With the Nvidia 40 series set to release later this year, gamers are anxiously waiting to see what the next-gen GPUs have to offer. Before we start upgrading our PCs though, let’s take a step back and look at what the current generation graphics cards have to offer.
NVIDIA RTX 3090 vs AMD RX 6900 XT
RTX 3090
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1395 MHz
Boost Clock
1695 MHz
Memory Clock
1219 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
10496
TMUs
328
ROPs
112
SM Count
82
Tensor Cores
328
RT Cores
82
L1 Cache
128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache
6 MB
Memory
Memory Size
24 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
Memory Bus
384 bit
Bandwidth
936.2 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
3.0
Vulkan
1.3
CUDA
8.6
Shader Model
6.6
RX 6900 XT
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1825 MHz
Game Clock
2015 MHz
Boost Clock
2250 MHz
Memory Clock
2000 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
5120
TMUs
320
ROPs
128
Compute Units
80
RT Cores
80
L0 Cache
32 KB per WGP
L1 Cache
138 KB per Array
L2 Cache
4 MB
L3 Cache
128 MB
Memory
Memory Size
16 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
256 bit
Bandwidth
512.0 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
2.1
Vulkan
1.3
Shader Model
6.5
While both graphics cards boast high performance, it’s no surprise that the RTX 3090 comes out on top – it’s why the majority of gamers prefer Nvidia over AMD. Compared to the RX 6900, the RTX 3090 has better memory, made faster with its wider memory bus. The RTX 3090 excels when it comes to ray tracing but shows similar performance to the RX 6900 when ray tracing isn’t used. And though the RX 6900 has less than half the stream processors as the RTX 3090 has CUDA cores, the RX 6900 doesn’t necessarily work half as fast. Given all the specs, the RX 6900 is more equivalent to the RTX 3080.
NVIDIA RTX 3080 vs AMD RX 6800 XT
RTX 3080
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1440 MHz
Boost Clock
1710 MHz
Memory Clock
1188 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
8704
TMUs
272
ROPs
96
SM Count
68
Tensor Cores
272
RT Cores
68
L1 Cache
128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache
5 MB
Memory
Memory Size
10 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6X
Memory Bus
320 bit
Bandwidth
760.3 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
3.0
Vulkan
1.3
CUDA
8.6
Shader Model
6.6
RX 6800 XT
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1700 MHz
Game Clock
18 MHz
Boost Clock
2105 MHz
Memory Clock
2000 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
3840
TMUs
240
ROPs
96
Compute Units
60
RT Cores
60
L0 Cache
32 KB per WGP
L1 Cache
128 KB per Array
L2 Cache
4 MB
L3 Cache
128 MB
Memory
Memory Size
16 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
256 bit
Bandwidth
512.0 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
2.1
Vulkan
1.3
Shader Model
6.6
Unlike the RTX 3090 and RX 6900, the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 are more evenly matched. Despite the RX 6800’s greater memory, the RTX 3080’s upgraded GDDR6X plus its wider memory width gives it a greater standard memory bandwidth. The RX 6800 however, uses 10% less memory and generally there’s very little FPS difference between them. Like all Nvidia cards, the RTX 3080 does better with ray tracing, but both cards show similar performance when ray tracing isn’t in use.
NVIDIA RTX 3070 vs AMD RX 6700 XT
RTX 3070
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1500 MHz
Boost Clock
1725 MHz
Memory Clock
1750 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
5888
TMUs
184
ROPs
96
SM Count
46
Tensor Cores
184
RT Cores
46
L1 Cache
128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache
4 MB
Memory
Memory Size
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
256 bit
Bandwidth
448.0 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
3.0
Vulkan
1.3
CUDA
8.6
Shader Model
6.6
RX 6700 XT
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
2321 MHz
Game Clock
2424 MHz
Boost Clock
2581 MHz
Memory Clock
2000 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
2560
TMUs
160
ROPs
64
Compute Units
40
RT Cores
40
L0 Cache
32 KB per WGP
L1 Cache
128 KB per Array
L2 Cache
3 MB
L3 Cache
96 MB
Memory
Memory Size
12 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
192 bit
Bandwidth
384.0 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
2.1
Vulkan
1.3
Shader Model
6.5
On average, the RTX 3070 is about 20% faster than the RX 6700. Both are tied at 1080p gaming but the RTX 3070 begins to pick up performance, boasting a 3% lead on 1440p gaming and 10% on 4k gaming. Although the RX 6700 is good for 1440p gaming, it can’t handle ray tracing at 1440p, making the RTX 3070 a clear winner between the two.
