GeForce RTX 3060 Ti vs Radeon RX 5500 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020Core: 1410 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5500 XT

2019Core: 1607 MHzBoost: 1845 MHz

Popular choices:

RTX 3060 Ti

Performance Spectrum - GPU

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

2020

Why buy it

  • 112.4% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 11.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 50.9 vs 45.6 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
  • Access to DLSS 2 Super Resolution (2020).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 53.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 130W.
  • 34.4% longer card at 242mm vs 180mm.

Radeon RX 5500 XT

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $200 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Draws 130W instead of 200W, a 70W reduction.
  • Measures 180mm instead of 242mm, a 62mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 3060 Ti across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • No DLSS support; it relies on FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 45.6 vs 50.9 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is GeForce RTX 3060 Ti better than Radeon RX 5500 XT?
Yes. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is clearly the better overall GPU here. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti averages 112.4% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. You are also looking at 20,312 vs 9,080 in G3D Mark. On top of that, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is a 2020 card with DLSS Super Resolution, while Radeon RX 5500 XT is a 2019 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 2019, 123.7% more raw performance headroom, and the stronger feature stack with DLSS Super Resolution instead of FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?
GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is about 100.5% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 112.4% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and 123.7% higher G3D Mark. It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 11.6%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.
Is Radeon RX 5500 XT still worth buying for gaming in 2026?
Yes. Radeon RX 5500 XT is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $199 MSRP, even if GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low152 FPS129 FPS
medium137 FPS113 FPS
high118 FPS99 FPS
ultra100 FPS83 FPS
1440p
low131 FPS117 FPS
medium107 FPS96 FPS
high91 FPS81 FPS
ultra82 FPS70 FPS
4K
low77 FPS66 FPS
medium65 FPS59 FPS
high50 FPS41 FPS
ultra43 FPS36 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low425 FPS135 FPS
medium366 FPS102 FPS
high296 FPS73 FPS
ultra248 FPS48 FPS
1440p
low272 FPS91 FPS
medium229 FPS63 FPS
high190 FPS47 FPS
ultra156 FPS35 FPS
4K
low133 FPS43 FPS
medium114 FPS33 FPS
high96 FPS27 FPS
ultra73 FPS20 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low859 FPS409 FPS
medium693 FPS327 FPS
high602 FPS272 FPS
ultra457 FPS204 FPS
1440p
low658 FPS306 FPS
medium529 FPS245 FPS
high452 FPS204 FPS
ultra343 FPS153 FPS
4K
low434 FPS204 FPS
medium346 FPS163 FPS
high275 FPS136 FPS
ultra221 FPS102 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
1080p
low580 FPS373 FPS
medium514 FPS317 FPS
high424 FPS262 FPS
ultra373 FPS204 FPS
1440p
low478 FPS306 FPS
medium427 FPS245 FPS
high335 FPS196 FPS
ultra290 FPS153 FPS
4K
low285 FPS151 FPS
medium266 FPS118 FPS
high234 FPS104 FPS
ultra195 FPS88 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and Radeon RX 5500 XT

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in December 1 2020. It features the Ampere architecture. The core clock ranges from 1410 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 4864 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 8 nm process technology. It features 38 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 20,312 points. Launch price was $399.

AMD

Radeon RX 5500 XT

The Radeon RX 5500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 12 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,080 points. Launch price was $169.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 20,312 versus the Radeon RX 5500 XT's 9,080 — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti leads by 123.7%. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on Ampere while the Radeon RX 5500 XT uses RDNA 1.0, both on 8 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 4,864 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Raw compute: 16.2 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
G3D Mark Score
20,312+124%
9,080
Architecture
Ampere
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
8 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
4864+245%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
16.2 TFLOPS+212%
5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1665 MHz
1845 MHz+11%
ROPs
80+150%
32
TMUs
152+73%
88
L2 Cache
4 MB+100%
2 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5500 XT is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti gives access to NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), widely regarding as the superior upscaling method for image quality. The Radeon RX 5500 XT relies on FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution), which is capable but generally slightly noisier than DLSS in motion.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 2 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 8 GB of GDDR6. Memory bandwidth: 448 GB/s (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — a 100% advantage for the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 4 MB (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
VRAM Capacity
8 GB
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
448 GB/s+100%
224 GB/s
Bus Width
256-bit+100%
128-bit
L2 Cache
4 MB+100%
2 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (12_2) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
DirectX
12 Ultimate (12_2)
12.1
Vulkan
1.3+8%
1.2
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
4
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC (Ampere) (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Decoder: NVDEC (Ampere) vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500 XT).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
Encoder
NVENC (Ampere)
VCN 2.0
Decoder
NVDEC (Ampere)
VCN 2.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9,AV1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti draws 200W versus the Radeon RX 5500 XT's 130W — a 42.4% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 600W (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 242mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 75°C.

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
TDP
200W
130W-35%
Recommended PSU
600W
450W-25%
Power Connector
8-pin
8-pin
Length
242mm
180mm
Height
112mm
110mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
75
75°C
Perf/Watt
101.6+46%
69.8
💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti launched at $399 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT launched at $199. The Radeon RX 5500 XT costs 50.1% less ($200 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 50.9 (GeForce RTX 3060 Ti) vs 45.6 (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti offers 11.6% better value. The GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce RTX 3060 TiRadeon RX 5500 XT
MSRP
$399
$199-50%
Performance per Dollar
50.9+12%
45.6
Codename
GA104
Navi 14
Release
December 1 2020
December 12 2019
Ranking
#73
#291