Best RX 6500 XT graphics card in 2022
We find the best RX 6500 XT GPU for your needs
With another GPU release, we take a look at the best RX 6500 XT. This graphics card is based on a different die and is similar to AMD’s mobile offering. The new die has different behaviors and thermal properties that will be worked on differently by different manufacturers.
Targeting the 16 series from Nvidia, this card is meant as a cheap entry-level card. However, in this market, we’re not so certain you’ll be able to get hold of the card let alone at the MSRP. AMD has cut out a lot of features from this new card to keep it to a $200 MSRP.
However, that is unlikely to save it from getting scalped, although the 4GB VRAM limit may save it from Ethereum miners at least.
With all that in mind, we have gathered up all the AIB offerings of the 6500 XT to decide which ones are the best offerings, picking through cards from MSI, Gigabyte, ASUS, ASRock, and more.
Our Top Picks
Best RX 6500 XT Graphics Cards
In-depth Review
ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 6500 XT OC
ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 6500 XT OC
ASUS always has a great selection of cards to pick from. The RX 6500 XT provides a budget card with more premium solutions, with overclocking out of the box and great cooling.
The TUF card is clocked at 2705 MHz game clock, and has a boost clock of 2825 MHz. That’s a solid figure and ASUS manages to keep it all cool with their thermal design. The 2.7 slot heatsink with four heatpipes and two axial-tech fans keeps the GPU nicely chilled.
Even with that design, the card is relatively small with measurements of 250 x 147 x 54 mm – it will fit easily in most cases. The only part holding it back is the thickness and that it nearly takes up three whole slots, which may interfere with smaller cases.
In aesthetics, it is an industrial robust build. With solid stainless steel and aluminum materials you don’t have to worry about it coming apart or sagging. The RGB is also minimal for ASUS standards with a dash of it on the side with their logo. It is not too prominent if it’s not your style.
Gigabyte Radeon RX 6500 XT GAMING OC 4G
Gigabyte Radeon RX 6500 XT GAMING OC 4G
The Gigabyte card offers up another high-performance card overclocked by default. It is however a three-fan card with Gigabyte’s Windforce cooling solution, which makes it the longest out of the selection. While this does make it the quietest, it can be harder to fit it into smaller cases. It is also quite an over-the-top solution for the lower-powered card. But, it should mean plenty of opportunity for overclocking as long as the six-pin PCIe power doesn’t limit you.
It is a slimmer card with only a two-slot design, which means the longer design can make up for the loss of heatsink height, especially with a blow-through design at the end of the card without the PCB. This means the card gets rid of the heat away from the card and out of the system.
PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT ITX
PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT ITX
Measuring only 165 mm long, the PowerColor GPU is a great card for any ITX builds. Along with a great base performance, it can still perform very well even in a more restrictive environment. So, as long as you’re not looking for much overclocking and quiet running it is a good choice for small builds.
Building an ITX system is definitely a lot harder these days, with more powerful components requiring bigger cooling it definitely is a struggle to fit them into smaller cases. So if you are looking for a build allowing much easier transportation then the PowerColor ITX card might be the choice for you.
XFX Speedster QICK210 Radeon RX 6500 XT
XFX Speedster QICK210 Radeon RX 6500 XT
The XFX brand is seen as the founder’s edition version for AMD as it doesn’t produce its own GPUs. It is the most basic level of the card but it still has the base level of performance. There isn’t much overhead for overclocking but there’s nothing stopping you from trying.
With the lower-end cards, you can experience shorter lifespans and performance drop more noticeably over time. But this isn’t definitive and not really verifiable until enough time has passed so looking at previous versions is the best option.
Even so, overall this choice will give you the best performance per price. Even if the design is a lot more basic and bland it still might be your pick.
Final Word
These are our choices for the best RX 6500 XT cards, along with various other options for your consideration. If you’re still holding onto a low-end card or one that’s a few years out of date this card may be an option for you.
That is, as long as you can actually buy one, especially at MSRP prices. Check our links for the very latest availability.