NVIDIA RTX 3060 vs AMD RX 6600 XT
RTX 3060
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1320 MHz
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
Memory Clock
1875 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
3584
TMUs
112
ROPs
48
SM Count
28
Tensor Cores
112
RT Cores
28
L1 Cache
128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache
3 MB
Memory
Memory Size
12 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
192 bit
Bandwidth
360.0 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
3.0
Vulkan
1.3
CUDA
8.6
Shader Model
6.6
RX 6600 XT
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1626 MHz
Game Clock
2044 MHz
Boost Clock
2491 MHz
Memory Clock
1750 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
1792
TMUs
112
ROPs
64
Compute Units
28
RT Cores
28
L0 Cache
32 KB per WGP
L1 Cache
128 KB per Array
L2 Cache
2 MB
L3 Cache
32 MB
Memory
Memory Size
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
128 bit
Bandwidth
224.0 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
2.1
Vulkan
1.3
Shader Model
6.5
The RTX 3060 and RX 6600 are very close in performance – the RX 6600 being about 3% faster in 1080p gaming and the RTX being 2% faster at 1440p gaming. The RTX 3060 offers a 50% larger frame buffer which will allow it to handle future games and textures better, making it the better option of the two for prolonged use.
NVIDIA RTX 3050 vs AMD RX 6050 XT
RTX 3050
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
1552 MHz
Boost Clock
1777 MHz
Memory Clock
1750 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
2560
TMUs
80
ROPs
32
SM Count
20
Tensor Cores
80
RT Cores
20
L1 Cache
128 KB (per SM)
L2 Cache
2 MB
Memory
Memory Size
8 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
128 bit
Bandwidth
224.0 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
3.0
Vulkan
1.3
CUDA
8.6
Shader Model
6.6
RX 6050 XT
Clock Speeds
Base Clock
2310 MHz
Game Clock
2610 MHz
Boost Clock
2815 MHz
Memory Clock
2248 MHz
Render Config
Shading Units
1024
TMUs
64
ROPs
32
Compute Units
16
RT Cores
16
L0 Cache
32 KB per WGP
L1 Cache
128 KB per Array
L2 Cache
1024 MB
L3 Cache
16 MB
Memory
Memory Size
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
Memory Bus
64 bit
Bandwidth
143.9 GB/s
Graphics
DirectX
12 Ultimate
OpenGL
4.6
OpenCL
2.2
Vulkan
1.3
Shader Model
6.6
Looking at the specs alone, I’m sure it’s no surprise when I say that the RTX 3050 crushes the RX 6500 when it comes to 1080p gaming. The RX 6500 was originally created for laptops and rather than proving it matches the RTX 3050, it struggles to prove it belongs on the GPU market. And while it does technically have ray tracing, good luck getting any games to run smoothly with it. If you’re looking for the cheapest GPU for 1080p gaming, your best bet is the RTX 3050.
Conceptualized in the late 1800s, the idea of Virtual Reality has been the subject of human interest for a long time. VR started as just 360-degree murals and the creation of the stereoscope, which gave users a sense of depth and perception when looking at images – but has now evolved into an wholly interactive experience. What was once an idea to make images more immersive has developed into making entire worlds immersive, thanks to the introduction of VR to gaming. And while Virtual Reality has been making some huge strides in many areas in recent years, VR is quickly changing the gaming scene.
