a GPU, so let's start there. Looking at the Radeon RX 6600, AMD's card features a 1626MHz base clock speed and goes up to 2491MHz for its boost speed. The RTX 3060 has lower numbers in both situations, touting a base clock speed of 1320MHz and a boost speed up to 1780MHz. Nvidia does have the upper hand with RAM, however, featuring 12GB of GDDR6 memory compared to 8GB on the RX 6600. To make up for its lesser RAM offering, AMD's graphics card requires considerably less power from the PC it's installed in. Anyone who buys the RX 6600 only needs 450W of minimum system power. The RTX 3060, by comparison, requires 550W.
RX 6600 Vs. RTX 3060 Benchmarks And Features
That's how the RX 6600 and RTX 3060 compare on a technical level, but how does all of this translate to actual gaming? According to AMD's own marketing materials, the RX 6600 trades punches pretty evenly with Nvidia's GPU. Playing games at 1080p with max graphics settings, the RX 6600 achieves 120fps in Forza Horizon 4 to noticeably outperform the RX 3060. In Cyberpunk 2077, however, the RTX 3060 benchmarks higher than the RX 6600's 70fps rating. Other titles see the two GPUs pretty evenly matched. AMD's test shows virtually identical performance in Battlefield 5 and Hitman 3, with the RX 6600 and RTX 3060 both cranking out 142fps and 114fps, respectively.
Something else to consider with these two cards is all of the extra features they come with. For example, one of the biggest benefits of the RX 6600 is AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution technology. This helps deliver greater visual detail and faster frame rate in select titles compared to cards without it. Only a handful of titles are fully compatible with this, though some of the biggest ones include Far Cry 6, Deathloop, Resident Evil Village, and Marvel's Avengers. The RX 6600 also supports DirectX Raytracing, AMD FreeSync for reduced screen tearing, and gets boosted performance when used with an AMD Ryzen processor. Not to be outdone, Nvidia's equipped with RTX 3060 with its own suite of compelling features. One of the RTX 3060's secret weapons is 'Nvidia Deep Learning Super Sampling' — better known as DLSS. According to Nvidia, DLSS "is groundbreaking AI rendering that boosts frame rates with uncompromised image quality." The RTX 3060 also has RTX for excellent raytracing performance, works with Nvidia G-Sync monitors for reduced latency, and comes with the Nvidia Broadcast app for an improved streaming experience.
At the end of the day, both GPUs are worth recommending for different reasons. The Radeon RX 6600 is a solid choice for someone who already has an AMD system. If someone does a lot of streaming or has a G-Sync monitor, the RTX 3060 is an easy recommendation. Of course, all of this is being said against the backdrop of a very challenging GPU economy. Both AMD and Nvidia are struggling to keep their cards in stock. If something is available, it's often selling for hundreds of dollars more than it should be. That means most people probably won't have the luxury of choosing between either of these cards at their actual $329 price. If someone needs a budget GPU and happens to come across one of these at retail, pick it up as quickly as possible and consider yourself lucky. There's no telling when the GPU shortage will end, but at the very least, the RX 6600 and RTX 3060 are both solid options for the affordable gaming space.