Competing directly with Nvidia’s 3070, let’s see how it performs in terms of power usage.
How Many Watts for AMD 6700 XT?
The AMD 6700 XT at its peak consumes around ~230 Watts. This means you need at least 470W to run it, so your total power supply should be at least 650W.
Why 650W+?
First of all, your power supply has to have enough watts to power all of your components, not just the GPU. That includes the CPU, disks and any extra fans or cooling you decide to add.
If you overclock any of those components, it means you need to have an even more efficient PSU (power supply). While these minimum graphics card watt requirements are good for 90% cases, you should still remember it all comes down to the rest of your system as well.
Every graphics card has an average and a peak power consumption part. Your power supply is constantly powering your entire computer, and while your GPU is mostly hovering at lower/average values, when you run heavy games it will quickly jump up.
Even if it just happens for a few seconds or minutes, if your PSU is not strong enough to handle those peaks, your compute will (in best case scenario) turn off. You should also know that a PSU is most efficient when you’re not near its maximum.
AMD also recommends your PSU to be at least 650W for the 6700 XT.
Is 500/550W Enough for 6700 XT?
No, because it’s not double the peak consumption. It could run the GPU alone, but there’s more components in every PC. Even if you have a high quality Platinum rated supply, your computer will simply shut down as soon as you run something mildly heavier (games, video editing)
Is 650W Enough for 6700 XT?
Yes, it’s also the minimum AMD recommends, and is well above the double peak consumption.
You should also remember that the closer your total computer power consumption is to the max wattage of your PSU, the less efficient it will be. So, if your computer requires 680W to run everything and you’re using a 700W PSU, then you’re really at the edge and not getting the best performance out of it.
While there’s usually no reason to go with extremely higher PSU’s, it’s also wise to not go with something that is just barely keeping your system alive.
The image above is an example of how efficient a power supply is at different rates. At ~45% of its load, it’s noticeably more efficient than when it’s closer to 100%. The differences are not so huge that it would be worth spending twice as much money on a more powerful PSU, but it’s still good to remember to not push it to its limits. While this graph is not the same for all PSU’s out there, you can assume the curve looks pretty similar.
What Power Supply We Recommend?
The PSU we recommend is Corsair RMX 650W+ Gold Rated. There’s even a few higher watt options from Corsair for not a whole lot more, so if you want to be more future-proof, check out the 750 and 850W options too.
Always keep in mind that any CPU/GPU overclocking, adding extra fans or cooling, will require even more from your PSU.
If you’re just building out your computer, or aren’t on a tight budget, we seriously recommend you to go for a quality 650W+ PSU. This is more than enough to handle the peak, even if you overclock your GPU and CPU. Never settle on an unknown/low quality PSU because you’re basically betting your entire computer against a few dollars saved.
Can the 6700 XT Run Games at 4K?
It’s not the ideal choice for 4K gaming, especially if you want a consistent 60fps rate. Most games at medum/high settings will hover between 40-60fps, so for purely 4K resolution we would not recommend this card.
For 4K with higher fps, check out the 6800 XT which would be our recommended starting point. If you want an Nvidia alternative, check out the slightly more expensive RTX 3070.
Can the 6700 XT Run Games at 1440p at 144Hz?
Yes, this is where the card shines the most (as well as 1080p gaming). When playing in ultra or high, almost all latest games will run over 60fps. It also helps that the 6700 XT has 12GB of ram, making it a bit more future-proof for intensive 1440p games.