Immersive Gameplay
One of the things that draws players to VR gaming is just how immersive gameplay is. Whereas in a regular game the player is a spectator to the main character, interacting with objects and your environment through them and their perspective, in VR the player is the main character. Everything they see is from their point of view, and they are able to directly interact with everything in the game. Players have a 360 view of the world and are free to roam around the perimeters as well as interact with objects and characters in a more meaningful way. Players feel more involved in gameplay because they must move their head to view their surroundings and move their hands to interact with objects – sometimes they even need to move their whole body depending on the gameplay. VR emulates the feeling of physically being inside the game.
Changing Gameplay
VR is not only changing the way players interact with video games, but also changing how games can be played as well. VR allows players to enjoy common gaming mechanics in a new way. Gaming mechanics such as fishing and driving, which require the use of your eyes and hands, completely transform when they’re translated into VR. Game genres such as rhythm games that only required a mouse and a keyboard now require you to physically hit and dodge notes in VR.
Video game design is also changing thanks to the VR boom. Non-VR game environments are molded to fit the character the gamer is playing. The game is programmed to make the character feel like it belongs in that world. The in-game camera only shows the angles that work best with the character and the character is programmed to respond to its conditions. VR games, on the other hand, must be programmed to account for the player’s presence in the environment. Games have to be more thorough with haptic feedback in order to make players feel like they’re actually using their hands and that the objects in the game have a physical presence. Objects in VR need to feel similar to how they do in real life to fully immerse the player in the game world.
VR System Requirements
Each VR headset has their own requirements to make it run. Here are the minimum requirements for two of the most popular VR headsets, the VIVE and Oculus Rift:
VIVE Minimum System Requirements
Processor
GPU
Memory
Video Output
USB port
Operating System
Intel Core i5-4590/AMD FX 8350 or better
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970/AMD Radeon R9 290 or better
4 GB RAM or more
DisplayPort 1.2 or newer
1x USB 3.0
Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or later, Windows 10
Oculus Rift Minimum System Requirements
Processor
GPU
Memory
Video Output
USB port
Operating System
Intel i3-6100/AMD Ryzen 3 1200, FX4350 or better
NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti/AMD Radeon RX 470 or better
8 GB RAM or more
Compatible Mini DisplayPort video output
1 x USB 3.0 port
Windows 10
Virtual reality has a lot of appeal I mean, who wouldn’t want to completely experience and explore new environments? Or re-experience their favorite games in a new and different way? VR opens many new doors, especially in gaming and we’re excited to see how VR continues to progress and change the way we game – especially with the introduction of the Metaverse.
Released in 1999, The Geforce 256 is marketed as “the world’s first GPU. Since then, graphics cards have come a long way. In this article, we will be focusing on the XX80 Ti series and how each installment has upgraded.
GTX 980 Ti
The GTX 980 Ti was the second most powerful graphics card from that generations’ Nvidia cards and was the fastest card in 2015. Providing excellent 4k performance and VR Ready certification, it’s no wonder why that was.
GPU Engine Specs
Base Clock (MHz)
1000MHz
Boost Clock (MHz)
1075MHz
Memory Specs:
Memory Clock
7.0 Gbps
Standard Memory Config
6 GB
Memory Interface
GDDR5
Memory Interface Width
384-bit
NVIDIA CUDA Cores
2816
GTX 1080 Ti
The GTX 1080 Ti is a huge upgrade from the GTX 980 Ti with about a 70% performance increase. And with only a $50 price difference from its predecessor on release, the 1080 Ti is a solid upgrade. While it does offer one memory controller less, the GDDR5X memory is faster which leads to a comparable memory bandwidth.
GPU Engine Specs
Base Clock (MHz)
1481 MHz
Boost Clock (MHz)
1582 MHz
Memory Specs:
Memory Clock
11 Gbps
Standard Memory Config
11 GB
Memory Interface
GDDR5X
Memory Interface Width
352-bit
NVIDIA CUDA Cores
3584
RTX 2080 Ti
Although the RTX 2080 Ti costs about 70% more than the GTX 1080 Ti, it’s not easy to justify the price difference. While the 1080 Ti does have several upgrades, the performance of the GPU is slightly underwhelming for an upgrade. The RTX 2080 does, however, have features such as Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) and Real-Time Ray Tracing (RTRT) which creates more realistic lighting effects than its predecessors.
GPU Engine Specs
Base Clock (MHz)
1350 MHz
Boost Clock (MHz)
1545 MHz
Memory Specs:
Memory Clock
14 Gbps
Standard Memory Config
11 GB
Memory Interface
GDDR6
Memory Interface Width
384-bit
NVIDIA CUDA Cores
4352
RTX 3080 Ti
With great power comes a great price tag and the RTX 3080 Ti is no exception. The 3080 Ti shows an increase in speed as well as many areas and if you’re looking to turn on ray tracing while playing with some heavy specs, the 2080 Ti is no match for the 3080 Ti. The 3080 Ti is also comparable to the RTX 3090 – the main differences being the VRAM is only half of the 3090 and a smaller shader count.
GPU Engine Specs
Base Clock (MHz)
1365 MHz
Boost Clock (MHz)
1665 MHz
Memory Specs:
Memory Clock
19 Gbps
Standard Memory Config
12 GB
Memory Interface
GDDR6X
Memory Interface Width
384-bit
NVIDIA CUDA Cores
10240
If you’re more of a visual learner, you can click here to see a video comparison of all the XX80 Ti graphics cards. Let us know which XX80 Ti graphics card was your favorite on Facebook!
Metro Exodus is a story-driven first person shooter. Driven by it’s post-apocalyptic setting, it combines combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror to create an intense and immersive gameplay.
With that being said – Metro Exodus comes out on top of this list due to the fact that even with the most powerful graphics card, your PC will still struggle to get up to 40 FPS while playing this game on the highest settings. This game is even more demanding when you take into account that it uses real-time ray tracing to achieve it’s realistic atmosphere. As you can see from the recommended specs below, you’ll need a pretty powerful PC.
OS
Windows 10
Processor
Intel Core i7-4770k
Memory
8 GB
Graphics
Nvidia GTX 1070 / RTX 2060 / AMD RX VEGA 56
Storage
96 GB
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role-playing game set in Night City, a world set in the Cyberpunk universe that’s obsessed with body modifications. Played in the first person perspective, you play as a mercenary who sets out to go after the key to mortality – a one-of-a-kind implant.
One of the most anticipated games of the decade, Cyberpunk 2077 requires a pretty powerful PC, as it will go through your memory like no other. Even with the recommended requirements, Cyberpunk 2077 will still struggle to maintain its frame rates at points, especially if you’re using its real time ray-tracing features. This game uses so much power that even the most powerful PCs will still struggle to keep up with it. Below you can see the recommended specs for the game.
OS
Windows 10
Processor
Intel Core i7-4790k
Memory
16 GB
Graphics
Nvidia GTX 1060 / AMD Radeon R9 Fury
Storage
70 GB
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
Microsoft Flight Simulator 202 is just as its name suggests – it’s a flight simulator that allows you to test your piloting skills with real world flight challenges and fly to anywhere on earth.
While the recommended specs don’t require the most beefy processor or graphics card to play, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 takes up a whopping 150 GB of storage. The game uses real-world graphics and gets data from satellites which gets processed into the game to recreate the entire planet – becoming one of the most accurate simulation games out right now. But be prepared – you’re going to be waiting quite a few hours for this game to download.
So I think we can all agree – if we’re here on this website, we like video games. But have you ever thought about how video games were first created? If not, you are in for a surprise!
1950s & 1960s
The 50s isn’t a time period you think of when it comes to video game history but it actually marks the start. The first video games were created on what were some of the earliest analogue computers ever built in an effort to showcase the computers’ capabilities. 1958 is when the first video game, Tennis for Two, is created. Other notable games created on these computers are Tic-Tac-Toe and Nim.
Computer games were being created in the 60s but due to a scarcity of computers as well as the difficulty of transferring the games onto computers in different locations, none of them really spread beyond the college campus they were created on. The exception being Spacewar! which was created by a group of students at MIT and spread across the country, gaining popularity.
1970s
Video games really start picking up in the 70s. Atari was founded in 1972 and their game, Pong, becomes a global success. The first commercialized home console, the Magnavox Odyssey, also was released in ’72. In 1974, the first ever variation of a First Person Shooter game, Maze Wars, came out – although the term “first person shooter” didn’t get popular until the 2000s.
The 70s is also the time period where video game cabinets came out to a broader audience for a low price. Space Invaders came out for these cabinets which brought on the golden age of arcade which lasted from 1978-1982.
1980s
The 80s brought the wide spread of home computers. Clones of popular arcade games were created and were being distributed as code through books, magazines, and newsletters. Unfortunately, 1983 brought the video game crash. With an influx of poor quality games in the American gaming market, the once popular Atari brand was struggling and gaming consoles such as the Magnavox and the ColecoVision, which had only been released the year before, to be discontinued.
The crash also affected the arcade and home computer business but luckily, the computer business didn’t suffer as much. By 1984, PC gaming began dominating console gaming. The Apple Macintosh was also launched that year, leading to the next wave of home computers in the late 80s that had advanced graphics and sound.
Nintendo wanted to release their Famicom to the American audience since it was doing so well in Japan, but they were unsure because of the state of the game console market. They decided to rebrand the Famicom to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and launched it in the US. In only 4 years, the NES managed to bring a resurgence of the video game console industry in the United States.
1990s
We saw a huge improvement of video games start in this decade. Video game graphics went from raster to 3D and game consoles such as the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64 were able to produce texture-mapped 3D graphics. Several genres including FPS, MMOs, and real-time strategy started to rise and other notable genres that gained popularity were simulation games, survival horrors, and MMORPGs.
While home consoles were skyrocketing, arcade games were declining. Even with arcade games seeing a comeback due to the popularization of one-on-one fighting games, the revival quickly died out due to the controversy of violent video games along with the fact that video game consoles were getting ports of everyone’s favorite arcade games. Arcade games tried to up their graphics to combat this, but game consoles quickly followed suit.
The 90s were also when handheld consoles entered the market. The Nintendo Gameboy was released in 1989 with several other handheld game systems following in its footsteps. No other handheld gaming system could match that of the Gameboy though, so it went virtually unrivaled in the 90s.
2000s
There were huge innovations made to console and PC games. Game consoles released in the 2000s came with features such as the capability to support DVD and CD formats, backwards compatibility, and the ability to connect to the internet to play games online.
As the internet became more available to the public, online games such as Runescape, World of Warcraft, and many more became very popular. And with the accessibility of the internet and programs such as Java and Adobe Flash came a wave of browser games which were available for casual gamers to play for free. Soon social media started implementing these casual games which relied on users to interact with their friends on social media in order to gain in-game items.
The handheld console market was still doing quite well. The Nintendo DS was released in 2004 and soon after the PSP was launched. While the PSP boasted better graphics and power, the Nintendo DS focused more on the novelty of the system with its two screen system.
Mobile gaming also started rising with the introduction of smart phones and the app store. By 2009. the freemium model was introduced to mobile gaming, where the game is initially free but to speed up the process or get extra items, the player must pay a small premium.
2010s
The emergence of gaming consoles with updated graphics to match the capabilities of the new flat screen TVs that were becoming popular. PlayStation and Xbox consoles were extremely popular well but Nintendo’s Wii U was a commercial failure due to bad marketing.
Nintendo’s portable consoles were still successful. They upgraded the DS, to DSi, to the 3Ds and New 3Ds, and then eventually they created the switch, which worked as both a portable console and home console when docked. Sony released the PlayStation Vita, but it was soon discontinued due to poor performance. Sony stated that they would not be working on any portable consoles in the future.
Personal computers, on the other hand, were doing really well during this time period. PC graphics cards were constantly upgrade past that of the performance of consoles and powerful graphics cards began gaining popularity with cryptocoin miners.
VR gaming also became popular due to products such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive hitting the consumer market.
2020s
Though the 2020s are still young, we’ve still seen some breakthrough with graphics. Graphics cards now have the ability to support real-time ray tracing – a feature already on home consoles released that year. There has also been significant improvements in the ability to display highly detailed graphics which allow for photorealism in games.
So, did you learn anything new about video games? Let us know on Facebook!
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